Page 9 of Wicked Deeds

Which she never had. Gwen’s Fae parent hadn’t chosen to acknowledge her and no one knew who she was. I didn’t know if that was part of the reason why Gwen had wanted to come home, but from what I could gather, it hadn’t made Gwen’s time in the realm any easier.

So there was no one to help her get used to being out of the realm again. The Cestis were looking for her dad, but it turned out the name on her birth certificate was fake. At least, the Cestis hadn’t been able to identify anyone with that name who’d been alive at the time Gwen was born.

My datapad pinged again with a vidcall request. Aubrey wanted to talk face to face.

Unlike me, she was wide awake and perfectly groomed. She had on a white silk shirt with pearls at her ears. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a perfectly sleek updo and her makeup was immaculate.

I ran a hand over my own hair, hoping there wasn’t a stray leaf or anything stuck in it after getting too close and personal with some of the bushes along the boundaries to get to the wards.

Aubrey’s mouth curved briefly in a smile, amusement flashing in her icy blue-gray eyes, but she didn’t comment.

“Hi,” I said again. “Sorry to interrupt your morning.”

She dismissed this idea with an elegant wave of her hand. “I was just getting started. It’s no trouble.”

As the youngest member of the UK Cestis, I knew she had a schedule as tight as Damon’s most days, so I took this with an enormous grain of salt. I didn’t want to take up too much of her time.

“So. Gwen. Any news?” I asked.

Aubrey shrugged. “I’m not sure. She’s quiet. We got her access to her bank accounts back, so that’s helpful. She doesn’t have to worry about money. Whoever her parents were, they at least left her financially secure.”

Which didn’t make up for the part where they’d rejected and/or abandoned her, but money was better than no money if you were left on your own with no family.

“She’s still talking to the healers,” Aubrey continued. “Therapy. She says it’s helping.”

Something Gwen had resisted at first, but the Cestis had made it a condition of them continuing to help her. I imagined Aubrey would love to be a fly on the wall for those conversations but no self-respecting healer would reveal anything about their patients without consent. Same as a human psychologist. With the usual exceptions for being worried about crimes or self-harm, but I didn’t think Gwen was a criminal mastermind. While she’d had something of a rough time in the realm, she—from what Aubrey had told me—hadn’t shown any signs of wanting to do something stupid.

“And we’ve been looking at some university options, but she hasn’t made any decisions yet,” Aubrey continued.

“What was she studying?” I asked.

Aubrey actually smiled. “Believe it or not, she was doing a technology and media degree. Intending to major in VR game design.”

“That’s interesting.” I kept my face neutral. Was Aubrey hoping that Damon might be able to help? He could probably place a call and get anyone admitted to any VR degree in the world.

Righteous sponsored what was now considered the world standard program right here in California at UC. It was where my sometimes-intern, all-the-time-computer-genius friend, Yoshi Liebfield, was studying.

I just didn’t know if Damon wanted anything to do with anyone so recently connected with the Fae and Lord Usuriel. And after the nixling, it wasn’t the night to ask.

I also didn’t like asking him to pull strings and avoided it where humanly possible. There were enough people in his life who only saw him as someone who could do things for them. My goal was to never be one of them.

To be the person he could just be Damon with.

Aubrey was waiting for me to continue.

“Do you think that’s what she still wants to do?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral. I didn’t want to offer any encouragement.

Aubrey shrugged again. “I’m not sure. She’s still adjusting. She’d have to make up her mind fast to start in September. It might be easier for her to take a job somewhere for a year while she gets her feet back under her.”

It was a sensible idea. After all, Gwen’s first attempt at university had ended with her vanishing into the realm. Though, that might be unfair. Maybe after getting free of the realm she was going to be focused on making sure her life went where she wanted it to this time. “Has she been hanging out with any tanai?”

“No. I offered to introduce her to some of the smaller families here in London, but she refused. Perhaps it’s just as well. Better for her to avoid the Fae for a time, while she settles in. The tanaihere are much more connected with their Fae than yours in San Francisco.”

True. Though that was starting to change, according to Pinky. Now that the door to the realm in Berkeley had opened again, some of the tanai who had left when the Fae did were starting to make noises about coming back. Which was making those who’d stayed behind nervous. But San Francisco was a big city. Room enough for both kinds of tanai. I hoped.

“I can understand her staying away from them. She’s probably had enough Fae for now.”

Behind me, I could still hear Mitch’s team moving around the house. I’d drawn the blinds when I’d retreated to my office, not wanting to see them prowling around the gardens, probably checking the wards all over again.

---