Dad’s expression matched Mom’s. “I don’t know.”
I sat up straighter. “I’m not going back.” I waited for the voice to begin mocking or to shoot another lightning bolt through my brain. Nothing happened. “I can’t. I have to stop this. Jordskote said I was going to be okay. I won’t have to go back.”
Dad looked unconvinced.
“We’ll help you.” Cynthia slipped her arm over my shoulder. “You don’t have to do this alone anymore.”
Christina chimed in. “We’ll be here to make sure you’re okay. No more disappearing.”
Mom pulled me close and wrapped me in her arms, her tears flowing, body beginning to shake with sobs. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. To think that you were facing all of this by yourself! No wonder you’ve been so different. How terrifying. How lonely! You are never alone! Never!” She pulled me in so tightly I thought she was going to snap my neck. “You don’t have to face any of this by yourself!”
I saw the girls nodding but caught Dad’s expression over Mom’s shoulder. He wasn’t any more convinced than I was.
Twenty-One
FINN DE MORISCO
“I figureif you can handle the Square, you can handle a bunch of fairies.”
“I told you, I’m not going back to the Square.”
Schwint grinned at me from the passenger side of the truck. “Yeah, I know. That’s not where we’re going. I was just saying I think you’ll be able to handle this.”
With the insane traffic on the Five, I only let my eyes flit to him before darting back to the highway. The expression on Schwint’s face didn’t leave me with a good feeling about this evening. He looked a little too happy. Like he was about to enjoy something more than he should. “So, I don’t get it. You’re taking me to what again?”
“A party.” He grinned mischievously once more.
“Yeah, got that. What kind of party?”
“A party full of fairies.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, got that too. But what’s the party for?”
“Well, it’s celebrating the new moon. We have one every new moon, but really, who cares? Why the hell do you need a reason to have a party? The party is to have fun. I’ve seen you have fun, at least of one kind.”
“I’m not up for that kind of fun.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. No orgy-filled evening at the Square.” He shook his index finger in the air. “Key words. Orgy free. Got it!”
“You’re exasperating.”
He waggled his eyebrows.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s not a response, you know.”
“But adorable.” He waggled them again, this time pointing his finger at his brow. “Come on, you gotta admit, pretty darn irresistible.”
I let that one go. “But do I need to bring anything? Food? Wine?”
“Trust me, there will be no shortage of wine. Not that fairies are gonna drink human wine.” He let out a shudder, real or forced, I couldn’t tell.
“Okay. You’re taking me to a fairy party for our first date. A party that’s just to have fun and celebrate the new moon. It’s not a birthday party or something else? Should I bring a gift? Is it a house party? Should I bring a plant or something?”
“I’ll admit, I’ve never seen Martha Stewart’s show, but apparently you have. You’re sexier when you’re not trying to be Miss Manners. Although, still pretty scrumptious.”
The traffic came to a complete stop, cop car lights flashing several car lengths in front of us. I jammed the truck into park. “So, house party?”
He gave a confused face, still not managing to fully hide his smirk. “Something like that.”
