Lorelei jerked around, gazing at all the people from our town ready to stop her from doing anything else. “What’s going on?” she squeaked.
“Ye are familiar with creating deals and making people pay the price?” Lucky said. “You should know that your kind is not the only ones who puts a premium on promises.”
She sneered at the shorter man. “I didn’t promise anything to you.”
“Ah, but surely ye know where ye be standin’.” The leprechaun pointed at the mushrooms. “You’re in the middle of a fairy circle. That which is promised three times within its boundaries must be upheld. If a vow is broken, we have our own ways of making ye pay.”
It had been a while since I’d traveled on a fairy path. But my destinations had always been within our town boundaries. I was pretty sure Lorelei wouldn’t like where she would be taken.
Lucky stepped over the mushrooms and approached the door. He raised his hands in front of it. “By my command and with my authority, the liar that stands before ye shall pay for her crime of breaking a vow thrice made.”
Several green luminescent vines outstretched from the supernatural door. Despite her protests and fighting, they wrapped and tangled around Lorelei’s body.
“Nick. Nicky,” she crooned in desperation. “Don’t let them take me. I was only kidding. We’re family. I care about you.”
Her brother clenched his jaw. “If that were true, you never would have murdered my mother.” Nick wiggled his fingers in farewell. “As for family, I’ll be sure to tell father how you failed.”
“No! You can’t do this to me!” she wailed as the vines retracted, pulling her into the glowing void. Before the magical egress closed, she got in one last parting shot. “I wish Daddy had been happy with just me. I wish we’d never found you.”
Silence followed the portal’s disappearance, and I held my breath. Nick ran his hands through his hair. When he looked at me, he had tears running down his face.
“You did it,” he choked out. “I can’t believe you pulled it off.”
I reached out to embrace him, but strong arms whipped me around and picked me up off the ground. “You were amazing,” Dash whispered in my ear.
The knowledge that my actions pleased him warmed me from head to toe. Insisting he put me down first, I threw my arms around him and reveled in the cocoon of his hug. The longer I stayed wrapped up in him, the more confusing my emotions became.
With great effort, I pushed away from Dash and put a little distance between us. Mug, Nug, and Bug zipped over my head in celebration. I received high-fives, hugs, and gushing gratitude as my friends passed me around.
Lucky gripped my free hand in both of his. “You did good, girly.” He eyed the contract I held. “That wasn’t part of the plan, but I think ye will be glad you saved it in the end.”
I shrugged. “She’s family. And thank you for all your help, King Fergus.”
The leprechaun wrinkled his nose. “It’s been so long since I’ve heard someone call me that. I think I prefer Lucky.”
“Me, too, your majesty.” I winked and flourished a grand bow. A few of the fae hovering near us followed suit, and I giggled at his embarrassed grumbling. “See what you started?”
I stared at the space where the portal had appeared. “What will happen to Lorelei?”
“Tis fae justice she’ll have to face. She struck a bargain and sealed it when you tricked her into repeating it thrice,” Lucky said with a bit of a frown. “I’ll have to cross over into a realm I have dared not set foot in for quite some time.”
In all of our rush to make plans to beat Nick’s sister, neither Lucky nor I had discussed what would happen if we won. Or what the consequences might be for our choices.
“I’ll bet you can find someone who will go in your place,” I suggested.
He considered the idea. “No. I think I will claim me old identity regardless of what comes of it. I cannae lie, it felt good to stand at the ready for battle. I have not lost all me skills after all.”
“Or your luck,” I added. “I have a feeling that might have tipped the scales for us tonight.”
The leprechaun chuckled. “No, darlin’. Ye had a mighty hand in all of this. Enjoy the spoils of success tonight, for tomorrow ye will have more work to do.” He nodded in the direction over my shoulder and left me alone.
I sensed Dash before he sidled up to me and did my best to block his influence with little success. With emotions running high, our connection played merry havoc on us. Now that our mission was complete, we’d have to fix things to get back to normal along with everyone else in Honeysuckle.
Although the instinct to stay close to each other gnawed at me, I kept a little space between us. Pain and regret poured into me, but the shifter respected my decision.
“Your grandmother would have been proud,” Dash uttered with sincerity. “No, scratch that. She will be proud.”
Buzzed from all the adrenaline of victory, I’d forgotten to check on Nana. What if our accomplishment didn’t heal her?
A loud repetitive ring echoed in the night air and interrupted the joyous merrymaking. Lady Eveline held out her spell phone to me. “It’s for you.”
I brought it to my ear. “Hello?”
“Charli?” my brother said on the other line. His voice quavered as he spoke. “There’s someone here who wants to say something to you.”
After a slight pause, I heard a familiar clearing of a throat. “I knew you would do it, my sweet Bird,” Nana croaked. “Come home.”
“I’m on my way.” Tears streamed down my face as I handed the phone back to the vampire.
I knew where to direct my feet to run, but as I took off
