Amuletto Kiss

by Gina LaManna

  The first weekend we were back was one of celebration. Though our hearts were still heavy, a cautious gleam of hope crept through the cracks as Zin became the first official female Ranger in the history of The Isle. With the vampire hunter locked away in prison, she’d completed her last task with flying colors, and this called for a celebration.

  She was inducted on Friday, and the day after, Trinket held a small, vibrant party at her house to celebrate her daughter’s accomplishments. We gathered there, toasting Zin’s victories, eating luxurious foods, sipping warm and hearty wines.

  Sometime during the party, Trinket showed up at my elbow, twitching with nerves. “Can I speak to you for a moment?”

  “Sure, of course. What’s wrong?” I asked as she led the way upstairs. A fire crackled near us as a cool wind blew across the open windows. “Why aren’t you enjoying the festivities? Zin—”

  “I’m terribly proud of Zin,” she said with a frown. “Do you think she knows it?”

  “Of course.”

  Not only had Trinket offered to host the party, but she’d been genuinely proud all evening. She’d boasted to her friends, eyes glittering brightly, about the many accomplishments of her stubborn eldest daughter.

  “I’ve done things I’m not proud of,” she said, her fingers playing with the edges of her long, flowing sleeves. “But the night when I confronted you at your bungalow might have been me at my worst. I’m terribly sorry for the mess with the Long Isle potion, Lily. I owe you a thousand apologies, and I want you to know I won’t ever put you in that situation again.”

  “Trinket—”

  “You’re my niece. She was my sister. I loved her dearly, but...I love you, too. You are alive while she’s not, and she won’t come back—no matter what. It’s time I come to terms with it.”

  “Listen.” I placed my hand on her restless fingers, waiting until she stilled. “I have been needing to tell you something. I did some investigating and found information on her supposed killers. I met one of them, Trinket. His name is Samuel Palmer. He’s completely human, and he served twenty-four years for the murder of my mother.”

  Trinket digested this, then gave a nod.

  I met her gaze head on. “He didn’t do it.”

  Her eyes whipped up to mine. “How do you know?”

  “I don’t know for a fact, but I will soon. I met with him in person, and I just don’t think he killed her—for so many reasons.” I hesitated, fingered the vial of Amuletto Kiss I’d tucked into my belt for this very reason. “I have a scrap of his clothing. I’ll be able to read his thoughts, Trinket. We’ll know for certain.”

  Trinket watched with hungry eyes as I pulled the scrap from Sammy’s jacket out and placed it next to the vial. I let her take a minute to examine them both.

  “If I take this potion,” I told her. “The chances are good I will know for sure whether Sammy is guilty or innocent.”

  Trinket’s fingers wobbled as she touched the fabric, her mouth parting with a gasp as she held it, knowing what this would mean for us. Closure, or confirmation. Either Samuel Palmer had committed the murder, or as Trinket had always believed, there was more to the story.

  With a firm set to her jaw, she looked up abruptly. She raised the cloth, focused on it, studying the piece of fabric as if it were the last link to my mother. Tears sparkled at the corners of her eyes as she rubbed her forefinger and thumb over the material for an extended minute.

  Then, with a quick twitch of her wrist, she tossed it directly into the fireplace. The flames gobbled it up in seconds.

  “Trinket!” I gasped, mystified. “What are you doing? That’s the only way I’ll be able to know for certain. I needed something from Sammy to perform the spell.”

  Trinket gave me a tight, sad smile. “I know.”

  We stood in silence watching Sammy’s coat fibers burn.

  When they were nothing but useless ashes dusted beneath the logs, Trinket turned to me and rested a bony hand on my shoulder. “I think we should let her go,” she whispered, and then pulled me into a hug. “Forgive me, Lily.”

  I held her tightly, our nails digging into one another’s backs.

  After releasing me from the embrace, Trinket grasped my elbow and steered me back downstairs. We ran headfirst into Poppy. She led a limbo extravaganza with an unwilling, but reluctantly grinning, Zin. Behind Zin stood Mimsey and Glinda, elbowing one another for the next spot in line.

