Chapter 25

 

“Do you have a dog?” Leta asked.

They were sitting on the floor of her room and she watched as Nina rubbed Tia’s belly gently.

“No, I do not have any pets.”

“Why not? I have two cats as well. They live in the barn. Kaden gave them to me as a gift. Well, actually one belongs to my sister Sophia, but Hudson is mine.”

“Daddy doesn’t like animals in the house.” Nina continued to stroke Tia’s belly as Leta rolled her eyes.

“He’s a Lycan. That makes him an animal and he lives in the house.”

There was a loud snicker from the doorway and they turned to see Evan standing there holding his sketch book.

“What are you two doing?”

“Nothing.” Leta shrugged. “Just playing with Tia. Papa’s teaching Nina how to ride after lunch.”

Evan sat down beside Nina and smiled shyly at her. “I did not know you couldn’t ride. I would have taught you.”

Leta made a face and flopped on to her back on the floor as Nina blushed and stared at the floor. “Thank you, Evan.”

“Thank you, Evan.” Leta mimicked her in a high-pitched voice and Evan punched her in the leg when Nina flushed even brighter.

“Don’t be a dork, Leta.”

Leta rubbed her leg and growled at him. “I’m telling mama you punched me.”

“Go ahead.” Evan scoffed. “I’ll tell her you were making fun of Nina.”

“I wasn’t!” She insisted. “I was making fun of you. I know you like Nina.”

“Shut up, Leta!”

“You shut up!”

She turned to Nina. “Boys are so gross. I’m never dating one.”

“You’ll change your mind.” Evan snorted.

“No, I won’t. I’m only going to date girls.” Leta said tartly. “They’re way more fun than boys.”

Evan laughed. “Mama and papa won’t let you date girls.”

“They will too!” Leta gave him a wounded look. “I already told mama I was going to date girls when I grow up and she said that was fine.”

Evan shook his head as Nina coughed nervously. “What is that, Evan?” She pointed to his sketchbook.

“I like to draw. Would you like to see?” He asked eagerly.

“Aye, I would.” Nina smiled as he handed her the book. She flipped through the pages. “These are really good.”

“Thank you. I practice a lot.” Evan said proudly.

“He practices all the time. He’s always drawing pictures of the girls he moons over. He had like a thousand pictures of Bree before she married James.” Leta sat up and grabbed the sketchbook from Nina. “I bet he has pictures of you in here.”

“Leta, give that back!” Evan glared at her as she flipped to the very back and gave a squeal of triumph.

“See, told you so!” She dodged Evan’s flailing hands and nearly threw the book at Nina.

Nina stared at the drawing before giving Evan a shy smile. “I really like it. You’ve made me look so pretty.”

“You are pretty.” Evan said earnestly.

She shook her head. “I know I’m not. I’m too pale and too thin. Daddy says I’ll never find a husband looking the way I do. He says not even a human will be interested in me.”

“Your papa is mean.” Leta said bluntly.

“Leta!” Evan gave her a warning look.

“What? He is.” Leta said blithely. “If he was my papa I’d bite him in the leg.” She half-shifted, baring her fangs at Nina and growling playfully under her breath, as Nina snickered.

“I don’t have fangs, remember? I’m only human.”

“Evan and I are half-human.” Leta replied. “Our mama is human and she found a husband. You will too. Maybe even a Lycan or a half-Lycan.”

She looked meaningfully at Evan who scowled at her and then flushed when Nina gave him a sweet smile. “You really are good at drawing, Evan.”

“Thank you. Do you like to draw?”

“I’ve never really tried.” She admitted.

“Here, you should try now.” He said excitedly. He pulled a pencil from his back pocket before flipping to a clean page in the sketchbook.

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m not - I mean - I don’t even know what I would draw.”

“Draw me!” Leta sat up straight and smoothed her hair down as Evan scooted closer to Nina. He handed her the pencil.

“You shouldn’t start with faces. They’re difficult to do. But you could try drawing one of Leta’s toys.” He pointed at a wooden horse that was sitting on the floor by her bed. “Try drawing that.”

“I’d better not. I don’t want to waste your paper.” Nina said hesitantly.

“It’s not a waste.” He said cheerfully. “Besides, you won’t know if you can draw unless you try, right? If you’re bad at it, it’s no big deal. I’m the only one in our family who can draw.”

He smiled encouragingly at her and Nina took a deep breath before studying the wooden horse. “Alright, I’ll try.”

“Good!” Evan moved closer until his shoulder was brushing against hers. “What you want to do is – “

He twitched when Kala’s face peeked out of Nina’s hair and she hissed at him.

“Kala, no!” Nina said sharply. “Evan is a friend.”

She said something in her language and Nina reached into her hair and gently pulled her free of the golden strands. “Friend, Kala. Evan is a friend.”

“Friend.” Kala mimicked.

“That’s right.” Nina replied.

“I’ve never seen a pixie before.” Evan said thoughtfully.

“Would you like to hold her?”

“I’d better not. She doesn’t seem to like me.”

“It’s fine. She just needs to get to know you. Hold your hand out.”

Evan held his hand out and Nina placed the pixie in his hand. He studied her carefully as she returned his look solemnly.

“Hello, Kala.” He smiled at her and she nodded to him.

“Can you say Evan, Kala?” Nina asked.

“Evan.” Kala replied.

“What happened to her wing?” Evan asked curiously.

