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“Henry?”
“Come on,” was all he said, formal and reserved.
Pearl followed into the library without a word, sensing something was wrong but unable to figure out what it was. He opened a safe and showed her a few circular balls that she recognized, then stepped back.
“I’m locking you in, but it’s still not kidnapping,” he declared. “It’s for your safety while you review what’s in there.”
“Henry, what the hell is going on?” she repeated, more desperate for answers than ever. But he remained mute, pointing at the balls that came from his recording devices. When he left, she glanced at the door, then at them, deducing she was going to find those answers here.
She braced herself for some Lyra family drama, perhaps a deep, dark secret that could turn ugly if the public found out. A part of her relished that downfall before remembering Henry and how much it would hurt him too. Pearl then wished for something lighter and harmless, but that wasn’t granted when she finally witnessed what transpired in the recordings.
The sickening feeling crashed and burned, then restarted every time she replayed the magical devices. It took her a while to come to terms that they weren’t just recordings but realities, and that they happened in a single week. That he kept the recordings instead of getting rid of the evidence broke something inside her, but it also made her decision for her as she returned the recordings to the safe. Henry trusted her with his secret.
“I’m not outing you, you buffoon,” she mumbled before she walked out of the library.
Pearl searched for him and eventually found him on another couch at the back of the house, the one that hadn’t been destroyed. His body was tense and so still that she had to wonder if he had been sitting like that since he left her. Then something else caught her focus.
“Henry, what’s that?”
The ball hummed, translucent as always, and a mirror of the one he used during their stakeouts. This time, he was the only one inside it.
“My ball.”
“I know it’s your ball. I meant why is it turned on?”
Henry gawked at her as if she was speaking an alien language. “You’re kidding with that question, right?”
“No, I’m not. Actually…”
She felt around in her pockets until she found the right-shaped vial. Without warning, she hurled it in his direction until the ball flickered into non-existence, stupefying Henry. He shot up to his feet. At her approach, his body jerked backward.
“Pearl!”
“Henry,” she returned, amused when he kept backing away. The amusement turned to another heartbreak when she sensed his agitation and decided to put a stop to it. “Henry, stop. Just stop moving because I’m going to keep advancing. I’m not scared of you.”
Something akin to anguish fused in his voice and wrenched at her insides.
“I’m not Henry. I’m a giant. You saw what you saw. You should be scared of me.”
Oh, this man and his ridiculous standards. She closed her eyes, gathering wisdom. When she opened them, Henry had backed against the wall, but he didn’t leave the room.
“I’ve faced dragons and Fae,” she declared. “I’ve faced the most hateful of pirates and demons who could kill with a swipe and feast on one’s blood. Some thrive on it and others don’t. Believe it or not, Silver has a couple of lower demons living with him on his shifter mate’s island, and they are ugly as hell and very intimidating. But they never tried to kill me, my siblings, or the shifters there. What I’m trying to say is, monsters come in every form, in the last places you expect them. Ihavefaced some of those monsters, but trust me when I say you’re not one of them.”
“Pearl…”
“We have zero deaths or unknown attacks on Broom’s Isle as of late,” she reminded him. “And I’m sure this wasn’t your first time turning. So what if you broke some vases and destroyed a couch? They were ugly, anyway.”
A strangled sound came from him. She took that as her opportunity to sidle in until she was close enough to touch him, but she still paused.
“Now, would you let me check on your energy levels and see if the giant is actually about to come out, or if you’re just overthinking things?”
Silence. His jaw clenched, but the smallest nod gave her the permission she needed. His skin jumped when her energy pushed through, then relaxed when she weaved a little something extra soft into the intrusion. Pearl was always careful about keeping her energy tucked in whenever physical contact unrelated to her job, a threat, or a task was involved, so the process made her slightly uncomfortable. But it also helped her figure out a bit of what was inside him.
“Steady,” she confirmed, finally removing her hand. He caught it with his and held on, squeezing. When he reluctantly let her hand go, she twined their fingers together.
I’m not afraid,the gesture insisted.
Brown orbs darkened, pulling at her belly. Somehow, this felt more intimate than what had transpired in her bed that night, though that was a close—very close—second.
