deal. But now I have a condition.”
He lifted his head slightly. “What?”
“Bring me Harlow first.”
With Lally and her lemon bars in tow, Augustine hoisted a small bag over his shoulder and took them through the mirror and onto the fae plane. The gloomy gray land was ever the same. Windy, dismal, bleak. No place for the shining source of life that Olivia Goodwin had been. “Livie,” he shouted into the wind. “You there?”
“Augie? I’m over here, cher.”
He and Lally turned toward the voice. Olivia was camped out on a large flat boulder surrounded by several tall shards of rock that formed a natural partial wall. She waved them toward her. “C’mon, it’s quieter here. Out of the wind.”
Augustine jumped up first so he could give Lally a hand. She settled in beside Olivia and the two hugged each other.
“I’ve missed you both so much,” Olivia said.
“Us, too.” Lally handed Olivia the covered plate. “Here you go. I made these special for you because I know you like them.”
Livie pulled back the foil. “Lemon bars? These might actually make me forget about being dead.”
He reached into the bag and pulled out the bottle of bourbon he’d stashed. “If they don’t, this should.”
Livie took the bottle, laughing even as tears sparkled in her eyes. “You know, I don’t need to sleep or eat or drink anymore, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t missed certain things. And I’m pretty sure just because I don’t need to do something, that doesn’t mean I can’t.” She uncapped the bourbon and took a pull off the bottle, smacking her lips and moaning in pleasure. “Oh, that’s the stuff. That might actually bring me back to life.”
She and Lally laughed. Augustine shook his head. “I’m surprised to see you up here. It’s more of a climb than I thought you could make.”
The tears were gone, but the sparkle remained. “I was about to give you grief for not visiting in so long—and I still might—but these treats have me in a good mood, so I’ll just give you the update.” She leaned in like she was about to tell them a secret. “I’m getting stronger. Not just in whatever form this is, but in other ways, too. Look.”
She put the plate and bottle down to pick up the carved wood-framed mirror Lally had given her after she’d first passed over. She held the mirror up and slipped her hand through all the way to her shoulder, then pulled it out. “That’s as far as I can get but it’s something, don’t you think?”
“It’s great, Livie. Definitely something.” He wasn’t sure what it meant that she could only go partway, but it was still progress. Considering that the alternative was her growing weaker and disappearing on this plane, he’d take it. Especially if it kept her focused on something besides being alone out here.
Lally clutched at her necklace. “Oh, Olivia, do you think that means you’ll be able to come back to us?”
Livie looked at Augustine before answering. “I have no idea. I hope so.” Her gaze shifted behind them. “Say, where’s Harlow? Is she still mad at me for not telling her about Ava Mae sooner?”
Augustine had been dreading this. “About Harlow—”
“She is mad, isn’t she?” Livie shook her head, her hands fussing with the foil covering the lemon bars. “That child always could hold a grudge.”
“No, it’s not that. Not exactly.” He sighed. There was nothing to it but to dive in. “She was starting to come around, but then she got a hold of Ava Mae’s ashes and used the lightning tree to bring her back to life. It didn’t go so well and somehow Ava Mae’s spirit… took possession of Harlow.”
Olivia’s mouth fell open. She looked at Lally as if for confirmation.
Lally nodded. “I had to tell her about the tree. It was her legacy. She’d figured out something was behind that door in your closet.” She glanced skyward. “I shoulda known she’d do the same thing you tried to do.”
Olivia shook her head, still speechless. Her hands came up to cover her mouth.
Lally continued. “And after everything that happened, I had to tell Augie.”
Olivia slowly took her hands away, but turned to stare sorrowfully into the vast nothing of the fae plane. “Is there any getting her back? Any way to get her free from the tree’s clutches? I should have had you bring those ashes to me here.” She inhaled a deep, shuddering sigh. “What are we going to do?”
There was nothing