As she rises to her feet, Fisher sprints across the neatly cut grass, flinging his arms out like propellers. It might just be the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Evlynne seems to agree, because her eyes are shining as she watches her son “fly” around the yard.
He stops mid-flight when he spots me and Tana.
“Tana!” Fisher shouts.
He comes racing over, and Tana bends down to hug him. She told me she made friends in the valley when she lived with Beatriz and Seth for those few weeks. I guess Fisher counts among those friends.
To my surprise, the little boy recognizes me, too. “Is Gray with you?” he whines.
I shake my head. “No, he’s on the base.”
When Evlynne approaches, I brace myself. We barely speak at the Dagger, not that I’ve been eager to since she deserted me on a mountain. Despite the tension in the air, she greets us with a smile, albeit grudging.
“Hey, Tana,” she says. “Darlington.”
“Guess what?” Fisher interrupts, his wings flapping as he bounces with excitement. “Mom and I saw aridgehowleryesterday!”
I stiffen. “Here in the village?”
“No, he was a good distance away,” Evlynne says.
“But wesawhim!” Fisher continues. “He was standing at the top of the hill looking at us, and we looked back, and I waved, but then he ran away.” His face lights up. “Do you know why they’re called ridgehowlers? Mom, tell them why!”
Evlynne reaches down to ruffle his hair. She’s clearly enamored with the boy, her gaze softening each time she looks at him. “It’s because they live high up in the mountains, and when they howl, they can hear each other calling for miles and miles.”
“Did you know?” Fisher presses, looking from me to Tana.
“I did know that,” I tell him. “And the sound travels across the mountain ridges. It’s how they mark their territory.”
My gaze meets Evlynne’s. She offers a sheepishjust humor himlook, and I give a reassuring smile in return. When her arms suddenly glow with silver, her attention returns to her son.
“I need to run inside for a second, kiddo. Your aunt Bea is coming by to pick up the cake pan she lent us.”
“Mom baked us a cake!” Fisher tells us.
Evlynne bakes?
As the woman who has now become a total stranger to me hurries toward the cottage, Fisher continues to babble about cake, ridgehowlers, and airplanes, until Tana’s veins ripple again.
“Luisa’s waiting,” she reminds me.
I smile down at Fisher. “We have to go now. But I’m sure we’ll see you again soon.”
“Wait! Can you give Grayson something for me?”
“Of course.”
Before I can blink, he wraps his arms around my waist in a hug.
“It’s a hug,” he explains, beaming. “Give him a hug for me.”
Okay, that was kind of sweet. Kids and I aren’t usually friends. Gray seems great with them, though.
Does Cross like kids? I wonder. I realize I’ve never seen Cross interact with children before. As Wolf, he told me many times he doesn’t want children, but I feel like Cross would be a good father—
An electric jolt shoots through the back of my neck, and it’s only because I trained with Uncle Jim for years that I’m able to quickly mask the pain.
It happens so fast. One second I feel the pressure in my mind, and the next second, it’s gone.