“I don’t know. It was like that when we found her.” Nina replied. “She saved my life, you know.” She said softly as Kala jumped on to Evan’s knee and then slid down to the floor.

“Really? How?”

“I was stabbed right in the chest by this awful man in a bar. She used pixie dust to heal my wound.”

“The gods be damned.” Evan said quietly. “I didn’t know pixies could do that.”

“Me either. I don’t know why she doesn’t try and heal her own wing. Max believes that perhaps her healing powers do not work on herself.” Nina sighed.

From the corner of his eye, Evan could see Leta holding out her hand to the pixie standing on the floor in front of her. “C’mon, Kala. Let me hold you. I’m as nice as Nina.” The little girl coaxed.

Evan’s eyes widened and he whipped his head around as Kala hopped obligingly onto the palm of Leta’s hand. The little girl grinned with delight and cupped her hands around her.

“Leta! No! Do not – “

“What’s wrong with her?” Nina cried as Kala, only her head sticking out from Leta’s closed hands, suddenly made a loud, keening wail. “Leta! You are holding her too tightly!”

“I’m not!” Leta replied. “I swear I am being gentle. I didn’t hurt her!”

She opened her hands and Evan groaned softly in dismay as Nina gasped loudly and stared wide-eyed at the pixie standing in the palm of Leta’s hand.

Leta, her bottom lip trembling, stared at Evan. “I’m sorry, Evan. I forgot.” She whispered.

“It’s alright.” He tried to smile reassuringly at her as Kala, her small face beaming, unfolded her perfect wings and flapped them gently. She rose into the air, hovering just above Leta’s hand, and babbled excitedly at Nina in her own language.

“The gods be damned.” Nina whispered. “Her wing – how…”

She trailed off as Kala, squeaking and muttering, zipped around the room. She dive-bombed at Tia, smacking the dog lightly on the backside and laughing hysterically when Tia jumped and barked.

“Leta, you – you did that.” Nina whispered again.

“No, I didn’t!” Leta shook her head and gave Evan a look of fear. “It wasn’t me!”

“It was.” Nina stared at Evan. “I know it was, Evan.”

Evan sighed. “Nina, you can’t say anything. Leta has – well, she has healing powers. But you have to promise not to tell anyone, alright? No one else can know. Promise me!”

“I promise.” Nina said quietly. She hesitated and then said, “You healed daddy and that other boy, didn’t you?”

Neither Leta nor Evan replied and Nina shook her head. “You must have. No other Lycan has survived a leech bite.”

She suddenly leaned forward and hugged Leta tightly. “Thank you.” She whispered before kissing her cheek.

Leta gave Evan a guilty look over Nina’s shoulder and Evan shook his head lightly at her.

“Nina, it is very important that you don’t say anything. Do you understand? If people find out what Leta can do – “

He stopped and inhaled deeply as a look of alarm crossed his face. He turned to look behind him at the open door. “Who’s out there?”

Ryker appeared in the doorway and Evan scowled at him. “Do you always spy on people, human?”

“Watch your tongue, little boy.” Ryker snapped at him. “I was merely on my way to my own room.”

He twitched in surprise when Kala flew at his face. She hovered in front of him and made a rude gesture with her hand before flying back across the room.

“What in the gods name?” He muttered. “How is this possible?”

He stared at Nina. “Nina, answer me. How is the little pest’s wing healed?”

Nina swallowed loudly and glanced at Evan before giving Ryker a nervous look. “She healed it herself using pixie dust.”

“Did she now? Odd that it would take her so long to heal herself.” He replied.

Nina didn’t answer and Ryker stared steadily at her for a long moment before stepping back into the hallway and disappearing.

Nina blew out her breath and gave Evan a scared look. “I do not think he believed me.”

“I will tell papa what happened.” Evan said grimly.

“No! Evan, you can’t! If they find out what I did, they’ll be angry with me.” Leta pleaded.

Evan shook his head. “It was an accident, Leta. They won’t be angry.”

“They will!” Leta insisted. “Please, Evan. We will tell them that Kala healed herself. Please, please, please, Evan!”

He sighed. “Alright, Leta.”

Nina stood and walked toward the window. Kala had flown to the windowsill and was looking longingly outside.

“What are you doing?” Leta asked as Nina pushed the window open.

“Giving Kala her freedom.” There was a tinge of sadness in her voice and she stroked the pixie’s back lightly. “She only stayed with me because she was injured. I will not force her to continue to do so now that she can be with her own kind again.”

She smiled at Kala and stroked her naked back again. “Good bye, Kala. Thank you for saving my life. I love you.”

Kala glanced briefly at her before flying out the open window. Nina, blinking back tears, made a shuddering sigh and leaned against Evan when he joined her and put his arm around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry, Nina.”

“I’m not.” She said softly. “I’m glad she can fly again. She missed it so.”

Evan led her away from the window as Leta stood up and held out her hand. “Come, Nina. We will ask mama to make us hot cocoa. She makes the best hot cocoa and it will make you feel better.”

Nina took her hand before slipping her other hand into Evan’s. As the three of them started toward the door, there was an excited tiny squeal behind them and Nina gasped when Kala flew back through the open window and landed on her shoulder. She kissed Nina’s cheek before scurrying into her hair.

Nina grinned happily at Evan. “She came back!”

“Aye, I am not surprised.” Evan said as he returned to the window and closed it. “Come on, Leta’s right. Mama does make the best hot cocoa.”