“Sit,” Danika gestured to the couch, “this might take a while.”
After an hour, many questions, and lots of groans, Betty was beginning to understand the sheer magnitude of her situation.
“Please tell me,” she eyed the necklace she had no intention of wearing, “that is not what I think it is.”
Danika started swishing her wand, probably from a case of nerves, but Betty had seen how powerful that thing was, and didn’t want it swishing anywhere near her.
“Please don’t.” She pointed to the wand and Danika blinked as if she hadn’t realized what she’d been doing.
She tucked it into her pocket and threw her hands up with a dramatic sigh. “You must understand, it was the only way. I had to tell them you two were mated in order to spare his life. In Kingdom we’re not allowed to kill those who’ve truly bonded. Too cruel.”
Betty laughed. “Oh and neutering a grown man like he was a dog, isn’t?”
Danika wrinkled her nose. “That should never have happened.”
“Then why didn’t you stop it?” Betty glared.
Danika sucked in a sharp breath, her jaw trembled, and it was obvious the tiny thing was close to tears. Betty’s heart softened against her will, not that she really knew a thing about Gerard, but seeing him suffer like that… for some personal vendetta-- and she could only guess it had something to do with being jilted (no woman ever went that crazy unless it involved a matter of the heart)-- it was wrong. Danika was a fairy too, she should have stopped it.
“Short answer is, I cannot.” Danika shook her head, sending her fat curls bouncing. “She is the Head Mistress of Fairy Inc. and we cannot raise a hand against her. But besides that, my power is no match for hers. I cannot undo what she has wrought.”
“Then tell someone who can!” Betty shouted.
Danika’s look was sad. “Would that I could, lass, truly. But that is not the way of it in fairy, Galeta wouldn’t let me close to anyone powerful enough to tell.” Her small frame shook. Danika took a moment to gather herself, and with a deep breath, gave Betty a calm smile. “But this is where you come in. You can fix this, Betty Hart.” Danika grabbed the necklace that still floated and traced the glass pendant with a soft sigh. “This is the pendant of Veritas.”
“Truth.” Betty nodded, recognizing the Latin word immediately. “What truth?”
“Yours.” Danika pressed her lips together. “In essence he’s bound to you for a month. The pendant is a recording, not of what happens in a physical sense, but rather a recording of the heart. At the end of the month he will stand trial one final time, the pendant will either glow for him or not.”
“What does that mean exactly?” Betty bounced her leg up and down.
“I told them you were his mate, but obviously they did not believe me.” She held up the locket. “However, if the pendant glows then he’ll be set free.”
“Oh,” her eyebrows shot up, and then quickly turned into a frown. “Oh. And if he doesn’t pass the test,” she waved her hand, “he has another test or something?”
“No, not exactly, dear.”
“Then I don’t understand.”
Danika’s wings fluttered a nervous rhythm. “If the necklace fails to glow, he’ll be killed. That was their verdict. To be freed you must fall in love with him, that is the condition.”
She sucked in a breath. That was impossible. That big, virile man, in danger of losing his life if she didn’t fall in love with him. “That’s… that’s barbaric.”
Danika shrugged. “All things considered, he’s lucky.”
Betty chewed on her thumb. “And if I fall in love with him? Does that mean he stays?”
“He’ll stay.” Danika glanced at the wall opposite her.
Betty tilted her head. The way the fairy had said it, more like a question than a statement of fact bothered Betty, but it didn’t really matter because Betty had no intention of falling in love with him. Though she wouldn’t think about him dying either, there had to be a way around that. No way would she be responsible for sending someone to their death. No way. Betty was plenty smart, she’d figure this out. “What about the other thing? The thing Galeta did to him?”
“Put this on.” Danika handed Betty the necklace.
The thin chain felt as heavy as a five pound dumb bell on her finger. She could barely stand to look at it. “I’ll put it in my jewelry box. I don’t want this thing on me.”
“Doesn’t work that way, dear.” Danika swished her wand and unclasped the ring. “Move your hair.”
“Why? I really don’t want to wear this.”