Page 15 of Moonlit Alexandrite

“You’re an idiot, and I don’t know why we’re friends. What is your problem? You don’t even own a car.”

He rolled his head toward me without sitting up. “We’re family, so you’re stuck with me. Plus, I don’t need any machine. I have built-in transport that is sleek and so much better looking.” He grinned and patted his chest.

“I’m assuming the fact you rely on Stone’s magic-canceling ability to avoid your ‘transportation’ eating people on the regular isn’t factoring in here?”

Tase barked a laugh and strapped on his seatbelt.

“Natural selection, my friend.”

I was distracted from our banter by my phone chiming in my pocket. A quick glance, and I set it to silent.

“Who are you avoiding?” Tase asked, his fist still rubbing his sternum. I knocked his hand away and pulled my car onto the street.

“Would you stop that? My own chest is aching just watching you.”

Rather than another witty comeback, he simply grunted and looked out the window. I was thankful for the silence; I didn’t want to go into who was trying to contact me after three years.

* * *

Ramsay Mavros was a lifesaver.

Dion’s cousin was amazing with kids and willing to help out around his teaching schedule at Moonlit Falls High. He appeared in the doorway as we pulled up at the curb and beckoned us into the house.

The bang and crash of cymbals echoed through the front hall, and Ramsay grinned guiltily at the look I cast his way.

“Hey, I had to practice, and the kid’s a natural. He can play the set almost as well as I can,” he said, backing up a step.

“What set have you got coming up?” I asked instead. I couldn’t kill the babysitter, even if I spent the rest of the day listening to Newt bash out beats with anything he could get his hands on.

“An old friend from the academy, Damien Starr, is in town with his band. They’ve asked me to audition to understudy as their drummer while they’re here.”

That made sense… Wait. “Damien Starr… as in ‘Not a Vampire’ Damien Starr? Ramsay, they sold out their last concert in like five minutes. This is a big deal, man, congrats!” I slapped his back with a grin as we filed into the back room.

“Uncle Tase!” Newt squealed and stood from behind the drum set to launch himself at my friend.

“Hey, squirt,” Tase said with an affectionate grin as he hoisted the boy above his head. Newt squealed in delight as Tase spun him. It wasn’t until his feet were flat on the ground that I could breathe easily again. As he found his balance, Newt frowned up at Tase.

“Why are you colorful?”

I covered a snort, while Tase rolled his eyes outrageously.

“The naughty selkies made me green this week!”

Newt grinned and touched his arm gently. “Not the green, silly. The purple. A purple rope. See, Daddy has one too.” Newt reached up and placed his hand over my chest, right where I had felt the ache all morning. Tase’s look of concern mirrored what must have been on my face. What could Newt see? Newt’s mother — by birth only — was a fire witch. When Newt shifted for the first time on his third birthday, we all assumed he was completely salamander. The reason his ‘mother’ had given him back.

Maybe he was more.

The silence stretched and as it became strained; I did what any parent would do in that situation. Distracted the hell out of the kid and hoped he wouldn’t bring it up again.

“Were you good for Ramsay?” I asked, forcing a grin onto my face and steering him toward the front door. Newt’s face split with the size of his smile and in that moment, everything was alright. Newt told us about Ramsay’s stories of their last family get-together, of keg stands and arrests — the G-rated version, thank fuck — and how he helped make lemonade to drink with lunch.

“Sounds like you had a blast, kid.” I waved goodbye to Ramsay and called a final congratulations before buckling Newt into the car.

“Hey, Daddy?” he asked as we were pulling away from the curb. I glanced in the rear-view mirror to show him he had my attention.

“The purple ropes are going the same way. Can we follow them?”

Chapter Nine

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