who’d taken up permanent residence in my heart. “He can’t be killed, can he?”
“I want to say no, but he, like any creature can be killed if a powerful force wants it badly enough.” Sensing my unhappiness with that answer, Lochlan added, “The sephalian has been the Enforcer for a long time, even by fae standards. There’s no reason to believe he won’t continue until he chooses otherwise.”
“Nine days. That’s how much time I have left to prepare. What else needs to be done?”
“The magic has settled in. You’ve chosen the cases to be heard. The only thing left is to familiarize you with fae politics. Not because it should influence your decisions, but because it’s background you need to understand things.”
“Okay,” I said slowly.
On the way to the Hallows for lunch, I stopped by Esmerelda’s. She was working at one of her vertical looms, designing something out of this world, but stopped when I came in. She said nothing, just waited.
“Can I interrupt for a minute?” She nodded. “I need a witchy thing, but I don’t trust Aoumiel.” Esmerelda waited for more, her face giving nothing away. “If I tell you what I want, will you keep it a confidence?”
“Yes,” she said.
“I want to fly. With, um, Keir Culain in his sephalian form. But I don’t want to fall off and die.”
I wasn’t expecting laughter, but she’d found something I said extraordinarily funny. “Fly all you want, magistrate. You’re not going to fall from the sky and die.”
“You’re sure?”
“If you didn’t think you could believe me, why did you come?”
Well, she had a point.
“Thanks, Esme. Are you going to the murder-mystery dinner?”
She grinned. “What an unnecessary question! Nothing could keep me away.”
“You can’t cheat and read the actors’ minds.” She just laughed. “No. I mean it. You can attend as an observer. Not a player.”
“Who put you in charge?”
“Finish that question.”
She scowled for a couple of beats and then gave me a little smile of surrender. “Who put you in charge, Magistrate?”
“You did,” I said triumphantly. I was getting used to this.
“Is that the thanks I get? For being your personal advisor?”
It was my turn to laugh. “Esme. Everybody in Hallow Hill considers themselves to be my personal advisor. Your counsel is compartmentalized to, um, fortune-telling. You’re not my shrink.”
With a shrug she turned back to her weaving. “Whatever you say.”
“Oh, for crying out loud,” I said with mild exasperation. When I reached the door, I turned back, “First dibs on whatever that is you’re working on.”
She smiled without looking away from the loom.
On the walk back to my house I called Keir.
“Hello beautiful,” he said.
“What are you doing?”
“Eating Brazil nuts and watching worldwide sports in my room.”
“You mean the room at my house that may or may not be yours?”
“Yes. My room. Don’t worry. I won’t interfere with lunch.”
“Don’t be silly. You can have lunch.”
“Oh. Well, since you asked.” I laughed silently. “Why’d you call?”
“Something to ask you. After lunch. I wanted to know where to find you.”
“A mystery. Tell me now.”
“Don’t be childish. I’ll tell you when everybody’s gone.”
When Olivia had finished cleanup and left, I knocked on the door to Keir’s room.
He opened it wide, anticipation shining in his eyes.
“I’ve figured it out. What you want.”
“What?”
“A little afternoon delight. I’m in.”
He grabbed for me. I giggled like a fifteen-year-old.
“I’m always interested in you in that way, but that’s not why I was looking for you.”
He leaned against one door jamb at the entrance to his room while I leaned against the other. “Out with it. The suspense is killing me.”
“Do you remember mentioning something about flying? Um, with me?”
The corners of his mouth eased upward into such a kissable smile I almost forgot what I’d wanted to say. But it didn’t stop there; the anticipatory pleasure traveled further up his face, bringing the light in his eyes to life in the most mesmerizing way. With a little internal shake, I forged ahead, “I went to see Esmerelda. She says I will not fall out of the sky and die.” My eyes widened. “I didn’t ask about paralysis. She didn’t say I wouldn’t fall out of the sky and be paralyzed.”
Keir laughed softly. “I suspect that was implied. Esmerelda likes you. If that outcome was possible, she would have told you. So. We’re flying? Together?” I nodded before my bravado deserted me. “Why now?”
“I’m terrified of the idea. I guess I feel like if I can manage that, I can manage to show up at Hallowstide and