A wicked light sparkled in Mom’s eyes. “What can I say? I lie a little bit sometimes.”
I clicked my tongue. “Did you lie about the lesser fae being able to travel?”
“Nope. People like your father and me can travel whenever and wherever we wish. You’re the bridge, Evie, and it’s not like you ever invited me over for tea. I had to make excuses to see you. As lies go, it was one of my more innocent ones.”
“Dammit, Mom. What else did you lie about?”
Mom lifted both of her hands in a sheepish shrug. “I can’t remember all the lies I’ve told over the years. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
“That’s a lot of damn bridges!”
She grinned. “I’m tired and want to make some tea, so let’s get on with this. Remember, picture me in the place where you want to go.”
“And how will we know what happened if you’re not there?”
Mom reached into her pocket and waved her cell phone.
I pressed the space between my brows. “Right.”
“You need a nap,” Moira said.
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Hush. I’m trying to concentrate.”
A wind whipped around us as I pictured us all arriving in my driveway. Seconds later, the crunch of gravel sounded under my feet. I opened my eyes.
Mom was on her knees a few feet away, looking positively green around the gills.
“Mom!”
She held up a hand. “Give me a moment,” she croaked.
I crouched down next to her. She sucked in a breath and slowly rose to her feet. “I think you need a little more practice. Perhaps we should have started with inanimate objects.”
“Are you okay?” Guilt flooded me. “I am so sorry.”
Mom spread her fingers out and wiggled them. Then she bent to look at her legs and kicked off her shoes to examine her feet.
Moira snorted.
“All my fingers and toes made the trip, so I’ll call this a success.” She swayed on her feet.
I reached for her elbow. “Why don’t you come inside for a little while?”
But Mom shook her head. “No. I’ll be fine in a moment. That was quite a ride, but wonderful news for you.”
After seeing Mom on the ground, I’d forgotten why I was trying to move her. “We can get rid of Lugh!”
“Yes, hopefully. Practice more with smaller objects. To be sure, I’d try to get within touching distance. Skin to skin contact is better unless you nail the magic before you see him again.” She smiled and touched my chin. “He will be on guard, Evie. Take care in his presence.”
“We still don’t know how to break the spell on Tess,” Moira said. “How much longer will she have to stay there?”
“I’ll work on that,” Mom promised. “For now, she’s fine. Lugh remains in your realm and Tess is an afterthought. She’s as safe as she can be.”
I didn’t like it, but she was right. “Keep an eye on her for me?”
“Things will get complicated if I travel to other realms too often. And even though I can travel, using a bridge is much easier. I don’t have to expend any magic when I do. So, I might have lied, but the tree was beneficial to us.”
At my crestfallen look, Mom’s eyes softened. “But I have trusted friends I can ask to peek in on her.” She touched myshoulder. “Tess will be fine. Lugh is the problem you should focus on.”
