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I gape at Birdie. Why on earth would she bring up my magic so casually in conversation? The people of Wild Haven love to talk about the Fae and pretend they have magic, but in actuality not many people do. In my life I’ve met roughly a handful of people who could do any kind of magic and that includes my friends, and our parents. Miri and her mom, well, they were the first people outside that group that I’ve known to have magic of any kind. Not sure if Birdie would know that or not and the fact that she so flippantly mentions it has me narrowing my eyes.
Ruby’s fork full of potatoes freezes half-way up to her open mouth, her eyes wide as she darts a glance at me. Miri’s eyes do a round robin, touching briefly on all of us. She slowly sets down her roll and takes a long drink of water.
“That’s not really the reason I didn’t go fishing for so long,” I grumble, hoping to distract from Birdie’s crazy slip-up. Regret punches me for reminding Birdie about what had happened after I got home that day. My dad had overheard Birdie sharing that same story with my mom, because she thought it was sweet. My dad wasn’t as impressed with his fucking pussy of a son. He’d beaten me and then beaten my mom when she’d stepped in to stop him. That’s how most of my stories ended. Something amusing or nice would happen, my dad would find out, then beat me to within an inch of my life. Unless my mom was there to take the brunt of his anger. Until he went too far when I was eight.
The heartache and hurt that flashes across Birdie’s face makes me regret my words and wish I could pull them back inside my head. That’s the only place such dark memories should exist.
“I can’t imagine you as a child. You seem like the type of man who came out fully formed.” Miri chuckles and I catch her eye and instantly know she’s attempting to defuse the tension. Birdie and Ruby join in with a relieved sort of laughter.
“Yes, I’m Benjamin Button. Aging in reverse.”
“I was thinking more like those evil warriors in Lord of the Rings that come out of the goo all ready to go to war. Or maybe Rocky from Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
Ruby snorts out a laugh and I bite the inside of my cheek, refusing to let her know she almost made me smile.
“Davis does like to wear super tiny bathing suits.”
I give Ruby my most lethal stare, but she’s too used to me and just blows it off.
“So now my choices are disgusting orcs or a science experiment?”
Miri bites her lip, enjoying my frustration way too much.
“I guess that’s not very fair, is it? Plus, you make pie.” She nods to the dessert I’ve brought, which Birdie has placed in the center of the table, as if it’s the highlight of the meal.
“Davis makes the best pie.” Birdie winks at me, singing my praises like always.
Despite my desire to remain as miserable as possible, I can’t seem to stop stealing glances at Miri. She has Birdie and Ruby laughing most of the meal and easily deflects any serious questions as if she’s been doing it for years. She probably has. Her mom moved them all over the country. I doubt Miri lived in the same place for more than a year before she moved in with my aunt Dani.
“You should go take a walk along the cliffs. I promise the stories about the path to Fairy is just a myth. Davis, why don’t you take her. Show her the stairs down to the beach.”
“What?” I wasn’t paying attention to Birdie, somehow getting lost in the long fringe of lashes framing Miri’s dark brown eyes.
“Take our guest for a walk, Davis,” Birdie commands.
I sigh while pushing away my empty plate, knowing it’s not worth the fight. I might be distracted, but nothing can keep me from inhaling Birdie’s cooking.
“Don’t eat all my pie while we’re outside.” I narrow my gaze on Ruby first, then at Birdie, who waves me off. “Let’s go,” I say to Miri, nodding toward the door and heading down the hallway without waiting to see if she’s following me.
“Manners, Davis,” Birdie calls out from behind me, but I don’t stop until I’m out the front door. Sitting in the same room with Miri less than a foot away from me for the last hour has been more challenging than I could have expected. I spent half of it memorizing Miri’s face, still not over my surprise to see her here, all grown up. I spend the rest of the meal plotting ways to get her off this island, to keep her safe.
Now that she’s here, can I really force her to leave? I highly doubt she’ll agree even if I asked nicely, which I’m incapable of doing.
Fuck.
