Page 32 of Primal Bonds

“If anyone has fae blood, it’s Fane,” Kyler said. “There’s that picture we found. You know, after Mom died.”

“Yeah.” Evie set her jaw and started tidying the kitchen, picking up the bowl and coffee cups and setting them in the sink.

They’d found the photo tucked in a cigar box along with other mementos. In it, Fane had an arm slung around their mom’s shoulders, and they were both grinning at the camera. It had to have been taken over twenty-five years ago.

The last time they’d seen Fane, he’d looked exactly the same, right down to his wide grin and unlined face.

“What are you going to do?” Kyler asked.

“Make pancakes.” She took a box of pancake mix from the cupboard.

Her brother blew out a breath. “About this fae thing.”

“Nothing.” She measured a cup of the mix into a bowl, added milk and broke an egg on top of it. “Even if it’s true, what does it matter?” she asked as she stirred the batter. “It’s not going to change anything. If I do have some fae in me, it’s probably something like one-hundredth. It’s not like I can work magic or anything.”

Kyler placed his hands on his narrow hips and shook his head. “My sister, a fae.”

She pointed her fork at him. “This is between you and me, got it? You tell anyone, and you’re toast.”

He grinned and raised his hands. “Okay, okay. Don’t shoot me with a fae ball, sis.”

“Very funny. I mean it, Kyler Ferris.” She gave the batter a vicious stir. “Just get the plates out, will you?”

“Hey, don’t be so touchy. At least you have a dad to visit you. I don’t really even remember mine. I probably wouldn’t know him if I passed him on the street.”

Evie bit her lip. She ached to hug her brother, but she knew from experience he’d shrug her off. Their eyes met.

“You’d know him.”

“Yeah, sure.” Kyler opened the cupboard and took out two plates.

After breakfast, Kyler went to school and Evie finished cleaning up. She double-bagged Jace’s bloody T-shirt and then, recalling what a good sense of smell the fada had, threw it into a dumpster on the next block. Meanwhile, she washed and dried the sheet he’d used.

In a short while, there was no trace that Jace had spent the night on her couch. She’d almost believe she’d dreamed the whole thing, except she didn’t have that good of an imagination.

How was he doing? She bit her lip. He was the kind of man who’d do too much, too soon.

Not my business, she told herself. He had his friends to take care of him now. The best thing was to forget they’d ever met.

Her mind turned to what Adric had said about her being part fae. He’d seemed so certain.

If only there was some way to get hold of her dad. But the last time she’d seen him was two years ago, right before her mom died. She wasn’t even sure how he’d heard her mom was sick, but he’d arrived in time to say goodbye. Her mom had been alert enough to smile at him, and Evie would always be grateful for that.

Fane had stayed through the death and, to Evie’s surprise, had even taken charge of the arrangements, including paying for the memorial service and cremation. On the third night he’d said, “You seem like you’re doing okay, Evie love,” and the next morning he was gone, leaving only a glittering stone on her night table…which turned out to be a diamond worth close to ten thousand dollars.

Trust her dad to give her a gift that caused even more trouble. She’d been afraid a jeweler would ask awkward questions, so she’d pawned it instead. But the pawn shop had given her five thousand for it, and she had to admit the cash had helped.

Evie shook her head and took out her laptop. She had homework to do.

That afternoon she ate an early dinner with Kyler, and then headed to the Wine Bar, an upscale restaurant on the water where she was a server. Grace Harbor was a small, historic city bordered on two sides by water—the Susquehanna River to the north, and the Chesapeake Bay to the east. This time of year, the streets were filled with boaters and weekenders. It was Friday evening, and the restaurant was packed.

She should’ve been too busy to think, but Jace kept popping into her head at odd times. That curious smile as he’d been hurt and bleeding next to her stoop. His broad shoulders and cat-like grace. The way his eyes changed from hazel to green…

“Excuse me.” The man at the table before her spoke. “Miss? Is that our food?”

Evie blinked. She was standing in the middle of the restaurant, a plate in each hand. “Sorry about that,” she said with a smile, and slid the plates in front of the man and his date.

He closed his mouth on whatever he’d been about to say and gave her a brief smile back. She smiled at the woman he was with as well, because it was low class—and bad for tips—to flirt with a guy in front of his date. “Can I get you anything else?”

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