Page 142 of Our Radiant Embers

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Adam’s message to Cassandra was straight to the point. ‘Had a fight with my dad, turns out he already knew about Liam and me. Staying at Liam’s for now. You ready to come clean?’

‘Anytime, darling,’ was her immediate response, followed by a heart. Funny—I hadn’t taken her for the kind of person who used emojis, much less heart-shaped ones. Live and learn.

“Do you want me to give you some privacy?” I asked when Adam prepared to call Gale, and he shook his head and caught my wrist, pulling me onto the bed with him.

“Stay,” he said.

“As you wish.”

Adam’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, but it was a start. He put his phone on speaker just as Gale picked up with a low, “Hang on a second.”

Something rustled on his end of the line. I tucked an arm around Adam’s shoulders and he leaned into me, drawing deep, deliberate breaths.

When Gale came back on, his voice was clearer but still low and a little rushed. “Adam. Where are you? What the hell is going on?”

“I’m with Liam,” Adam said, and Gale sighed in obvious relief.

“Good. That’s good. Tell him I said hi.”

“Hi Gale,” I spoke up. “Adam told me you gave him a bit of a nudge yesterday, so thanks for that.”

“Well, he’s your idiot now.” Brief laughter coated Gale’s voice before he sobered. “But seriously, what’s going on? Dad and Eleanor are stalking around the manor like…Like the Ashtons are at the gate or something. And Dad—he said something about how you’ve made your choice?”

“Yeah, I have.” Adam turned his head for the quickest of looks, and I slotted our fingers together. “So, Dad knows about Liam and me.”

“Ah.” Gale was silent for half a second. “I take it he doesn’t approve.”

Adam blew out a breath. “Correct.”

“I’m sorry. But he’ll come around, I’m sure. You’ve always been…We need you. More than you need us.”

“Gale, I think…” Adam trailed off, frowning. “I think that maybe they’re trying to do something dangerous. Mess with things they don’t fully understand.”

”Things?” Gale echoed, confusion thick in his voice.

“Magic,” Adam said. “It’s…I’m not sure. We’re still trying to figure it out, but can you keep an eye out? Anything unusual, you call me?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” Gale’s voice dipped. “Hey. I’ve still got your back. You know that, right? This isn’t final. Just needs a moment for the dust to settle.”

“I hope so.” Adam blinked twice in rapid succession, and I turned my head to kiss the corner of his mouth. My fault, if only a little bit.

Brief silence dropped, then Gale sighed. “Listen, just so you know…Liam, are you still here?”

“Present,” I said softly.

“Remember that French woman from yesterday, at the Southwark site?”

Isabelle Blanchard. I met Adam’s eyes and strove for a light tone. “I remember her, yes. Family friend?”

“Something like that. Dad and Eleanor met her during a trip to Paris. Anyway, just thought you might want to know that she asked about you. Like…I don’t know. But something seems to have caught her interest, and I don’t think they’re the kind of family you want interested in you.”

Adam shifted closer while I dug my nails into my thigh. “What did she ask?”

“Something about your parents and whether you had relatives in France.”

Which meant that just like me, she could read magic. Distant unease tugged at me. Focus.

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