Gran tsked. “That one, she is not bad, she is not good. She is a true neutral, and if she believes one of the four who are gunning to take over Savannah will suit her purposes, she will align with him or her.”

I yawned again. “I’m going to sleep now, Gran.”

“Before you do.” She stood and I tracked her movement with my eyes as she headed to the door. The desk next to it had a thick manila envelope on it. “The detective dropped this off for you.”

I closed my eyes. “Sleep first,” I said.

I drifted off, safe and warm, the double dose of Advil and lovely heating pad doing their job to keep the aches and pains at bay. Whatever little bit of fae I had in me, and whatever else my father’s line had brought to the table, they didn’t bring what Advil did.

Somewhere around midnight I woke up. Keeping my eyes closed, I listened as footsteps walked toward my bed. My blood pounded and I reached slowly under my pillow for the knife I’d stashed there.

Just in case.

“I can’t protect her, Celia. I know you want me to, but she throws herself at challenges in ways I don’t even understand. And comes through them just as inconceivably,” Crash said so softly that I shouldn’t have been able to hear him.

“She has always been a tiger,” Gran answered just as softly. “But for years she’s been told she was a sheep. She’s finding her claws again. That’s good. It makes her stronger.”

“I know, but that’s part of what worries me. Her feistiness is like a beacon.” A hand brushed over my face, tucking my hair behind my ear. “I’m afraid that she’ll take on more than she can handle on her own. That she’ll end up . . .”

“Like me and get herself killed,” Gran said and sighed. “Then it’s up to you to help keep her alive.”

He sighed heavily and stepped away from the bed. “I’m trying, but part of that is keeping my distance from her. Protecting her from the fae who would use her.”

“Did you at least put her on the deed?” Gran asked and I almost sat up right there. Put me on the deed? As in deed to the house?

Crash’s hand brushed over my hip. “She’s been on the deed since I bought the house. You know that I can’t outright give it to her. But she paid in full when she removed O’Sean from this world.”

Gran sighed again. “So you’re still leaving?”

“I have to figure out who is behind this. Who is pulling the strings, Celia. You know that.”

“I don’t always remember,” she said.

Jaysus on a winking donkey, I was getting more information asleep than I could have imagined.

It took everything I had to stay still. “How long will you be gone?”

“I don’t know.” His hand slipped off my hip. “I don’t know.”

“Well, don’t dilly-dally . . . she is going to need you. . . .” Gran snapped. Their voices faded as they left my room, and I sat up slowly, with only one groan, thank you very much, to stare at the closed door.

My heart raced from their words, and from Crash’s touch. Was he telling the truth? Or was it another twist? Was I really on the deed? That would mean I could start searching for the things that Gran had hidden.

I knew what I wanted to believe. That he was telling the truth. That I could have this house in my name.

Like a beacon glowing, on the table by the door, the yellow envelope that held information about both Gran’s death and my parents beckoned to me.

Whatever was coming for me, I knew that opening that envelope would start it all up again.

I pulled myself out of bed and picked up the envelope, tucked a finger in the edge and took a deep breath.

I had friends at my side. A new lease on life. And a job to do.

All outta ducks to give, I needed to know who was hunting my family, no matter what the cost was to my own life.

I tore the envelope open.