Page 3 of Luck Be a Genie

I could just be.

With the barest smile on my face, I stood to pack. I wasn’t looking forward to riding in a plane again, but I was suddenly determined that nothing was going to get between me and miles and miles of white sandy beaches and turquoise waters.

Not my curse.

And especially not the absolute terror I felt when flying.

For paradise, I would deal.

Chapter 2

Lucky

My grandfather helped me through the terminal with my luggage. I tried not to wince at the four huge suitcases we were rolling along between the two of us, plus the carry on slung over my shoulder, but I would be gone for thirty days in paradise! I needed my stuff!

We’d gotten to the local Moonhaven airport without any issues, but I hadn’t expected anything less. My chaos magic seemed to bounce right off my grandfather. As a matter of fact, he chuckled over it sometimes, saying it tickled.

It tickled.

The magic that made my life a living nightmare tickled him.

Must be nice to be a full-blooded leprechaun.

I had expected him to drive me to the Portland airport, but Finn and my grandfather had worked out a deal for one of King Draven’s shifter pilots to take me all the way to Maui. And I’d heard from Dice that they were paying him hazard pay for the trip.

The little hopper plane that we’d take from this airport would be switched for a larger jet in Portland, then we’d fly nonstop to Maui. The whole trip was only supposed to take six hours or so, but my anxiety didn’t seem to care about the amount of time I’d be in the air because my hands were clammy and cold, and I would bet anything I was paler than a ghost right now.

“Your lips are turning blue, granddaughter,” my grandfather Liam said as he handed the luggage over to the attendant, and I scooped up my boarding pass when the attendant handed it across the counter. Why I still needed one when I would be the only passenger, I had no idea. But I guess rules were rules.

I didn’t comment or look back as the attendant grunted as he tried to lift my luggage and lever it up onto the conveyor, though I could feel myself blushing.

Maybe I’d gone a bit overboard?

I thought about all of the things I’d brought with me to make my resort stay feel like home for the next thirty days and shook my head. Nope, I needed it all. I just hoped my luggage actually made it to Maui with me.

My grandfather put a gentle hand on my arm, stopping me from continuing on, and then pulled me into a hug when he could feel my whole body trembling in mortal terror.

“It’ll be alright, lass. I have a good feeling.”

I closed my eyes, resting my forehead against his shoulder.

“I’m going to be in a tin can flying thirty thousand feet in the air with chaos magic. What about this is giving you a good feeling?”

He chuckled. “Trust the leprechaun.”

I sighed, pulling away. My grandfather loved me, but he couldn’t understand what it was like to be me. But I would try, again, to keep some hope alive that this wouldn’t turn into a disaster. Even though every experience in my life had taught me that it would.

I only hoped I survived.

“Did you put leprechaun magic on my bags?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Right and tight, I did. It’ll all get there safely.”

I made a face. “Can you put leprechaun magic on me too?”

He flashed me a grin. “Now, lass, you know that kind of magic doesn’t work on people, just things.”

I grumbled under my breath as I picked up my carry on, and shouldered it again. “I wish you were coming with me.”