Chapter 29
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
Money was falling from the sky.
I was back to work, elbows deep in a pile of ranunculus when the first shouts began. Moira stood at the window, a grim slant to her mouth.
“Lugh is starting his shit,” she announced.
“We all knew something would happen,” Ash called from his worktable. “It was only a matter of time.”
I brushed petals from my hands and rose. The town square was crowded with people staring up at the sky with awe. The calm wouldn’t last. Not with the number of humans interspersed with the paranormals. People like me would wonder what the catch was, or what kind of magic had gone awry.
Humans wouldn’t care about the consequences. They would dive in, take what they could, then try to take others’ share from them as well. Security cameras or a police force wouldn’t matter. Many humans thought they were bulletproof.
The camera wouldn’t catch them.
The police would be too busy to worry about them.
The money was falling from the sky. Why shouldn’t they take it? They deserved it. It was meant for them. They’d worked hard. They needed it more than other people did.
Funny the kinds of actions one person could justify when something they wanted more than anything dropped in front of them. No matter if it was too good to be true.
“There they go,” Moira murmured.
The first shout rang out. Maybe forty percent of the people in the square started grabbing every dollar they could. Others looked around, a perplexed expression on their faces.
I sighed and grabbed my jacket. Moira followed close behind.
Ash, conflict averse, stayed inside and locked the door once we were outside. If things got too out of hand, Ash would protect the shop if the wards went down.
“He’s here somewhere,” I murmured.
“I’m getting real tired of fae bullshit,” Moira whispered back.
Sirena lifted a hand in greeting as she watched impassively from her gelato truck. I didn’t wave back. I could use her help, but the siren was kind of an asshole sometimes. She was all about herself and seemed not to care about the world burning around her.
But there was one more person I needed to worry about showing up. This was still his town, no matter that he had set my life on fire a few days ago. I had maybe minutes until Caelan was here trying to keep order.
“I don’t see him,” Moira said.
“His magic is difficult to read. I don’t know that I’ve ever sensed it.”
“Illusion,” Moira said. “He’s a powerful glamour worker.” She sucked her teeth and scanned the rooftops. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this cash turned into acorns within the hour.”
“Better than him stealing it from a bank and dropping it here.” I wouldn’t put something like that past him.
“True. Everyone would leave here with a criminal record.”
“That’d be great for future tourism.”
Moira winced. “Maybe we should start dealing drugs instead of flowers.”
I nodded. “Job security, for sure.”
We grinned at each other.
She went still a second later. “I see him. Top of the town hall roof, bare legs dangling off the roof like a drunk frat boy.”
I didn’t look right away. Instead, I pulled my phone out and texted Dad. He was at my side less than thirty seconds later.
“Is he here?” Dad said.
“Yup. Town Hall roof.”
Dad didn’t bother to look. He was more concerned about the cash falling from the air. “Glamoured,” he said after a moment. “You’re going to have a lot of disappointed tourists in a few hours.”
“They’re all thieves anyway,” I said quietly. “I just feel bad for the shops if they take any of that cash.”
“I’ll send your Mom to warn them.”
Moira eyed me and nodded, approval shining warm in her eyes. My stomach twisted in regret. I’d spent so long relying only on myself I’d forgotten what it was like to work as a team. I reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze.
Dad’s eyes swirled with magic, and my mother appeared a moment later. They conferred before Mom peeled off to presumably want the shopkeepers. If they were smart, which most of them were, they’d shut down until everything blew over.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Dad asked quietly.
I would never be ready, but I nodded anyway. Much of humanity resisted change, and I’d grown up among them and had adopted this trait from them. I liked things harmonious and comfortable, and my life had been anything but lately.
Such didn’t stop the world from turning, though.
He brushed his fingers against my cheek. “I am proud to be your father.”
Tears burned the backs of my eyes, the words unlocking something in the hidden depths of my heart. I’d waited my entire life to hear those words, and even though there were times my existence had been something of a suck fest, I’d never felt more fortunate.
There were many people out there still waiting to hear words like that from their parents.
Dad disappeared into the crowd, leaving me and Moira to confront Lugh.
We kept a wide berth away from the chaos, and chaos it was. People had cash stuffed in their pockets, down the front and backs of their pants. In their socks and shoes, their bras and fists clenched full of bills.
They all had a slightly dazed, feverish look in their eyes, the kind of look a smart human would recognize as a warning sign to get the hell away.
And some did. Maybe ten percent of the humans saw what was happening and the very real potential of things escalating and had quietly pulled their families to safety.
A scream of rage rang out, and two people came to blows. The crowd was working itself into a frenzy. I stopped directly below the Town Hall and looked up.
Lugh gave me a little wave.
I responded by giving him the middle finger.
The bastard had the nerve to laugh.
“Why don’t you come down here so we can have a chat?” I called.
Lugh grinned. “So your mommy and daddy can interfere?”
Few people knew Cliona was my mother. Interesting. “They’re busy because some dick is causing chaos in the town square and told me to handle my own problems.”
Lugh’s eyes narrowed. He disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared a few feet away.
He wore a pair of Bermuda shorts and a surfer t-shirt, one of those popular label ones that made the wearer look like he said things like, “Dude, I’m meant for the waves, not a 9-to-5.”
