Just Believe (36 page)

Erin echoed this with a go-ahead motion
of her own.

Annabelle approached the open doorway.
She glanced back at Erin and Jocko. They both gave her a thumb's
up.

Go get 'em, Tiger.

She took a deep breath, both for
sustenance and for time.

"Finnvarra, I want Gaelen and Lucas
Riley released to me immediately."

Her words hung in the air, mocked by
the laughing breeze.

"Finnvarra, I've got a lot of good lads
here, all with shovels and plenty of salt. We're ready to dig you
out."

The laughter grew louder in the
trees.

"Then we'll sink a spade in your
rath."

The laughter grew softer, then died. A
whisper took its place. Annabelle could hear a man's voice in
it.

Damn. I thought they'd have forgotten
about that by now.

Cheered by those words, Annabelle
plunged on. "And when we've wrecked your palace, Finnvarra, I'll
bring my buddies in the press. Let's see, The National Enquirer?
The Sun? Geraldo Rivera could lead a live tour of your
palace."

The whisper in the breeze grew to the
urgent vibrations of many voices. She heard accusation and anger in
them.

Release them! We'll be
ruined.

They'll destroy us. We should strike
first.

No! We could not.

Release them! Release them!

Annabelle turned back to the crowd
who'd followed her to give them a smile of encouragement. Then her
mouth fell open in horror.

They were all frozen in place, as
though in suspended animation.

Annabelle was suddenly alone facing all
of Faerie. And Jocko had the spade.

Chapter Twenty Six

Annabelle turned back to the yawning
doorway. It was still open, held by the iron knife. A light
glimmered far down the tunnel, coming toward her. She ran back to
Erin and grabbed the saltbox from her sister's frozen
fingers.

"Erin!" She waved her hand in front of
Erin's face.

Not even a blink.

"Okay. Be calm." She waited for the
light to arrive, and whatever was coming with it.

The High Councilor emerged from the
tunnel, his wings retracted.

"What have you done to them?" Annabelle
asked, a wave of her hand indicating the gathered crowd behind
her.

"Nothing." He raised his hand at her
expression of disgust. "Really. We've done nothing to them. We've
just expanded our circle a bit so we can have time to
talk."

"I'm speeded up, too?" she asked, her
spine tingling with the realization of the risk she was
taking.

He nodded. "How much older you get with
respect to them," he motioned toward the crowd, "depends on how
quickly we can conclude this business." He planted his feet and
stared at her. "What do you want?"

"I already told you. Gaelen and
Lucas."

"That's all?" He didn't look
convinced.

"What else could I want?"

"Riches, fame, glory."

"You could give me that?"

He smiled a knowing smile. "So, you can
be bought?"

"Asking a question isn't the same as
offering a price."

"Quite so. What do you
want?"

"Gaelen and Lucas."

"Why?"

She frowned in confusion.
Why?

The High Councilor became impatient.
"Come, girl, if you don't know why you want them, why
bother?"

"If I understand your question, I want
Lucas for my sister, who loves him."

"And Gaelen?"

"I want Gaelen for myself." He stared
at her, his face expectant. "I want Gaelen because I love
him."

"What about our law?"

"What about it?"

"They have broken the law, and we must
protect ourselves."

"Phooey! I've heard all about your law,
and it's hokum."

His expression looked like she'd
insulted his mother.

"Haven't you people ever heard of
Descartes?"

"I went to grade school with him," the
High Councilor intoned.

Annabelle grabbed her quickly escaping
courage. "Then you know your existence is no more provable than
ours. 'I think, therefore I am.' It's that simple. Your existence
is not dependent on a mortal believing."

"Easy for you to say, mortal
woman."

"I didn't say it. Your school chum
Descartes did." Seizing her advantage, she continued, "As far as
not revealing yourselves, you do it all the time. You have mortals
you call favorites."

"Yes."

"You reveal yourselves to them. Is
every fairy who reveals himself to a favorite breaking your
law?"

The High Councilor frowned. "What do
you know of favorites?"

"My father, Vern Tinker, was a
favorite."

The High Councilor stepped closer to
her, his eyes studying her face. "You're Jumbo Tinker's
girl?"

Annabelle replied with a
nod.

"And that is your sister?"

"Yes, sir," she replied regaining her
voice.

He nodded and became even more serious.
"He was a great friend to our people. A great favorite. Seems only
right his daughters should also be favorites."

She didn't have a chance to ask him
what he meant because the High Councilor continued.

"You have spoken truly." He motioned to
the doorway. "You won't bring Geraldo Rivera, will you?"

Stifling a giggle, she answered, "No,
not if I get what I came for."

"And after they come out, you'll remove
the knife?"

Annabelle nodded agreement.

