Linus didn’t return to Woolworth House that night. I didn’t sit up waiting on him exactly. I was avoiding the dream. Falling asleep hadn’t scared me until now. There was nothing to fear when you didn’t remember why you woke sobbing and raw. But…I was more than remembering. I was retaining. Bits and pieces. Gather enough of them, and soon I would glimpse the whole.

As much as I hungered for the truth about how Maud died, it terrified me I might have witnessed her death, that those images—the final moments of her life—might be a film about to release on the screen of my mind, a horror to rewind and play over and over and over.

Scrubbing my hands down my face, I climbed out of bed and pulled on fresh clothes.

On my way out into the hall, I tripped over the persnickety brass key. “What are you doing out here?”

The key, being a key, didn’t answer. Figuring it had flung itself into my path for a reason, I tucked it into my pocket. The problem with the key wasn’t that it had moved again, but that it had set itself in my path instead of returning to the carriage house. Maybe its range sucked. Maybe it tried, and this was as far as it got. Or maybe it was trying to get my attention. Seeing as how it barely tolerated me, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know why it was cozying up to me now.

The utter quiet in the house pushed me up onto my tiptoes to keep from breaking the silence.

Woolly made an inquiring noise, floorboards groaning, and her presence skimmed the stairs.

“I’m being ridiculous.” I sank onto the soles of my feet. “It’s just weird. The quiet.”

A whisper of thought speared down through the house, and a childish giggle echoed up to me.

“Woolly said you’re lonely.” Oscar popped into existence on my back, his legs hooked around my hips and his arms encircling my neck. “I came to play with you.”

“Thanks, kid.” I patted his chubby hands where they linked over my collarbone. “You’re sweet.”

Icy breath tickled my throat when he asked, “Are you still mad at me?”

“How can I stay mad at that face?” I twisted around to see him better. “What game did you have in mind?”

The floor registers made a ticking sound as I passed them.

“Woolly says you have to eat breakfast first.” He slung himself onto my hip. “I like waffles. Can you make those?”

The only breakfast I could make poured out of a box or shook out of a packet. “I’ll check the freezer.”

Boaz kept a stash of frozen waffles to eat when he visited. I hadn’t thought about them, or I would have tossed them to get rid of the reminder. There might be a few left I could pop in the toaster. Even I couldn’t burn those, probably, and Oscar couldn’t eat them anyway even if I did.

Casual as you please, I plundered the fridge. “Have you been into the basement again?”

He sat up straighter. “No.”

The old house backed his story, and I took her at her word. “What’s down there that’s worth getting in trouble over?”

“Woolly didn’t tell you?” He yanked off his hat and crumpled it in his hands. “We’re pirates searching for a lost treasure.”

“Oh really?” I found the waffles, removed two from the box, and tossed the rest. “What kind of treasure?”

The kitchen lights dimmed in warning, but Oscar was set on making amends.

“I don’t know yet. We have to find the map first.” Determination glinted in his obsidian eyes. “Mr. Linus was looking for it in the office, but Woolly says he won’t find it there. I’m gonna beat him to it. It’s only fair. He’s got plenty of treasure. I don’t have any.”

Misery coated the back of my throat as my mind supplied a memory of the night Cletus broke in.

“Linus was searching the house?” I missed the slots on the toaster on the first try. “For what?”

“The treasure map,” he said, exasperated. “I told you.”

“Woolly?” I searched for her consciousness, but she had gone. “Get back here.”

The front door opened then closed, and long footsteps dragged in our direction. “I thought I heard you moving around in here.”

Linus wore the same clothes from last night, but they were tidy. He was tired, the brackets around his mouth told me that much, but it appeared to be of the mental variety rather than the physical. He might as well have just come downstairs after a full night’s…

Hip braced against the counter, I watched him. “Do you sleep?”

Sensing my eyes on him, he stilled. “Not often.”

“You go to your room, though.” The waffles popped up, and I plated them. “You put on pajamas.”

“Routine.” He shrugged. “I do go to bed at a decent hour, and I do dress comfortably for that, but I read, or I work.”

“Let me guess.” I squirted a liberal amount of syrup over the stack. “It’s a side effect of bonding with a wraith.”

“Actually, yes.” He folded his arms across his chest. “It’s well-documented. I’m happy to provide studies done on the topic, if you’re interested in reading them.”

As much as I wanted to seethe at him until he confessed all his sins, Linus was a cool character, and I…was not. “Oscar tells me you’ve been searching the house for what he’s calling a treasure map.”

