The Changeling (11 page)

“Next week,” Mom said, answering me.

I could hear the smile in Mom’s voice and I was excited. As much as I loved my grandpa, I was even happier that I would get to see Grandma Sophie. Grandma was one of a kind, and she was my confidant. Always smiling, her teeth were the biggest I’ve ever seen—her smile was one that you had to return. She was Irish and very proud of it. That made for an interesting dynamic between her and Grandpa.

Grandma moved to
Tallahassee
in the 1960s and attended Florida State where she met Grandpa while she studied sociology and he, economics. After a quick courtship, they married and moved back to Miami after graduation. While they had both mellowed over the years, Grandma was a fiery liberal and Grandpa a staunch anti-communist conservative—they were proof that opposites do attract. He always said he overlooked her kooky worldviews because she was the most caring person he’d ever met. She said she took pity on his
learning disability
and wasn’t willing to let him go it alone in the world until he could learn to think for himself. The joking aside—and they joked all the time—they fit together perfectly.

“They are going to stay in Sara’s old cottage across the cove.”

It occurred to me that the Fae would probably love Grandma—she played acoustic guitar and sang. Her voice reminded me of a folk-version of Karen Carpenter, one of my mom’s favorites.

“Is she bringing her guitar?”

Mom laughed. “Have you ever known her to go anywhere without it?”

After they left for the hospital, I decided the time was right to pay Cassandra a visit. I needed to know how much time she spent at the cottage so I could plan how to get inside. I wanted to feel her out. In my gut, I knew it was her on the island, regardless of what Ozara and the others said. Still, if she happened not to be there, I’d just let myself in. Inside the cupboard where we kept the keys was a set marked “Caretaker.”

The air was cool as I set out but not cold. Nonetheless, my teeth chattered like it was freezing—my nerves were getting the best of me. With a few deep breaths, I calmed myself and set out toward the
Seoladán
with Justice trotting along next to me. I welcomed his company.

There were a few traces of last week’s snow still lingering in shaded places, but despite the slightly warmer weather we were still a few weeks away from spring’s arrival. Although Mitch dominated my thoughts, I was looking forward to the season change. Spring made me think of Gavin and the promise he wouldn’t be able to keep this year, but I wasn’t sad.
Somewhere he’s bringing spring early.

Near the turnoff for the
Seoladán
,
I paused and took a deep breath. The boulders were gone and the road was clear of weeds. Justice nuzzled my hand and looked up the hill as I stood there. I sensed her, too.

The greenhouse caught my attention first. It was perfect and even more elegant than I imagined it could be. It stood proud at the edge of the garden, all the glass pristine and glistening in the morning sun. When I cleared
the
corner, I froze. In fact, the sight of it all disoriented me. The cottage had been restored, not a piece of trim, roof tile, or stone out of place, the gardens were clear of weeds, and the elaborate stone walls had been repaired. Neat pebble paths led from the garden gate across freshened beds to the fountain, now gleaming white marble. I couldn’t wait to see what it looked like in a month when everything would
begin to bloom
.

Cassandra was in her natural form and just across the fountain. Justice followed me to the wall, but not past it. He stared in her direction and I wondered whether he could actually sense her presence. When she took physical form, in a beautiful flowing gown that was entirely out of place, Justice sat and continued to stare at her. He didn’t growl like he always had at Chalen, but he was intently focused on her and only moved his head to follow her as she slowly glided around the fountain to me.

Her dark hair was loose today, and flowed down to the middle of her back. The pale skin on her heart-shaped face was the perfect canvas for her full lips, long dark eyelashes and
large
brown eyes. If I didn’t know she was a monster underneath, I would have admired her beauty.

“Maggie, what a pleasant surprise.”

“I thought I’d stop by and see you, like you suggested—you’ve done an amazing job cleaning the Seoladán up. It’s beautiful.”

“I’m delighted you did, though
I
’m a little perplexed. I didn
’
t think you’d visit
…
alone.” She flashed an alarming smile and continued to close the distance.

She was definitely Unseelie. The last bit was intended to unnerve me, but after facing Chalen it had little effect.

“I wanted to apologize to you, Cassandra.”

Using the technique that Billy taught me, I manufactured a sense
of
calm and sincerity, but with a hint of trepidation to sell it.

“An apology? How utterly charming and
human
of you.” She continued to walk toward me, not making a sound as she glided ever closer. Her movement made me nervous.
Breathe
,
Maggie
.

“Yes, I don’t think I was fair to you—when we met
,
I mean.”

“Whatever do you mean, Ms. O’Shea?” She kept moving, slowly, with a determined and sinister expression.

“I jumped to a few conclusions…” my words came faster, slightly more high pitched. “I was upset by what happened to Mitch, wanted to blame you for that,
and
misidentified you.”
The quick inhale caught in my throat as she smiled, her sharp, white teeth fully exposed. She continued to move toward me.

