Except my outside is what he seemed to like best about me now—my glow-up, as Cassie would call it.
I was afraid that’s what all the male cast members were going to like about me—my appearance. What if they only fell in love with their eyes? What if I couldn’t let them in or connect to any of them because of what I’d done to my heart?What if my goddess side wouldn’t let me because she was pining for Roman? Roman, who clearly was not my true love.
I needed to think up a plan B and come to terms with becoming my mortal side again and living in a world where I would be alone, maybe unsure of my identity. That sinking thought settled like a brick in my gut. What if after this was all said and done, Demi Blake as I knew her ceased to exist? Making plan B would be useless then.
Would my father and great-grandfather be so cruel?
They had sent me on this awful quest, and let’s not forget the lightning bolt and the tree that could have crushed me. Did I mean so little to them? Or was unlocking my heart so important I needed near-death experiences to get there?
While I was contemplating the mess I’d found myself in, I had an unexpected visitor.
“I found you!” Junie Archer exclaimed as she ran down the path waving a book, looking as cute as could be in her ruffly pink jumper, her ponytail bouncing along with her.
I stood, not sure what to make of this. Why was Roman’s daughter looking for me? And why was she running around the resort property by herself? That wasn’t safe. Surely she had a nanny or even a security detail or something.
I met Junie at the bottom of the porch steps. She ran straight to me and wrapped her arms around my legs just like she had the night before. Her book tumbled to the ground.
“My goddess told me where to find you,” Junie whispered like it was a secret meant only for us.
It sounded like we both had troublemaking divine sides.
And just to prove what a troublemaker mine was, she had my arms wrapping around Junie just like they had the night before. My heart jolted as if someone had shocked it.It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, but it was unsettling that it kept happening with members of the Archer family.
“Junie, where’s your dad or nanny? I don’t think they would want you out here alone.”
“But I’m with you,” she said so innocently it made me giggle.
A real giggle.
“True, but I’m sure someone’s worried about where you are.” And I was more than sure that her father wouldn’t want her to be with me. The disconcerted look he’d given me yesterday when Junie had announced she had dreams about me said it all—Stay away from my daughter.
“Don’t worry, they’ll find me. They always do.”
Was sneaking off to strangers a habit of hers? I certainly hoped not.
“Well, we should find your nanny or dad.” Even though I was technically supposed to be in isolation.
“My grandma is watching me, and she won’t care that I came to see you. I told her all about how you’re in my dreams, and she thinks you’re nice. Besides, you need to read to me.”
I’d thought for sure this girl was five, but she sounded more like she was fifteen.
I leaned away from Junie.
Her adorable face was already beaming up at me, eyes wide with delight.
That’s when I found myself saying, “How about I read to you while my golden eagle finds your grandma and tells her where you are?”
“I knew it!” she shouted.
“Knew what?” I asked, genuinely confused.
“That you had a golden eagle. I dreamed about her.”
Of course she had. If I said that didn’t worry me, I’d be lying. Either my great-grandfather was meddling again—threading divine whispers into a child’s dreams—or Junie and I were tied together in some way I didn’t yet understand.
Why? I had no idea. But I had a feeling I was going to find out. And I wasn’t sure I was ready for the answer. But Junie was more than ready to get our party started.
She picked up her book—The Kissing Hand.
