Bonfires flickered in the clearing, and music rang out. The Chaun were continuing their celebrations of a binding that had been cursed—doomed to misery. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and ran for the clearing, straight to the only people who might be able to help: the people I knew I could always turn to. My family.
“DADDY!” HE WAS IMPOSSIBLE to miss, holding hands with my mother in the line formation and towering over the other dancing folk. He turned his head toward the sound of my voice, smiling. I was still a ways off, running toward them, and when he took in the sight of me, he broke from the group with Mom right behind him. Cassidy jumped up from a nearby table. I was probably giving them heart attacks—me, the most modest person in our family, running in front of all these people in my bathing suit, looking a fright. The three of them met me at the entrance of the clearing. I collapsed into Dad’s arms, trembling.
“What happened?” he asked. “Where’s McKale?”
I sucked in some air and forced myself to articulate. “She’s going to take him!”
Without question, Dad jumped into action, signaling Brogan to us. The song had stopped and everyone was watching. Over a hundred worried faces stared. Leilah stood with both hands on her mouth.
“We need to speak privately,” my father told Brogan, who nodded.
Brogan waved to the musicians and forced a smile at his people. They whispered in speculation, but did as they were told, continuing the music.
I looked out into the darkened field of grass, searching for any sign of McKale or the FFG.
Brogan began to lead us away, but I held out a hand. “Wait! What if she tries to take him tonight?” The very idea had me afraid I might hyperventilate.
“Who? McKale?” Brogan studied my face, aghast, as I nodded. “Is he with the Shoe Mistress now?”
“Yes. We were by the falls…”
Part of the crowd had shifted closer to our group, and Brogan held up a hand to quiet me so they wouldn’t hear.
“Keefe!” he called over his shoulder. Keefe jogged over and Brogan spoke to him in hushed tones. “Watch this clearing for McKale. We’ll be speaking in the guest quarters, and I want ye to alert me immediately if ye see him or the Shoe Mistress. Watch the portal closely.”
“Aye. Of course, Brogan, sir.”
Brogan turned and led us to the bungalows.
“Yer rooms are closer, so I hope ye don’t mind speaking there.”
“Not at all,” Dad said.
When we got to my parents’ room I inhaled a huge breath before telling them everything about the encounter with the FFG. Cassidy held my hand the whole time. It was therapeutic to let it all out, but it also made the nightmare more real. By the time I was done, every face in the room appeared ready to retch just as I had. For once, even Cassidy was speechless. Mom gathered her close, wrapping protective arms around her, but Cass kept her fingers linked with mine and wouldn’t let go.
“What’s our plan?” Mom asked.
“Please,” I begged. “Can someone find McKale and get him away from her?”
“Aye. I’ll send a handful of lads to flush him out. I’ll return shortly.”
“Wait!” I said. “Rock was there! He was watching from behind a tree. He’ll know what happened after I left.”
Cassidy gave a little squeak of worry and Brogan nodded.
He rushed from the room and my family stepped into a close huddle, shoulder-to-shoulder.
“What can we do?” Cassidy asked. Her voice was one notch away from frantic. “I don’t want to go to Faerie, but I don’t want McKale to go either!”
“We won’t let that happen,” Dad said. “We’ll need a power play on our part, something that will take her by surprise. What are her weaknesses? Is there anything she fears?”Cassidy laughed dryly. “If I were her I’d be afraid of her daddy!”
She said it as a joke, but the other three of us exchanged thoughtful stares.
“She has been sneaking out of the portal against her father’s wishes,” Mom stated.
I shrugged. “But we don’t know for sure if he cares what she does. He doesn’t want Fae coming out whenever they please, but maybe he makes an exception for his little princess.”
I ran the earlier conversation through my mind again, specifically the things FFG had said about her people.
“She wants it to look like McKale is choosing to come on his own.” I was thinking out loud. Dad had his arms crossed, rocking back on his heels as I rambled. “Because she’s afraid of what the other Fae will think if they know she’s developed feelings for a human. She said it has to look like he’s just a consort.”
“So we blow her cover, then?” Mom asked.
We all nodded. But how would we prove to her people that she wanted McKale?
A quick knock sounded on the door, and Brogan came in, huffing from the exertion.
“Still no sign of ‘im, but the boys are on it.”
“Brogan,” Dad said. “Do you have means to contact the Fae? To get them to open the portal?”
Brogan opened his mouth and paused, unsure, until my father swore that the information would never leave this room. Brogan pulled a thin rope from around his neck. Hanging from it was a golden tube the size of my thumb. It was a whistle. We all leaned forward to look at it. There was indecipherable writing and a symbol.