  A smile crept across my face, and as I looked to Zin, I took solace in her subtle happiness, her subtle pride, too. I shared a look with her over the striped limbo pole, and I could see the reassurance in her gaze that everything would be okay.

  “There she is! We have one more announcement to make,” Poppy said as she caught a glimpse of me. “Go ahead, Lily.”

  I blinked at her. “What?”

  “It’s okay.” Zin stepped closer to me, lowering her voice. “This isn’t just my party, it’s for you, too. Congratulations, Lily.”

  Startled, I found Ranger X moving across the room to stand next to me, looking just as surprised. “Um, we—” I hesitated as he slid an arm around my back. “We didn’t want to spoil Zin’s night...”

  “Oh, stop!” Zin shouted above my babbles and raised her glass. “Lily and Ranger X are getting married!”

  We were swarmed by big hugs and sloppy kisses. Grinning faces asked how and when the proposal had happened—and had we set a date yet? Others gave us hearty pats on the back, while Hettie devolved into an impromptu planning session with Mimsey right there at the appetizer table.

  The evening ballooned into a double celebration, and it wasn’t until the wee hours of the morning that Ranger X and I finally found ourselves free to talk privately once more. After excusing ourselves from the party, we walked arm in arm across The Isle as the brisk morning breeze cooled our flushed cheeks.

  We arrived at the bungalow happy, contented, and tired. Exhausted, really. I hadn’t fully recovered from the events in Olympia yet, and though the party had been a raging success, I was ready for sleep. Working with the gods apparently sapped my energy supply.

  “What’s this?” I picked up a package from the porch as I climbed the stairs. It was a simple parcel, unmarked in brown packaging. “Any clue?”

  Ranger X shook his head.

  I unwrapped it as we slid inside and locked the door behind us. I pulled back the paper as I eased onto the bench at the storeroom table and balked when I saw the contents.

  To Lily and Ranger X, the card began.

  Congratulations. May this be the start of a wonderful life together.

  —Liam

  “What do you make of it?” Ranger X sat across from me, not looking at the parcel, but into my eyes. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” My fingers shook as I removed the card and slid it to the side. “An engagement gift? It’s a little surprising, I’ll admit.”

  Ranger X reached across the table and rested a hand on mine, relaxing it before I could unearth the rest of the package. “You don’t have to open this now.”

  “What do you think?”

  “About what?”

  “Everything.” My hands shook as I withdrew them from his grasp. “Everything, Cannon. We’re engaged. I killed my father. The leader of The Faction is dead. We’ve barely dealt with any of it. We’ve been so caught up in celebrating Zin and getting back into normal life that I don’t know what to make of the rest of it.”

  Ranger X drew me across the room and sat in a chair before the fireplace. He pulled me onto his lap and, one flick of his fingers later, and flames erupted to eagerly toast the bricks before us.

  “Talk to me,” he said. “You’re shaking; you’re worried. I know you, Lily. You didn’t sleep last night. Whatever you’re thinking, you’ll feel better getting it off your chest.”

  He was right. Ever since we’d stepped foot outside Olympia, it’d felt like a large dragon had come and parked himself on my chest. Every breath was a chore, every bli
nk a nightmare.

  “I...” I inhaled, holding my breath to prevent the sobs from escaping. “I’m glad,” I said finally. “I am so relieved he’s gone, and I feel horrible about saying so.”

  The sobs broke free. They soared through me like a waterfall, tumultuous and unrelenting, draining what little energy I had left in my body.

  I collapsed forward into Ranger X’s arms. He knew it before I did and had prepared, cupping the back of my head with his warm hand, holding me strong against his shoulder. He let me cry.

  When I finished, I sniffed and pulled back. “Are you sure you still want to marry me? How awful of a person am I to be glad my father is dead?”

  Ranger X’s eyes shone like black diamonds. “Oh, Lily.”

  Then he kissed my eyelids first, brushing away the tears. He kissed down my cheeks to my lips, from my lips to my throat, from my throat back to my mouth. He ended with a tender, lingering sigh.

