The Returned

by Bishop O'Connell

  “Thank you,” Caitlin said. “This is very sweet.”

  Edward shrugged and smiled. “No big deal. I just wanted to do something nice.”

  Caitlin’s heart felt full near to bursting. “Well, it means a lot to me.”

  They clinked glasses and took a drink as they sat.

  “So,” Edward said. “How was—?”

  “Broccoli mac and cheeeeeessssssseeeeeee!” Fiona shouted as she came barreling down the stairs to the table, Paddy Bear in tow.

  “Slow down,” Caitlin said.

  Fiona stopped dead in her tracks, then began walking incredibly slowly.

  “Oh, I bet you think you’re funny, don’t you?” Caitlin asked.

  Fiona laughed and climbed up into her chair. Paddy Bear was set in his usual spot: in a booster seat of his own next to Fiona’s.

  Caitlin took a bite of a scallop. It was perfect, and so was the pasta. Actually, everything was perfect. They ate in silence for a few minutes, and Caitlin just enjoyed the feeling of her family together. She was still getting used to the idea of having a family, not just her and Fiona.

  Then a thought occurred to her. She narrowed her eyes at Edward. “You lied to me.”

  “What?” Edward asked, his fork stopping midway to his mouth.

  “You lied to me,” she said again. “You said you had a patient coming in late.”

  “Oooh, Daddy, you’re in trouble,” Fiona said through a mouthful of food.

  “I think you’re right,” Edward said in a faux whisper to Fiona but kept his eyes on Caitlin. “Good thing I picked up Cherry Garcia ice cream.”

  Fiona nodded sagely. “Smart.”

  “You dodged a bullet,” Caitlin said, unable to keep from smiling.

  Dinner passed in easy conversation, mostly filled with Fiona telling Edward about her score on the spelling test. After the ice cream bribe was doled out, Edward collected the bowls and set to washing them and the dishes from dinner.

  “Time to put your jammies on,” Caitlin said to Fiona and walked to the sink. When she got there, she wrapped her arms around Edward and nuzzled her cheek to his shoulder. “Thank you again. That was a really nice surprise.”

  “Well, I do sort of have one more surprise,” Edward said.

  “I don’t know how you can top that dinner,” Caitlin said and moved to start drying the bowls.

  Edward just smiled and kept washing.

  After the dishes were put away, he set to wiping down the counters, the stove top, the microwave, and the table. Caitlin just watched him work, smiling as she drank the last of her glass of wine.

  When he finally finished, she stepped close. “Have I said how sexy it is when a man cleans?”

  “Sexy!” Fiona said from the living room, decked out in her favorite dinosaur pajamas. Paddy Bear was dressed in a miniature version of them.

  “Don’t you dare laugh,” Caitlin whispered. “She’ll never stop saying it.”

  Edward stifled a laugh. “Well, I can’t hide this kind of—”

  Caitlin elbowed him in the ribs lovingly, then turned to Fiona. “Come on, Miss Fiona-saurus-rex, I’ll tuck you in and read you a story.”

  “Goodnight Moon?” Fiona asked.

  “Again?” Caitlin asked in mock exasperation.

  “I know,” Fiona said, matching her mother’s tone. “But it’s Paddy’s favorite.”

  “Well, okay then.”

  Caitlin led Fiona up to her room and got her settled into bed. She hadn’t made it halfway through the book before Fiona was asleep, Paddy Bear held in a tight embrace.

  “Goodnight,” Caitlin whispered and kissed Fiona’s forehead. Then she turned off the light and closed the door, leaving it open just a crack, and went silently back downstairs.

  “She out?” Edward asked when Caitlin returned, handing her a fresh glass of wine.

  “She is.”

