Page 118 of Roguefinder

Stefanos made a sound of assent. “If the Fae blood gave him windows of lucidity, he could have managed it. His mate was a member of a tribe that lived in upstate New York centuries before Europeans arrived in what became the United States. After she and Ulfrik mated, they split their time between New York and Scandinavia. It’s very possible Ulfrik was drawn to the place where she died.”

A different kind of tightness took over my chest. Ulfrik had always been a monster in my mind. He’d attacked me on a jogging trail. He’d tried to kill Jesse in front of me.

In my head, the big Viking charged across the opera house’s foyer with his blond hair streaming behind him. He’d been in mourning, and Carlo had tortured him.

It was almost like he wanted to be taken, Carlo said in my memory.

No. He’d been a widower walking to his dead wife’s home with the last fragments of his mind.

I looked at Jesse and found him already looking at me.

“I didn’t know,” he said, squeezing my fingers. “I knew he’d lost her, but she died before my time.”

He thought I was angry at him for keeping information from me. I squeezed him back. “I know. It’s okay.”

But something else stirred in my chest. Something that had been sitting under my sternum since the embankment.

“I killed that guy,” I said, turning to Stefanos. “Pyotr Zarins. He was a rich idiot who bought something he didn’t understand. He was probably a murderer, but he had a heartbeat. I broke his neck.”

I wasn’t sure why I told Stefanos. Maybe because he was the closest thing to a judge in my new, fucked-up world.

His dark gaze didn’t waver. “Your action ended something that needed ending. That is not the same as saying it costs nothing. Carry it. Deal with it. But know when it’s time to set it down.”

I nodded.

“So what does this mean?” Jesse asked, a hint of tension in his tone. “You want Caleb to help the Council figure out what’s happening with the Fae?”

“No,” Stefanos said. “You’ve done enough, and you’re both too young to take on a civil war among the Umbrals.”

The ghost of a smile touched Jesse’s lips. “It’s been a while since anyone called me young.”

“When you’re my age, everyone is young.” Stefanos picked up his sandwich and stood. “I’m putting you both on a private plane to London. When you arrive, I want you to see Ertem.”

Jesse looked at his bandaged hand. “Gladly.”

“The Council will arrange a safe house. You and Caleb need to lie low until we figure out what’s going on with the Fae and how Caleb fits into it.”

Stefanos turned to me. “I know we’ve had our differences, Caleb. But you’re part of a unique sort of family now. Families are often messy.” He walked to the door and paused. “But the core of any good, decent family is love.”

I opened my mouth. Snapped it shut.

Stefanos picked up Abigail Skinner’s card and slipped it into his breast pocket. Then he looked at Emile. “Our flight leaves in two hours.”

“D’accord.” Emile stood and gathered his sandwich. He winked at Jesse. “Speedy recovery, van der Meer.”

“Merci.”

Emile spoke in quiet, rapid French. When he finished, Jesse smiled.

“Next street over. Green awning.”

Emile returned the smile, then looked at me and gave the sandwich a little wave. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Caleb. Until we meet again, continue keeping Jesse on his toes, oui?”

“Oui,” I said. “I mean, yes.” Heat crawled up my neck, the memory of Jesse keeping me on my toes making an inconvenient appearance.

Stefanos and Emile left. When the front door clicked shut, I looked at Jesse. “What did Emile say?”

Jesse’s eyes went that soft velvet brown. “He told me he’s happy I found love. And he asked where he can find cigarettes.”