“I did search the office for a particular contract, but I suspect it’s in the basement.”

The trouble with getting mad at him was he tended to be a straight shooter. Either he shut down a topic, or he embraced it. There was no evasion. There was no sinister hint-dropping. It made it hard to believe he would lie. If I didn’t know what a great actor he was, I wouldn’t think him capable of bending the truth.

“Why didn’t you ask me?” Permission was the word I didn’t use, but he still heard it all the same.

“It’s of a sensitive nature.” He lowered his arms, his defensive posture softening. “I would rather you not see it. It’s a contract between Maud and my mother.”

“Her death would void it, wouldn’t it?” Without her to enforce the terms, it ought to be null.

“This type of agreement is binding,” he said carefully, “even after death.”

Precious few contracts between individuals had that kind of shelf life, and the most common type...

No.

I was being ridiculous.

This must pertain to something else.

“Mother shredded her copy after Maud died, but Maud kept the original.”

“It’s in the basement.” I didn’t have to look to know. Maud kept all original contracts filed in a safe in her library. “Your mother can rest assured that no one can access it, so whatever that poor contract did to her, it can’t hurt her from where it’s hidden.”

“I suspected as much.” A sigh moved through him. “I should have come straight to you.”

“Yep.” I clanked a fork onto the plate then served Oscar. “I could have saved you from skulking.”

“You have every right to be angry with me,” he said quietly. “Can you trust me enough to believe when I tell you it’s in all our best interests if that document is destroyed?”

Up to this point, Linus hadn’t given me a reason to doubt him. He was itching to get in the basement, but it was a repository of knowledge, and he was a sponge. He thought access meant all his questions would be answered, and I got that. But Maud was secretive about her journals and paranoid about her grimoires. We had no way of knowing what we might unleash upon the necromantic world once we got started cataloging her secrets.

“That’s what bothers me the most.” I poured Oscar a glass of milk, because why not? “I do trust you. I would have taken your word for it, if you had come to me with this. Since you didn’t, and you searched the house without my knowledge… You can see how that makes you look bad.”

Woolly flickered her lights, drawing my eye, and a sharp pain lanced through my chest.

“You knew,” I accused her. “That’s why you’ve been letting Oscar play down there.”

The kitchen dimmed, but I wasn’t buying her repentant act when she had kept this from me too.

“I expected better from you.” I shouldered past Linus. “From you too, Woolly.”

As much as I wanted to run upstairs and throw myself on the bed, I didn’t want to deal with Woolly. Her apology wouldn’t fix this when I was tired of being broken over the knee of friendship. I cut down the hall, past the basement, and yelped as heat stung my hip.

Hopping in place, I stuck a hand into my pocket and pulled out…the key. “What is your deal?”

Once again, the hunk of scalding metal had nothing to say in its defense.

Perhaps I was spending too much time around animate objects if I expected an answer from every Tom, Dick and skeleton key.

Using the hem of my tee as a potholder, I gripped the key between layers of fabric then bolted in search of a secure place to stash it. Oddly enough, the metal grew cooler the farther I got from the door. Weird. Certain the key hadn’t been in the house since my release, I wondered if Amelie had noticed its peculiar behavior while they packed up Maud’s things. Doubtful. It wasn’t attuned to her. Prior to Ambrose, she wouldn’t have had enough magic to sense it either way.

Testing a theory, I crept closer to the door. The heat intensified until I gritted my teeth to hold on.

Muttering under my breath, I stalked closer. “It can’t be this easy, can it?”

“What’s easy?”

Buttoning my lips to hold in a scream, I whirled toward Lethe. “Nothing.”

“Nothing looks like it’s burning a hole in your shirt.” She bit into an apple—one of the Honeycrisp Linus kept in the fruit bowl for me—and fanned in front of her nose. “Ready for practice?”

“Let me get rid of this.” I skirted her. “I’ll meet you in the sparring room.”

“Sure thing.” She crunched again. “Care to comment on why Linus is acting like you kicked his puppy?”

“Linus doesn’t have a puppy.” I hit the stairs. “Be right back.”

Up in my room, I debated where to hide the blasted key. I decided on my underwear drawer. There was nothing worth looking at in there unless you liked granny panties of the dollar-bin variety, so I figured the baggy satin was as good a deterrent as any.