  Together they moved to the couch and settled in, Caitlin curling up close under his arm. It didn’t happen as often anymore, but sometimes Caitlin couldn’t help but think how much she liked this house. All the magical eccentricities had taken some getting used to—Edward still hadn’t figured out how to get the fire in the study to go out. Others, though, were comforting. It being larger on the inside than out was fantastic, and nothing brought a sense of security like magical wards on every door and window. Edward had been studying and beefing them up even more. The fact he did it without being asked or saying a word about it just made Caitlin love him all the more. It had been more than two years since Fiona had been kidnapped by the fae, and although it didn’t haunt Caitlin’s every thought like it once had, she never really stopped thinking about Fiona’s safety. True, the queen of the Dawn Court fae had said Fiona would be hidden from all but Dawn Court fae until she was an adult, but Caitlin liked the extra insurance.

  “So,” Edward said. “About that surprise.”

  “Oh, I’d almost forgotten,” Caitlin said and sat up a little more.

  Edward pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.

  Caitlin took it and read it over. It was confirmation information for two first-class tickets to New Orleans and five days in a honeymoon suite at a hotel in the French Quarter.

  Caitlin just stared at the paper for a long moment.

  “Surprise?” Edward said. “We can go somewhere else, but Henry and Hannah really wanted us to come and visit—”

  Caitlin put her fingertips over his lips. “It’s not the destination.” She let out a long sigh. “I just don’t know if the timing is right.”

  Edward took her hand. “If we wait for the timing to be right, we’ll never go. You deserve this.” He squeezed her hand. “We deserve this. It’s not even for a full week. Heather said she and Harry would be happy to—”

  “That’s what she was on about,” Caitlin said. “Wait, you told them?”

  “I wanted to make sure they’d be okay watching Fiona for a few days. I didn’t tell them anything specifically.”

  Caitlin leaned her head against Edward’s shoulder and loved that he drew her a little closer. She looked over the paper again. It did sound nice—better than nice, actually. The thought of her and Edward alone together, exploring a fun city like New Orleans, even having dinner with Henry—Edward’s best friend from med school—and his wife, Hannah, sounded like fun. But her heart ached at the idea of leaving Fiona; the only time they’d been apart overnight had been when Fiona had been taken by the oíche. That had been more than two years ago now, but . . .

  “I don’t know if I can get the time off,” she said. “You know how crazy busy the hospital has been.”

  “Taken care of,” Edward said.

  Caitlin sat up. “What?”

  “I had a meeting with Thomas last week, and I sort of mentioned—”

  Caitlin’s rising irritation must’ve been visible in her expression, because Edward drew back a little. Then she reminded herself that it was just Edward being thoughtful. She was still getting used to having someone else in her life besides Fiona.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to presume anything.”

  Caitlin wrapped her arms around his slender body and kissed his cheek. “No, I’m sorry. It’s a nice surprise.” She stroked his hand for a moment, then nodded. “Okay, let’s do it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Caitlin nodded. “I’m sure. You’re right, the timing will never be perfect, so let’s just do it now.”

  “Really?” Edward said, looking like a big kid.

  Caitlin couldn’t help but smile at how cute he looked with his lopsided grin. “Really.”

  Edward traced his fingertips gently over Caitlin’s cheek. “We’ll call Heather and Harry tomorrow,” he said. “Fiona will love spending all that time with Carleigh.”

  Caitlin nodded absently, her mind churning.

  “What are you thinking?” Edward asked.

  Caitlin laughed a little. He could always read her like a book. She drew back a littl
e and looked at him. “What do you think about asking your parents to watch her?”

  “No way,” Edward said. “Especially not after the way my mom treated you at our wedding.”

  “I know, and you’re right. It was pretty tactless.”

  “But?” Edward prompted.

  Caitlin shrugged. “But they’re your family. I don’t want you to lose touch with them or Fiona to miss out on knowing her grandparents.”

  “I—”

  “I saw how your mother looked at Fiona,” Caitlin said. “She smiled. Not much—I mean, it is your mother—but she smiled. We can always keep Heather and Harry as a backup plan.”

