Chapter 32

She scowled at him. A warmth was moving through her, and it took her several seconds to realize her wings were out. Good call doing this on a roof where no one can see was her first thought. The second was with him touching her there was something else happening. It was like he was doing something to her that made the buzz lessen. “What are you doing?”

His expression softened. “When my kind—” His mouth quirked. “Our kind are meant for one another, and they touch their magic blends. I am using my calm to settle yours.”

“Magic blends.” She closed her eyes because if she continued to look at him right now, she was going to kiss him, and she had never had that feeling in her entire life—the part of it she remembered. “All of this is real, isn’t it?” It was a stupid thing to say, and she knew it, but one crazy thing after another had been happening in the last week, and she was done fighting it. She opened her eyes. That couldn’t have been her thought. She didn’t quit. “So, is this where we go live happily ever after?” She scoffed.

He rubbed his thumbs over her shoulders for a second and then released her. “Please sit. I will try to tell you the rest.”

“The rest? There’s more?” She laughed. “How much more could there be?”

“Ava.” He said it with a firm tone. “Please. Sit so you can stay in control.”

She glanced over her shoulder to see her wings were still out. Heaving a heavy breath, she stepped on top of the vent and then sat down. When he didn’t say anything, she sighed. “Are you going to tell me or just stand there?” She felt better. Anger was back—anger, she understood, all this other stuff, not at all.

“Yes.” She could see him searching for the words. “Aireese and I went and spoke with an elder.” He watched her with a careful expression. “She told us of a prophecy that has been interpreted to mean that one of your blood is the one needed to end all of the atrocities that have been happening in the realms. To end the ones behind it, I believe.”

Ava sat there replaying his words inside her head. “You think I’m some superhero that’s going to stop whoever has done all this?” She waved her hand around, not even sure how to explain it.

“Yes.” He put his hand against his chest. “As soon as she spoke of it, I knew in my heart that it was you. You were the child that was born of a powerful fae and angel magic that was going to help end it.”

She smiled because what the hell else was she going to do? “I think there’s been some kind of mistake.”

“There hasn’t.” He smiled. “What you did on that riverbank, I have never witnessed anything close to it—not even with an ancient elder that has more power than ten of myself.” He shook his head. “The aftershock of your power that rippled back to you almost brought me to my knees. I know you are the halfling in the prophecy.”

Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head slowly. “Angels, royalty, magic, fated mates—” She opened them and looked at him. “I can’t deal with this.” She stood up. “So, what, I just hang out until someone pages me when it’s time for me to put a whammy on someone that will help everyone live happily ever after?” She snorted. “Do you hear how all of this sounds?”

Firo took a deep breath and then exhaled visibly. “It’s a lot, I know.” He looked at the roof and then shook his head. “You need to go to Fa Terra and see one of the elders.”

Her mouth dropped open. She held her hand up. “Wait. You want me to go to FaTerra, where you’ve already said I’m not safe so that I can talk to some old person?’

He nodded. “Yes.”

Ava turned, paced by him, and started walking to the other end of the roof. “I’d like to get down now.” She stopped and looked at the door at the other end and started walking again. “I can’t do this right now.” She lifted her hands and let them drop again. “I’m at capacity for insane shit for the day, thanks, so I’m going down now.”

“Avalie.” She heard him behind her but kept walking. “I will take you back.”

Stopping, she turned around and looked at him. “Is there anything else you want to drop on my head before we go back? Because, to be honest, this is the last chance for it. I’m not doing this again.” She had no control over what was coming out of her mouth; only that anger was there, and she needed it. Without the anger coursing through her veins, she was lost and had no idea who she was. Hell, now she wasn’t even sure what she was.

“I believe anything else can wait.”

She grinned. “Great. Now, get me down from here.”

He held her look for several seconds, and she was on the verge of screaming when he held out his hand. That was more like it. Stomping over, she slapped her hand in his. As soon as he closed his fingers, that tingling started.

“Don’t do that.”

He looked at her and then their hands. “It’s not me doing it. It’s what happens when we are close.”

“Right.” She snorted. “Magic blends.”

“Yes. Are you ready?”

“More than.” She glared at him.

He lifted his hand, and then she found herself standing in the doorway of the garage. Jerking her hand out of his, she went over and grabbed her jacket off the workbench and jammed her arms into it.

The door to the house opened, and Jeri came out. She stopped. “I guess you know.”

Zipping up the leather, she glanced at her. “That I’m the superhero in this?” She scoffed. “Sure.” Picking up her helmet, she shoved it on her head and then went over to her bike.

When she looked up, Princess Aireese and Capri stood outside the garage. The princess looked at Firo. He shook his head and then stepped back out of the way so Ava could drive out. At least he was smart.

Starting the bike, she revved it and flipped the kickstand up. She held his look for a moment and then put the visor down. Without a second’s pause, she steered it out of the garage and took off down the alleyway. She needed the road to soothe her, to help her process all of this crap.