33. ~ Estelle ~
CHAPTER 33
~ Estelle ~
I marched past Trish’s cubicle and the perfect little pink cardigan she kept over the back of her chair, not even phased by her whispers about Igor eating bad fairies. Whatever. She was a liar, and I was on to her.
I had a client in a spiral who needed my help.
I entered the head fairy’s office, taking her by surprise.
She quickly pounded the end of a lit cigar into a nearby ashtray. Above her, smoke rings floated, losing shape. I swear two of them looked like hearts. She shot me a guilty look, dropping the ashtray and cigar into her trash can despite the fire risk of doing so.
“Was just trying to figure out what Paxi liked about these.” She gave a light, fake cough and I wondered how long she’d been a smoker. Hopefully not too long. Magic couldn’t protect you from everything, including the evils of lung cancer.
“Permission to enter the human world.”
Gram-Gram blinked and sat forward, suddenly very alert. “Explain.”
“Char’s in love and frightened. I tried to summon her here, because she doesn’t understand emotional enhancement wishes, or wishes relating to the behaviours of others. But she can’t hear me or is ignoring me. She doesn’t know that any emotional enhancement wishes that have been granted on her behalf will have worn off by now.” I paused for a breath, feeling panicked.
Gram-Gram spoke up. “We don’t like humans interrupting our work day. These are private offices, and think of the example you’ve been setting with the others by letting her traipse in here?”
“But it’s not against the rules.”
“It hasn’t needed to be,” she said firmly.
I rubbed my forehead, desperate to express all that was weighing on me.
“I need to talk to her. The divine timing is right for old wishes that I granted before the ban. They’re picking up speed and…and…” I could picture how personally Char would take some of the things that were coming down the pipe due to old wishes she’d made. The one about Randy, for one. I’d been so na?ve. I had granted her wishes, not fully comprehending the impact they could make when they finally came to fruition.
Being a fairy godmother was so much more complex than I’d expected.
“He loves her, Gram-Gram,” I pleaded.
“Who does?”
“James. And she’s about to ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to her, thinking that I’m behind it all. She doesn’t know what’s real anymore.”
“Estelle,” Gram-Gram said gently. “You’re becoming too emotionally involved in the lives of your clients. You’re losing your perspective.”
“But she needs to know! There’s so much still that she doesn’t understand!”
But Gram-Gram, the head fairy and my boss, acting as stubborn as the stupid, skinflinty old Paxi, simply shook her head. “Estelle, go back to your desk.”