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I recalled my conversation with Dr. Edmonds. “Your brother mentioned he came from a family of overachievers.”
“Oh, yes. I was still an engineer when my brother asked me to collect the changeling. Once I divorced, I gave up my career to look after my children. I took a job as an art teacher for the elementary school. I always enjoyed drawing, but my parents preferred me to focus on math and science.”
“Why not move away from Fairhaven? Weren’t you concerned your brother would figure it out and steal the child?” Knowing what I knew about dear Dr. Edmonds, I wouldn’t put it past him.
“I considered it, but part of me didn’t want to take her too far from the crossroads, just in case.”
“In case what?”
Her gaze dropped to the counter. “In case I couldn’t handle her.”
“What would you have done? Send a child through the crossroads and hope for the best?”
“No, of course not, but I might’ve tried to find some of her kind to ask for guidance. As it turns out, that wasn’t necessary.” Her gaze flicked to an elementary school photo attached to the fridge with a Fairhaven magnet. “She’s thriving now. I couldn’t be prouder.”
A thought occurred to me. “There was no trade.”
“Pardon?”
“Usually, changelings are swapped with a human child, but you didn’t have a human child to swap.”
“No. I simply paid the woman.”
Human money was useless in the fae realm. There was more to this story. “Paid her with what?”
“An elixir that my brother made. That was the deal.”
“What did the elixir do?” Eighteen years ago meant it would’ve predated the god elixir.
“Wendy’s biological father had a disease that affected the male line. The elixir would prolong his life.”
Now I understood her previous comment. “So the fairy mother sacrificed her child to keep her husband alive, and possibly her son.” My chest tightened at the prospect of Sian carrying the disease, too.
“I would’ve let him die if it meant giving up my child,” Sarah said.
I didn’t doubt her for a second.
“Where’s your daughter now? Based on what you’ve told me, I’m guessing not away at college.”
“No, and believe me, I felt guilty about that, but she didn’t want to leave Fairhaven either. She’s been happy here, Miss Clay. I promise you that.”
“I never doubted it.”
Sarah wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “Will you take her back to the other realm to meet her mother?”
“Not personally, no. My job was only to locate her.”
“But her brother will,” she said, matter-of-factly.
“Only to see their mother and say goodbye. Then she’ll be back. I promise.”
Sarah burst into tears. “What if she doesn’t come back? What if she loves it there so much, she decides to stay?”
I resisted the urge to remind her that if you love someone, set them free. If someone said that to me under the circumstances, I’d probably hit them.
“Where can I find your daughter?” I asked gently.
Tears welled in her eyes. “Please. She doesn’t know her real origin. I always said it was a regular adoption. My kids don’t know about other realms. I’ve always warned them to stay away from Wild Acres and the Falls.”