"All right." He swirled in a flash of
robes and disappeared. Only a flicker of light showed where he'd
stood. It flew through the doorway. In a moment, two flashes of
light emerged, one hovered over Annabelle, while the other went on
to Erin.

Suddenly, Gaelen stood before her,
weaving and holding one palm to his forehead.

"Whew! I need a vacation," he said,
wrapping his free arm around Annabelle's shoulders. Smiling down at
her, he kissed her forehead and whispered, "Hello, my
heroine."

She was speechless, so overcome with
joy and relief at seeing him again. She threw her arms around his
neck and held on for dear life.

* * * *

Inside King Finnvarra's palace, his
queen, Onagh, slipped into her chambers and dumped the sack on her
bed. The naked mortal woman had left it behind, and Onagh was eaten
by curiosity.

Carefully she pawed through it, but
found only clothing. A tunic, some long faded blue trousers, and
some linens.

They were very colorful. She held up
a…?

"What is this?" Onagh positioned the
tiny piece of cloth over every part of her body, but it only seemed
made for one. She blushed as she glanced to make certain none of
her ladies were coming in. They were obviously still watching the
debate going on between the mortal woman and the High
Councilor.

Onagh shucked off her gown and stepped
into the strange garment. The triangular scrap of cloth in the
front covered her femininity, almost. She stood before the mirror
and turned.

Scandalized and thrilled at the same
time, she saw her buttocks were bare.

How naughty!

Smiling a secret smile, Onagh reached
for the other garment. A matching wine red color, it was a band
with two cups attached. Well, no mystery what they were for. She
fitted the cups over her breasts and struggled to attach the band
behind her. After many fruitless attempts, she reversed things and
attached the band in front, then turned the band around until the
cups were in the right place. Then she slid her arms through the
shoulder straps.

"Wow!" she whispered, gazing at herself
in the mirror. Her breasts seemed much larger.

She heard the angry footfall of her
husband. Onagh had long suffered through Finnvarra's interest in
mortal women. Well, this day, he would be interested in
her.

"Damn!" Finnvarra came into their
chamber and threw himself on the bed. He flopped onto his back and
his gaze fell upon his wife. "Damn," he whispered, his meaning
totally different. "What happened to you?"

"Don't you like it?"

Mouth hanging open like a starving man,
Finnvarra nodded. "Very much, my queen."

"Too bad about the mortal girl," she
offered.

"What mortal girl?" Finnvarra asked,
his eyes for Onagh alone as he reached for her. 

Epilogue

The earthy breeze blew off the river.
The golden sun warmed the ground. A perfect day for a flying
lesson.

Gaelen glanced back at the big white
house where his mother-in-law now lived with her new husband. There
had been some big-time payback, but Eochy had survived. And if his
expanding gut was any indication, he was thriving.

Lucas and Erin sat on a blanket under a
willow tree, their newborn son, Michael Vernon, lying between them.
There was a marriage that didn't happen a day too soon.

He swept the area, looking for
Annabelle. She'd been begging for this for months, ever since she'd
had a chance to settle down and remember everything her mother had
told her about her own voyage to the Land of Youth. And she hadn't
stopped nagging until he'd agreed to find out from Eochy how he'd
done it. He'd been surprised at how easy it was.

Of course, she was a favorite, so
Gaelen had to honor her request.

She came skipping down the walk from
Eochy's house, a wide smile on her face, even brighter than the
sun.

"Ready?" He held his left hand to her,
and smiled as the gold of his wedding ring caught the
sunlight.

"Yep."

He led her to the edge of the
cliff.

"Remember, now, you can't open your
eyes. And you have to believe."

Annabelle gazed at him, eyes bright and
twinkling.

"You know I believe in you." She leaned
forward and pressed a kiss on his lips.

"Let's go!" She closed her eyes and
held on.

Gaelen judged the breeze and unfurled
his wings. Seems his ol' da had forgotten to tell him they could be
used to glide. He stepped toward the edge of the cliff. Annabelle
followed, no hesitation in her step. Her smile was, as ever, full
of wonder and anticipation.

If anything, it was Gaelen who was a
bit uncertain, but he'd never let her down.

He leaned out into the uplifting breeze
and stepped out. Annabelle followed.

"Whe-e-e-e-e!" Annabelle's voice sang
above the wind.

Lucas and Erin, Eochy and Susan, stood
at the top of the cliff and waved, laughing and calling.

Gaelen glided along the river, down and
then up.

"Bridget! I feel like Superman!" he
laughed.

Annabelle laughed with him and turned,
her eyes open and smiling.

"You're not supposed to be looking,"
Gaelen said, trying to scold.

"Nonsense. I knew you could do it. Why
not look?"

And she did, her eyes taking in sights
seen only from such a height.

"Time to go back?" he asked.

"No, please?"

She was a favorite, after all. How
could he refuse?

The End

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