The Changeling (31 page)

After studying a map of the area, I figured I could cover all the possible routes she could take south of Springdale in a few weeks. I felt panic, however, when I considered the timeframe and how much worse off Mitch might be if it took weeks to find him.

Rachel and Candace came to the cottage to get ready for prom with me. I thought it would be fun, and truthfully, having them nearby would be a welcome distraction. It had been so hard to think of anything other than Mitch, I needed something to keep my attention off him for at least a little while. In the spirit of the occasion, I tried to settle into a little girl talk.

Sara seemed to know I was upset. She tried to compel me to relax, but when I refused to let her into my head, she tried a different tactic. She did a world-class impersonation of a teenage girl. The dramatic facial expressions and eye rolls tickled me, but the first time she reacted to Candace by saying, “Oh, my god,” I lost it. More impressive yet were Candace’s and Rachel’s acting jobs. Sara never seemed to figure out that the girls knew there was a Fae in the room. The irony was amusing.

Victoria, Chloe Fontaine, Mom and Grandma Sophie were in and out of my room a dozen times, helping, cooing, and gushing each time we reached a new level of readiness. Mom needed the distraction too, and I thanked Sara the first chance I got. Mom and Sara were working on my hair when the sun went down, then they turned their attention to Candace and Rachel. Candace’s mom was content to watch Sara’s fingers nimbly twist and braid her daughter’s auburn hair into an extravagant work of art. Chloe traded stories with Mom and Grandma about their first proms.

The mother-daughter ritual upstairs was only slightly more fascinating than the one going on downstairs. Chloe gave us the play by play. Sherman, Mr. Fontaine, both of Rachel’s fathers, Dad and Grandpa were in the library drinking 25-year-old single malt Scotch and trading stories of their own.

Chloe cried when Candace walked out of the bathroom in a blazing red strapless dress. She looked every bit the part of a leading lady, and at least twenty-five, when she strutted into the middle of the room and turned her thin form with her hands on her hips. Even I gasped when Sara floated into the room wearing a shimmering silver gown made of the same material as the Seelie Council robes. She was always radiant, even when she was dressed as a teenager, but it was difficult for me to comprehend just how stunning the Fae could be when they set their minds to it.

Chloe and Mom transformed Rachel, as well. In a floor length one-shoulder dress, Rachel looked amazing. The azure blue color made her eyes glow. For the first time since I’d known her, she appeared confident about the way she looked.

Sara followed me into the bathroom when it was my turn. My dress was black, with an empire bodice, low halter neckline, and some silver beading, but unlike Candace and Rachel, who’d agonized over theirs, I’d simply bought the first one in my size. I didn’t have a date and I was completely preoccupied with Mitch, so I hadn’t given it as much thought as I should have. It was obvious. It fitted poorly. With a quizzical expression, Sara fixed her large black eyes on me. I exhaled, trying to hide my disappointment.

“It’s elegant, but we can do better. How envious do you want everyone to be?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Just answer the question.”

“Umm, very, I guess, but I don’t even have a date…”

“That’s hardly the point, now is it?”

With nothing more than a touch from her slender hand, I felt the material move around my body, hugging me gently around the waist and chest. The length grew an inch to just hover above the floor, flowing here and there gracefully, and the beading spread into an intricate pattern that gleamed in the bathroom lights.

When I turned and looked at myself in the mirror again, I was in such shock that I couldn’t speak.

Sara leaned toward me and whispered, “Well, Cinderella, welcome to the ball.”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe…”

“Oh yes you can. You’ve read the stories. What’s a fairy godmother for?” she asked, spinning toward the door.

The reactions I got from Mom and Grandma were best described as shock and awe, and they were almost as good as the one I got from my father. Each was awestruck, and I appreciated the attention.

Candace puckered her lips, raised an eyebrow, and said, “Rhonda is going to loathe you tonight. Well done.”

“Yes, mirror, mirror on the wall, and all of that,” Sara quipped, still playing her role perfectly.

