Page 62 of Radiant Shadows

“A little cold back there?” the driver asked, eyeing me through the rearview mirror. Even though I could only see his eyes,the wrinkles around them suggested he was middle-aged. He probably thought I was insane for not wearing a coat.

“Yes, please crank up the heat,” I requested, ignoring the raised eyebrow over my not-for-winter attire.

The drive to the address Shea had given me was the longest wait of all. I grew skeptical as the driver took me out of city limits and onto a mostly rural highway.

What if this was some kind of set up? What if the witch had decided to end me instead of help me? I had been nothing but hostile toward her since the day we met. She had no reason to show me favor outside of my relationship with Arya, which I also hadn’t shown in the best light. What if she thought the best solution was to remove me from her best friend’s life?

No, I was being paranoid. If Shea was that cruel, then she simply would’ve refused to help me from the start and leave me to the damnation of my family’s curse. There was no more hellish fate than living with the knowledge that the person you love hates you—especially if you’re imprinted to them.

I had no choice but to trust that the witch was on my side, even if I didn’t deserve it.

When we pulled up to the small townhome more than an hour later, I blinked a few times.

“Is this it?” I asked.

“It’s the address you gave me, man,” the driver said.

I double-checked Shea’s message and agreed that the address was correct. I stepped out and onto the curb, took a deep breath, and then strode up to the door.

When I saw the name on the mailbox, I did a double-take.Le Fey. It sounded familiar. Had Arya ever mentioned Shea’s last name? I brushed it off as unimportant.

When I lifted a hand to knock, my heart began to pound, and my arm froze in mid-air.

This could be it.

This could be the last moment I would ever worry about allowing myself to fall in love. And this wasn’t just about me.

Tamara could have a happy marriage with a husband who loved her. Dozens of aunts and uncles, cousins twice and three times removed could love their spouses, their boyfriends and girlfriends, and be loved in return. This could be the last moment of pain my mother ever went through being married to a man who didn’t love her.

Well...realistically, I couldn’t expect my father to return the feelings overnight. But after this moment, there might be hope that he could, someday. Or, Mom could do something unheard of for Draculs and leave Arthur for someone she truly deserved.

After this moment, I could allow myself to fall completely for Arya, and she might love me back.

I knocked.

Wavy brown hair swung the door open and met me with a smile.

“You look like you’re gonna throw up,” Shea said, leaning against the door. “You okay?”

I frowned, attempting to mask my face but knowing I failed. “Fine. I’m fine.”

“‘Cause we can do this another day...”

“No!” I snapped with panic. “Now. Please, now.”

But she didn’t ruffle at my outburst. Instead, she looked at me with pity. “The good news is, I’ll probably feel about as green as you look in about five minutes.”

She stepped aside for me to walk in and waved him into a room just off the entrance that felt almost like a closet. I filled the whole of it, yet somehow, two other women, plus Shea, also fit. I was too nervous and distracted by my racing pulse to notice details, but the entire room had a buzzing, chaotic feeling. Or maybe that was just me.

I met one pair of hazel eyes, then another. The women were clearly relatives of Shea—wavy brown hair with varying levels of gray—probably her mother and grandmother, though the younger of the two didn’t quite look that close.

“Tobias, this is my Aunt Janette,” Shea said, indicating toward the younger woman.

Instinctively, I held a hand out to Janette, who took it with a gentle grasp as her eyes roamed up and down my body with appreciation. Yep, definitely not Shea’s mom.

“Tobias Dracul,” I offered.

Janette gave me a girlish smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever met an actual dragon before. Can I see you shift later?”

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