Chapter 88: Lyre: Let’s All Calm Down

LYRE

Jack-Eye steps forward, hands raised. "Let’s all calm down."

I ignore him. "Do you want to send her back to intensive care? Because that’s what will happen if you drain her again. Energy transference isn’t a joke."

Caine’s jaw works as he processes this, his desire to touch Grace warring with his need to keep her safe. It’s almost endearing how much his instincts conflict with each other.

Finally, he moves to a cushion near Grace—close, but not touching—and sits with the stiff posture of someone expecting an attack at any moment.

"Where is Fenris?" Grace asks, leaning forward but keeping her hands to herself.

"Recuperating," Caine answers shortly. His gaze never leaves her face, drinking her in like a man dying of thirst. "He used a lot of energy."

The way his voice darkens tells me there’s more to the story, but now isn’t the time to pry. His brain’s somewhere else, I’m sure, the kind of place it shouldn’t be with children under the same roof. Thankfully, they’re in the other room.

Then his attention shifts to me and Owen.

Huh.

Maybe I’m wrong. The man’s upper brain is still working.

"What is this place?" the overbearing brute demands. "Why is Grace here?"

Grace moves so suddenly I almost don’t catch her in time. One moment she’s sitting there all wide-eyed innocence, the next her hand is reaching toward Caine’s arm with an instinctive need to comfort.

I lunge forward, smacking her hand away before contact.

"No touching!"

drops open in shock as she cradles her hand against her chest. Not that I hurt her—I’d never—but the surprise of it stings worse than

make most creatures soil themselves and beg for

to lose patience with this

gesture, like brushing away a particularly annoying insect—and the air responds instantly, condensing into a wave

enough force to rattle his oversized ego. The cushions scatter around him as he slides down to the floor, his expression a spectacular blend

the entrance, makes a strangled sound. Poor thing. Probably contemplating which exit strategy won’t get him

looking between Grace and Caine. "That I’m just being dramatic

in the

clears his throat. "Well—she did say

least one of them

finger toward the now-seething Lycan King, "—is overwhelming. One touch, even a small one, and he’ll pull from you again. He can’t

eyes widen. She looks down at her hand like it’s

intending

think, you just act, and suddenly you’re back in a

barely contained rage. His hands clench

three seconds to explain why I shouldn’t

my eyes. "Because A: you can’t, and B: I’m trying

Jack-Eye whispers from somewhere behind me, sounding far too amused for someone

hands together, loud enough to startle everyone. The brief nudge of arcana to amplify the sound might have helped. "Charming as this display of dominance is—truly, it’s riveting—there are way more important questions to ask right now,

no doubt to say something predictably threatening, when

around the corner, her face smeared with what appears to be pizza sauce and possibly chocolate. I hope it’s

braided hair sprints with her arms outstretched, looking

she hisses, reaching for the

floor with the unstoppable momentum of

directly into Grace’s lap with a flying leap Olympic gymnasts would admire and lets

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