Black Wings, Gray Skies (Black Hat Bureau 4)

“They say what you’re doing at midnight on New Year’s Eve is what you’ll do for the rest of the year.”

I watched in horrified fascination as I climbed out my bedroom window, Asa in hot pursuit.

“Colby heard the alarm, but we were in a panel. She asked me to check her phone for her, and…”

A groan ripped out of me, and I leaned forward, burying my face in my lap.

That was when I noticed even Clay’s shoes fit the theme, the iridescent laces in complementary pastels.

“I owe you.” I passed him his phone, unable to look him in the eye. “Can you delete it?”

“Already done.” He rubbed my back. “She won’t find a trace of it in the cloud.”

Snapping out of my slouch, I narrowed my eyes on him. “Then what did I just watch?”

“Oh, I made a copy. I sent one to you. You can share it with Ace, if you two like that sort of thing.”

“And you kept a copy.”

“Eh.” He deleted it in front of me. “It saved automatically when I formatted the clip. The program always backs up what you’re working on in case you lose your connection.” He showed me his trash bin then he emptied that too. “See? Gone. You’re in the clear.”

“Goddess bless, what a mess.”

Since we had no idea if the wards kept out the y’nai, I had decided to pretend they weren’t there. This? I couldn’t pretend away a video clip that would warm the cockles of Clay’s metaphorical heart for all time.

“You do realize this is actual footage of you running from your feelings?”

Another groan tore out of me as it sank in how badly it could have gone if Colby had seen, which told me I had worse priorities today since I hadn’t even asked, “Where is Colby?”

“Down at Camp Aedan.” His eyes twinkled. “She’s dropping off some Mystic Realms swag.”

“I don’t trust the way you’re smiling.”

“Just thinking of your future children. How they’ll sit on Uncle Clay’s knee, and I’ll tell them—”

“Nothing.” I swatted him. “You’ll tell them nothing. There will be no children. And they’ll know nothing.”

“Fae fertility will work against you,” he said earnestly, “but daemons breed like rabbits.”

“Asa told me he wasn’t fertile.” I caught his shoulders bouncing. “I didn’t know that was a thing.”

Did dae track it, like ovulation? Pop birth control pills? Condoms were out. We didn’t use those.

“You just grabbed the stick and shifted into drive, didn’t you?”

“Clay.”

Wheezing laughter gasped out of him, and he slapped his thigh as tears wet his lashes.

“Dae control our fertility with contraceptives brewed to match each individual’s heritage.”

Twisting on the step, I found Asa standing in the doorway, his hair down and tangled from my fingers.

“Many dae aren’t willing to chance the genetic lottery,” he continued, “and decline to have children.”

Clay had recovered enough to pivot toward our conversation, but then did a double take at Asa.

“That’s new.” He pointed out the gleaming horns that hadn’t gone away. “What’s up with those?”