"Aye, well, the fae are harder to hold Dominion over."
I pulled into the parking lot two blocks from the shop and turned the engine off. A light snow began to fall. Sloan watched the flakes hit the windshield and melt. She had a new peacefulness about her. The orange-reds and yellows in her aura had strengthened, showing signs that her optimism and self-esteem had improved.
"What else?" I asked, sensing her reluctance to get out of the car. Her mood sobered, and she looked down at her hands resting in her lap.
"You said I needed to repay the stores in town for the things I took. How am I going to do that?"
I had to consider that for a minute. She would need a job, since clearly she had no money. However, to the humans around us she appeared to be a teenager—too young for real work.
"We'll ask if you can make a trade," I said. "Ida's been complaining for weeks about an oven that isn't working. Perhaps you can fix it for her?" The girl's eyes grew wide with surprise. Whatever she had expected me to say, this wasn't it.
"I can do that. I can do it with my eyes closed!" she gushed.
"Well, no time like the present. Let's go."
Through the plate-glass window in the front of the Apple Dumpling Café, I saw Holly at a table having a late breakfast with her mother.
Holly absentmindedly rocked the infant chair sitting on the seat next to her with her as she ate. I was pleased they were making an effort at reconciliation, though Holly's demeanor looked quite strained.
Mrs. Davis glanced our way as she sipped her coffee. She gave me a quick onceover with a neutral expression, and I thought perhaps I was making strides with her. Then she saw Sloan with her purple hair, lip ring and large tattoos that ran the length of her neck. The older woman puckered her lips as she plunked the cup back on the table.
Holly noticed her mother's distractedness and followed her gaze. Seeing us, she smiled and waved. I returned the gesture. Then I held my hands palms up, bringing her attention to the falling snowflakes. She raised her eyebrows and grinned. Holly loved when it snowed.
"Now do you understand why that woman is a bad influence for you?" Mrs. Davis asked, unaware that I could hear her. "Will you look at that teenager! Who is she?"
Holly closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath before opening them again.
"That is Sloan. She is Tressa's friend," Holly said, enunciating her words.
"Just look at her! Anyone can see she's a derelict. Why do you insist on hanging around these types of people? This is why your life is such a mess."
Anger coursed through me for both my young protégés.
I looked at the petite woman sitting in front of her mother. Why couldn't Mrs. Davis see that Holly was blooming? A new, confident woman replaced the frail, frightened girl from a year ago. She had a beautiful healthy baby she adored and a business of her own, her purses, that was beginning to take off. Her aura throbbed with vitality and aspiration.
Pride warmed me as I looked at Holly. I didn't take credit for the changes, but I loved her and I was proud of her for her accomplishments. Why didn't her mother feel the same way?
I had a history with Holly's parents, so it was no surprise that she considered me a detriment to Holly. But to be so judgmental of a girl she hadn't even met was unconscionable. Clearly Sloan had heard her criticisms as well. She covered her hurt with a defiant purse of her lips. The new, hard won confidence had deflated.
"Mother, how can you be like that? Don't you understand that I'm happier than I've ever been? Why can't you be happy for me?" Holly said. Trayce began to fuss. Holly picked him up and held him against her shoulder.
The older woman sighed, not understanding what had upset her daughter. "Honey, I just think you would be happier with a normal life, with normal people."
I stepped back as if the words had punched me. Hadn't I said these same words to Alexander? I stood frozen, my mouth hanging open, lost in the shock of how wrong my words sounded when coming from Mrs. Davis. Was I doing the same thing to him as she was to Holly?
"Tressa? Are we going in?" Sloan asked.
Her voice brought me out of my stupor. She stared at me, concern wrinkling her brow. I affectionately brushed away the thin covering of snow from her hair. I didn't want to risk destroying the fragile progress I had made with her, so I shook my head.
"Not now. We'll come back another time, when they're not so crowded."