  Edward considered for a long while, never looking away from Caitlin. Finally, he sighed. “Well, if anyone can soften my mom, it would be Fiona.” He shook his head. “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up. I grew up in that house. I know what my parents are like. My dad is okay, but he really just follows my mom’s lead.”

  “What have we got to lose?” Caitlin asked. “Worst thing that can happen is that we wind up right back where we are. But maybe, just maybe, something magical can happen.”

  Edward smirked. “Magic skips a generation in my family.”

  “We’ll call her tomorrow, then?”

  “Okay.”

  Caitlin hugged him again. “Thank you.”

  “I’m only doing it for you and Fiona.”

  “I know. I’m still grateful.”

  There was another long moment of silence. Caitlin loved that they could share silence and not feel the need to fill it with inane talk. Then another thought occurred to her.

  “Um,” she began. “We should really let Dante know too.”

  Edward nodded.

  They both knew the Rogue Court regent had a protection detail looking after Fiona. The little girl had both Dawn and Dusk Court blood in her. Caitlin wasn’t sure, and Dante never said, but it was clear Fiona was important to the Rogue Court. Really, she didn’t much care. She just liked the idea of someone watching out for Fiona. And it was apparently the definition of unobtrusive, because neither she nor Edward ever saw anyone.

  “Really?” Dante asked, glancing at the speakerphone.

  “I know,” Edward said. “But Caitlin wants Fiona to have a chance to know her grandparents. I’m not hopeful, but—”

  “She’s a very special little girl,” Dante said. “And there’s something about becoming a grandparent that changes you. Don’t get me wrong, being a parent changes you too, but there’s something about grandkids.”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone, and Dante wondered if he’d said too much. Edward was anything but obtuse.

  “We’ll be discreet, of course,” Dante said, quickly changing the topic. “They’ll never know we’re watching.”

  “I’m not worried about that,” Edward said, obviously grateful for the change. “She still might end up with the Heckels. I’m sure she’d have more fun with Carleigh than my parents, but just about anything is more fun than—”

  “Would it be intruding if I ask where you and Caitlin are going?”

  “New Orleans,” Edward said.

  “Louisiana?” Dante asked. His eyes drifted to the map on his office wall. It showed the three regions of the Rogue Court in North America. There were only a few places where the court didn’t have free rein. The largest was the state of Louisiana.

  “No, the one in Canada,” Edward said.

  Dante laughed quietly.

  “You remember Henry from my wedding, right?”

  “I do,” Dante said. “I liked him.”

  “He and his wife, Hannah, live there. She’s a professor at Tulane, and he’s got a medical practice. He’s been after me to visit him for years. Seemed like a good way to kill two birds with one stone.”

  “Probably shouldn’t word it that way around Caitlin.”

  “Good idea,” Edward said.

  Dante’s mind began spinning. “I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time,” he said, his tone more abrupt than he intended. “Just let me know where Fiona will be staying, and we’ll make sure she’s well protected.”

  “Um, is there something—?”

  “Yes, I’m sorry,” Dante said. “I just have some things going on I need to handle.”

  “Oh. Well, I’ll let you get back to it.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No prob—”

  Dante hung up the phone and immediately dialed Brigid, magister of the Middle Region. She answered on the second ring.

  “Well, this is a nice surprise, Regent,” she said.

  “I need your help,” he said, his eyes focused on the map—and the symbol of the First House of the Cruinnigh that sat over Louisiana.

  “Of course.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Wraith scanned the street from the alleyway. It was litter strewn and lined with buildings with boarded-up windows. The neighborhood was a poor one, filled with desperate souls who had few options and others who had moved in to prey on those people. Few cared, and fewer still did anything about it.

  A pretty, young girl came around a far corner and into view. She was average height but slender, like most street kids. Unlike most street kids though, she was a fifty, or changeling; half mortal, half faerie. Wraith looked past the glamour that hid the girl’s true appearance from mortals. Her pale skin had a faint blue tint to it, particularly around her eyes and along her cheekbones. Her eyes were solid blue, the color of the deepest ocean, and her hair was a mix of blue and green shades.

