“It was a gut thing. I couldn’t see their eyes.”
“Okay, I’ll ask around. I think I might have an idea for something that could help you if it ever happens again. I’m on my way to the airport, but next time I’m back in town, I’ll show you something. A trick.”
“What kind of trick?” I asked.
“Just, you know, a self-defense thing. Listen, I’ll text you again soon, okay?”
I was left wondering if this “self-defense thing” had more to do with her witch realm or her family’s connection to the mafia. Either way could be trouble.
As I returned to watch cartoons with Henry and May—making sure I told them nothing about being pursued so I wouldn’t scare them—I kept thinking about seeing Severn standing at Wilde Tower, searching for me. How relieved I’d been to see him. How natural it felt to fall into his arms.
Shit, I thought to myself.
I was not doing a very good job of getting over Severn Wilde.
* * *
True to my word,I didn’t leave Wilde Tower over the next few days unless Kell was able to accompany me. While I didn’t love lugging a werewolf bodyguard around to shop for bras, get a latte from the place I liked in Tribeca, or take Puck for a walk, I did appreciate his presence. Kell was silent and kept to himself, barely answering when I did talk to him. Henry and May were the only ones who could get him to crack a smile—it was one of their favorite pastimes.
He even came with me on my next day off, when Poppy was reluctantly roped into watching the children. I went to Central Park to work on some drawings of horses and carriages, though I knew poor Kell had to be bored to tears. Still, I’d missed drawing from real-life subjects. I was tired of copying sketches from magazines or my computer screen in my room.
When I finally stopped torturing Kell by dragging him around all the touristy Central Park sights and returned to my apartment in Wilde Tower, I was surprised to find Henry and Mia giggling in the kitchen with Poppy. In my experience, giggling fae were not to be trusted.
“I’m back,” I said suspiciously. “Everything okay?”
Poppy gave me a sly smile as she came out of the kitchen. She grabbed her bag off the entry table and slinked out of the room into the lobby. “Have agreatevening, Willow. You know, those little demons aren’t so bad.” She smiled fondly in the direction of the children and then gave me a more devilish wink.
I rested my hands on my hips and said to the kids, “What wasthatall about?”
Both of them beamed as they jumped up and down and finally bust out with the secret. “We planned you a surprise birthday party!”
“Uh…” This was the last thing I’d expect to hear, and I wasn’t sure what to say. “Thanks? But it isn’t my birthday.”
“We know!” Henry said, grinning widely. “But it’s one of the things on the checklist.” He went over to the fridge and pulled it off, jabbing a finger at the spot on the list. “Have a real birthday party with cake and presents and guests and everything. We figured that you’re always doing things for us, so we should do this for you.”
It was such a sweet gesture that I couldn’t help but press my hand to my chest, feeling suddenly choked up. Spending all this time with Henry and May—and yes, even Severn—was dismantling my walls, leaving me vulnerable enough to tear up at the gesture.
“Wow, thank you, guys! That is so thoughtful.” I looked around the apartment, puzzled. There was no sign of any cake or presents. “Um, where is this supposed birthday party?”
“On the roof!” May said.
Henry nodded. “Poppy helped us set everything up. She didn’t like the idea at first, but after a while, she warmed up to it. Tasting cake batter helped convince her. Then she gotreallyinto it.”
Practically vibrating with excitement, they had me follow them into the elevator and up to the building’s rooftop terrace. I’d been up a handful of times to take Puck for a walk and potty break on the little lawn; it was wonderfully private, with trees and flower beds like a miniature park a hundred stories above the city streets. But I’d never been to the rooftop at night. When we stepped onto the terrace and saw the city lights below and the moon overhead, I sucked in a breath. I’d never seen anything more beautiful.
The children had placed a lopsided cake and a homemade birthday card on one of the terrace’s bistro tables, along with a shoebox wrapped in newspaper and a bouquet of roses that I suspected had been cut from the terrace flower beds. There was even a bottle of champagne, which felt oddly adult, especially paired with the roses.
“Wow, this is amazing!” I laughed as I picked up the roses to breathe in their sweet aroma.
Footsteps scuffed behind us, and I turned to find Severn there, staring pointedly at the cake in confusion.
“Your birthday party guest is here!” Henry announced.
Severn’s eyebrows went flat for a few minutes before they slowly rose in understanding. “God,” he cursed, finally looking up at me. “Is this another setup?”
“I think so,” I groaned. Now the red roses and champagne made sense.
May tugged on Severn’s hand as she dragged him over to the table. “Poppy agreed to watch us this evening. This is a grown-up party. So it’s just you two. Though, we’ll stay for cakeifyou want.”