Possibilities raced through my head as I jogged off in search of Lethe. Despite their head start hunting, I might beat Linus and Woolly to the treasure if the key did what I suspected it might. All I had to do was wait for an empty house to test my theory.

I ducked into the sparring room and somehow ended up flat on my back, unsure how I had gotten there.

“First point to me.” Lethe danced around me on the balls of her feet. “I love this padding. It’s like one of those bouncy castles.”

Propping myself up, I squinted up at her. “Midas isn’t usually so…”

“Awesome?” Kangaroo Woman hopped from one side of the room to the other. “Amazing?”

“Aggressive?” I supplied. “He’s more hands-off than hands-on.”

“Yet another reason why I volunteered to step into the breach.” She anchored her hands at her hips. “Midas is a patient instructor, and that works well for his usual students, but you need more.” She gestured down her body. “I’m going to teach you how to fight like a girl—and how to win.”

“Winning sounds good.”

“Trust me.” She began a series of stretches I imitated. “It feels even better.”

The session with Lethe left me sweaty, aching, and jonesing for a nap. I was exhausted. What it didn’t do was leave me bruised, cut, or maimed. No medical intervention was required, thank the goddess, since Linus hadn’t stayed to watch.

I felt his absence keener than I wanted to, all things considered.

“I’m not going to tell you your business,” Lethe said, slinging an arm around my shoulders.

I hit her in the face with my sweaty towel. “But?”

“Guys do a lot of dumb things to protect women they care about. Otherwise intelligent men lose their damn minds.”

“You’re very pro-Linus.”

“I’ve known him several years.” She placed known in air quotes. “He goes out of his way to be polite. He’s kind and attentive. He’s also generous.”

“It’s not unusual for wealthy young men to be philanthropic.”

“True.” She wiped the sweat from her brow before slapping me in the face with the soggy terrycloth. “But most wealthy young men aren’t potentates. Dating him is like taking out an insurance policy, like sleeping bundled in Kevlar, like cuddling up to—”

“All that means is he’s capable of violence, cunning, and ruthlessness.”

No wonder the gwyllgi were pushing for the match. They wanted to mate me off to a bodyguard.

“That’s part of it, yeah.” Her stride hitched. “The ugly part.”

“I must have missed the pretty ones.”

The words hung in the air, and I couldn’t call them back. They were a total lie. An absolute untruth. Linus wouldn’t have gotten under my skin if I hadn’t seen all the pretty parts of him, and I didn’t mean his hair.

“We hunt,” Lethe said quietly. “Fae, necromancers, vampires, humans. Anything that needs killing, really.”

“That’s different,” I protested. “You’re—”

“—animals?”

“Predators.”

“What do you think he is?” Lethe chuckled at me. “He’s top of the food chain.” We lingered in the foyer. “He might wear glasses and stick his nose in books, he might dress well and speak elegantly, but he’s just as much of a philistine as the blond douche where it counts.”

“Boaz.”

“I like my name for him better.”

Truth be told, so did I.

“You’ve got to consider the fact your house was in on it too.” She peered around like Woolly might zap her for speaking her mind. An honest fear. “She wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. You know that. You’re just raw because of what happened with the blond douche and your former bestie.”

“Maybe.”

“You can’t let two people ruin your faith in everyone else. Linus—and Woolly—were both in the wrong. There’s no question. That’s on them. Don’t internalize that BS. Their choices aren’t a result of your actions.”

“I just…expected better.” From both of them.

“Hold them up to that standard all you want, but make sure they know that’s your line in the sand.”

“I thought honesty was a given.” I glared up at the chandelier. “People close to me ought to know lying is a deal breaker.”

Woolly groaned around us, the walls sagging, the floorboards creaking.

“You would think so, but here we are.” She spread her hands. “Mom bashes heads together all day long over what ought to be common sense.” She gripped the knob. “Lay down the rules. Make them clear. If they still get broken, after your warning, then you’ve got a problem.”

Maybe Lethe was onto something. Running my life how they ran their pack—with a code of behavior and strict punishments when the rules were broken—might help me avoid future hurt. “Does that go for the blond douche and my former bestie too?”

“Not so much.” A low rumble pumped through her chest. “Relationships are a whole new ballgame. All it takes is one look at blond douche to tell he’s a player. He pursued you romantically at the same time he whored himself out to a potential match. That’s unforgiveable.”

I whole-heartedly agreed with her. “Where does the line begin?”

