Page 116 of Truthfinder’s Promise

The backyard buzzed with people. Swarms and swarms of people. No less than three grills were going, despite the fact that reasonable people found it too cold to grill. Also, it was a Christmas week gathering, not a backyard barbecue. She blamed Random for the grills. Apparently, he’d had the suburban dream of being a married man holding a beer in one hand and flipping things on a grill with the other. Now that he’d attained the missing wife element, he flocked to grills at all outdoor occasions.

“You two get lost on the way down?” Random called from—you guessed it—a grill.

Ha, ha.

He flipped the four burgers on the grill.

“Isn’t it against the vegetarian code of ethics to cook meat even if it’s not for you?”

He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. “It’s not meat.” It certainly looked like hamburger. “Don’t tell anyone, trust me, they aren’t going to know the difference.”

Jensen gave the scent coming off the “burgers” a skeptical sniff.

“Okay, the Shifters will probably know,” Random amended. “But they taste good, you should try one.”

The gears in Jensen’s brain were obviously trying to figure out how to decline without giving offense when Jace walked up, his son Ethan in his arms and a frazzled expression on his face.

“Siren needs you inside,” he told Random. “Something about the chili tasting bland? Apparently it’s a matter of national emergency.”

“Right.” He handed his spatula off to Jensen. “You’re in charge here, two more minutes and take them off.” He headed for the house, muttering something about liquid smoke and smoked paprika. How many things with smoke in the title needed to go into a chili anyway?

Meredith gave Jace a hard appraisal. The man looked dead on his feet, and she wasn’t the only one who noticed. The Queen of Death marched their way, steely determination in her eyes.

“Hand over my grandchild before you fall asleep on your feet.” Ella considered Random and Jace the sons of her heart, if not her biological sons, and she was determined that Ethan would grow up calling her Grandma.

Jace handed his son to her with a look of gratitude followed by immediate anxiety. “Make sure to—”

“I’ll return him in the same condition, never you worry.”

Jace watched her tote his son off with bloodshot eyes.

“Hanging in there?” Jensen asked.

“Babies are exhausting. I love him and he is wonderful, and I would have him again, but he is exhausting.”

“I remember.” Jensen’s tone, while it held a certain level of fondness, also held a strong degree of glad that’s over.

“Where’s yours at?” Jace asked.

Jensen looked at Meredith, like she would magically know. “Oh,” she said innocently, “I think Valkyrie’s showing the kids how to throw knives.”

“What?” Jensen rapidly scanned the area for flying daggers.

“Relax, joking.” Valkyrie had done Introduction to Knife Throwing last week. Rath and Ruin were obsessed and in it for the long haul, but since Natalie could grow claws at will, she’d gotten bored once the initial thrill wore off.

Where were the kids, anyway? Oh—there, roasting marshmallows on the bonfire. It had been difficult to see them through the throngs of people.

“Did Siren invite everyone in Seclusion?”

Jace winced. “You remember how you had to leave last month’s Council session early to go to The Refuge?”

She remembered. Jensen had been in Pennsylvania, so Meredith had gotten the call that Natalie had punched another girl at school. The other girl had called her a “dirty animal.” Natalie had replied that if she was going to call her that, Natalie might as well act like one. Hence the punching.

The counselor in charge of the situation had made it very clear that Meredith was supposed to explain to Natalie that violence was never the answer and force her to apologize. Meredith had responded that if violence was never the answer, Elijah Winters would still be alive, and all of the children in the school would be locked up in various illegal research institutions. She’d then explained that she was taking Natalie out of school for the rest of the day, because self-care was important and they needed to go to the movies and have ice cream.

Privately, Meredith had told Nat that punching people didn’t always solve your problems, and usually people who publicly belittled others had personal issues they were having difficulty dealing with. Every kid at that school had personal issues they were having difficulty dealing with. Knowing this didn’t make it Natalie’s responsibility to fix those problems or put up with abuse, but if she could avoid punching people unless physically threatened, her life would probably go a lot smoother.

The counselor had recommended to Siren that Meredith’s right to respond to disciplinary issues regarding Natalie be revoked. Siren had suggested the counselor find a new job, or Siren would do it for her. All in all, Meredith thought it had gone pretty well. And she’d gotten out of the monthly Council session.