Logan leaned forward, his forehead furrowed. "The Fae? You didn't negotiate with the Native Americans who were here first?"
Jed shook his head. "Actually, the Fae were here first. Thousands of years before any humans. And, later, the native tribes were friendly enough with the Fae—or at least respected them—but wouldn't have anything to do with this area. They considered it to be a sacred spot for the Fae. Their wise men and women knew about the portal, you see."
"Portal?" Susan asked.
"To the Summerlands," Jed told her. "There are fixed portals or doorways to the Fae lands. The Summerlands, or Underhill, Faerieland. Whatever you call it, it's almost a different world there from here. Men, women, or children lost beyond the portals might spend a day there and return home fifty years later."
"If they ever return at all," Logan said, his face grim. I knew he was thinking of Iona, but we needed to keep Jed on track.
One nearly insurmountable problem at a time.
My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out of my pocket, hoping it was Tess, but Ruby's name popped up on my screen:
Is Tess with you? She's not answering her phone.
I quickly answered,
No. She's at home, napping, after trying the vinegar cure.
The little typing dots came up and then:
Mike and I will take Lou and Tess's car over a little later, then. Thanks, Jack. Be sure to let me know EVERYTHING about the statue who turned into your ancestor. Remember, I'm not just your friend, I'm your MAYOR.
I sighed and then sent her back a thumbs-up emoji and put my phone on the table, face down, and offered an apologetic shrug. Jed was fading fast. His skin was now tinged with an unhealthy gray tone, and his entire body drooped.
It was impossible to even guess how hard being trapped in statue form for centuries would be on the body, but I was seeing the results live right in front of me, and it was pretty clear my grandfather needed to rest.
Or maybe food? With a tiger metabolism …
"Dinner?" I jumped up out of my chair. "Jed—Grandpa Jed. You must be starving. How about I grill up some steaks, and we eat first and then continue?"
Susan nodded. "I've got no place to be that's more important than this."
Logan gave her a smarmy smile. "No man to go home to? How can that be, with such a lovely lady as yourself?"
"Well, I had a dinner date with an extraordinarily dangerous vampire that I'm missing to be here," she said, her dark eyes flashing. "But my job has to take precedence when someone threatens my town."
I was pretty sure the vampire she was talking about was her brother, Carlos, who was in an on-again, off-again relationship with my best friend, Dave Wolf. Carlos had been out of town on vampire Council business, but I knew he was back, because I'd seen his new, black, tinted-window BMW sedan in front of his house, which shared an access road with Tess's place.
I'd lost some sleep overthat, too, until I'd gotten to know Carlos. He was good people, and he'd defend Tess—and his sister, whether she liked it or not—with his life. Had to appreciate that in a person.
Susan and Tess would both defend me and Carlos with their lives, too, and I definitely appreciated that, even though it made me nuts whenever Tess put herself in danger.
[Tess, are these even things I should put in a case report? Please advise—Jack]
I showed Jed to the guest room on this floor that had the attached bathroom, because he now looked like even making it up the stairs would be a problem, and then I spent an entertaining few minutes explaining modern plumbing and toothpaste.
He was a big fan of flushing. I guess after outhouses … although who knew what facilities the Fae had in their palaces?
"You sleep while I get some food ready."
He stiffened, but then wearily scrubbed his face with his hands. "Yes. I don't know why I'm so exhausted, but … well. Maybe it would be surprising if Ididn'tfeel tired, considering."
I started to walk away but then turned and held out my hand. "I'm sorry I didn't say this before, but I'm glad to meet you, sir. Glad you're here. Please consider this to be your home, too."
He stared at me for a long moment and then took my hand in a firm grip and shook it. "I'm glad to meet you too, grandson. I have a feeling you're a man I can be proud of."
I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat—I suddenly had family again. I hadn't even realized how alone I'd felt until that very moment. Tess and her family had taken me in, and I would never not be grateful for that, but there was something about shared blood and bone.
