front of her face.
“I can’t believe you allowed magick at my hen party.” Gracie laughed at Fi’s face as she picked up the bracelet and secured it on her wrist. It sparkled there like it was lit from within, and all the women nodded their approval.
“It is your party, after all. It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t include… well, what makes you you,” Fi said, shifting uncomfortably in her latex dress and wishing she’d made a different choice for her outfit.
“And you, too. When you’re ready to accept it,” Gracie said, and Fi shifted again as all eyes turned to her.
“It’s not that I’m not accepting it, and that’s the truth of it. It’s just not a comfortable thing for me. You’ve taken it like a duck to water, you have, Gracie. Since the moment you could walk you’ve been all fire and magick. But that’s not me.” Fi shrugged a shoulder.
“You don’t have to live like Grace to accept your power,” Aislinn said softly.
“I do accept it. I just don’t want to rely on it or use it to live.”
“Is that what you think we do? Use it as a crutch to prop our lives up?” Keelin asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
Fi realized she might be offending her family. “No, I don’t think that at all. I envy your ease with what you have. I’m just… I guess I’ve always needed to prove I can do it on my own. Without any added… abilities.”
“But those abilities are you. You wouldn’t tell a rugby player not to use his muscles in a match. Or a singer not to use her voice. It’s just part of who you are,” Morgan said.
“I… yes, I suppose,” Fi said, hating that the attention was on her once again. Seeing her distress, Gracie came to the rescue.
“Enough about Fi. This is my night, ladies! I believe there was a round three?”
“There is! At the pub. Shall we?” Fi jumped up, grateful to be leaving that particular discussion behind.
“They’ll not let this go, you know,” Kira whispered at her shoulder.
“As long as they lay off tonight, I can handle them,” Fi said back.
“Then let’s party and I’ll steer them away if I see you cornered.”
“Hopefully it’ll be too loud for them to do any talking anyway,” Fi grinned.
Chapter 18
“It’s a club!” Grace crowed when they piled through the door of Gallagher’s Pub again.
“It’s a pub club,” Kira amended.
“The closest I could get to a dance club in Grace’s Cove.” Fi smiled and winked at Cait, who had been just as eager to help transform the pub into a swanky nightclub for the evening. They’d put Shane and a few of the other local lads to work all day while they were out, and now the pub barely resembled its usual charm. Instead, black velvet had been draped over the walls, hiding the Guinness adverts and whiskey signs, and a real disco ball had been hung in the middle of the ceiling. In the corner, a shiny DJ booth was set up and all the windows were covered in the same black velvet. Tall mirrored tables had been set at various points around the room, and twinkle lights and small candles completed the look. The only thing that remained the same was the long length of the polished bar that had always dominated Gallagher’s Pub.
The DJ at the booth straightened and flashed the ladies a disarming grin before starting up “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”
“Yes!” Aislinn shrieked and threw her hands in the air, shimmying her way across the… well, what was now the dance floor of Gallagher’s Pub.
“Oh my.” Fi bit back a laugh.
“Whiskey,” Grace decided, turning and looking imploringly at Fi. “We need all the whiskey.”
“I’m on it,” Fi said. She caught Cait’s eye and they moved as one, mother and daughter’s movements so in sync that they barely missed a beat as they ducked under the bar, pulled out trays, glasses, and shot glasses. Because, of course, there would be shots.
“Champagne as well?” Cait asked, brandishing a bottle she’d pulled from the glass cooler behind the bar.
“Yes. I don’t know that I can see Margaret taking down a shot of whiskey.”
“Then you don’t know Margaret,” Cait laughed. “But yes, she’ll likely drink a nice glass of red or some champagne instead.”
“This is great. Look how much fun she’s having.” Fi smiled and leaned on the bar, looking out to the middle of the dance floor where Grace had thrown herself with more