“I’m listening.”
ChapterSeventeen
Seven holds a golden acorn, identical to the one he gave Arden, between his thumb and forefinger, its shell glinting in the fluorescent lights. He’s handling the charm as if it’s the One Ring. I almost expect him to murmur “my precious.”
We’re standing in his father’s office in Dragonfly Casino, preserved as if Chance just moved out yesterday. A sleek desktop computer rests artfully in the corner of the desk with a pen and a notepad on the blotter in front of it. Bookshelves laden with professional-looking tomes line the walls, noteworthy sculptures breaking up the sets of expensive leather volumes.
Seven’s brought an oversized briefcase from his place, and he sets it on the desk in front of us, then pops the top open.
“You gave one of those to Arden for her graduation. What is it?”
“A wish,” he says solemnly.
“A wish? Like a genie-in-a-bottle-type wish?”
“Sort of. This is an acorn from a tree no longer in existence, one that had roots they say reached all the way to the cauldron, that mystical place from which it’s said all fairies came. It will magnify the luck of any fairy that wields it, and with enough focus, the results are very nearly magic. The man I obtained this from claims that Godmother used one hundreds of years ago to increase her capacity for luck and power.”
“Wait, have you told Arden about this? Does she know how dangerous it is?”
He nods. “Graduation night. I pulled her aside before I left your parents’ house. She knows.”
“Gods, Seven. Next time ask me before you hand our daughter a live grenade.”
He snorts. “You can’t deny she might need it, given the circumstances.”
I can’t argue with that logic. “Is that the plan then? Make yourself so strong you can charge into Rayrcore and tear Saul from their clutches?”
He smiles but shakes his head. “What Godmother did was extremely dangerous. This little charm packs big magic. Wish too big and it will drain your luck dry trying to fulfill that wish. Many have died, wishing beyond their capacities.”
“Wait, Seven, why haven’t you used this to break Godmother’s hold over you?” How could he not have considered that first?
He frowns in my direction. “I have another one I’ve held back for that purpose. If I get desperate enough, I’ll try it. But yes, I’m afraid. Breaking a fairy bargain without being released from it is said to be impossible. It’s very probable that it will kill me before it works.”
“So what’s your plan with this one?”
“I think this situation calls for a bit more delicacy. Hand me that malivite.”
“Would this be a bad time to remind you that we are only assuming this is malivite?” I pinch above the bridge of my nose, a headache threatening. “River confirmed this was the stone clutched in Adam Barker’s hand when he was shot, and it’s logical that the stones Rayrcore is asking for are the same as this one. But we’re making a mental leap there. They could be entirely disconnected events.”
“I’m feeling lucky,” Seven says with a wink, then grows serious. “The timing… I don’t believe in coincidences. We are taking a risk but an educated one, and every moment matters if we want to get Saul back alive. Besides, I have a hunch that Hearst might not know what malivite looks like anyway.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve been racking my brain, trying to think what motivation he would have to withhold the details I asked him for about the stones while he was torturing me. It occurred to me that he might not know. My dad was a master at giving just enough information to sell something. He used to tell me, ‘Make no promises, Seven. Let them assume the promises. They can’t hold you to assumptions.’”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s malivite or not, as long as he thinks it’s malivite.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Here’s to educated guesses.” I hand over the piece I recovered from where Adam Barker was murdered. He takes an ordinary rubber band from Chance’s desk and wraps it around the stone, then places it inside the case. He pauses, the acorn resting in his palm. “You have no idea how much it pains me to use this charm. I only had three to begin with, and they’re absolutely priceless.”
“We could try Ashgate,” I propose. “Or search your father’s records.”
He shakes his head. “I want to give them enough to get Saul back but not enough to use the malivite for whatever nefarious purposes they’re planning. This is the only way to do that. Once Saul is home and safe, we can take our time figuring out the details.”
“Then make your wish and let’s do this.” My palms are sweating, and I hug myself against a sudden chill.
Acorn in hand, he closes his eyes and his lips start to move. A wind picks up in the room, swirling around us, sending my hair thrashing against my face. Goose bumps erupt across my skin, and my stomach turns over with the gathering power. Under it all, I feel Seven’s luck rise around us, only the fiery dragon that usually accompanies his use of luck is now enormous. I can barely breathe because it takes up every spare inch of space, and still I sense the room itself can’t contain it. His luck is as big as the building, maybe bigger.