I was busy at my workstation when Holly came in. She stored the infant seat in the nursery area before bringing the baby to me. I stretched out my arms as she approached, eager to hold the little one.
Trayce gurgled as I held him upright on my lap, bouncing him up and down to strengthen his legs. His blue-green faceted eyes smiled up at me.
"Tressa, I'm sorry. My mother just doesn't understand anything," she said, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Don't worry about me, people have said worse things. I'm glad you're trying to work things out with her. Mark my words, eventually she'll come around."
"I found some," Sloan said, interrupting us as she came into the room. She held up a small clear bag of silver earring findings. She laid the bag on my desk and watched Trayce bounce up and down a few times. "Can I hold him?"
I looked at Holly, not wanting to answer for her. She studied Sloan, and for a moment I thought she would refuse, but then she smiled.
"Sure. Do you know much about babies?"
"My dad and I used to volunteer at the orphanage near my home," Sloan said as she reached out and gently took Trayce into her arms. "What beautiful eyes he has—like yours, Tressa."
She walked off, bouncing the baby on her hip and cooing to him. We watched her go.
"Who would've thought…" Holly said, shaking her head.
"Holly, how about coming over for dinner tonight?" I asked, thinking we could all use a bit of fun. "I'll get Jenny to make something special. We'll have a nice gathering of friends, like we used to when my grandmother was alive."
"Yeah, that sounds good. And maybe some music and dancing afterwards?" she asked, smiling, remembering many happy nights. "It's too bad Rosheen and Keelin aren't here. Those girls love a party."
"Aye, so let's invite a bunch of people who are around- Rachel, Ricky, and I guess we should include Linda now that she works for us. And we can invite Kendra, and of course Matt and his new girlfriend."
A frown flickered across Holly's face, but her smile returned as she suggested a few more names.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
A tizzy of activity permeated the house. My grandmother had enjoyed entertaining and invited people to dinner once or twice a week. However, unlike most Sidhe, I was not that social. I hadn't had guests in for a formal dinner party since moving into the new Manor House.
Shamus bustled about, his wiry hair standing on end, making sure the household was in order. Though he grumbled that the guests would surely track in the snow, the spring in his step told another story.
Jenny lit up when I asked her to prepare the meal, at once reeling off menu ideas. We settled on Beef Wellington with a Madeira sauce and bacon-wrapped asparagus; I left her to work out the rest of the details.
I changed into a violet sheath dress with three-quarter length sleeves. Then I sat at my dressing table, brushing out my hair. I watched in the mirror as Alexander put on a fresh, crisply ironed button-down shirt and a dark suit. Even he seemed pleased with the plans, so much so he allowed me to invite Sloan to join us.
"We haven't done this in a while. It reminds me of happy times with Órlaith," he said. "It's too bad my dad never got to meet her. I think they would've liked each other."
He looked content, cheerful even. I thought about the conversation I overheard that morning. If Mrs. Davis's desire to push Holly toward her idea of a normal life was so gravely misguided, I had to admit that, no matter how good my intentions were, I was equally wrong.
I wanted to tell him I had changed my mind. I'd thought that in putting him off I was being self
less and self-sacrificing, but now I understood that it was selfish. He had a right to decide what happiness looked like to him.
He turned and smiled at me. "You look gorgeous, as always."
Then he pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arms around me. He left a trail of kisses along my neck before taking in a deep breath.
"And you smell fabulous too," he said into my hair. He kissed my lips, tenderly at first and then deeply. "Sometimes I can't believe my luck."
Now, I told myself. Now was the perfect time to say the words that danced in my head. Then the doorbell rang. I sighed—it would have to wait. Instead, I settled for saying, "I love you."
He smiled that big contagious smile I love so well. "People are arriving; we should go downstairs."
He slipped into his shoes while I checked myself in the mirror. Noticing a lack of accessories, I found a scarf to compliment my dress, wrapping it around my neck and pinning it in place with an antique cameo brooch carved from white onyx. Together we left our bedroom suite to greet our guests.
