Midnight's Promise by Donna Grant Page B

care of that. It was while she was eating the tasty bird that she began to wonder about food. She decided before bed to use her magic in order to eat. It was a necessity, after all.
    But then there had been the bags of groceries. Evie had known they were from Malcolm.
    Evie went to the small stock of groceries she’d piled against a wall behind the couch. She grabbed a plastic glass and poured a hefty amount of red wine into it.
    She sipped the alcohol and looked from the bed to the wardrobe to the vanity. The sitting area had plenty of furniture as well.
    It was obvious Deirdre had either used magic or had the items brought in. There was no reason Evie couldn’t do the same with a small fridge and maybe even an electric skillet.
    The thought had merit even if she knew she’d have to actively seek out who was searching for her. It would still be days she’d be inside the mountain, mayhap even weeks.
    “There’s time.”
    “Time for what?” said a deep voice behind her.
    A thrill went through her as she recognized the sultry voice. Evie smiled and slowly turned to face Malcolm. “I didn’t think I’d see you again.”
    “Time for what?” he repeated.
    She shrugged and pointed to the groceries. “Thank you for the food, by the way. And I was thinking of getting a small fridge.”
    “How would it work? You have no electricity here.”
    “Damn,” she said with a frown. She hadn’t even thought of that. “I guess that means no coffee.”
    He raised a blond brow. “If you’re that worried about being safe and having your luxuries, go into town and find a place. I’ll make sure no one bothers you.”
    “That’s a very kind offer. Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy as that.”
    “Explain it then.”
    She swirled the dark wine in her glass, amused at how Malcolm didn’t think twice about ordering her about. “You offer to keep others away without knowing my name? Odd, if you ask me.”
    “I’m no’ like other men.”
    “I hadn’t noticed,” she said and took a drink to hide her smile.
    His head cocked to the side. “Are you … teasing me?”
    “Yes. The fact you had to ask tells me just how dour your life has been. When was the last time you smiled?”
    “If you think your questions will make me forget that I’ve asked you to explain why you can no’ live in town, you’re mistaken.”
    It was a try, her shrug said. “I’m a software designer by trade. I made good money at it too. Enough to support me and my brother well.”
    “Then what’s the problem?”
    “I had to leave my job. The savings I had dwindled quickly. The little I have left will cover Brian’s tuition for another year, but not if I use it.”
    “Send him to another school.”
    Evie blew away a curl that kept falling over her eye and sank into a corner of the couch. “I would if it were that simple. Brian was born unable to speak. When I got custody of him we couldn’t communicate at all. He was three and couldn’t write yet. I had to learn sign language quickly.”
    “What happened to his mother?”
    “She died. Mum walked out on my dad and me when I was very young. I didn’t hear from her again until after her death and I got a letter from the solicitors that she’d written me asking me to raise Brian. Not something an eighteen-year-old wants to do.”
    “But you did it,” he said softly.
    Evie chuckled as she recalled that fateful day. “I wasn’t going to. I went to the solicitor’s office to tell them that, and Brian was there. We were both orphans. How could I let someone else do my duty? So, I picked Brian up in my arms and brought him home.”
    “And now?” he pressed.
    “Now Brian has found a school where he feels comfortable. He fits in. There are other mute kids there, but most have some sort of disability. I couldn’t bear to tell him he couldn’t return.” She looked down at her wine, her heart heavy with the decisions she had to make.
    If something happened to her, she didn’t know where Brian