“Non?” he lifted his brows, looking at the silver haired fairy to Galeta’s right, “should I tell them of your breach of magic then?”
Nina the White jerked and looked at Galeta. The silver of her eyes turned a creamy spiraling white as she gazed through her third eye-- her spirit eye-- at Galeta. “Sister?”
Esmeralda the Green’s voice mimicked her sister’s, her voice rang with the strain of bells. Green vines crawled from the tip of her green wand, inching slowly toward a visibly shaking Galeta. The thorns of justice would be all the fairies would need to convict Galeta of improper use of magic. But Gerard was no longer interested in revenge, all he wanted was his Betty, but he needed something first, and he wouldn’t leave here without it.
“So?” he narrowed his eyes. “Have we a deal?”
Danika gripped her wand, worrying her bottom lip, and jerking her gaze back and forth between him and the tribunal.
Galeta’s thin lips compressed into a hard line. “What is it?” she asked between clenched teeth.
“I want you to make me the mate.”
Nina the White sucked in a sharp breath. “Think long and hard what you ask for, Gerard Caron. For once the soul is bound it can never be unbound.”
He held his chin high. There were no doubts, she loved him, that’s all he wanted. “I know what I ask, fee. I want my soul, and my life forever bound to hers.”
Esmeralda turned her black alien like eyes on him. “So mote it be.”
The air shivered with the use of such powerful magic as the tiny fairy covered in vines glided down toward him. “Your heart is pure, Gerard, your wish is granted.”
In an instant Danika grew to human height and threw her arms around Gerard’s waist. “I knew it, boyo. Knew she was the one. Did I not say?”
Gerard’s grin was proud, grateful. “Oui, fee. You knew.” He hugged her back.
She stepped back, her blue eyes twinkled with joy. Patting his cheek with a motherly fondness she said, “I must needs be off. I’ve a wolf to satisfy. But I wondered if you could give Betty a message for me.”
Gerard tilted his head. “What?”
Danika smiled, her form became vaporous as a glowing blue tunnel spun behind her. “Tell her to tell Trishelle I said hi, and I’ll be seeing her very soon.” And with those cryptic words, she vanished.
***
Three months later and Betty still cried herself to sleep sometimes. She’d hoped and waited, expecting stupidly Gerard would return for her, would return to confess his love. She’d known, even as he’d slipped through the tunnel, that he’d meant to say those words back. Had seen them trembling on his tongue.
She loved him. The pendant had glowed, he was free, which meant he’d left, just like Trisha said he would. Just like she’d known he would.
She drank tea at her kitchen table, hating that she’d developed a taste for it, and using a red sharpie to circle yet another potential roommate in the paper. She couldn’t live alone anymore, come home to the unbearable silence of an empty house. He’d spoiled her in so many ways.
She glanced at her half eaten plate of frozen waffles and sighed.
Betty had an appointment in another ten minutes, a girl in college. They’d talked over the phone, and the references were good, at this point, she didn’t much care. She should get out of her robe, the girl was gonna arrive any second now.
Pushing away from the table, she walked to her bedroom when the doorbell rang. “Dammit,” she looked down at her scrubby robe. She turned back. If it was a guy, she’d change, but she just didn’t feel like it now. She had a hot date with a Hagaan Daaz after the appointment, and he sure didn’t care.
Betty opened the door and then screamed when Gerard’s smiling face looked back at her. She slammed the door, trying to close it on him, he shoved it open.
“Cherie, hear me out.”
“Screw you!” She stomped back to her room.
He swung the door shut and ran after her. “Betty, wait.”
“Why?” She stopped and turned, fists clenched tight by her sides, knowing if she didn’t… she’d clock him. All the anger, pain, humiliation, and angst bubbled to the surface at once and she was dizzy with it all. “I told you I loved you, and you bailed out on me. Now three months later…”
“Three months?” He forked fingers through his hair and her heart flipped, why couldn’t he have at least been uglier than she remembered? His face was still as drool worthy as ever, the five o’clock shadow scruffy and framing a jaw seeming chiseled from granite. His blue eyes crinkled at the corners, then he groaned, slapping a hand over his face.
He grabbed her hand, leading her to her room. Betty dug in her heels, trying to push his iron grip off her wrist. “If you think you’re gonna get lucky now, buddy--”
He grinned, and the flip in her stomach was almost physical pain.