Shamus, wearing his starched black butler's suit, his wiry hair slicked back, opened the front door as we descended the stairs. Matt stood outside, his phone to his ear. He tapped his feet on the doorsill to remove the snow that clung to his shoes as he ended the call. Then he crossed the threshold and wiped them on the floor mat Shamus had placed there.
"Mattie, where's Allison?" I asked, disappointed he was alone.
"She just called," he said, shaking his phone to illustrate his point. "She asked me to apologize, but the roads are a mess. A foot of snow has fallen already, and it's still coming down."
He swept a hand toward the snow outside. The blanket of white created a serene and hushed scene that normally I would have appreciated. However, this particular evening it had every probability of ruining my first real dinner party.
"Mistress Tressa, Miss Holly is waiting for you in the drawing-room with Mr. John Mannus," Shamus said. The crotchety Brounie looked pleased to be playing the part of the proper butler again.
"Thank you, Shamus. We'll wait with her until the others arrive," I said, matching his formality.
I picked up my phone from a table in the foyer. I had several texts and voicemails waiting, confirming my suspicion that everyone would cancel.
"Jenny has insisted on keeping Trayce during dinner so that Holly can enjoy her food. She will feed the baby. Ms. Sophia has chosen to eat in the kitchen as well," Shamus said. "I am sure that the hound is also there. Jenny can't seem to make it leave." Shamus scrunched his nose in disapproval.
We entered the drawing room to find Holly attempting to soothe an agitated John.
"I need to go home but I can't find my car. Just tell me, where it is," John said angrily. He stood at the window, watching the falling snow.
"But Mr. Mannus, you live here now," Holly said. She sat on the sofa, legs crossed and facing toward him. Confusion lined her face; she hadn't spent much time around John and had no other experience with dementia.
John's face got red as he blustered heatedly-Holly had said the wrong thing.
"I'm not an idiot, young lady. I know where I live, and it's not here. My wife will come home soon and she'll expect me to be there. Somebody better tell me where my car is!"
"It's okay, Dad. There's no need to get upset," Alexander said as we entered the room. John's eyes lit up when he saw his son.
"Steve, thank goodness you're here. I have to go home. Neve will be back soon, and with this bad weather I gotta get a move on it. I want to be there when she gets back."
"Where did she go?" Holly asked innocently.
John swung his head toward her; a devastating sadness filled his eyes. Then he fell back into a leather chair next to the window.
"She left. She said she had to visit a few friends—take care of a few things at home. But she promised she would come back… I've been waiting for her for so long."
Sophia came in at that moment, followed by Lady. Shamus chased behind the dog, trying to stop her. When he reached the drawing-room door he stopped abruptly, stood tall, and yanked the bottom of his jacket to smooth out any wrinkles. "I'm sorry, My Lady. The dog slipped out when Sophia left the kitchen."
Sophia ran to her grandfather and hugged him, sensing his sadness. Lady whined and pushed her nose under his hand. After the dog's second nudge, John began to stroke her head.
"It's fine," I said, observing how much calmer John appeared. "I think she's helping bring the situation under control."
This pacified Shamus's indignation at having an animal in the house. He bowed slightly at the waist and backed out of the room as the front doorbell rang again.
Alexander went to his father and crouched down until he was eye to eye with the older man. John pulled Sophia into his lap and smiled at Alexander.
"Dad, what did you say just then—about Mom?" he asked, almost in a whisper.
"Hmm?"
"You said something—something I haven't heard before."
"Son, I don't know what you're talking about. We've been over and over the days leading up to your mother's disappearance. Enough already."
Holly gasped quietly, covering her mouth with her hand. 'I'm sorry,' she mouthed, assuming she had done something wrong. However, her question had evidently elicited a response from John with some new information that Alexander had picked up on—though I had not.
"You said something about Mom going home," Alexander said.
