The light turns green.
Naomi faces forward, her knuckles whitening on the steering wheel. Harper continues watching me, obviously concerned. I stare down at my arm. I am maimed, but they can’t see it. Mistress Bramble did, though. She treated my wounds. She gave me salve.
“It’s like a rift,” I mutter.
Naomi and Harper can’t see those either.
Nor could they see the pattern of glowing dots on Lainey or Griffin. Neither could Twig. No matter how hard he tried, only Jude and I could see them.
I rewrap my arm.
Naomi whips into a parking spot along the square. “Is there any chance we could forget about this for today? Do some Christmas shopping and pretend everything is normal?”
“I’m happy to try,” Harper says, peeking in my direction, looking a little conflicted, like she wants us both to be happy.
The three of us join the throng of shoppers in town square.
I finish my pancake sandwich as we peruse the Tinker’s Forge, a stall selling wind chimes made from silverware and crystal drops. We pass a vendor offering protective charms—iron horseshoes, glass vials of salt, leather pouches of herbs, which reminds me of Mistress Bramble. He tries to entice us with a creepy, “We don’t want anymore pretty girls going missing.”
Which only chases us away.
I purchase a small book of epigrams by Oscar Wilde at the Evermore Book Cart for Jude.
Maggie grunts her approval.
And I spot him, walking through the square. He spots me, too, and the relief that comes over his face is transformative, like my mere existence sets his entire being at ease.
My insides squirm.
I’m about to take a baseball bat to that ease.
I tell Naomi and Harper I’ll be back and meet him in front of the statue of Amos Vandenberg, a town hero, and also, his great, great, great-something grandfather.
“Sorry I crashed last night,” he says, sliding his arm around my waist and kissing my temple.
I melt into the embrace.
He smells absurdly good.
“I guess I was more tired than I realized,” he continues.
“I have to show you something,” I blurt.
His attention falls to the shopping bag in my hand. The innocent gesture kills me a little. If only I were showing him his Christmas gift. Alas, I hand him the bag and tell him not to peek. Then, using his body as cover, I lift the linen wrap and discreetly reveal what I showed to Naomi and Harper. Only this time, there’s a reaction. A very significant reaction.
“What happened?”
“You can see it?”
“Of course I can see it.” His hand comes under mine in a gentle embrace.
“Before I explain, I need you to know three things. First, I’m really sorry. Second, I shouldn’t have done it. And third, the plant is gone. There’s nothing left of it, so you don’t have to worry about me trying again. I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”
The furrow in his brow goes from deep to deeper.
“I opened a rift last night.”
“Youwhat?”
