He pressed his lips against mine briefly then pushed harder, forcing my mouth open with his tongue. I held on, stunned by the memories that resurfaced.

He pulled back. "Okay," he breathed. "I can take the idea of not going back, but I won't give up on a fresh start."

I just still wasn't sure what I thought about that.

Phoenix knocked loudly on my front door. By the way he knocked, I could tell he had an actual reason for being there for a change. I had to be honest and admit that I had missed the way he used to show up.

My troubles had brought him trouble; the first vampire had taken Phoenix's daughter, Lucia, to get to me. After Phoenix had raged at me-and I'd seriously feared for my life at the time-our easy friendship had seemed to die a little. Maybe it hadn't died, but it'd definitely grown sickly. He said he didn't hold it against me, even after he had persuaded his children to leave my safety and join him in his.

I realised later that when he'd said his goodbye that day, Phoenix had decided I wasn't worth the trouble and that he had other priorities. I missed having that friend, the one everyone else was scared of, the one who showed me his vulnerabilities. It had been nice to feel trusted, I suppose. Phoenix was an enigma, and I had missed trying to figure him out. That I found him attractive was just a bonus.

So maybe that was why my heart leapt in my chest at the confident knock at my door. I wouldn't have to coax him out. When I answered the door, he was all business, despite looking more way more casual than usual. His hair was tied back into a loose bun, and he was wearing jeans, a vintage T-shirt, and a brown leather jacket.

"Been shopping lately?" I asked.

Ignoring the question, he gripped my arm and pulled me outside. "Come," he said. "We're going to get some protection."

"From who?"

He seemed to realise he was taking me outside without a coat on.

"Sorry," he said, suddenly grinning. "I'm eager to move on today. But as we're going to be busy, we'll need to leave those who depend upon us with a little extra protection in case something happens while we're gone."

"And we'll do that how?" I turned my back on him and went inside.

He followed me. "There's a natural witch in the children's home who will be more than happy to leave, even if she has to help us to do it."

"What can she do?"

He hesitated, and I turned to look at him. I laid my hands on my hips. "What can she do, Phoenix?"

"Plenty of things. She can provide a temporary protection with little effort."

"So what's the problem? I can hear the but in there, so you might as well spit it out."

He sat straight-backed on my sofa, looking too big for the room. "She sometimes can't control her magic. When she can, it's supremely powerful."

"And what happens when she can't?"

He gave me an innocent look. "There can be side effects. And she has a bit of a temper. That can sometimes manifest."

"Wait a second," I said, freezing to the spot. "Are you talking about Noah's girlfriend? The girl who tried to destroy Parker and Jess with magic? The little-"

"Parker was about to burst into flames," he said, interrupting my fury.

"He was not! Anyway, I thought the natural witch was much younger, as in, a little kid."

"I still have my suspicions about another child, but it's hard to tell for sure sometimes. They like to play tricks or claim responsibility for other people's talents." He sighed. "It can be tiring, but I hear they've made strides in my absence, and I'd like to see for myself."

"I don't think she likes me very much."

"She's a teenager," he said. "She'll get over it."

But I wasn't so sure.

"Trust me," he said with a surprisingly charming smile. "It'll be worth it."

"Fine," I said reluctantly. "But if this goes wrong, you owe me a drink."

He laughed. "It's a deal."

Grumbling, I pulled on my jacket and followed him to his car. I groaned when I saw it was his official Senate car that made people stare when we drove by.

"You know I hate being a spectacle," I complained as I sat in the cushy pa.s.senger seat. It was more comfortable than my armchairs.

He started the car. "It appears that some people need to be reminded that I'm a part of the Senate."

"That's what you get for running away," I said lightly.

He slipped off his jacket. "I didn't run. I had a secret mission. There's a difference."

"If it looks like running, and it sounds like running" I trailed off, staring at his T-shirt. He looked so much younger all of a sudden, and almost normal.

"Something wrong?" he asked. "Why are you staring at my body?"

"I'm not I am absolutely not staring at your body. I'm looking at your shirt, and-"

"The shirt that is on my body," he deadpanned.

"Seriously, what happened to you on holiday? You've come back all weird."

He gave me a startled look. "A lot happened, Ava." He cleared his throat. "I'm hoping the protection will ensure we're not interrupted on the hunt. And that n.o.body gets any ideas into their heads about taking down the werewolves while we're on the road."

"Good plan," I said, but I still wasn't sure about the natural witch. And why did he change the subject anyway?

"And your own place could use an extra touch," he said.

"Mine? Why?"

"I know that Esther is staying there," he said. "The Senate could interfere on the shifters' behalf. Or worse, the shifters themselves could find a way in. If we're ever going to find out what's going on, we'll need as little distraction from the shifters as possible. I need your head in this completely, and if you don't have to worry about anyone you care about, then I'll have you."

"That's okay, fine. I won't turn down a little extra protection."

We drove in silence after that, mostly because I was distracted by thoughts of Peter's kiss. I had no idea how I was supposed to feel about it or why I would even think about it while in a car with Phoenix, on a serious mission. I kept sensing the fae glancing at me, and my cheeks burned. Maybe one day, I would stop being a big kid about my love life. Obviously not today.