“The first date,” she decided. “Flirting can mean a guy’s interested, a guy’s bored, a guy just plain likes to flirt. Basically, it means nothing. Same with prolonged eye contact. Maybe he’s feeling you, or maybe he’s zoned out and you’re in his line of sight. But if a guy asks you out, he’s putting interest into words. He’s telling you, from his own mouth, he wants to get to know you. Any lies beyond that point are a serious breach of trust.”

Right out of the gate, Boaz had broken the rules. “And the former bestie?”

“You guys grew up together. She was there when the line was formed, and she knew when she crossed it. Each time she crossed it, she made the conscious decision to do so. I’m not saying you guys can’t make up down the road. Maybe you will, maybe you won’t. But this will always stand between you. You’ll forgive her. You’re already halfway there. Your heart is just that big. But only a fool would forget, and you don’t strike me as dumb.”

“Thanks.” I turned her advice over in my head. “I miss having someone to talk to about…everything.”

“Me too.” She let herself out onto the porch. “I like you, Grier. Maybe you and I should swap lists.”

The offer of friendship made my breath catch. “I’d like that.”

“Over breakfast.” She set off down the stairs. “Remember, I’m eating for two.”

After shutting the door, I wandered into the living room and spotted the sample invitation I had yet to show Linus. With a grunt, I sank onto the couch and pulled out my phone. I took a deep breath then dialed the familiar number.

“Please tell me this isn’t my heads-up that you’re fleeing the country,” Neely drawled. “I’m having a spa weekend with Cruz, and I don’t want to ditch him while he’s being sweet to haul you back to Savannah.”

“Actually, I have a huge favor to ask you.”

“I’m listening.”

The caution he attempted to mask hurt, but I kept it out of my voice. “I’ve been invited to a ball. It’s very Cinderella. I need help choosing a dress, and I was hoping you could recommend a good local hair and makeup person.”

“Who invited you?” A tremor warbled his tone. “Volkov is still out of the picture, right?”

“It’s nothing like that.” The lies tumbled from my lips with ease. “It’s a bal masqué themed bachelorette party. For my cousin. Fancy dresses, masks, gloves, the whole nine yards.”

Themes weren’t uncommon for Society balls, but I hadn’t given much thought to mine. Until now.

“A masked ball,” he said on a wistful sigh. “I’ve got ideas for days. I’ll email you my top picks, and we’ll go from there.” He hesitated. “I could shop with you if you feel like venturing to Atlanta.”

As done as I was with that city, I would brave it again for him. “What would Cruz say?”

“Nothing at all.” He laughed softly. “But he would grind his teeth for days.”

“I miss you.” I slumped on the couch. “When are you coming home?”

“I’m not sure.” Neely allowed the lull to build. “Cruz is spending more and more time in the city. It takes an act of Congress to get him back to Savannah. I don’t mind staying here while I recover, but I miss my job. I can do the day job anywhere, but it doesn’t feed my soul. Only my piggy bank.”

Losing my spot as a Haint left me in the same down mood. “How much longer will you be laid up?”

“Four to six weeks.”

“That sucks.”

“Tell me about it.” He drew in a sharp breath. “My honey bunny just walked in. I gotta go.”

“Bye.”

While it was on my mind, I dialed up Matron Orestes and named my theme. She trilled with excitement, and I ended the call with a smile.

“Are you up for another field trip?” Linus asked from behind me.

“Are we friends?” I twisted around to face him. “Do you consider us friends?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation.

“Then you and I are going to have to have a talk about the rules of friendship.”

“All right.” A fraction of the tension drained from his shoulders. “We can do that.”

“No more lying.” I held up my finger to stop him. “No more omissions. No more skulking. No more attempting to get in the basement.”

The last one brought him up short for a second, and I saw it. He knew I noticed, but he nodded. “I can do that, within reason.” His fingers tapped the tattooed seal over his heart. “There are times when I won’t be able to share the whole truth with you, or anything at all.”

“I can respect that. I don’t like it, but I understand.” I stood and crossed to him. “I’m talking about you, the decisions you make, the choices that are within your control.” I stared up at him. “I’m giving you a second chance to be transparent with me. Break my trust again, and I’m done. I can’t kick you out, and I can’t stop my lessons, but I won’t be a willing participant.” I exhaled through a tight knot of anger. “I won’t be your friend.”

“I understand your rules.” He gazed down at me, solemn. “I will abide by them to the best of my ability.”

“That’s all I ask.” I pivoted on my heel. “Come on. I’m not doing classwork when I can field trip instead.”