“This is really strong, too,” I warned him. “Try not to breathe it in.”
I ran the cool cotton ball over the inside of his ankle, swirling it around until the red polish was gone. He ran a finger over the spot, marveling as if it really were magic.
“McKale?” I said.
“Hm?”
I didn’t want to ruin this nice moment, but I craved complete honesty between us.
“What’s going to happen?” I asked him. “She told you to stay away from me, and I’m pretty sure she wasn’t joking.”
He watched as I positioned my feet in the grass with care.
“I was no’ expecting a reaction such as that from her,” he said quietly. “I meant to be firm when I told her t’would not work, and then she laid hands on me… and my mind…”
I didn’t like the way his voice trailed off when he remembered her touch.
“Yeah, I know. I saw,” I reminded him. “You were… dazzled.”
His forehead knit together in misunderstood frustration.
“Aye, but it cannot be helped e’en when I fight it. A simple touch of Fae buggers the mind. Only the body can react.”
Lovely.
“Have you kissed her?” I asked. My heart kicked with jealousy at the thought.
He hesitated. “Nay… not properly.”
“What does that mean—not properly?” I asked.
He got shy again. “Just a touch of the lips, not like I’ve seen others snog.”
They’d pecked. How sweet. I wanted to kill her.
Someone called my name from a distance. McKale and I looked up. Mom was walking toward us, so we got up to meet her. She was worried, crossing her arms.
“Hi, McKale,” she said before focusing on me. “Did you have a fight with Cass?”
“Wha—no. I mean, we talked, but it wasn’t a fight.” Not exactly.
“I just went to get her for supper and it looks like she’s been crying. I don’t know what to do. She won’t talk to me. You won’t talk to me. What is going on with you girls?”
Oh, shoot, she was about to cry. Her eyes watered and she uncrossed her arms, running hands through her hair and then smacking them down at her sides with a shaky, loud sigh. I looked at McKale, who peered back at me with discomfort. I nodded and touched his arm, signaling that he could leave us.
Mom sniffled and shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to chase him off.”
“It’s okay, Mom. Come on, walk with me.”
We grabbed hands and strolled to the edge of the clearing, away from where the supper crowd was filtering in.
“Is it that boy, Rock?” she asked me.
“Partly. And part me. You know Cass. It’s hard for her to be cooped up here, knowing when it’s time to leave I won’t be coming home.”
“She’s going to have a hard time without you.”I looked down at the damp dirt under the tree canopy where we walked. “I know. She’s probably going to drive you and Dad nuts.”
“No more than usual. Okay, maybe slightly more than usual, but we can handle it.” She smiled and dabbed remnants of moisture away from her eyes with her fingers. “Are you sure that’s the only thing going on? She’s been so edgy.”
I carefully responded. “She’s just growing up.”
The simple answer seemed to pacify her. We walked in silence a few moments until she stopped and pulled my arm to turn us face-to-face. “Tell me what’s going on with you. Why have you been so sad? It looks like you and McKale are getting along. Am I wrong?”
I opened my mouth, prepared to feed her more generic falsehoods. When I looked into those loving eyes, what tumbled out instead was the truth.
“The Fae girl came back once after our first night here. She won’t keep her hands off McKale and I think she’s jealous that he seems to like me.” Terror flashed in Mom’s eyes and she stopped walking. “I don’t know, Mom. Please don’t say anything to Brogan. Please. We’re trying to work through it. McKale is trying to break ties with her, but you know. It’s a delicate situation.”
“Oh, dear heavens. Have mercy.” She closed her eyes.
“I don’t want you to lay awake at night worrying,” I told her. “I’m sure everything is going to be fine. I’m not getting involved—I’ll stay far away from her. McKale will deal with her and fix this.”
I hoped.
“It’s my job to worry about you, Robyn! Och, you’ve been holding this inside yourself this whole time? Do you have any idea how that grieves me so? I’m going to worry no matter what, so you may as well be open. Sometimes you have to rely on others for help. It’s not just about you and McKale. Your father and I, and Brogan, too, we all need to work together. If the Fae comes again—if there’s another altercation, no matter how small, come to us. Immediately. Swear it.”
I nodded. “I will. I swear.” Her grip tightened on my hand. She pulled me into a firm hug, mumbling something Irishy in her motherly way. Her accent had returned with a flourish since we’d been in Ireland.
As we turned to walk up for dinner together, the burden on my soul felt much lighter having confided in someone I trusted. When we got to the table, Dad was already there, sitting with Cassidy and McKale. Mom gave Dad a meaningful look and he nodded. They’d talk later.
Days passed with no visits or “altercations” as Mom called it. McKale was sweet to me, and I felt a rush each time I caught him gazing my way.
I tried to keep Cassidy busy and spend as much time with her as I could. I felt guilty for how self-centered I’d been and I wanted to make up for lost time. McKale showed my sister and me where we could find wild berries growing. We spent afternoons gorging on sun-sweetened strawberries and blackberries until our fingers were stained deep red and violet. Her spirits lifted, but with each passing day mine grew heavier with thoughts of my family leaving me and wondering when the FFG would show her perfect face again.
McKale and I went to the waterfall with Cassidy and Rock one week before my birthday. The weather was hazy and warm that afternoon. I spread out a blanket, but McKale and I ended up scouting the forest floor for different edible mushrooms while Cass and Rock swam. The two of them were a loud pair, screaming with laughter and splashing. At least she wore a bathing suit this time. I had mine on under my sundress, but didn’t feel like swimming.
We made our way back to the blanket with handfuls of morel and oyster mushrooms.
“We’ll give them to Leilah,” McKale said, sitting next to me. “She does this thing with venison and butter and ‘shrooms. ‘Tis amazing.”
I crossed my ankles in front of me and smiled at him. Maybe I’d learn to cook some things with Leilah’s help. So far I’d avoided the kitchen as much as possible, intimidated by the lack of a microwave and easy-to-use stovetop. But I was beginning to feel comfortable enough to give things a try.
Cassidy and Rock walked up from the stream, shaking off excess water before lying on the blanket next to us. Rock tickled the underside of Cass’s knee and she laughed, curling into him until they were kissing. They embraced and rolled, bumping me.
“Uh, guys, I don’t think there’s enough room on the blanket for that,” I said, staring intently at the pile of mushrooms between McKale and myself. Rock looked up at me with a lazy grin, not moving away from my sister in the slightest.
“Always room for a bit o’ snoggin’. Perhaps the two of ye should give it a go.”
He bent his head to kiss her again and my face flamed.
“Rock!” Cassidy chastised, pushing him back a little. “Don’t embarrass them.”
“They could use a bit of proddin’, is all. McKale’s ne’er properly been—”
“Rock…” McKale’s low voice oozed warning. I wondered if Rock knew about the peck with FFG.