Hearing about the Elemental magic was perfectly fine. Melissa could handle that. It was just like hearing about Gabe's magical music. She was also okay with Stephanie learning some martial arts, and always had been. A girl couldn't be too careful, and Stephanie was obviously fit and healthy. The extent to which she'd been taking it without really involving her parents had been the concerning part.

A lot of people did martial arts for protection. For fun. For exercise. But the more Mr Pleasant talked, the stonier Melissa got. She tensed up in her seat. She caught the sight of Gabe sighing and shaking his head ruefully beside her.

Pleasant's words rang in her head. "She's saved my life, and many others, more than once. She has, in fact, saved the world. Three times, now. I'd remember that, before I punished her too hard."

"Stop the car." The words were out before Melissa could stop them, cold and quiet, and she could barely hear them over the pound of her heart in her ears. It wasn't often that Melissa got angry. She didn't see much point in it. But she was angry now. She was very, very angry, and this close to doing something she'd regret while the car was in motion.

"Stop the car."

'I'd remember that, before I punished her too hard.' How dare he. How dare he, after all this, try to dictate to her how she should handle her daughter's three-year-long lie. Him, the man who had been throwing her into those situations in the first place.

After a moment the Bentley pulled smoothly to the curb. Melissa set Stephanie down on the seat beside her, only letting go once she'd pulled Gabe's arm around her, and then got out of the car. She stood by the driver's door, her arms crossed. "Get out of the car."