“Anything else?” I grit my teeth, their sharpness knocking together.I should be home.
“Clearly they’ve found her, Graysen. Cassius must have been some kind of non-violent solution, but if they’re sending brute force her way, it won’t stop. Get back to the house as soon as possible and take her far away.”
“I’m going to tell her everything.” I’d already been planning on it, but this urgency meant I’d be telling her everythingimmediately.
“Go home, Graysen. You won’t forgive yourself if she’s taken from your bedroom a second time. I don’t know why thefuckyou thought coming here was a good idea. I told you I’d come to you.”
“You took too fucking long,” I bit, my palms singeing.
I couldn’t make informed decisions without data, and Mykie was the keeper of all data. If she didn’t come to me with information, I had to show up here to get it. That was the only way to maintain control. One final chance to plan appropriately before doing what I had promised myself I wouldneverdo, for Faeryn’s sake—tell her about her past.Ourpast.
“You’re a real dumbass when you try to micromanage everything. You know that?”
Desperate rage ached my muscles. My hands burned. I tried to remind myself that Mykie, although antagonizing, had a shared interest in protecting my mate. She dedicated herself to monitoring the town, its people, and the E.A.R.T.H. organization’s activities since the fateful day I brought Faeryn back home, above and beyond what her job required. Instead of targeting one individual at a time and discreetly removing them as her position usually called for, she’d applied her skills to the masses to establish a safe community for my Little Fae.
I turned to leave, Mykie slammed her hand down on the counter. I opened my mouth to growl in reciprocated aggression, but she had thrown a newspaper down.
“I talked to Stella the night Faeryn was attacked. She said Faeryn was upset about your reaction to a Mr. Donnar.”
Surelythisconversation could wait. “He’s harmless,” I muttered. “Cross him off your suspect list. I was just mad.”
“I’m not worried he’s gonna hurt her.” She pointed one finger down at the newspaper.
I looked suspiciously into Mykie’s black eyes before taking what I now saw was the obituary segment, realization creeping over me. Sure enough, there he was. My face pinched in pain. The last thing I said to a male I sawregularly for nearly adecadewas a threat. I would hardly say that I liked him, but I recognized him as a complicated person with decent intentions. That was something we had in common. He didn’t deserve to die so suddenly.
“What are you implying?” I asked darkly.
“Did you do this?”
“Absolutely not.” I bared my teeth at the accusation. “It was only a matter of time, Mykie! Do you have any clue how many bouts of alcohol poisoning he survived? Cutting him off was down to a science at the bar. We can’t control what he does at his own home.”
I hoped it hadn’t been Faeryn to serve him his final drink. I should’ve stepped in. Part of me never wanted Faeryn to learn about this, but I was done keeping secrets. I would tell her gently, and do what I could to convince her it wasn’t her fault.
Her expression smoothed. “Alright. I believe you.”
“I need to get home.” I shoved the page back towards her. “I’m taking Faeryn to Eitrea tonight. I don’t think it willeverbe safe enough for her here.”
My heart ached. I might never see Mykie again, but I was convinced a normal existence wasn’t in the cards for my mate and me. She deserved the community she had always wanted—I tried everything to provide it—but it wasn’t worth her life. Iwould find a way to make her happy on her home island, and we would grow old together amongst the trees and the dragons. We would have each other, if nothing else.
I blinked, and Mykie’s arms were wrapped around my waist. She had never touched me affectionately, much lesshuggedme. I returned her embrace, encircling her shoulders with my arms and leaning my head into the smooth black hair of my dearest friend. I loved Faeryn more than anything and anyone, but there was room in my heart for more than one person. Mykie and Theo saved me from myself. They’d leave voids that would never heal.
“Maybe we can find an isolated island halfway between us to meet once a year,” she mumbled into my shoulder. “I can send Ragen to figure out the details so I don’t, you know, get eaten by a dragon when trying to contact you.”
I laughed, as a tear dripping down my cheek. “I’d love that.” If putting my trust in Ragen meant I could keep Mykie in my life, I’d do it.
“Go fill in your mate on everything. Get out of here safely.” Mykie leaned back to smile at me. “If you need me, you know where to find me.”
I jogged home, inclined to hurry. How would I even begin to start filling in the blanks for Faeryn? There would be a lot of apologizing to do, not to mention justifying, so she didn’t think I was a total psychopath. I might need to dig some real, physical evidence out of my office.
Fae. I’m sorry for everything.
We’re married.
I put you in danger.
You are magical. You can heal. Because of that, a powerful organization kidnapped you from our home to be used as a profitable energy source.
Keeping these secrets from her had always been excruciating, but there’d been some relief in knowing I’d never needto say the terrible words. That she losteverythingbecause of me. I would fumble my way through this—hopefully convincingly. It would be an uphill battle for her to believe me, but we’d need to climb that mountain quickly.