  “That’s her,” Wraith said.

  “The nixie?” Con asked from behind her.

  Wraith nodded and turned to her friends. “Her name is River. She’s been the property of the Purple Death for a year or so now.”

  “Right,” Con said, his British accent drowning the t sound. “So there might be trouble. No worries, love. We got your back.” He nudged the tall, thin boy next to him. “Right, mate?”

  “Um, yeah.”

  Wraith looked at Geek. In contrast to Con’s pale skin, his was a warm brown. He wore thick glasses and a Green Lantern shirt that was a couple of sizes too big but just barely long enough. Despite his appearance, he was half troll. That meant he was stronger than ten Schwarzeneggers. But he had the gentlest soul Wraith had ever encountered.

  “You sure you’re up for this?” she asked him.

  He nodded.

  Wraith could see the uncertainty in his dark eyes. She gave him a gentle smile. “It’s okay if you’re not.”

  “No, I wanted to be here,” he said and pushed his glasses up higher on his nose.

  “Brilliant,” Con said. “You have your word with her, and if anyone interrupts, I’ll give them a hot foot, or our man here can feed them their own teeth.”

  Wraith rolled her eyes, turned around, and started walking toward River.

  “What?” Con said as he and Geek followed.

  Wraith kept scanning the area. This part of Houston was controlled by the Purple Death, a local but dangerous gang that had its hands in guns, drugs, and sex trafficking. A piece of Wraith hoped something would happen.

  “Hi,” Wraith said when she got close enough. “River, right?”

  The nixie girl looked around nervously. “Yeah, do I know you?”

  “I’m Wraith,” she said and gestured to her friends. “These are my friends. The short one is Con, the tall guy is Geek.”

  River looked from the boys to Wraith. “I, um, I don’t really do groups—”

  “Bloody hell, love,” Con said. “We ain’t customers.”

  “We’re here to get you out,” Wraith said. “We have a place where people like us can go.”

  River looked very nervous. “What do you mean? I don’t—”

  Wraith smiled. “Con and I are slingers. Geek is a fifty, like you.”

  “Well, not like you,” he said through a nervous smile.

  “You got a crush, mate?” Con asked in a whisper.

  Geek elbowed h
im, almost knocking him into the street.

  River’s eyes darted around. “I have a place.”

  “You have a pimp and his gang,” Wraith said. “We can get you off the street. We’ll teach you how to take care of yourself.”

  “I—”

  “I know you’re scared,” Wraith said. “You don’t know us. As far as you know, we could be another pimp. Or something worse.”

  River’s silence confirmed this thought.

  “I promise you we’re not,” Wraith said. “This is a real offer, and it comes from a magister of the Rogue Court. Her name is Brigid, and she wants to help.”

  River’s eyes went hard. “Yeah? Well, where was she when my dad kicked me out? Where was she when I was starving and had to let some forty-year-old perv—?”

  “There’re a lot of us out here, River,” Wraith said. “We’re getting to people as fast as we can.” She stepped close and looked the girl in the eye. “Trust me, I’ve been through some pretty horrible shit too. We all have. You’re not alone.”

  “What’s your angle?” River said.

  “I don’t like bullies,” Wraith said. “I do like knowing I did something to help make someone’s life a little better though.”

  “Bullshit,” River said. “Nobody does nothing unless there’s something in it for them.”

  “She does,” Geek said. “And we do.”

  Wraith noticed River almost smile at Geek. “Look, you can come with us and get some clean clothes, something to eat, and a good night’s sleep. You won’t have to worry about someone stealing your stuff, or worse.” She looked around. “If you prefer this place, I’ll bring you back. I swear it on my name and my power.”

  River swallowed, her eyes still frantically scanning the area. She leaned in close and spoke in a whisper, her voice shaking. “I can’t. If I leave, they’ll kill me.”

  “No they won’t,” Wraith said. “I won’t let them.”

  “What can you do?”