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We both laugh at her exaggeration.
“If I’m honest,” she says, head lowered so that her eyes are fixed on the floor, “I’m insanely jealous. You two have what I want with Law.”
I place the pizza and the soda on the bed and walk to Maggie’s side, leaning down to hug her.
“Are you sure you’re ready for that? You’ve been through so much, Maggie. I worry about you.”
She chews on the inside of her lip. “A lot has changed, Marina. I’m not the girl I once was. We’re survivors. We might be inexperienced in some respects, but in others, we’re stronger than the average girl our age.” She winks and I smile. “I want to live. I want to enjoy life.” She takes a breath. “I want it with Law.”
Her certainty about how she feels gives me hope that she truly is in a good place. She doesn’t look like a girl with an infatuation when she talks about Law. She looks like a woman in love.
“Just be patient,” I say, running my hand down her silky blond hair.
She nods.
“Let’s eat. I’m starving,” I say, plopping down on the bed and throwing open the pizza box.
“How much do you know about changelings?” I ask around a mouth full of pizza. I’m trying to gauge how much she already knows.
“Changelings? Umm... that would be exactly zero,” she laughs.
“Then I have a lot to fill you in on.”
Being with Maggie is everything I need. A part of me has felt missing for so long, and having her here is the balm to my shattered soul. But as much as I love our time together, I know this bliss will be short-lived. There is so much ahead of us.
“As much as I’m loving this time together, I think we should really be in that meeting with Julian and Law.”
She raises a brow. “Why? We have pizza.”
“I’ve recently uncovered some information that I think you’ll all want to hear.”
“Is this about the journal you mentioned?”
“Partly. There’s a lot more to it,” I explain. “Plus, you want to go to Seattle, and that will need to be arranged soon.”
She nods her head vigorously. “Yes. Okay. Let’s finish these slices and go look for them.” She looks down at her yellow dress. “Any chance you have something else for me to wear? I don’t want to wear yellow anytime soon.”
We both laugh, but I can’t agree more. That dress symbolizes a day that has haunted me for a long time. It really does need to go.
* * *
We find them just where I suspect, in Julian’s office, poring over papers spread across the desk. I knock on the door frame, drawing their attention toward us. “Busy?” I grin.
“W-what are you two doing down here?” Law asks, but his eyes remained fixed on my sister. I smirk because my work here is done.
Gone is the yellow dress and white bow. In its place, she wears a white cowl-neck sweater dress that hangs mid-thigh, with a pair of brown over-the-knee boots. Her hair falls down her back in soft waves. Her makeup is minimal, but it’s just enough to highlight her high cheekbones and striking blue eyes.
Gone is the troubled girl who jumped from that cliff. In a sense, she really did die that day. This Maggie is more confident and definitely comfortable in her own skin. She doesn’t even wobble on the heels or play with her hands nervously. Her back is straight and chin held high. I envy her in this moment.
How she’s managed to come this far by being locked away in Marcellus’s house is beyond me, but I gather it has something to do with the man she is watching intently.
Law clears his throat, pulling his attention back to the papers in front of him. “You might as well pull up a chair. We can all trade stories.”
“Oh good,” I say, walking toward the table. “Because I have a fairy tale for you.”
Julian’s eyebrow quirks upward. “A fairy tale?” he asks, sounding amused.
“Yep,” I pop thep. “Ever heard of something called a changeling?”
