Page 59 of Fire Touched

Carter eases back, walking beside me. ‘You’re saying that a lot these days.’

‘I know.’ I clench my hands for a moment, regaining my calm. ‘What do you know about Air Pack?’

Carter makes a face. ‘Why?’

‘Well, we’ve only got a couple of days left here. I don’t know much about them.’

‘I don’t think anyone does. They pretty much keep to themselves.’

‘Right.’ After a beat. ‘We should visit them. Say hey.’

Carter barks a laugh. ‘You’re mad.’

I shrug. ‘Maybe. Do you have a better idea?’

Carter’s face darkens. ‘I do. I want to go to the Tide Witches.’ His cold blue eyes meet my gaze. ‘They tried to kill her, Killian. You know it, too. I want to know why.’

Anger curls low in my gut. ‘I think… that’s Katherine’s choice.’

Whack. Carter’s forearm collides with my stomach. ‘Now you’re getting it.’ He offers a sharp smile, the little bastard.

‘Hey!’ a voice calls. ‘What are you guys doing here?’

I run to my mate and lift her up in my arms, spinning her. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’

‘Oh.’ Katherine’s arms—which I notice are holding several bags—wrap around me. ‘Hello. Um, what are you sorry for?’

I ignore the others as they greet Ella.

‘For not coming home to you last night. I got caught up doing something, but if I’d realised—I’m an idiot, and I’m sorry.’

Katherine’s face softens. ‘Don’t worry about it. Put me down, please, it’s really hard to hold all this.’

I set her carefully on the ground, looking at her haul. Well, she didn’t set me on fire—or drown me—so that’s a good sign. ‘What have you got?’

Katherine smiles, and it transforms her. I realise it’s been a while since she properly smiled. ‘A lot, actually.’ Her gaze flicks up, noticing the sun set. ‘Oh. Our dinner.’

I catch Ella’s gaze on me, her smile easy as ever. ‘You know what? Why don’t we do that tomorrow night? I think if I spend any more time away from home, Moira’s going to lock me out. Why don’t we have dinner with our friends tonight?’

Katherine’s eyes close and she leans against me, nodding.

Moira wraps an arm around Ella. ‘I’m so happy to see you. What’s for dinner?’

Ella scoffs. ‘Is that all I am to you people? A chef?’

‘No!’ Moira snatches the book from her grasp. ‘You’re also great for getting books from.’ She squeezes the Water wolf. ‘Not at all,’ she adds more seriously.

‘Well, so long as you don’t take me for granted,’ Ella says, chin high, ‘I’ll make something delicious. Come on.’

We walk home, all of us connected: my arm around Katherine’s waist, the rest forming a chain-link. Even Carter smiles up at me. There’s something about him that seems… happier now. Lighter. He’s not that withdrawn young man he was on the way here. He’s healing, now. Carter’s gaze finds Ella, and any suspicions we all had are confirmed. I’m glad, for both of them.

Ella’s talking, waving animatedly as she recounts a story about a little girl who claimed her and Katherine, the friends they made. I’m hoping they didn’t have any negative encounters, but I’m fairly sure that would have come up by now. Ella passes out bracelets, and I notice Katherine’s already wearing one. ‘For each of us, from all packs,’ Ella explains, tilting her wrist so the stone catches the last rays of the dying sunlight. We all watch in awe as the stone changes colour.

Katherine leans against me. ‘It’s nice, isn’t it?’

‘What is?’

Her gaze is on our friends, on me. ‘Us. We’ve become… a family.’

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