“I see. And now you’re here to make amends as it were?”

“Yes, and to tell you what a beautiful job I think you’ve done to the Seoladán. Think of it as a gesture of friendship—after
all, we’ll be working together for a long time to come.” Focusing on my calming technique, I managed to slow my breathing, and it helped, but
my breath
was still too rapid. She
keyed
in on it.

Another few feet and I
began
to feel a touch of panic. Justice growled, unsettling me. He knew I was in trouble
,
to
o
.

“I appreciate the compliment. Chalen, poor creature, did let this place go to seed. Utterly uninhabitable. But tell me the truth, Steward of the Weald, why are you really here?”

Justice
growled
continuously, but I stood my ground. I allowed a little fear to seep through—she’d be expecting it.

“You’re good at that,” she cooed as she closed to within twenty feet of me.

“At what?”

Her laugh caused me to wince. “At feeding me false emotions and images. Now, before I snap that mongrel’s back, or yours, tell me why you’re really here.” Her face turned cruel, twisted.

“I told you, I’m just here to apologize. I’ll leave if you want.”

She shook her head and I felt her whip out toward Justice. I blocked her attack before it reached him and he snarled and stood up on all fours, baring his teeth at the invisible intrusion.

“Just I suspected, I didn’t even see you try to deflect. You’re so beautiful, pretty enough to be Fae, and talented. You impress me, and that isn’t easy for a human to do.”

She reached out to attack Justice again as I began to back up. It took more effort but I blocked her again. She was testing to see how powerful I was, just toying with me.

Her smile never faltered as she drew closer. I began to walk back toward Justice, my mind searching for the next volley.
You’re an idiot for coming here
,
my mind screamed at me. From behind him,
her attack
came at blazing speed.
I threw my hand in the air and stopped it just short of him, but
she
continued to press. Justice stopped growling and bolted to my side, standing between us where he began growling again, his attention focused on her.

Cassandra was amused. She looked toward the rock wall where
J
ustice had just been and raised her index finger. As she lowered it, the stone cut cleanly in half. I couldn’t block that, and both of us knew it.

“Tell me again, Steward, why are you here?” she demanded with the same seething tone I’d heard her use on the island.

Hidden from her view, my mind raced trying to think of something to say or do. My heart
beat wildly
in my chest
,
and Justice’s growls
only made
it more difficult to think.

“Justice, stop!”

He stopped growling, but he continued to bare his teeth.

“I’m running out of patience,” she said, as she began walking faster. I threw my shield up in front of her, as powerful as I could make it, but she stepped though it like wet tissue paper.

Panic set in, and I thought about setting her on fire, though I’m sure if I tried, I’d be the one getting burned. I grabbed Justice by the nap
e
of the neck as he started to lunge.

She stopped within arm’s reach. “I’m waiting for your answer
,
”
s
he said through clenched teeth.

“Ozara forbid you to harm me or Justice. This is neutral ground, right?”

She reached up and caressed my face with the back of her icy hand, sending a chill down my spine. “You’re really quite beautiful, Maggie, definitely Fae-like, and you certainly have courage, but surely you have realized that Ozara is not here.”
Her voice was sweet and condescending, almost sanguine.

“No, she is not, but I am.” Sara said from somewhere behind me. Cas
s
andra pulled back her hand and smiled, twisting fluidly in a quarter-turn. “Maggie, behind me, now.”

“But Sara, darling, what if I don’t want them to leave?”

“Cassandra, my pet, what you want really doesn’t concern me.” Sara laughed playfully.

Cassandra’s face grew tense and it frightened me, but I wasted no time, dragging Justice with me until Sara stood between us. Sara took a step forward, and Cassandra scooted backwards a few inches, her legs stiff and her feet pushing two grooves through the gravel. Sara took another step forward and again Cassandra was pushed backwards the same distance. The only sound I could hear was the gravel under her feet crunching as it was pushed to the side.

“You see, what you want doesn’t matter. Don’t forget that
,
” Sara said.

Cassandra tried to take a step forward, her foot uplifted, but Sara moved, again forcing her backwards.

“We’ll be on our way, Cassand
r
a. Good day.” Anger flared across Cassandra’s face, but she didn’t challenge Sara again. When Sara turned toward me, she had a smug look, but when our eyes met I could tell she was angry with me. She had every right to be. I’d been stupid and careless.

“What were you thinking?” The words boiled out of her mouth as soon as the cottage door closed behind me.

I couldn’t tell Sara the real reason with Ozara reading her thoughts, so I went with my cover story. “She’s the caretaker,
so
I thought I would apologize for being so rude to her the night we met. I didn’t realize that might happen—I don’t have a death wish, trust me.”

“Nice gesture,” she said, not questioning my excuse. “But don’t do it again. To the Unseelie, an apology is a sign of weakness.”

“Well, you might have told me that before now.”