Page 21 of Evidence of a Folktale

And without letting Bel answer, she charged off down the street.

Bel saton the bench in the little garden Eamon had designed for her. He and Ewan had mangled the trees behind her cabin when the bear shifter first moved to town, so Eamon had cleared out the damage and replaced it with a stretch of beautiful landscape. Bel loved to drink her morning coffee or make calls on the bench while Cerberus roamed the yard, and since he was busy stretching his legs after being home alone for hours, Bel pulled her phone out of her pocket. The day had been long and frigid, and as if standing outside to guard actors hadn’t been enough, shenowsat in her backyard with Cerberus while he expelled his pent-up energy. Eamon had bought the dog an oversized ball that couldn’t fit in his mouth, so he wascurrentlyshoving it around the yellowed grass, adorably trying to bite it in vain. At least in her garden, she could sit wrapped in a giant fuzzy blanket without anyone judging her.

Bel

I know you can’t talk, which is good, actually. I prefer texting this when you can’t respond right away.

Bel texted Eamon, Cerberus barking a joyous soundtrack for her messages. It felt easier to discuss the difficult things with a seventy-pound black pitbull growling like a hellhound in the background, and she needed to be honest with her boyfriend. Hiding her emotions because she was afraid he’d bring up leaving again wasn’t healthy. If they weregoingto make a future together, ignoring the painful parts of their lives wasn’t an option.

I downplayed how much standing out in the cold bothered me earlier. I didn’t want to freak you out before your meeting, but I should’ve told you. David caught me crying in The Espresso Shot bathroom, and he was awesome.Gaveme soup and hid me in his kitchen to warm up, but he isn’t you. I would’ve felt better if it were you.

She shoved her phone into her pocket, relieved that she’d admitted the truth, but dreading the moment he read it. He’d find a way to excuse her from work, and she was afraid she’d let him. And if he bailed her out, would she ever go back? She loved this job. She didn’t want to give it up, but after the frigid day she’d endured, it would take little to convince her to quit.

“Hey! Stop that or you’ll need a bath!” she shouted as Cerberus forgot his ball in favor of rolling in the dirt. “I’m serious!” She stood up and chased after him. “Get up or you’re going right in the shower, Mister.” She reached down and playfully swatted his haunches, but Cerberus jumped to his feet before her fingers barely touched him and took off running. A car door slammed, and Bel jerkedupto find Olivia ignoring the dog’s exuberant greeting as she charged for his mom.

“Did you know?” she blurted. “Did you know what Eamon was? What Ewan was?”

“Olivia,” Bel started.

“Did you know?” she demanded.

“Yes.” Bel’s shoulders sagged. “Yes, I did.”

“How could you know and not tell me?”

“Come on.” Bel turned toward her front door. “Let’s go inside and talk.”

“No. I don’t want to go inside and talk. I want you to tell me why you let me date a monster.”

“Because I thought he told you.” Bel whirled on her. “Those were Eamon’s conditions. Now, get inside. I’m tired of the cold. I’m not having this conversation out here.” She turned on her heels without waiting for a response and ushered Cerberus into her cabin. She tossed her blanket onto the couch and grabbed the teapot as Olivia thankfully entered the house and shut the chill outside behind them.

“Tea?” Bel asked.

“I’m not staying,” Olivia said.

“Suit yourself.” Bel filled the kettle with a single serving of water and set it on the stove to boil.

“So why didn’t you tell me?”

“I already told you why.”

“Yes, because you thought Ewan told me,” Olivia said. “How could you think that? How could you believe I learned my boyfriend confessed he was a murderer and a monster, and I just went about life like it was nothing? If I’d known the truth, don’t you think I would’ve freaked out or that my behavior would’ve changed drastically?”

“He isn’t a murderer,” Bel interrupted. “That hiker the bear attacked was a hunter targeting his pack. He would’ve killed Ewan’s entire family if your boyfriend hadn’t stopped him.”

“Oh my god, and now you’re justifying murderers!” Olivia shrieked. “First you lie to me, and now you act like Ewan’s crimes are nothing.”

“Because they mean nothing to us.” Bel seized the teapota littletoo forcefully and poured the scalding water into a mug, but the fragrant scent of peppermint couldn’t calm her nerves. “Human rules don’t apply to ancient beings, and even if they did, it wasn’t murder. It was self-defense. You should’ve seen the weapons thathunterwas traveling with. Eamon hid them before we officially booked the evidence, but that man had a custom rifle built to hunt down and exterminate people like Ewan.”

“So youreallyhave known this entire time?” Olivia stepped away from her, and Bel’s heart twisted in her chest. How had it come to this? How had her best friend grown so disgusted with her?

“Yes…” She sagged against the kitchen counter. At least the tea mug was hot in her palms. “I learned about Eamon the hard way, and I figured out what Ewan was after we arrested him. He was supposed to move on from Bajka after we released him from custody when Abel took you, but then he kidnapped me too. Eamon wanted help searching for me, so he enlisted the bear. They struck a deal, whichisapparentlyrare for theirkind. EamonletsEwan stay in town under one condition. He had to tell you the truth.”

“Well, heclearlydidn’t, because your freak of a boyfriend barged into my apartment and slit his wrist to prove a point. How could you date someone like him? How could you let yourself be with something so?—”

“Careful,” Bel warned. “I love you… so much, but he means the world to me. The things we’ve gone through together. The things he’s done to keep me alive. You can hate him all you want, but not in my presence.”

“If you love me, why didn’t you tell me?” Olivia shouted so loud that Cerberus ran from the kitchen to hide under the bed. “We are friends. Women don’t let their friends fall in love with monsters.”

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