Sweet Ruin

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A cool cloth bathed Jo’s face. “Please wake up,” said a muffled voice. “I didn’t know it was you!”

Consciousness came by degrees, her head pounding. She blinked open her eyes. “Thaddie?” Her brain felt like jelly after her strangling.

After that memory.

Thad tossed away a washcloth, taking her hand. “I’m here. I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you were Jo. I never would’ve hurt you.” He helped her sit up on a couch.

She was in a living room with fancy décor and expensive-looking furniture. “Where’ve you taken me?” Her voice was scratchy.

“To my family’s place in New Orleans. It’s warded. You’re totally safe.”

New Orleans? He’d always lived in a suburban pad in Texas.

Except when he lived in a phantom realm for one day. He and I crossed the universe, held in some kind of stasis. They must be thousands of years old.

She hadn’t unlocked everything from her childhood—only a few other dim snippets. Maybe she couldn’t handle more than a peek at a time. “Thad, I’ve been trying to get to you in Val Hall for two weeks.”

“Earlier, you said you were there to save me. From what?”

“Valkyries. I smelled your fear. I freaked out.”

“Oh.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Actually, I was kinda scared of . . . you and that archer. You two were attacking, and I was inside. I didn’t know who you were.”

“You weren’t a prisoner, were you?” He’d been in no danger, just as Rune had assured her.

“They’re my allies. They’ve been helping me with my powers. Nïx told me a huge threat to the coven was coming, so I was there to protect Val Hall.”

Nïx, getting the last laugh once again.

“She called for all hands on deck.”

So that’s why so many immortals had been there. Jo rubbed her throat. She hadn’t thought things could possibly get shittier for her. Wrong.

She grieved for her mother. She already missed Rune, even though he was a cheating dickwad. Her neck was killing her.

But . . . I’m talking to my little brother. “What happened after I blacked out?”

“The Møriør came.”

Rune had shown at Val Hall after he’d gotten through screwing a nymph. His allies had been there too? “Are Nïx and the others fighting the Møriør?” Not that Jo was worried about Rune.

“She said no one would die tonight; there’d just be a lot of redecorating or something. But I wasn’t taking any chances with you when five freaking Bringers of Doom showed up with a big freaking cat! Before I ditched, your mate gave me this.” Thad dug into his pocket, handed over Rune’s talisman. “He said he wanted you to have it, that you’d know what it meant.”

It meant he was falling for her. Which made his actions even worse! That prick could be in love with her, and he still would break her heart.

Jo reached for the talisman, half expecting her hand to veer. But then, he’d given it to her this time. She shoved it into her jeans pocket. Now she was going to have to see him just to return his belonging. “He say anything else?”

“That he needed to explain some things to you, and you needed to feed.”

“Explain some things?” She’d bet. Dove, you can’t keep a dick like mine caged when it wants to be free.

“Is he the dark fey I’ve heard about?” Thad asked. “Were your tears black because you’ve been drinking from him?”

“Yeah.” She glanced at a mirror on one wall. Thad had washed the tracks from her face. “My blood’ll be red soon enough.” She turned back to him. “Do you remember me?”

He seemed embarrassed. “I’m sorry, but not much. I remember impressions. You singing to me under a bridge. Teaching me how to high-five. But I didn’t know your face before.”

“Then how?”

“All my life, I thought you were dead—until about a week or so ago when the crap hit the fan with my mom.” He ran a hand over his mouth. “She found out what I am.”

“You’re not supposed to tell humans about our world.”

“I know. She kind of caught me off guard.”

Jo popped her neck. Thad could do a damn stranglehold like nobody’s business. “Did MizB see you ghost? Go intangible? I do that involuntarily sometimes.”

“Uh, not ghosting so much. More on the vamp side of things. Let’s just say she discovered I drink blood.” His cheeks flushed.

“How long you been drinking?”

“Only a few weeks. You?”

“Since I was eleven.” He looked like he was about to ask more on that sore subject. Not ready yet. “MizB discovered you drink blood. And then . . . ?”

“I figured Mom would freak out to learn her son was a vampire.”

Mom. Son. The words needled her.

“And she did. At first, my vampiness seemed to give her the wiggins.”

Just as Jo’s had done to Thaddie.

“But she mainly kept talking about you. When you came back after you were shot, she thought you were some kind of demon or spirit that was gonna drag me down to hell or something. She told you to go away. After seeing me and hearing a whole ’nother world exists, she realized she’d banished an eleven-year-old girl from what should’ve been her new family. She had no idea where you were, or if you were safe. She’s been overwhelmed with guilt.”

Boo-hoo, MizB. Unlike Jo, the woman had gotten fourteen years of idyllic family life with Thad. Framed pictures of Thad milestones lined the fireplace mantel. Screw her.

But he appeared so worried about the woman. “I’m hoping . . . will you see her tonight? I know I’m asking a lot, and we don’t deserve even a minute of your time. But I’ve never seen her cry before this—now she’s always on the verge.”

“Why would you not deserve my time?”

“Mom said I didn’t want to go with you when you came back, didn’t even recognize you. How could I not recognize the big sis who raised me?”

“Because I looked different. And you weren’t exactly old enough to be a sleuth—I could stuff your ass into a backpack.”

He seemed surprised by her crack, then his lips curled. “I heard about the Thadpack too.” Seeing him smile began to erase the image of him trying to pop her “bobblehead” off.

She found herself grinning with him—

“Thaddeus?” MizB called from upstairs. “Is that you?”

“Jo, will you please talk to her? Just knowing you’re okay would help her so much.”

“I’m giving you fair warning: I’m not fit for social interaction on the best of days. And this has not been the best of days.” Not to mention her exhaustion and thirst after all that telekinesis. “I was chucking cars not long ago, and I’ve got no love for your . . . mom.” She massaged her temples against her growing headache.

“But you’ll do it?” He blinked at her with those big hazel eyes, and she was putty.

Some things never changed. She shrugged.

His face lit up.

Why did he refuse to believe she was a bitch? “You’ll end up regretting this, kid.” She stood, readying for the showdown.

“No way! Lemme go and prepare her, okay?” He leapt up to rush toward the stairs. At the foot, he turned back. “You won’t leave or anything?” He gazed upstairs, then to Jo, seeming torn. He traced to hug her, startling her. He was so tall. He had to hunch down just to rest his chin on her head.

Her surprise faded, and she hugged him back.

“Scared to let you out of my sight for even a minute.” He eventually released her. “We’ll be right down.”

He disappeared, leaving Jo in this strange house—one more development to top off this epically weird night.