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ends.”
     
    “It'll stop when we get our land back!” Hazel swallowed heavily. Somewhere beyond her fire of anger and determination, Jay saw an inkling of uncertainty. Demanding land or blood couldn't be easy for her. Hazel was still just a child.
     
    “The point of a compromise is to give something up,” grunted Jay, narrowing his eyes.
     
    “My ancestors shared their land with them,” Hazel savagely pointed out toward a near window. Through the glass, the night landscape of Goldbridge spread out. “And they went against the pact.”
     
    “Well, you guys will need to–” His words trailed off as something clicked into place in his head. Leaning forward, Jay's brows lowered and he growled, “ What pact?”
     
    “I don't know. All I know is they went against it and ran us off our land.” Hazel huffily crossed her arms over her chest, barely hiding her wince of pain as she shifted.
     
    Jay leered at Hazel as the cogs rotated in his head. There was a pact, on top of the feud. That pact could offer some insight about the problems revolving around Goldbridge and Crystal Ridge. The library would be closed, though, as would the archives at the town hall. Jay groaned and leaned back in the chair, bringing his palms to his eyes. Exhaustion nipped at the ends of his thoughts, clawing at his eyelids. The urge to go home and curl up in his bed struck him hard.
     
    Go home, drink a beer, hit the hay. Sounded like a great idea for his stress-strained, muzzy-headed self. But he had three little feral girls to make arrangements for and keep alive until tomorrow evening. Then, Selene would present a whole different issue.
     
    “Jay?”
     
    He grunted, forcing his head to raise and look at Hazel. He bit back a groan as it felt like a huge weight was chained to the back of his head.
     
    The girl appeared suddenly sheepish. Her gaze flickered between Jay and the end of her bed. Her fingers fiddled with a stray thread on the blanket. “Could you stay here tonight?”
     
    Jay knew that look. It was the look of someone out of their element – someone who was afraid and clinging to something even slightly familiar while trying to remain strong. A warmth filled his chest, but he swallowed down his smile. Jay scratched his cheek and looked away. “I need to check in on Vera and Lily, Hazel.”
     
    “Oh…” She deflated, barely resisting the urge to hang her head.
     
    He slid his gaze back to Hazel, a small wave of guilt coiled in his stomach. She actually thought he'd leave her here after she asked him to stay! “I'm sure they'll want to see you, as soon as possible.”
     
    “Can we have a sleepover!” It was more of an excited statement than a question. Her head snapped up, her gaze wide and bright. Jay resisted the urge to grin. Goldbridgians would find Hazel's innocent eagerness to clash with their idea of feral, ferocious children.
     
    Despite his exhaustion, he couldn't leave Hazel alone in the hospital. He remembered his many nights at the hospital, from when he lived on the streets. Doctors were scarce and nurses had been too busy caring for patients to give a scared, little boy much consideration. Jay shuddered and his stomach curdled as he imagined doing the same to Hazel.
     
    No. Even if he had to put up with three squealing, inquisitive girls, he'd never allow a child to feel abandoned like that. Not as long as he could help it.
     
    “Sure. I'll be back in a bit, all right?” Jay hefted himself out of the chair with a nod and a grin. Hazel flashed a bright smile. He patted Hazel gently on the head and turned toward the door. In his head, he was making a sloppy checklist of necessary things for an impromptu sleepover at a hospital. Jay paused, silhouettes ducked out of the entryway as he approached. His eyebrows ticked upward and his grin twitched. The nurses had been watching.
     
    As he sauntered into the corridor, he threw the nurses amused smiles. They quickly averted their eyes and their faces