  “I adore you, Lily. My love for you will never waver. If you want to get married now, today, I’ll do it. Tomorrow, I’ll do it. Three years from now, I’ll be waiting for you at the altar.”

  I found a smile. It felt weak and lopsided, but it was better than tears. Ranger X latched onto that, pulled me closer, and then shifted as if he’d remembered something.

  “Here,” he said, pulling a small card from his pocket. “I forgot. Gerry asked me to give this to you—he gave it to me as we were leaving Olympia.”

  “He hates being called Gerry,” I said with a giggle, removing the neat little card from X’s grasp. “He’s a good guy.”

  “I’m not sure I can agree; he knowingly walked you right into that mess. He doesn’t care about a soul except the Master of Magic.”

  “It’s okay—everything worked out.”

  “Mostly.” He pushed my hair back, shook his head in dismay. “Mostly.”

  “How sweet,” I said, flipping the card up so Ranger X could read along with me. “An invitation to return to Olympia’s finest inn for our honeymoon.”

  Ranger X closed his eyes. “The thought is nice, but I have no desire to return.”

  “Me neither,” I agreed. “Poor Gerry.”

  The second present now felt like a bomb waiting on the table, demanding our attention. I slid from Ranger X’s lap and pulled the parcel close to me.

  “It’s a folder,” I said, sliding a stiff manila envelope out. “It’s light, and—”

  “I don’t know if it’s a good idea.” Ranger X snatched at the folder. “Do we trust Liam? We haven’t heard from him since he sent you on a suicide mission.”

  “It wasn’t a suicide mission—I made it out alive. Also, he was right about the prophecy. I think we need to listen to him, even if we don’t trust him.”

  “Yes, but where was he to help with everything?”

  I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t even have a guess. Liam had simply vanished.

  “I think we should open it.” I spoke quietly, my hand extended. “It might be important.”

  Ranger X grudgingly handed the folder back. His wary eyes watched my every move as I slipped a sheath of papers from inside. All the pages were clipped together to form a file of sorts. The cover was stamped with a huge red X.

  The few words printed underneath nearly stopped my heart.

  TARGET TERMINATED.

  It was an internal memo of sorts, marked with a unique symbol on the front I’d never yet seen. Before I could ask, X pointed to the marking. “That’s the symbol for The Faction.”

  “This is an internal memo from Faction headquarters?” I repeated the information, stunned. “But who has access to this? Liam,” I said, answering my own question. “But why?”

  I flipped the cover open, my eyes staring into X’s as I did so—I couldn’t bring myself to look downward. I needed to study the file for its contents, but something held me back.

  “You don’t have to do this now,” Ranger X said. “You’re still not recovered from this week. Take some time, Lily.”

  “No,” I whispered. “I need to do this.”

  With that, I tilted my eyes downward to find a picture staring back at me. The face of a familiar woman—a face I’d worn myself just days before. My mother.

  The heading across the top boasted her name and date, a date just after my birth. The rest of the information stole my breath.

  Target: DELILAH LOCKE

  Alias: Millie Banks

  Role: Assassin of The Isle.

  Status: Terminated.

  Epilogue

  TWO DAYS CAME AND WENT in a blur.

  The news of my mother’s alleged profession had come as a shock. I hadn’t known what to make of it. White nor black. Good nor evil. I had no thoughts on it whatsoever.

  In fact, my mind was an empty hole as I reopened Magic & Mixology in hopes to move on with my life. It didn’t work, not entirely. I served my customers with robotic motions, but I didn’t truly process any of it.

  Now that the storm had passed and some of the tensions had eased, business was back to its steady flow. Gerry had kindly published a counter-article to Peter’s terror mongering one, and the islanders were more than happy to believe that life was settling back into its happy little norm.

  Except for me. My life felt like it’d been flipped upside down. Ranger X dealt with the news better than me. Then again, he wasn’t coming to terms with his mother’s true identity—and then attempting to marry that to the stories he’d been told of her kindness and laughter and good-heartedness. Hettie and Trinket and Mimsey had seemed to adore my mother, so the image of her as an assassin was a difficult one to digest.

