“I’m glad I’m still here,” she whispered.
“So am I.”
Outside, the world kept spinning.Inside, she slept.
And I kept my promise.
Chapter Seven
Kane
The squeal gave Jade away before I saw her.
High.Delighted.Immediately followed by Casey’s voice drifting down the hall, tight with warning.“Easy, sweetheart.Gentle.Remember her ribs --”
I rounded the corner into the common room and stopped short.
I found Jade sitting cross-legged on the floor amid absolute chaos.Blocks, Legos, and stuffed animals formed a minefield around her legs.Casey’s little girl had climbed straight into her lap, small hands working hard to shove a plastic tiara onto Jade’s head.The crown wobbled precariously while the kid concentrated.A crayon rolled away and vanished under the couch as I watched.Between them lay an unfortunate plush dinosaur, belly-up, abandoned in what appeared to be a toy battlefield.
Jade laughed.Not the careful sound she used when she felt watched.Not the brittle one she forced through nerves.This one came from deep inside, full and unguarded -- head tipped back, eyes bright, cheeks flushed.It hit me square in the chest, hard enough I forgot how to breathe for a second.
“Princess Jade needs her crown,” the kid announced, adjusting the crooked plastic.
“Princess Jade needs coffee,” Jade countered, holding still anyway.“How do I look?”
“Pretty.”Tiny fingers patted the fake gems.“You need sparkles.”
Solena’s little girl toddled over, gripping her stuffed dinosaur by the tail.“And dragons,” she declared.“Princesses need dragons.”
Jade nodded solemnly.“Clearly.Where would I be without my dragon?”
I leaned against the doorway and let myself watch.
I noticed the change in her today.The woman who once braced for impact now seemed to believe the next ten minutes might pass without harm.Yellow replaced the purple bruise on her cheek.Her shoulders moved easier, without the familiar stiffness.
When she caught sight of me, her laugh softened.Warmth crept into her expression -- shy, with a hint of surprise at my continued presence.
“Hey,” she said.“You’re up.”
“Been up,” I answered.“Gate rotation.”
Casey sprawled on the couch, feet propped up, both hands wrapped around her mug.Her twisted hair resembled a knot which had surrendered hours ago.“The mailman will file a complaint if you keep scowling.”
“I smiled once in ’09,” I told her.“Hated the experience.”
Jade snorted.The sound did stupid things to my chest.
I dropped onto the arm of the couch and watched her another second.The new jeans hugged her frame properly.A soft charcoal sweater peeked from beneath my unzipped hoodie.The plastic tiara perched crookedly in her hair, somehow perfect.Casey’s daughter slid off her lap to gather more blocks.
“How’s the fence?”Casey asked.“Any creeper cars?”
“Quiet,” I answered.“Which makes me itchy.”
“Everything makes you itchy.”
“Part of the charm.”
Jade carefully shifted to her feet, easing the kid away and catching the tiara before it slid.Then she stood up.“I’m retiring from royal duties for the morning.Princess Jade needs caffeine.”
