Chapter 4
LEO’S NOTES
Place: Lairg, Scotland
Found: Thirteenth-Century Book of Fae Lore, Anonymous
Favorite quote: When fae fall in love, it is forever,
Lest they fall from favor the truth is known,
Their power is a harmony that cannot be broken.
Misc: When faerie-kin fall in love, is it forever?
Leo was just pulling into the long-term parking garage when he caught sight of the last ferry leaving for Beane Isle.
He was stuck taking a water taxi instead, and walked home from the harbor.
He just knew there’d be no lobster left by the time he reached the party.
At least he’d packed lightly for the weekend so his bag didn’t weigh much.
He felt the air shimmer with magic as he cut past the Inn and along the trail through the blueberry fields to home.
All those faerie-kin in one place made him shiver with anticipation.
He’d always been sensitive to the force of power the community shared, more so than others.
Maybe it was the nature of his gift. He didn’t control things, he sensed them.
He slipped around the side of the house and saw the bins full of lobster shells, waiting to be crushed before they were added to Frank’s compost next door.
His hunger for lobster was so intense he considered digging around for a missed leg or tail, but knew without a doubt every bit had been licked clean.
He’d have to settle for a lobster roll tomorrow in the village.
He entered the empty house and crept upstairs to drop his bag in his bedroom. From the window he watched the party for a moment, listening to the music and enjoying the magic. Then someone raced toward the party from down the beach yelling something about “normals.”
He squinted at the figure. Was that Pandora? It had been at least eight years since he’d last seen her.
Someone had blossomed. The curly hair he’d always adored glistened with moonlight and the dress she wore made it clear she’d turned fully into a woman. And Dames, he’d thought he was over her by now, but seeing her caused a stir in his gut. No. It must be his own gift causing him discomfort.
His dad and Pan’s mom greeted the normals and Leo turned from the window to search his room.
Maybe he’d left a valuable book here the last time he came up and now was the time to sell it.
Sometimes that happened. He’d collect an item because he knew its worth, then wait for the itch to tell him when it was the right time to sell.
He found nothing in his room, but did find his mom in the kitchen when he went downstairs.
“Hey, you!” she cried. “I thought you were in France.”
“Flight got canceled,” he lied. “So I thought I’d come home.”
She clicked her tongue as she hugged him. “You should’ve told me, I would’ve saved you a lobster.”
“In this crowd? Someone would’ve sniffed it out.”
Mom shook her head. “How did we collect such rude friends?”
He smiled. “You feeling okay?”
It was second nature to Leo to check on his mother’s mood and physical health when she was around so much magic.
“Just took some ibuprofen for my headache. All that’s left is cleaning up.”
“I’ll help,” he said. “Just let me say hello to some people first.”
She kissed his cheek before she left the kitchen for the patio. “I’m glad you came home.”
“Me, too,” he called after her.
He absently scratched his forearm, then did a quick check of his book den. Nothing stuck out, so he left the house. He sidestepped the party, because for some reason he wasn’t ready to face Pandora. Not yet. Not until he figured out what had called him back to the island.