“Hey, is that…?” Cass pointed at the image, crinkling her brow, and we leaned in further.
“DADDY!” HE WAS IMPOSSIBLE to miss, holding hands with my mother in the line formation and towering over the other dancing folk. He turned his head toward the sound of my voice, smiling. I was still a ways off, running toward them, and when he took in the sight of me, he broke from the group with Mom right behind him. Cassidy jumped up from a nearby table. I was probably giving them heart attacks—me, the most modest person in our family, running in front of all these people in my bathing suit, looking a fright. The three of them met me at the entrance of the clearing. I collapsed into Dad’s arms, trembling.
“What happened?” he asked. “Where’s McKale?”
I sucked in some air and forced myself to articulate. “She’s going to take him!”
Without question, Dad jumped into action, signaling Brogan to us. The song had stopped and everyone was watching. Over a hundred worried faces stared. Leilah stood with both hands on her mouth.
“We need to speak privately,” my father told Brogan, who nodded.
Brogan waved to the musicians and forced a smile at his people. They whispered in speculation, but did as they were told, continuing the music.
I looked out into the darkened field of grass, searching for any sign of McKale or the FFG.
Brogan began to lead us away, but I held out a hand. “Wait! What if she tries to take him tonight?” The very idea had me afraid I might hyperventilate.
“Who? McKale?” Brogan studied my face, aghast, as I nodded. “Is he with the Shoe Mistress now?”
“Yes. We were by the falls…”
Part of the crowd had shifted closer to our group, and Brogan held up a hand to quiet me so they wouldn’t hear.
“Keefe!” he called over his shoulder. Keefe jogged over and Brogan spoke to him in hushed tones. “Watch this clearing for McKale. We’ll be speaking in the guest quarters, and I want ye to alert me immediately if ye see him or the Shoe Mistress. Watch the portal closely.”
“Aye. Of course, Brogan, sir.”
Brogan turned and led us to the bungalows.
“Yer rooms are closer, so I hope ye don’t mind speaking there.”
“Not at all,” Dad said.
When we got to my parents’ room I inhaled a huge breath before telling them everything about the encounter with the FFG. Cassidy held my hand the whole time. It was therapeutic to let it all out, but it also made the nightmare more real. By the time I was done, every face in the room appeared ready to retch just as I had. For once, even Cassidy was speechless. Mom gathered her close, wrapping protective arms around her, but Cass kept her fingers linked with mine and wouldn’t let go.
“What’s our plan?” Mom asked.
“Please,” I begged. “Can someone find McKale and get him away from her?”
“Aye. I’ll send a handful of lads to flush him out. I’ll return shortly.”
“Wait!” I said. “Rock was there! He was watching from behind a tree. He’ll know what happened after I left.”
Cassidy gave a little squeak of worry and Brogan nodded.
He rushed from the room and my family stepped into a close huddle, shoulder-to-shoulder.
“What can we do?” Cassidy asked. Her voice was one notch away from frantic. “I don’t want to go to Faerie, but I don’t want McKale to go either!”
“We won’t let that happen,” Dad said. “We’ll need a power play on our part, something that will take her by surprise. What are her weaknesses? Is there anything she fears?”Cassidy laughed dryly. “If I were her I’d be afraid of her daddy!”
She said it as a joke, but the other three of us exchanged thoughtful stares.
“She has been sneaking out of the portal against her father’s wishes,” Mom stated.
I shrugged. “But we don’t know for sure if he cares what she does. He doesn’t want Fae coming out whenever they please, but maybe he makes an exception for his little princess.”
I ran the earlier conversation through my mind again, specifically the things FFG had said about her people.
“She wants it to look like McKale is choosing to come on his own.” I was thinking out loud. Dad had his arms crossed, rocking back on his heels as I rambled. “Because she’s afraid of what the other Fae will think if they know she’s developed feelings for a human. She said it has to look like he’s just a consort.”
“So we blow her cover, then?” Mom asked.
We all nodded. But how would we prove to her people that she wanted McKale?
A quick knock sounded on the door, and Brogan came in, huffing from the exertion.
“Still no sign of ‘im, but the boys are on it.”
“Brogan,” Dad said. “Do you have means to contact the Fae? To get them to open the portal?”
Brogan opened his mouth and paused, unsure, until my father swore that the information would never leave this room. Brogan pulled a thin rope from around his neck. Hanging from it was a golden tube the size of my thumb. It was a whistle. We all leaned forward to look at it. There was indecipherable writing and a symbol.
“Hey, is that…?” Cass pointed at the image, crinkling her brow, and we leaned in further.