Phillip, Candace’s boyfriend was waiting in the living room with Billy, who looked no older than eighteen. I’d never seen him that young—he was beautiful. Sara introduced him as William and nobody seemed the wiser. Standing just behind Phillip was Ronnie, whose mint green eyes were brighter than ever. To his side, Greg, Rhonda’s blond-haired, blue-eyed brother.

“Oh, sorry about the catty comments,” I said.

“Don’t be,” Greg said, grinning. “She’s awful. I know that better than anyone. By the way, she
will
loathe you tonight.”

“Both of you look beautiful,” I said.

Ronnie’s wavy black hair was gelled just slightly and combed off his straight forehead, and the tuxedo fit his tall, muscular frame like a glove—he looked the part of a silver screen heartthrob and could have passed himself off as a Fae.

“You clean up pretty well yourself,” he grinned. “Wanna date to prom?”

“Three’s a crowd, but thanks for asking.” I grinned at the gesture.

“Uh, we have a spare.” Greg said, grinning ear to ear.

“A spare? Spare what?”

“A spare date,” Doug said, “If you’ll have me.”

I spun and saw him standing just inside the dining room, next to my dad who had his arm over Doug’s shoulder. Doug was smiling, like he used to. He looked so beautiful in a tux, and so tall. My mind flashed back to the first time he met Dad at the pool. He’d grown at least four inches since then, and was now taller than Dad—at least six foot four.

“Surprise,”
Billy said silently in my head. “
Fae godfathers are good for a few surprises, too.
”

My eyes started to mist up.

“Piñata, no crying tonight,” Mom said. “I worked too long on your makeup.”

I laughed, and managed not to rub my eyes. “Yes, Doug, I’d love a date.”

“The Packards are already at the hotel, sweetheart.”

“What?” I said, looking at Dad.

“I said the Packards are already at the hotel.
Your
ride is awaiting you out front. Sherman has offered to drive you, and look after the car.”

Sherman? As in Seelie Council Sherman?
It struck me as a little bizarre that one of the most powerful beings on the planet was going to be my chauffeur.

“Okay, thanks Dad. We’ll take good care of it.”

“Well, it is your car after all, but that’s probably a
very
good idea.” Dad clearly didn’t like the idea of two hundred high schoolers pawing and climbing around on a million dollar Duesenberg for pictures, but he didn’t put up a fight.

In another ritual, the adults gushed for a few more minutes and snapped dozens of pictures as I relaxed and genuinely started looking forward to going.

I’d only seen the Duesenberg out of the garage a few times. Dad had occasionally driven it up to the road and back, but I’d never ridden in it because, frankly, I was always afraid to touch it. Rachel rode with Adam, but the rest climbed into the massive Duesenberg with us. Sara and Billy sat in the front, the rest of us in the rear.

“I feel like Clark Gable,” Ronnie said, taking a jump seat across from Greg.

“Who?” Candace asked facetiously.

Ronnie shot her a severe look, “Google it…tonight. Straight kids…” He shook his head and stared out the window to her amusement.

We were halfway up the drive when I noticed that Smokey and Gusty weren’t trailing me.

“They’re giving you the night off. I promised Ozara that Sherman and I wouldn’t let you conjure Aether between slow songs,”
Sara’s voice sounded off in my head as we turned onto the highway.

Doug didn’t say anything, but he smiled each time I looked at him. I squeezed his hand and relaxed when he leaned against me.

In front of the hotel, throngs of my classmates stared and smiled as the big Duesy purred up to the red carpet at the front door and stopped between the Packards. Micah Johnson, a cute sophomore with big brown eyes and spiky brown hair, was dressed up as a period bellhop. He opened the rear door as oohs and ahs began in earnest. Candace pursed her lips and winked at me as I stepped out. I felt like a starlet, the feeling exponentially heightening when Rhonda gawked at me. My smile affected her like pepper spray. She spun and dragged her date inside.

