“Ah, yes,” Jem added. “As my dear old Mormor used to say, ‘Vigilant work makes true love bloom…but vigilante work will also suffice.’”
Chapter nineteen
Endings and New Beginnings
Sienna
Devri practically knocked her over as soon as Sienna set foot on the dock. The Siren threw her arms around Sienna’s shoulders and rocked back and forth as she squeezed her tightly. “Where were you? I was nearly out of my mind with worry! I had to run back to the shop for more cookies, and when I came back, you were gone. Someone said they had seen you with Erik, and then something about the Flying Dutchman, and you ran away, and Erik went after you. I tried to make him talk, but he just said he hadn’t seen you.” Devri finally stopped for a moment to breathe and then took a step back. “I didn’t believe him.”
“Is he still at the Festival?”
“No, he left about a quarter of an hour ago. Are you alright? Where did you go?” Her eyes widened as she took in Sienna’s attire. “Why are you wearing men’s clothes?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you while we walk.” Sienna linked her arm through Devri’s and pulled her down the road in the direction of the lighthouse. Casper and Jem followed right on their heels, followed by the rest of the crew.
Devri gasped and expressed the appropriate amounts of outrage at all the right parts of the story. She sighed when Sienna got to the part about Casper’s curse being broken. “It’s so romantic. Imagine the stories you’ll get to tell your children now…though probably leave off the part about jumping off a cliff to declare your love. They might get ideas.”
“Thank you,” grumbled Casper from behind.
Devri threw him a grin over her shoulder. “I take it Erik must be the reason for the parade of handsome sailors behind us?”
“Yes. He’s supposed to be moving the cargo at midnight. I’m hopeful that they’ll still be going by the time we get there. If not, we’ll just have to turn Erik in and hope that we can find enough fae to testify against him.”
Devri held up Sienna’s damaged wrist. “Do we really need more than this? Abduction and intention to commit murder should be sufficient charges, don’t you think?”
“They should be. But it will be my word against his, and he’s an elf.”
“You know Celesta will believe you.”
“Yes, but still.” Sienna pressed her lips together. “I would rather have evidence of the smuggling as well.”
If Erik’s ring is taken down, Casper won’t have to feel responsible for chasing them down anymore. He’ll finally be able to have some peace.
“Senta!” her father’s voice hailed her as they approached the front path of the lighthouse. The door was open, leaking arectangle of yellow light onto the ground. A tall figure stood behind Daland, with a beard even longer and grayer. Sienna let out a long sigh of relief.
Casper and Jem led their crew on to the beach while Sienna and Devri stopped at the house. “Papa, Drosselmeyer,” Sienna greeted them. Devri darted past and into the kitchen.
“Senta, will you please tell me what’s going on?” Daland’s face was drawn with worry. “Why is Drosselmeyer here with stories of smugglers and attempted murder? What happened when I was gone?”
Sienna smiled guiltily at him. “I’ll tell you everything, I promise. But right now, Erik and his men are in the process of transferring their cargo from the caves to whoever their buyer is. If we want to catch them, we have to gonow.”
Devri appeared with a sack of flour and one of Sienna’s dresses in her hands. “Ready to go?”
Daland looked back and forth between the two of them. “What are you doing?”
“Going to make sure Erik is visited by some angry ghosts.”
“Are they still there?” Sienna crouched down near Casper’s hiding spot after she had put the finishing touches on her appearance.
“Unless they have a hidden back door somewhere. From my count, they’re likely down to the last few crates. It’s a good thing for us that the entrance is so narrow that they have to take it one crate at a time while Doryss clears the water out.” He finally looked away from the cave and saw her. He jumped slightly.
Sienna grinned. “How do I look?” She had donned a flowing white dress and painted her face and arms with a mixture of flour and water to add an extra layer of paleness. Her hair, frizzy from sea water, was left to hand wild and free over her shoulders.
“Beautiful. Frightening, but beautiful.”
She handed him a piece of rope and held out her wrists. “Would you do the honors?”
Casper looked at her dubiously. He gripped the tips of her fingers and held one of her wrists up to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the injured skin. “I don’t know that I like this.”
