“What do you think?”

“I don’t know. You pointed out that I haven’t seen Damian since he’s been here. I barely remember him from life in the Primoris Domus. Could he be my brother? I guess. How do I determine if that’s true?” She rubbed the back of her neck.

Fi stuck her head back through the doorway. “Why not good old-fashioned DNA testing?”

Mal growled softly. “I thought you were throwing the pizza box away?”

Fi shrugged. “Sorry.”

“I can’t,” Chrysabelle answered. “Not unless you know someone who could do it with complete confidentiality. I’m not looking to become a government science experiment. Now that othernaturals are out in the open, I’m sure they’d jump on the chance to test more of me than just my blood.”

Mal rested his hand on top of hers. “I agree, but if we can find someone we trust—”

“Big if.” Chrysabelle pulled her hands from under his. She glanced at Fi. “Could you give us some privacy?”

Fi swiveled back toward the hall. “Your wish, my command.”

When the sound of her footsteps faded, Chrysabelle spoke again. “Mortalis is putting feelers out to see if he can get a lead on where the vampiress might have holed up with Damian.” She rolled her bottom lip in, slowly releasing it. “I also talked to Mortalis, on Velimai’s recommendation, about finding someone who could tell me—us—what power the ring of sorrows might have contained.”

Mal kept the surprise off his face. This was a big step for her. “What did he say?”

She leaned back in the chair and met his gaze. “Mortalis told me about a very dangerous fae who, if willing, could tell me pretty much everything I want to know.”

“Besides this fae being dangerous, what’s the catch?” Because there was always a catch.

“He’ll exact a price, but we have to agree to pay it before he helps us, and we won’t know what it is until he’s done.”

Mal’s mood went sour. “That it?”

“Well, let’s see…” She started ticking things off on her fingers. “He could get here, then decide he doesn’t want to return to the fae plane. Then we have to either find a way to persuade him to go home or kill him. Mortalis says no way can he stay on the mortal realm. Of course, he could kill us first. And then again, he might not agree to help us at all.”

“You don’t have to do this. We can figure out another way.”

She shook her head. “No. There won’t be another way, or if there is, it’ll be harder. You always tell me I run instead of dealing. It’s time to deal. I’m doing this, with or without you.”

“There is no without me. Not anymore.”

Smiling, she reached across the table and took his hand. “That’s how I know I’ll get through it.” Her smile faded a little. “Or at least I won’t die alone.”

Chapter Thirteen

Fi ditched the pizza box first chance she had, then adjusted her sweatshirt hood so it hid her eyes. The air had the slight nip of what passed for fall in New Florida. Kinda reminded her of her childhood in Colorado, but by this time of year, there’d probably be snow on the ground. Or at least ice on the river. Here, the best you could hope for was a rare frost appearance.

The trek into town wasn’t so bad. Gave her time to think, time to figure out her words. She couldn’t go without seeing Doc any longer. The separation and the not talking were killing her. They hadn’t been apart this long since she’d known him. What kind of a hold did this woman have over him? She had to see his new wife for herself. See what the competition was all about.

Wife. What kind of a job came with a wife? That was crazy.

Pride headquarters loomed ahead. She slipped into the alley behind the building but didn’t bother with a door, just shifted into her ghost form and floated inside, zipping up through the floors until she reached the penthouse.

She hovered near the ceiling while she searched the place. She found Doc sitting on the sofa, elbows planted on his knees, eyes staring straight ahead. Classic thinking pose. What was on his mind? The incident with Mal and Chrysabelle from the night before? Or was he thinking about her? Missing her?

She drifted down until her feet touched carpeting, then went corporeal. She walked up behind him and slipped her hand over the back of his neck. “Hi, baby—”

With a snarl, he shifted into his half-form, latched hold of her arms, and dragged her over the back of the sofa until she was pinned beneath him.

She kissed him, just a quick peck, doing her best to avoid the fangs jutting over his lip. “Hi, kitty cat.”

“Fi.” Her name sighed out of him and he relaxed, going full human again. He sat up, pulling her with him. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be with Mal.”

“Nice to see you, too.” Not the welcome she’d imagined, that’s for sure.

He rubbed a hand over his scalp. “Sorry, babe, I wasn’t expecting you.”

She sniffed. “Obviously.”

His gaze shifted to a spot behind her before coming back. “Look, now might not be the best time.”

“Why? What’s happening? I feel like I have no idea what’s going on in your life anymore.”

Scooting closer, he took her hands and squeezed them. His voice was low as he spoke. “What’s going on right now is complicated, but you gotta know everything I do, I do for us.”