“I call dibs on the body,” Bria said quickly, raising her finger as Kieran stormed into the house.
Jerry’s face crinkled in disgust. “You would. It’s the right amount of messed up for you.”
“You bet it is, buddy.” Bria clapped him on his back, making him jump. “That note and the shaved-off lips are gold! I’m going to stitch that dove feather in, too. That’s the perfect touch. It’ll make people nervous just seeing him out lurching around. Wanna help me?”
He retched, shrugging her off. He thought the whole situation with animated cadavers, the necromancer’s trademark, was gross. Bria found no end of entertainment in that fact.
“For such a big guy, you sure do have a weak stomach,” she told him, following him into the house.
“What you do isn’t natural,” he muttered.
“It’s just biology,Jerry. Before life, after life—it’s alljust biology. Flesh and bones and— Don’t throw up in here. Lexi will kill you!”
Their voices drifted away as everyone else filed in behind them. Bria would be out later to magically seal the corpse into the ground, ready to be unearthed and animated should anything happen. She’d done it a few times before. They had a troubled past.
Jerry was right, though. The whole thing was pretty revolting. Daisy often wished for magic, but if that one was offered, she would probably turn it down.
She realized someone had waited behind with her, and it surprised her to learn it wasn’t Mordecai.
Dylan stood on the other side of the body, his hands in his pockets and his eyes studying her.
“What’s up?” she asked, facing him fully. “You okay?”
He didn’t speak for a moment. “Do you remember how we met?”
She frowned at him. “Of course I do. It wasn’t that long ago. You walked into the coffee shop and threatened us.”
A crease formed between his eyebrows. “No, after that. When you guys were all pulling out of town. You offered me your bank account, and all that was in it, to give me a fresh start.”
“Oh yeah, I remember. And you never paid me back. You’re welcome for not holding a grudge.”
His lips worked into a dazzling smile. The poor guy was just made to be noticed. “True. I kept theaccount as it was, hidden from everyone else in case something should happen. In case Kieran and Lexi were killed and my blood bond got released. If that happened, there would be more than a few Demigods swooping in to try to lock me into a new blood bond, probably against my will.”
“Yeah. Tough break having one of the world’s most special magics, along with one of the world’s most pleasing faces. What a heavy load to carry, being prized…” Her voice was deadpan, as was her expression, but she did know the very real danger he’d be in if Kieran died and Lexi wasn’t there to help. They all did. “What about it?”
“You were the reason I ultimately joined this crew. This family. Your selflessness that day convinced me that you’d always have my back. That I could trust you, and through you, that I could trust Lexi and Kieran. That I could trust you all.”
She turned toward the door and waited until he had walked to her side. “And?”
“And now I want to be there for you.” He stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, the touch signifying a lot more for him than words ever could. “I know you’ll hold back with Kieran, and you’ll definitely hold back with Lexi. I’m sure you’ve even held a bit back from Zorn. I know you want to protect everyone. Loyalty is hard won with you, but once you bestow that gift, you will do anything to protect those you care about.” He paused, his gaze delving into hers. “But I also knowwhat it is to be trapped. I don’t want you to hold back from me. Do you understand? I don’t care what danger it puts me in, Daisy. I’ve met the undertaker. I’m not afraid of death.” His grin was slight. “I’m sure Bria could use the extra body to taunt Jerry with. Whatever it is you need—help analyzing the situation, talking about it, venting—I’m available. You aren’t alone in this. I’m with you. Always.”
A weight pressed on Daisy’s middle from the significance of Dylan’s words and the conviction with which he’d said them. Her heart swelled, filling her completely. She almost had to blink back tears, something not normal with her. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d cried. But this meant so much—his worry, his touch, his unwavering desire to help her despite the cost.
Yet she could only nod, thankfully, not sure what to say. Because she couldn’t possibly take him up on that offer. Not when he was so much more valuable to Kieran and Lexi—to their protecting the family—than Daisy would ever be. But it was kind of him to offer.
Rutherford’sopen computer sat in the middle of the large dining room table, with the whole crew gathered around. As hoped, Henry and Amber had been able to recover various files from the hard drive thatsomeonehad recently tried to delete. They were filesrelating to Rutherford’s dealings with another entity, a company that had come across a batch of old weaponry with “runes, or some other odd or ancient writings” on them. Obviously it was those sorts of weapons Daisy had wanted to know more about.
But other things had come in the batch. Relics of some kind. Odd stones and rocks with strangely cut, “cloudy or dirty” gems embedded in them. Misshapen goblets with “strange writing” or chipped and pockmarked crystals. It was that which the fae was clearly trying to get his hands on, something their crew hadn’t known about, even with their searches.
It seemed Rutherford had found a buyer for the relics—the two guys Daisy had seen him talking to. The fae had said he needed Rutherford dead so he couldn’t complete a transaction.
Lie.
Rutherford hadn’t signed any deals about the extra loot. The two guys he’d met had wanted more information, and from the notes, they’d seemed plenty interested, but no prices had been agreed to. Rutherford had been killed before anything could be set in stone. If the fae had talked to the other guys, he would’ve known that.
He’d been in that hotel room to get the information from Rutherford. A simple look into his head would’ve sufficed. But he’d killed the guy in a fit of rage instead and momentarily lost control because the man had been advancing on Daisy.
Her stomach dropped out. Hewasbeing chivalrous. He had been protecting her.
