I pressed the appropriate button on the remote, then pulled off the backpack containing the laptops and threw it onto the backseat. Jackson dumped the Vespa into the cargo area, then climbed into the passenger seat. I was reversing out of the bay even before he’d closed the door. Makani was still standing where we’d left her, her arms crossed and her expression troubled. She raised a hand as we sped past; I didn’t acknowledge it. I didn’t dare take my hands off the wheel, given the speed at which we were already moving.

“It’ll be okay—”

“Don’t,” I said, my voice sharp, and then took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be snapping at you.”

He reached across the center console and squeezed my leg. “It’s okay, Em. We’re connected, remember? And wouldn’t you feel it if he was dead?”

“Normally, yes. But Rory’s still in a weak state, and that could hinder our connection and my ability to call to his ashes.”

“So there’s a distance restriction when it comes to that sort of thing?”

“Like any signal that has no amplification, it grows weaker the farther you move away from the primary source.”

“So you’d never risk going interstate or overseas without him?”

“No. I couldn’t anyway—we need to reaffirm our connection on a regular basis.”

He grunted. “Fate really has got it in for your lot, hasn’t it?”

“Our life isn’t bad, Jackson. It can just get complicated.”

“To say the least.” He shook his head. “I think I’d rather juggle a hundred women than do what you and Rory do century after century.”

I glanced at him. “Even you can’t juggle a hundred women.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Want to bet on it?”

I laughed. “No, I do not.”

I swung the SUV onto the freeway ramp and hit the accelerator, reaching for every ounce of speed the Range Rover had. As the big engine kicked into gear, he said, “If Makani does come to work with us, she won’t want to be just a secretary. She’ll want to be a full partner.”

He was, I knew, talking to keep my mind off what might be happening with Rory. “I have no problem with that, but I am surprised. She’s an air fae, and they’re even less inclined to remain around cities than your lot.”

“I suspect she’s been sent here by her father.”

I raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. “I didn’t think any of the fae remained in family groups.”

“We don’t, but both parents always remain a part of any child’s life, no matter how young or old that child is.”

Meaning they were a whole lot better than we phoenixes at keeping in contact once their children had flown the nest. “I was under the impression you hadn’t talked to your dad for years.”

“I haven’t, but I’m also much older than Makani. Besides, given how long we live, years are more like months.”