Page 35 of Primal Bonds

“I didn’t see him,” Jace said, “but who else could it be? The man was right outside Evie and Kyler’s door. We could feel him out there, trying to sense where I was. I protected the three of us the best I could, and then I passed out. Somehow she held him off. Hell, maybe thinking happy thoughts worked.”

“Could be the fae in her. If I had to choose, I’d say she was sun fae, and if there’s one thing the sun fae are good at, it’s being happy.”

Jace nodded slowly. Sun fae were rich, sexy, hedonistic—the fae world’s version of a Hollywood elite. Evie might not have the wealth, but she had a sun fae’s magnetism. Hell, even with a knife wound to the gut, he’d wanted to fuck her.

“But if it was his royal prickness,” Adric continued, “then why? He targeted you for a reason.”

“Merry,” Jace said, tightlipped. “He can’t get at her because she’s too well protected. That ward of her grandfather’s keeps the night fae away from her, and Rock Run has adopted her into their clan. You’d have to be touched in the head to fuck with Rui do Mar.” The river fada who was Merry’s adopted father was also Rock Run’s most feared assassin. “No.” Jace shook his head. “The only way the night fae can strike at her is through me.”

“Merry, yeah—but why you? Sure, you’re her uncle, but it’s Silver’s line he’s worried about. And if he really wanted to hurt Merry, he’d go after Rui and Valeria.”

“True.” Jace rubbed his forehead. “But then why?”

Adric was out of his chair and pacing. He could never sit still for long.

“Think about it, Jace. You’re the key to my whole strategy for getting the clan back on its feet. You’re the one who knows the quartz technology inside out. Yeah, we’ve got others who can do some of what you do, but no one has a grasp of all the pieces like you do. If you die, the project could be set back years—and who knows what would happen in the meantime?”

“Hell.” Jace met Adric’s eyes. “You think someone’s trying to sabotage the project.”

“I do.”

Zuri’s brow creased. “But why would the night fae care?”

Adric and Jace spoke as one. “Because he’s not working alone.”

Chapter 11

Monday morning, Jace woke up feeling almost like his old self.

Suha had returned on Sunday to nag him to take it easy. He nodded and obeyed, because the healer knew her stuff—and he did need the rest. Suha’s healing combined with the energy from his own recharged quartz to speed things along.

Zuri had brought Jace’s bike home, so just after dawn, he slipped out of the den, Tigger on his heels. Somehow Suha got wind of it, though—he’d swear the woman was part Seer—and he found her waiting in the backyard.

The healer set her hands on her hips. “Where d’you think you’re going?”

Tigger perked up—he had a crush on Suha. He butted her calf, marking her with his scent.

She ignored the lovesick tabby to glare at Jace. “I haven’t cleared you to work, Jones.”

Uh-oh. She’d used his last name. Not a good sign.

He attempted a winning smile. “I’m fine. See?” He lifted his T-shirt to show her. The cuts had healed, but as she’d predicted, they’d left behind two raised red scars. Normally fada healed quickly and cleanly, but not when iron was involved. Jace would bear the night fae’s marks the rest of his life.

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Suha removed her crystal and ran it over his belly. “Not bad,” she conceded. “But you nearly died, Jace. Iron poisoning is no joke, and you suffered some internal damage. I want you to take it easy this week.”

“I am taking it easy. I’m only going to the Factory to test some of the new quartz. Those new smartphones are losing their charge too quickly.”

The Factory was the name Adric had given their combination test lab and manufacturing plant. Right now, it was just a big room in a building they’d rescued from the wrecking ball, but Ric liked to think big.

Suha nodded. The clan had been informed about the basics of what they were doing—produce quartz smartphones to Jace’s design, and then sell them to the other earth fada clans.

“So?” she returned. “They can survive a few days without you.”

“But I can’t. If I stay in another day, I’ll be climbing the walls. Even Tigger is sick of me.” He nodded at the tomcat, who’d tired of trying to gain Suha’s attention and was investigating an interesting smell near the fence. “Please?”

The healer cast her gaze skyward. “Don’t blame me if you have a relapse.”

“I won’t.” Jace planted a kiss on her cheek. “Relapse, that is.”

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