Brody wrapped his strong arms around her and let her cry on him. His hand rubbed her back as he tried to comfort her. When Mina had settled down, he asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I went back in time. The shoes did it. I was supposed to help my ancestors and save myself and my family from disappearing.”
It took Brody all of one minute to let the news sink in. “And you knew the shoes did this? That they would take you back in time. When were you going to tell me?” That reaction was not what she expected.
“Soon. After tonight. I don’t know. I was just given them today, and no one told me when they would work—only that they needed to charge. Then—” she waved her hands in the air, “—poof I would go. But they sent me to the wrong time. I was nowhere near where I should have been. In fact I was on the wrong plane entirely.”
“Where’d you end up?”
“On the Fae plane. I was attacked by a griffin.”
Brody didn’t look pleased. “Take them off,” he demanded.
“I can’t. I need to be ready in case they work again. In fact, give me your phone. I have to call Mei.”
His lips thinned in frustration, but he let her have his cell phone. She quick dialed in Mei’s number.
Mei answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Mei, it’s me. It didn’t work. I didn’t fix anything,” she rushed out. “I doomed everyone.”
“Mina, Mina. Calm down, okay?” There was muffled whispering, and then she heard static. “You’re on speaker.” Mei’s voice sounded far away. “Constance is here.”
Mina put them on speaker phone too, so Brody could hear. “I ended up on the Fae plane. Not the human plane. The shoes are defective.”
There was a moment of silence, and then Constance said, “They’re not defective. How long were you gone?”
“I think only a few seconds,” Mina answered. Brody nodded his head in agreement.
“Then they took you exactly where you needed to be for the right amount of time. I’ve talked with Schumacher, and he explained that they can only hold you in time for a certain amount total before their powers are depleted for good. Look at the heel.”
Mina slid one shoe off and turned it over. Sure enough, within the heel was a small hourglass. The top half was filled with hundreds of tiny diamonds that looked like sand. Some had started to fall, but the top was still filled.
“Do you have time left?”
“Yes, there are still diamonds within the heel.” Mina swallowed and felt herself start to relax.
“Then you still have time. Trust the shoes; trust Schumacher. Just don’t lose them—don’t even take them off,” Constance said.
“You’ll do it, Mina. You will fix this.” Mei jumped in, trying to calm her down.
“What do I do now?” Mina asked. A knock came on the door. “Wait,” she whispered. Mr. Carmichael popped his head into the room and motioned for Brody. When he was out of earshot, she whispered softly. “I met Teague on the Fae plane, and he didn’t know who I was.” She turned the volume down slightly so Brody and his dad wouldn’t hear.
“Then keep it that way. Don’t let him figure out who you are. Lie. Mina, I’ve told you before what you need to do to break the curse. If you go back again, I think you must seize your moment,” Constance said.
“And do what?” she said louder than she meant to. Brody glanced over at her, his brows lifting in concern before he turned back to speak to his dad. It seemed like things were getting heated over there too.
“I’ll be right back. I’m just stepping into the hall,” Brody said. He stepped out and closed the door softly.
“Mina you know what you have to do to save your family, your mother, and even your father.” Constance’s voice became sterner. “I know you know. Now I want to hear you say it.”
She sighed loudly into the empty room, “Kill Teague.”
Constance waited a moment before responding. “I’m glad you’ve come to accept that. This is why the shoes took you to that time and place. You can gain his trust and kill him before it’s too late.”
The shoes started to flash again, signaling another time jump.
“Oh no! It’s about to happen again,” Mina called out in fear. Mina turned the volume back up and set the phone on the seat beside her. She stood up.
“Mina?” Mei’s voice sounded unsure and her voice filled the room over the speaker phone. “If you do this, you may never meet me in the future. Because there will be no need for Godmothers.”
“Oh, Mei,” Mina started to cry.
“I’m not saying this to dissuade you.” Her voice was shaky with emotion, “I just wanted to say that I have come to love you dearly, like my own daughter. And I’ll miss knowing you.”
“I love you too, Mei,” Mina sobbed.
“Mina,” Constance’s self-assured voice called to her.
“Yes.”
“Do whatever you have to do to survive. Do you understand?”
“I do,” Mina answered, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. She moved to the middle of the room, leaving the cell phone on the chair.
“And, Mina, one more thing,” Constance’s voice sounded.