  If Liam’s file were true, my mother hadn’t only been killed, she’d been murdered, terminated, assassinated. Before, I’d felt a need for revenge when I thought of her killers—a sense of fairness in knowing that her murderer should be punished as part of a rightful system of justice.

  Now, whenever I dreamt of finding her killers and bringing them to justice, an uneasy churn moved through my gut. Had my mother been a killer? Had her death been warranted? Even if I wanted to dive deeper, it seemed impossible to uncover information from over twenty-seven years ago when nobody alive seemed to know the real identity of Delilah Locke.

  The Comm came through after lunch. Ranger X asked to see me at HQ—he’d been keeping a careful watch on me every few hours, checking in, making sure every one of my movements was recorded. Normally, I would be annoyed, but under the circumstances, I found it sweet.

  “Do you mind watching the shop?” I asked Gus after replying to X’s Comm. “I have a meeting at HQ. I’ll be back in an hour.”

  He grunted his agreement, then returned to the detailed process of adding a new entry into The Magic of Mixology. The pages for Amuletto Kiss were only halfway filled out, and already, it was the size of a tome.

  I made it to the HQ entrance quickly, and Elle had an entry point waiting for me between the trees. As soon as she signed me in at the front desk, Ranger X approached and put his arms around my waist.

  “Hi there,” I said, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “What’s up?”

  “Sit, please.”

  My stomach continued to sink long after I’d sat on one of the couches in the lobby. “What’s wrong?”

  “I heard from Olympia.”

  I frowned. We’d left my father’s body there, asking them to dispose of it respectfully. “Is there a problem?”

  “A slight one.” Ranger X ran a hand over his chin, his fingers scratching against the five o’clock shadow that’d grown overnight. “Ah, when we left, you were under the impression your father was dead.”

  “You weren’t? I saw him get...” I breathed. “All those stones—how could he not have been crushed?”

  “His body had been protected by two pillars. He was severely injured and in a deep coma when we left. He was not expected to live more than a few hours.”

  “And?” My panic built. “He has to be dead, X. He has to be—I saw him die!”

>   “You didn’t, Lily. You thought you did. However, he’s still alive. His injuries are severe, but his heart is still beating.”

  “He has to die!” I said in a low growl. I reached for X’s shoulders, shook him. “It’s not safe for us while he’s alive. You have to understand, he must die.”

  Ranger X’s eyes hardened. “You’re not a killer, Lily. If he lives, he lives. We’ll put him away forever. He’ll never get to you. Do you understand me? I won’t let him. If it comes down to it, I will end him myself, but I can’t—we can’t—murder him in cold blood.”

  I gulped, my eyes wild. “No, you don’t—you don’t understand. He made me sign a contract that’s binding so long as he’s alive.”

  X’s eyebrows furrowed. “When did you sign a contract?”

  “In the dungeon. I didn’t tell you because, well, as soon as I signed it I guess I got so angry, there was this prophecy, and...”

  “Let’s grab a conference room,” Ranger X said. “And start from the beginning.”

  We sat in a quiet space. X brought me a glass of water, but it sat untouched on the desk as I poured every detail of my time in Olympia out to him—even the details I hadn’t had time to process. It all returned and spilled from my lips in a discombobulated stream of consciousness.

  When I finished the story, I tacked on the last part. “I had to choose between you and...and our potential son.” It felt horrifyingly strange to speak about a child who didn’t yet exist. However, the rest of the world seemed so confident in his arrival that this child was beginning to feel real to me. “There was no choice. You’re here, you’re alive, you’re...I love you, Cannon. I didn’t have an option. I thought he was prepared to kill you. The images...” I flinched.

  “None of this is your fault—of course you didn’t have a choice.” He didn’t step forward to comfort me because he couldn’t. His entire body trembled with rage, and a golden glow appeared around his clenched hands. “We will find a way to break the contract.”