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I grabbed a sweater and sauntered outside to the cemetery where the three fae were chatting and laughing. Wendy seemed at ease with them. I wondered whether she felt as comfortable in the human world as she would in Faerie. I sometimes wondered how I would feel in Melinoe’s natural habitat, but the underworld didn’t hold much appeal for me.
Wendy was the first to notice me.
“Sister, this is Lorelei Clay,” Sian said. “She is the friend who found you.”
The young woman beamed. “Can you believe I’m a fairy? What little girl doesn’t dream of meeting one? And to find out I am one? A literal fairy tale.”
“I’m glad to see you’re all getting along.”
“It has been wonderful,” Mama Fae said; her eyes were moist with tears. “A dream come true, not only to see her again, but to be forgiven.” She fanned herself. “And here I thought my heart had turned to stone.”
“And now we must return to Faerie,” Sian said. “I have certain matters to attend to.” He winked at me.
“Will you visit them?” I asked Wendy.
“Very soon, if my mother agrees.” She gave me a shy smile. “This has been the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me. Thank you for finding me, Miss Clay.”
Mama Fae smoothed Wendy’s hair in an affectionate gesture. “Thank your mother for me, too, for taking such excellent care of you. I could not have wished for a better outcome.”
Sian bowed. “Lorelei, your warm hospitality will not be forgotten.”
“I think warm is overstating it,” I said. “Those radiators are past their best.”
“Hey, Cinderella,” Ray called. “You’d better get ready for the ball. I don’t think any of those fairies seem like godmother material.”
I said goodbye to my guests and hurried inside the house to change. As I pulled off my top, I glanced at the phone to see a final message from Sarah that simply read, thank you.
CHAPTER 19
The ghosts fussed over me as I prepared for the gala. They’d respectfully left the bedroom when I changed into my dress but returned to critique my hair and makeup. Priorities.
“How does it feel to have reunited a family?” Ray asked.
I took a moment to reflect. “Amazing, actually. I spent years tracking lost heirs for the dead. It was nice to finally track someone for the living, even if it was under false pretenses.”
“I still like Sian,” Nana Pratt said firmly.
“So do I,” I admitted. “As far as bending the truth goes, he wasn’t so bad.” My own lies were much worse as far as I was concerned.
The ward pulsed through me, sending pleasurable sensations to my extremities. Now that I understood how to interpret Phaedra’s magical formula, I knew which visitor had arrived.
I checked my hair and makeup in the bathroom mirror one last time. The smoky eyeliner seemed excessive but given that my body was clad in a divine dress, it seemed only right to make an extra effort with my face.
“You’ve spent more time looking at your reflection this evening than the entire time I’ve known you,” Ray said. “You remind me of Renee in her teenage years.”
I ducked out of the bathroom. “I can’t help it. I’m stressed about tonight.”
“Because you’ll have to admit you have feelings for Kane?”
My head snapped to attention. “Why would I have to do that? No, because of Magnarella and his investors. We have to stop this project from moving forward without leaving a bloodbath in our wake.” For all we knew, the investors were simply clueless humans with capital to spare. They might not know the details of the vampire’s proposal, only what he chose to share with them.
Nana Pratt floated into the bedroom, fanning herself. “Oh, my. I’ve never seen your beau look so handsome. You can hardly tell he was once in league with devils.”
I dropped a small dagger into my purse and snapped it closed. “Demons,” I corrected her.
The doorbell rang, startling me. I dropped my purse on the floor and then promptly stepped on it, twisting my ankle.
Laughter boomed from Ray. “Boy, do I wish I could follow you to the gala. This is going to be a night to remember.”