To add insult to injury, he wore flipflops. In the middle of winter.
“You look like a douchebag,” I said by way of greeting.
His eyes flashed with anger. “I’m on vacation. Isn’t this how you dress when you’re off work?”
“Only if you’re a douchebag.” I smiled.
Moira snickered.
“What’s the point of this useless display of power?” I asked, waving my hand at the glamoured money still falling from the sky.
“It’s to show you the futility of man. Temptation is too irresistible for them to be anything more than mewling children who waste resources and pollute the earth when they die.”
Alrighty then. I tilted my head. “And yet you’re here taking advantage of all those temptations and seem to have no plans to return to your own realm. How can you be better than them when your actions are the same?”
Lugh didn’t like that. His jaw clenched with fury. “You know nothing about me, mongrel.”
I laughed out loud. “You know my parents. I might come from two magical bloodlines, but I am still fae.”
Satisfaction flickered in his eyes, and I suddenly became very worried.
“But that’s not all you are, is it?”
Moira stiffened. “Watch how you speak to her.”
“Why?” Lugh asked. “Are you afraid of her, too? She bears a terrible curse, one everyone seems afraid of. Your Evie is being hunted from many directions, and she won’t be able to avoid all the arrows that fall. She’s better off joining with me.”
“Why?” I asked. “So you can protect me?”
Lugh laughed. “You don’t need protection.”
Moira groaned and nudged me with an elbow. “Oh no. I think this is going to be one of those join with me and we’ll rule the world soliloquies followed by maniacal laughter and bicep flexing.”
I grimaced. “Is that true? Can we leave the bicep flexing off, at least?”
Darkness flowed around the god, up from his feet until his body was surrounded. His eyes glowed a disturbing silvery green as he lifted his hands. I gathered my magic around me, readying the earth underneath us to prepare.
But Lugh didn’t strike. Instead, he laughed. “You will learn, Evie, that I am a patient man, and I know your secrets.”
As much as it terrified me to worry about my Chimera curse being leaked, my father was right. I wasn’t only one thing. I could only be myself, even if I wanted so badly to be someone else. Looking toward the past would never be the way forward.
Mom and Dad appeared several feet behind Lugh. They gave me a slight nod and faded away.
Magic boomed through my voice, the power of my mother and father stirring the wind and trees.
Silver, green, and gold power spun around my body, coalescing into a sparkling crown floating above my head—an annoying, but pointed trick of my father, and one he assured me would disappear once everything was over.
One more bit of razzle dazzle until we could all take our toys and return home with minimal bloodshed, I hoped.
The bargain I made with my parents in mind, I inhaled and spoke one final time.
Gasps rang out through the crowd.
“As heir to Cliona of the Misty Isle Barrows and Cernunnos, the King of the Fae, I pronounce you in direct violation of fae law.”
Lugh’s eyes widened. A stunned choked inhale of air from the vampire beside me, but I continued on.
“You are hereby ordered to return Tess Mallory to her home in Joy Springs within the next eight hours, unharmed and with all her memories restored.”
The dark power gathered around Lugh shrank from the authority in my voice. “We don’t—”
I plowed on. “You are further ordered to leave this realm within the next eight hours, ensuring everyone you’ve had contact with leaves your proximity unharmed and with all their memories prior to and during your visit.
If, during my investigation, it is found you’ve broken additional fae laws, I am well within my rights to pursue further punishment. ”
Moira stared at me with wide, shocked eyes, her gaze going from the crown to my face. I gave her a small, sad smile, and plowed on.
“And if I don’t?” Lugh interrupted, the fear in his eyes replaced with unadulterated fury.
“Then you will have signed your execution warrant. You are hereby banned from ever returning to this realm without the explicit permission of the crown.” I paused and let the crazy shine in my eyes.
“And I can assure you, permission will not be granted. But I’d love to see your request come through so I can put my personal stamp of refusal on it. ”
The god’s eyes narrowed. “You bitch.”
I laid a hand over my heart. “Ouch. Hurt people hurt people.”
Moira barked a laugh.
He took a menacing step forward, teeth bared. “I should kill you where you stand.”
“You can try. I’d love to show you exactly what someone like me can do.” I waved a hand and the money still falling from the sky turned into confetti, the environmentally safe kind because I was not a menace. Groans and yells of disappointment sounded all around us.
I shot Moira a look and without words, she nodded and turned to the crowd, holding her arms out wide before she spoke. “Thank you all for coming to our pop-up magic demonstration! Unfortunately, the money you’ve already taken has no legal tender.”
Cue more groans.
“But this guy right here—” She pointed to Lugh. “He has free tickets for the show tomorrow evening and a free gift to take home with you.”
Over a hundred people started walking our way.
Grinning at Moira’s antics, I addressed Lugh one final time. “I’ll leave you to your adoring public,” I said. “Remember my words. Eight hours. If Tess isn’t home and you aren’t out of my town, I will find you.”
I bared my teeth. “And I will kill you.”
Lugh disappeared in a shower of light.
Moira took me by the arm and hurried away while the people were still interested in finding Lugh for their fake tickets and free gift. The last thing we needed was a riot.
But as we walked away, a tall, lean man with glowing golden eyes stepped into our path, a woman with glittering green eyes at his side.