The Crystal Dining Room at the Crescent looked stunning, and had Ronnie’s touch all over it. Art deco murals, lights and centerpieces, thanks to Sara, transformed the space. Period movie posters, including Sonja Henie, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Clark Gable watched over us. At dinner, I caught Doug staring at me every time I looked up. I wanted to talk to him, but thought it best to wait until after the music started. I was content just to have him with me for the evening.

After dinner, the sophomore prom servers, all dressed like Ginger Rogers or Fred Astaire, engaged in a rite of passage at Eureka Springs High. They performed for the amusement of the juniors and seniors. I’d been spared from the experience last year, thankfully.

When the music started, I dragged Doug to the floor and didn’t waste any time.

“This means so much to me.”

“You shouldn’t go to prom alone. It’s pathetic,” he said.

I laughed. “I’m not talking about prom. I’m talking about volunteering to come see me. I’m guessing it wasn’t an easy decision.”

His eyes gradually found their way to mine. A pleasant smile pulled at the edges of his mouth. “I wanted to see you before now.”

I felt my goofy smile begin to form. “Really? I wouldn’t have blamed you if you decided to have nothing else to do with me.”

“I don’t want that, Havana. Now that my head’s clear, I really want to see if we can work on being friends again.”

A reply caught in my throat and I stared at the lapel of his jacket, fighting to keep my breaths even.

“Cat got your tongue?”

I shook my head, unable to look up at him. He was really back. “I don’t deserve you.”

“Yes. You do. Crazy life and all, I’m powerless against you. Besides, who else is going to keep you out of trouble until Gavin comes back?”

Tears started rolling down my cheeks, and I couldn’t catch my breath.

“No. Don’t cry. Let’s just be happy tonight, okay?”

I nodded, still not looking at him. Instead, I rested my head against his shoulder and wrapped my arms around him.

“Would you look at them?” he asked, gently spinning me to the right.

Sara and Billy danced not far from us, but they were infinitely more elegant. It occurred to me that my classmates might notice Sara and Billy were
different
. Everyone noticed, but they didn’t suspect. The Fae took center stage, and true to their narcissistic natures, they enjoyed the attention.

Doug and I danced and laughed for an hour. I took turns with Ronnie and a few of the other guys, but when I finally came back to the table, Doug was gone. Then I saw Rhonda wander through the crowd to Rachel, who was visibly upset and gesturing wildly. I made my way toward them. Rachel said something, and shook her head. That sent Rhonda out of the room near tears. While I knew drama was a natural part of any gathering of teenagers, especially at prom, my curiosity was piqued.

“What’s wrong with Rhonda?”

“It’s nothing.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “Doug disappeared while she was talking to him, and she’s feeling neglected.”

“Has anyone seen him?”

“No. I don’t know. He probably went upstairs to hide from her. Can’t say that I blame him. All she did at dinner was complain about…well…you. Anyway, Mr. Dow is guarding the lobby, and he won’t let any students from Eureka Springs go upstairs. Since Doug’s not a student here, it was the perfect way for him to escape. That, or he’s just hiding in the men’s room.”

“Yeah, I suppose so.”

“Don’t worry, Maggie, he’s fine. Why don’t you come sit with Adam and me?”

“I’ll be over, just give me a minute.”

As I turned, I saw a flash of lightning to the west. “Great, a storm, and I’ve got two convertibles parked out in the open.”

“Want me to help?” she asked.

“No, I’ve got it.”

On my way through the lobby, I stopped to talk to Mr. Dow. He confirmed that Doug had gone upstairs, alone, after he forced Rhonda to stay in the lobby. “You look stunning Ms. O’Shea, but you’re not going upstairs, either.”

I was relieved that Doug was probably just hiding from Rhonda, and went outside to make sure the tops were up on the cars.

Sherman was putting the top up on one of them, but staring toward the west, in the direction of the storm.

“Do you need any help?”

“Maggie, go inside, quickly,” he said without looking at me.