Page 95 of A Trial By Blood

“I haven’t had occasion to use it, not like you guys. And I don’t have time to practice, not as much as I need. If there’s something that could help me with my task, I need to know.”

“Yeah, you’re out of practice, but you’re just as powerful as us. Don’t underestimate basic spells and incantations. Sometimes the basics are all you need. It definitely throws the blowhards who always go for something flashier. Remember that. But yeah, if he can teach you some new tricks, I’m all for it.”

Excellent points, all of them. Mags made a turn, searching for somewhere to park.

“I’ve seen the colony, you know,” Mags said absently.

“You have?”

She nodded. “Bram’s village is close-ish. We’ve flown by it.”

Bram’s family, his people, lived in tree houses deep in the forest. I didn’t know much about them; Bram didn’t talk about it much. He didn’t talk much at all to anyone that wasn’t Mags.

“What did it look like?”

“We didn’t get that close. It looked like a cave in the side of a cliff. I wish I could tell you more.”

For some reason, nerves filled my belly thinking about it. “How did it go with Bram after he carried you out of the club? He seemed pretty pissed.” I hadn’t had a chance to ask my baby sister what happened, and talking about something other than the fact I was about to sit down and have a proper chit-chat with my father for the first time was an excellent distraction.

“He got over it eventually,” she said, giving me minimal information.

Mags parked. “Well, that’s good, right? I’ve been worried about you, both of you.”

My sister drew in a deep breath, then turned to me and smiled. It was totally forced. “We’re fine. I guess things…people…change, especially as we get older, and we’re just learning what that looks like for us.” She didn’t look convinced in the least. She looked sad.

She turned the engine off, and I covered her hand with mine. “I’m sorry you’re going through this, but I know you two can sort things out.” I didn’t know specifics, but whatever was going on between Magnolia and Bram, they would work through it. They loved each other too much to let anything come between them.

“Yep,” she said, pulling her hand out from under mine. “We’ll be fine.” She pushed her door open. “Right, let’s go meet your sperm donor.”

A nervous laugh burst from me. “Please don’t call him that to his face.”

She gave me another grin, this one genuine. “Again, that will depend on his dickishness.”

Willow and Iris had been young when Vesa was with Mom, and they either didn’t remember him or chose not to. But he’d left them as well. I shook my head and followed. This was more than likely a terrible idea, but we were here now. We headed down the block, and I spotted the sign for Aunt Bel’s Cafe.

“You ready?” Mags asked as we got closer.

“No, but I’m doing it anyway.” She grabbed my hand, and I pushed the door of the cafe open. We walked in and spotted him instantly. The table he’d chosen was farthest from the door, and he had his back to the wall. He stood as soon as he saw me.

I’d been too stunned to take him in properly when I first met him. But I did now. I couldn’t tell how old he was, but I had to assume bat shifters were long-lived like most shifter breeds. He was tall, like me, and he looked fit. He was attractive, had dark hair and eyes, and deeply tanned skin. I didn’t get my coloring from him. I wasn’t sure where I got it from, because my mother wasn’t fair-haired either. Darker hair and auburn shades were more prominent among the Thornhearts.

He smiled when we stopped at the table, the lines at the corners of his eyes fanning out. The only sign of age. “Rose, I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Hi,” I said and motioned to Mags. “This is Magnolia, my younger sister.”

He inclined his head, his smile turning a little wary. “Nice to meet you, Magnolia.”

“That remains to be seen,” she said, then pulled out a chair and plonked down in it. “Depending on how this goes, will be the decider on how nice it was to meet me, yeah?”

“Of course,” he said.

Oh great, she’d gone straight into peak Mags mode the second we walked in here. I cleared my throat, silently asking her to rein it back, at least until we knew what the guy had to say.

We sat as well, and his eyes stayed on me, taking me in the same way I had him, I guess. “You’re beautiful,” he finally said roughly.

“Thanks,” I said, not sure what else to say.

He chuckled awkwardly. “You obviously get that from your mom. How is she—”