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“Josh would eat it,” Andromeda kindly reminds me.
I sink in my chair.
Zahra, heavily amused, says, “Josh is an outlier and should not be counted.”
Andromeda giggles. “You really love us kids, don’t you, Mrs. Role?”
It’s a perfectly normal question, but it seems too odd and adult coming from one of my kids. Nevertheless, I say, “Of course I do. You’re my littles, and you’re only little for so long. These years need to have enough joy to last you throughout your entire lives. You deserve better than a sandbox full of wood chips.”
“You really want a playground? For Christmas?” she asks.
I sit myself back upright in my seat. Like an adult. “It’s all right, sweetie. It’s the third year I’ve been pushing for this. It’s just a lot of money for something that we’ve already been managing well enough without. It’s hard to justify a twenty-thousand dollar luxury.”
Andromeda’s eyes go massive. “Twenty-thousand dollars? Wow. Think of all the hot pockets you could afford.”
I exhale a laugh. “Truly a massive amount. Anyway… I’ll look into some fundraisers for next year, and maybe we can upgrade before you graduate. It’s nothing you need to worry about right now.”
“Oh, I’m not worried.” Her teeth bare in a darling little grin. “I know how to problem solve.” Changing the subject, she asks, “What are we learning about today?”
I, personally, am learning I have the emotional maturity of a grapefruit and want to be Andromeda when I grow up. Pity that’s not entirely possible. Checking my plans for this third Tuesday of the month, I say, “Fractions.”
Chapter 14
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Set a little moonlight on fire for me, darling.
I do not know what Zahra and I are doing. Logically, maybe, this should have been my idea, but also I was looking forward to making dinner with my parents, cuddling my little Chai kitty, and knitting before bed…while not crossing my fingers and hoping nightmare men would appear in my dreams.
After the blow of once again not getting my shiny new playground equipment, I am not certain I’m emotionally available enough to stumble upon cultic activities in the woods.
However.
To be fair.
I shouldn’t put this investigation off for another month.
Police investigations can take time. Getting Andromeda, and possibly Pollux, into safe places when they’ve been brainwashed into believing faeries exist can take time. The sooner I find proof, the better.
Third Tuesday of November Elf Party in the Woods here I come.
Twigs crunch underfoot as Zahra marches me through the trees well beyond where Willow’s house sits nearer the path to downtown. I don’t know how Zahra knows where to go. I am a mere accessory and voice of reason in the (hopefully) unlikely event my dear sweet friend offers herself up as a sacrifice.
“Do you know where we’re going?” I ask once it feels like we’ve been stomping straight ahead for a long, long time.
“Absolutely,” she answers.
I don’t believe her.
“Did Meda give you some kind of directions?”
“I’m following the distant music.”
I try to focus my attention on something other than the crunch of our shoes, but I don’t hear anything. There’s a whisper of wind that feels faintly mystical, but that’s just the way wind is. At night. In the woods.
It’s official. We’re going to get eaten by the wildlife.
“There’s also a sweetness in the air if you can’t hear the music,” Zahra offers, benevolently.
