“We’ll need to get the doc,” the sheriff instructed.
“You’ll find him at Nana’s house,” Matt instructed, assessing the girl. “She’s breathing, too.”
Sassy joined me in my search for the pixies. “I found one of them,” she cried, picking up the small body and cradling it to her.
“Me, too.” Nug looked so tiny and frail laying on the pavement. “Is it safe to move him?”
The once small fairy shrugged her shoulders, so I scooped the pixie into my arms and held him against my chest. He stirred once and opened his eyes.
“Stay still,” I said in a gentle voice. “You might be hurt.”
David rushed to my side. “How can I help?”
I leaned over and held out the injured pixie. “Here, take Nug. I have to find one more.”
Lucky joined me in searching for the third small being while Aunt Nora droned on and on about how poorly my brother had handled the situation. Fighting her took a back seat to making sure we didn’t have a major casualty.
A dark form rested against the curb up ahead, so small it could have been mistaken for trash. My heart rate sped up, and I hurried to check. Bug’s unconscious form was curled up in a ball. If I hadn’t witnessed the magical catastrophe, I might have thought she was sleeping.
“I found her,” I shouted to Lucky.
The leprechaun raced to join me. “She’s in worse condition than the other two.” With great care, he turned Bug over so he could lift her into his arms. “If she doesn’t get care now, we could lose her.”
“I think someone went to fetch Doc already.” Wringing my hands, I glanced over at Matt and the two humans.
Lucky cradled Bug close to him. “I think she’ll be needin’ more than his help. The fae don’t exactly die when they get injured. They fade away, which is a worse fate. It’s why we’ve been frantically searching for wee Fenny.”
At the mention of Fenwen’s name, something nagged at me, and I struggled to remember why. “I know I saw her somewhere recently.”
“Do ye remember where?” Lucky asked, bouncing Bug as if she were a baby while we walked towards David and Sassy.
I struggled to access my memory, but all I could remember was a hot, white light. “I don’t know. I wish I did.”
Juniper and Gossamer hovered close by along with Flint and Horatio. Other pixies invaded the space while some of the newcomers crowded around David, Sassy, and Lucky, holding the three injured figures.
“We’ll be needin’ your help, especially with this one,” the leprechaun called out.
Gossamer flitted to his side and landed on the ground. “Here, give her to me.”
Lucky lay Bug’s body in the fairy’s arms. “We need grass under our feet.” He led the menagerie of fae towards the park.
“Stop right there,” Aunt Nora squawked. “Where do you think you’re taking those miscreants? They should be going to jail.”
“They’re injured,” I defended. “And it was your actions that caused all this. You barely missed your own nephew when you cast that spell.”
My aunt narrowed a heated glare at me. “I was trying to keep everyone safe by doing the job myself.”
“A job that wasn’t yours to perform. Matt had everything under control, and then you seized the moment for your own purposes. All of this,” I gestured around us, “is your fault.”
If I stayed arguing with my aunt, I wouldn’t be able to help with Mug, Nug, and Bug. I turned to catch up with Lucky.
“Don’t you turn your back on me, missy,” Aunt Nora hissed. “You show me some respect. I’ll be the head of this town by the end of tonight.”
Fed up with her shenanigans, I spun around. “Respect is earned, which is something you’ll never understand.”
She snorted. “I guess I shouldn’t expect loyalty from you, even though you claim to be part of the family.”
My aunt’s insult hit a little too close to the mark, and she sneered at my cringe. Too many times in my life, she’d gone out of her way to hurt me. Too many times, I’d clung to the idea that my mother’s sister deserved forgiveness. Sometimes, the monster shouldn’t be ignored. They should be confronted.
“My mother was your sister. She always told me stories about the two of you growing up together. I think she wanted me to see the good in you that she’d experienced. But all I’ve ever witnessed is the ugliness of your ambition and pride.” I opened my mouth to spew more insults, but realized that if I did, I’d be the monster.
Once the anger deflated, pity replaced it. With a shake of my head, I walked away again.
Aunt Nora stomped her foot like a petulant child. “You know, I told Rayline that adopting you would be the worst decision of her life. But no, she was too headstrong to listen to reason. She should have told you how much you don’t matter and that you’d never be a part of our family.”
I stopped in my tracks, holding my hand over my heart to keep the rage and hurt contained. “You know what she told me?” I asked over my shoulder.
“What?”
With one glance back, I leveled my aunt with my gaze. “That she was ashamed of the person you’d become.”
“And so am I, Mother,” Clementine said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
In all my frustration, I hadn’t seen my cousin approach. She closed the distance between us and took my hand in hers.
The color in Aunt Nora’s cheeks drained. “Clementine. I…I…”
“Let’s go check on the pixies,” my cousin said, pulling me away.
My aunt’s mouth dropped open to say something else, but I didn’t stay to listen to any more of her vile hatred of me. No more words needed to pass between us to know that whatever thin bond used to exist had been obliterated.
By the time we reached the park, we found a group of fae spread out in a circle.
