How would that help Todrik? He’d said it himself. How did he differ from Jamila’s flesh-and-blood children? Was he not a child of hers as well? Although his creation had been different, the result was the same. Todrik viewed Jamila as his maker and mother. The trick was getting the judge to agree. I’d spent hours scouring past cases and couldn’t findprecedence. Being the first to argue such a case made my toes tingle.
The key was Jamila’s will. Fairy law gave me the right to read her will, and I was happy to say, Jamila Winsome did not disappoint.
Every species viewed death, the afterlife, and what they left behind differently. Human wills were subject to human law and tended to be far more specific in the naming of heirs and items, finances, and property allotted to each. Witches were different.
Witches spoke more in generalities. For instance, Jamila had left the contents of her home, her grimoires, and anything directly related to her craft to her coven. A specific member was not named as she viewed her witch knowledge available to every member.
Jamila had two biological children—both male. While her male children could carry her witch genes and potentially pass them on to daughters, her sons could not manipulate magic. Most likely, had Jamila birthed even a single daughter, her grimoires would have gone to her, but the remainder would have gone to her coven.
Just as Jamila hadn’t named specific members of her coven as heirs, she hadn’t specifically named her biological children in her will. Instead, the will simply said she bequeathed the land in question to her children.
Reading those precious words drew a sinister grin across my lips. I didn’t fault Jamila’s lawyers. As I’d discovered, my argument would be without precedent. Now, all I had to do was prove that Todrik was, in fact, legally considered Jamila’s child. If the court agreed, then Todrik would be just as entitled to the land as her biological sons.
That would not completely solve Todrik’s problem. Even if the court agreed that Todrik was a legitimate heir, he’d still need to fight hisbrothersfor the future of the land. I couldeasily see a judge divvying up the land, which wasn’t what Todrik wanted.
I tried to tell myself thoughts of a forlorn Todrik didn’t bother me, that once I proved he was Jamila’s child just as much as those who shared her blood, that my work would be done and I could wash my hands of the dryad. But such thoughts constricted my chest and made my stomach queasy. It was ridiculous.
Leaning back, I allowed my chair to cushion my body. Fairies didn’t suffer from the same aches and pains as lesser species. That didn’t mean we could not become fatigued. Todrik was constantly on my mind, and I found his continued presence exhausting. It was infuriating knowing what the problem was and yet helpless to solve it. My fascination with this little dryad was as confusing as it was vexing.
Tapping my fingers along my desk, the computer screen in front of me blurred. Human technology did not work in Fairy, so I’d remained in the human realm to do my research. The windows had grown dark since I’d started. Checking the time, I realized it was late into the evening. Late enough that Dusk would be open.
I hesitated only a moment before reaching for my phone and dialing Dusk’s number. I did not recognize the voice that answered the call. I waited for them to get out their greeting before asking, “Is Wendall Galen working tonight?” Hearing the word, “yes” was all I needed before ending the call.
Icould have been at Dusk immediately but chose to drive instead. Some fairies abhorred human technology. I was not one of them. There was something soothing in the sway of a well-made vehicle. Tonight, I desired that gentle distraction.
Rutherford Haven was a decent-sized town, though notnearly as large as some other Virginia cities. It was pleasant enough that I did not mind driving or walking its streets. The evening was an agreeable temperature, so I parked a few blocks from Dusk and walked toward its main doors.
The entrance line stretched down the street but not around the corner. It was still a bit early for Dusk’s heavier crowd. Walking toward the main door, the ogre bouncer gave me a grunt before allowing me entrance. No one in line batted an eye that I’d gotten in before them. Considering I was a fairy, they would have been incredibly foolish or greatly intoxicated to have done so.
Music thrummed inside, the bass reverberating through my chest. The feeling was just shy of unpleasant. My eyes tracked the crowd and easily spotted Wendall’s dirty blond mop of hair. A brown ball of deceivingly cute fluff was perched on his shoulder, Trinket’s tail wrapped around Wendall’s bicep. The little scuttlebutt had already proven she’d rip the throat out of anyone that threatened her tribe.
I made my way to the bar. Johnny was on the riser, his elbows on the bar top as he leaned over, listening to a customer. Johnny’s perpetual grin and good mood mystified me. More often than not, fauns were like that. They were a congenial species who enjoyed a good time. Running Dusk’s bar was an ideal fit.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leon sitting in the corner booth Lucroy used to occupy. Leon hadn’t taken over the Southeastern vampire nest, but Lucroy had ceded more power to his second. The Pallas’s cat lounging on the table beside him was his beloved, a pixie/shifter named Phlox.
“Look what the cat dragged in.” Johnny’s voice somehow managed to be louder than the music. “It’s been a hot minute since you graced us with your presence, Hamish.” Johnny’s cheeky grin and even cheekier comment should have irked me,but it didn’t. Johnny’s tone was welcoming and made me feel as if we were on friendly terms.
“Is Hellfire here tonight?” Hellfire Rayburn didn’t always accompany his bonded while Wendall was at work. I suspicioned that situation would be different if it weren’t for Trinket’s presence.
Johnny nodded while tossing his head to the side, indicating the area behind the bar. “He’s in the back helping out with dishes.” Johnny shook his head. “Gotta say, that shit is still weird. A fairy doing dishes…” Johnny’s voice trailed off, his tone just as mystified as my thoughts. “I suppose that’s what love does to you.” Johnny shrugged as if such insanity was commonplace. “Do you want me to tell him you’re here?”
“I would rather go to him if that is acceptable.”
Johnny shrugged. “It makes me no never mind. Head on back.” Dismissing me, Johnny walked farther down the bar, filling drinks and helping the human, Lizabeth.
Winding around the bar, I made my way to the hidden workspace. The area wasn’t large but was significantly quieter. Just as Johnny indicated, Hellfire was elbow deep in dishwater. A bin of dirty glasses sat to his left while clean ones dried to his right. Crimson hair pulled back into a long braid, Hellfire’s dress shirt sleeves were rolled up, their edges damp. The image of Queen Silvidia’s most feared warrior doing such menial labor was so surreal I simply stood there, staring.
Seconds turned into minutes until Hellfire finally asked, “Do you require something, or are you content to stand there gawking?” Hellfire set another glass on the drying rack, never once taking his eyes off the suds hiding his lower arms and hands.
“You must admit, this is a view worthy of a few minutes contemplation.”
A low, rare chuckle escaped Hellfire’s lips. The sound wasnearly as inconceivable as seeing him washing dishes. “I suppose that is true.”
Was Johnny correct? Was this whatlovereduced one to? Hellfire would not lower himself to such an activity if it weren’t for his bonded, Wendall. Wendall didn’t want to give up his job at Dusk, and Hellfire wanted to lighten the load for him—thus, washing dishes.
Setting another clean glass down, Hellfire pulled his arms from the sudsy water, drying them before turning and giving me his full attention. “While I’m certain you find this entertaining, I assume you came for a different reason.”
Had I? My brain momentarily short-circuited. When it came back online, I wasn’t sure I wanted to remember. Still, I’d driven here and leaving without asking my questions would not be useful. While Hellfire and I often found ourselves on different sides of the courtroom, we were of general agreement regarding what was truly important. I considered Hellfire an ally and previous interactions indicated he thought similarly of me.