We finally arrived at the children's home. On the basketball court alongside the building, a number of young people were screaming, laughing, and throwing basketb.a.l.l.s at Alanii, who managed to dodge every single one of them. I jumped out of the car and hurried over.

"I don't think that's quite how it's played," I said when she spotted me.

Alanii's purple-and-black hair was tied back into a cool multi-coloured French plait. She grinned and called out for a break. "We make our own rules around here." She nodded at Phoenix, who was slowly making his way over to us. "Is it just me or did he get hotter?"

I looked at her in surprise and found her checking Phoenix out. "We are so not having this conversation, Alanii."

She grinned at me and greeted Phoenix when he grew closer. "Nice to see you again."

He gave her a warm smile. "I need help from a witch. Is she around?"

Alanii rolled her eyes. "She's sulking in the common room. Be careful. She b.o.o.by-traps everything in sight since she started school."

"Not happy?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Not even Noah can cheer her up."

"Is he around?"

"Just got in from work an hour ago, and he's still buzzing from it. Which doesn't help."

"We'll find her," Phoenix said, laying his hand on the base of my back to lead me inside the building. "She'll never stop talking otherwise," he whispered in my ear when we reached the front door.

"I heard that!" Alanii shouted after us.

We headed to the common room, where Noah, his hair falling into his eyes, was leaning over a bunch of screws and parts. A box full of bits and pieces stood next to his feet. Working in the garage had apparently given him a fever for taking things apart to see how they worked.

"Busy?" I asked.

He looked up and beamed, a distinct change from the violent, unhappy boy I had once felt sorry for. "Not for you." He dropped his screwdriver and wiped his palms against his jeans.

"Working man," I said, lightly thumping his shoulder. "How's the garage? Dave treating you okay?"

"Yeah, it's great. He says I'm a natural. I love it."

"You'll be moving out next." I glanced at Phoenix. "I have a building that would be amazingly good as a kind of halfway house. The ones with jobs could stay there, with supervision, until they're ready to go it alone."

"You want him to move out now!" a female voice screeched from across the room.

Noah rolled his eyes. "Here we go."

A blond teenage girl I had once found in an awkward position with Noah strode across the room. The television flared in volume then completely shut down.

"Hey!" somebody protested.

"Calm down, Ari." Noah sounded bored.

Phoenix frowned. "Ari?"

"She changes her name every month," Noah said scornfully.

"Shut up!" she shouted, but when she reached him, she wrapped her arm around his shoulder. She glared at me. "Stop trying to take him away from us."

"I'm just trying to-"

"I hate it here," Noah said, his face darkening. "Why can't you be happy for me that I get to be free? Do you expect me to just wait for you to come home from that school every day? I can't stay here forever."

"We're supposed to be a team," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "All of us. I can't take care of them all without you."

He gripped her shoulders and shook her. "We don't have to take care of them anymore!"

I tapped his shoulder. "Noah, come outside for a minute. Take a break."

His grip tightened then loosened. He nodded. "Fine."

I gave Phoenix a questioning look, and he nodded. He would stay with Ari and calm her down.

Noah and I wandered outside.

"That was a bit intense," I said.

"She wants everything to stay the same," he complained. "But it can't. It's not supposed to. And I just want to explore."

"She's scared," I said. "Of losing everything she knows. She must have depended on you when you all ended up here."

"Yeah, but that's the point. I don't want to be depended on. I couldn't sleep properly for a long time, Ava. And now I look forward to every day. You don't get how different that is for me. I'll always be grateful to you. If you ever need somebody killed, I would do that for you."

I laughed until I realised he was serious. My laughter died away abruptly. "That isn't your job anymore, Noah."

"I know, and I'm glad. I just need to repay you somehow."

"But you don't have to. You have a choice how to live now. It doesn't have to be all about power or fear or deals. I don't need thanks. Dave needed help, and you needed an escape. It worked out."

He shrugged. "It's just good to get away from here. They all expect me to tell them what to do. Why can't they think for themselves now? I have to."

"They'll learn. They're still adjusting."

"Did you mean what you said about the halfway-house thing? I mean, I don't want to be living here with little kids for the rest of my life."

"I know. And I did mean it. The Senate might need some persuading, but you have to grow up sometime, right? It's part of normal life to move out and find your own way. You need more of the normal."

He kicked a stone. "A kid ended up here a few weeks ago. The parents sent her here because they didn't want her anymore. Is that what people are supposed to do?"

"No," I said. "But if her parents couldn't look after her, then maybe she's better off here. At least you all get cared for by people like Alanii."

"She's kind of cool," he said. "It's not like I wouldn't visit or anything. They're the only family I have. I wouldn't desert them."

"They'll understand that. It's just because you're the first. It's hardest the first time, I suppose."

A few minutes later, Phoenix came outside with Ari and sent Noah back in. Ari tossed her hair, her arms folded across her chest, but she at least looked a little sorry.