I thought back to our conversation with Deirdre. She had told us that Neve went back to the Human World, but later she also said Neve was "going home." We had both assumed that home and the Human World had been the same thing. Could she have meant two different places?
"Alexander, I told you all this before. She had a few things to take care of," John said, perplexed.
"But just now, you said she went home."
"Did I?"
"Maybe she was talking about going to see her parents. I do that," Matt interjected. Everyone turned to look at him. He shrugged, embarrassed by the sudden attention. "You know? I say something like 'I'm going home for the weekend' when I plan to visit my folks, even though I haven't lived there for years."
Alexander and I exchanged an excited glance as Shamus ushered Sloan into the room.
"We need to go back to the Otherworld," I said, acknowledging what we were both thinking.
"If you're going to Faery, I'm going too," Sloan declared, not even bothering with hello.
ALEXANDER
I lost track of the conversation as my mind whirled. At first I cursed myself for not making the connection earlier, but I quickly left that thought behind. Blaming myself wasn't productive.
During my first trip to the Otherworld I had fought battles by acting on instinct. I had prevailed in the end, but I had promised myself that I wouldn't go into battle blind like that again. Hopefully this would be a peaceful visit, but you never knew.
We had only been back in the Human World for a month—not much time at all. Even so, by constantly wearing and exercising with the sword it had become an extension of myself. When I had wielded it against the Gray Man, I merely had to think about what I wanted the sword to do and it happened.
My research showed that warfare in the Otherworld comprised of battling with swords, spears, dragons, and any special abilities the players might possess. The Seelie used whistles to communicate during battle. I had committed them to memory and practiced regularly to keep them fresh in my mind.
The one armament I lacked was a shield. I had seen how important shields were to deflect Dragon fire.
"Xander, Shamus has called us to dinner."
Tressa's voice brought me back to the present. Sophia and the dog had left while my thoughts distracted me. Everyone else was heading towards the dining room. I jumped up and met Tressa at the door, giving her my arm. We followed our guests down the hall.
"Everyone cancelled?" I asked. Holly was the only one present who didn't live on the estate.
&
nbsp; "Aye. They all apologized, but the forecast is for more snow. They were afraid of the drive home," said Tressa.
"I'm sorry your party didn't work out. But maybe it's for the best, under the circumstances. This way we can make plans over dinner."
Tressa nodded, but looked wistfully around the dining room when we entered. Shamus had done wonders with the room. He had extended the table with several leaves and used the fine china, crystal and silver to set place settings for over a dozen people.
The six of us sat together at one end of the table. My father, catty-corner from me, chatted with Matt. He sounded surprisingly lucid after his earlier meltdown.
"Dad, I'm going away tomorrow. I don't know how long I'll be gone."
"Another hunting trip?" he asked. Then he spoke to Sloan, across from him. "Did you know my son's a rock hunter?"
"The expression is rock hound, Dad," I said.
I took a deep breath. I lied to my father constantly these days. Small white lies to keep him calm and content in his confusion. Although I understood the necessity, it still didn't sit right with me. But I couldn't imagine any scenario were being honest in this case would be helpful.
"Yeah, I'm going on another expedition."
Shamus came in and served the salad. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I started eating. I grabbed a roll from the breadbasket in front of me, broke it open and spread a generous amount of butter over it.
"Boss, do you want me to come with you?" Matt asked.
I thought about Matt's question as I took a bite of my roll. Matt was a good soldier; he'd had my back many times, and I trusted him completely. But he knew nothing about fighting with swords or spears. And, for reasons I had yet to understand, guns didn't work in Faery.
"I appreciate the offer," I said. "But it would be more helpful if you stay here and secure the estate."
"I'm sure, if we ask, Shamus will stay behind as well. He can keep the wards fresh and keep an eye out for any Unse…." Tressa's voice trailed off as she glanced over at Sloan.
"It's okay, you can say it—he can watch out for Unseelie. I've disowned that branch of my family, so it means nothing to me," Sloan said, her tone an odd blend of hurt and humor.
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