Page 105 of The Filigree Key

“Already have an answer for that,” I said, grinning. “They’ve brought in a big wagon to cart in all the supplies for the wedding, so everyone has to pile in there. Emmett, can you use those clever raccoon fingers of yours to help Daphne get the harness on? I don’t trust that mule not to succumb to faelight.”

“Of course, miss,” the raccoon said with a little bow. “It would be my honor.”

“Miss?” Cody gave his best friend an affronted look. “Since when do you call milady miss?”

Emmett adjusted his spectacles. “Since now. Seems natural, doesn’t it?”

“Miss,” Cody muttered, rolling the word around on his tongue. “Huh.”

“In the meantime, do you remember where the atrium is?” I asked. “And do you have any quartz in your satchel, Emmett? Preferably round ones or even marbles?”

The raccoon fished such a crystal out of his satchel and handed it to me. Within seconds, it was filled to the brim with my magic.

“And the atrium’s out the side door, take a right, then a left.” The raccoon gave a stout nod. “What do you need, miss?”

“I need Ame to cast an illusion on this crystal to make it resemble the cloch na wight. If you can.”

“Think I can rig something up,” the caliby cat said. “But you could too, Meadow. You have power over air and water now. Illusion magic is just a bending of light through those mediums.”

“Do I have time to learn?”

The cat actually blushed. “Well, no, so”—she placed her paw on the crystal—"imaginari cloch na wight.”

Though the quartz marble didn’t increase in mass, it increased in size. The cloudy white crystal now resembled the finest glass, complete with a smoky wight swirling about.

“I tied the spell to the magic in the crystal, as I assumed you wanted. So long as no one tries to contact the wight inside, it should fool them.”

I handed the basketball-sized crystal back to the raccoon, which he had to hold in both paws against his belly to keep from dropping it.

“One switcheroo coming right up,” the raccoon assured me. The illusioned cloch jiggled precariously in his hands with every word.

“Suck in your gut, old man,” Cody chastised. “For the love of— Here.” The beaver supported the other side, and together they scurried out the side door.

“Ame,” I said, and the cat’s ears pricked. “Have my family restore the power of the hearth to protect the farm. Let it be a haven for all who need it. Then they’ll have to protect the summoning mirror. The Coalition will have to run interference, keep Ossian busy.”

“Right. But what of him?” Her yellow eyes flicked to the grizzly bear, softly snoring away.

“We all saw the Fastuous Fathead this morning,” Flora said. “Killing Snack will be the first thing he does.”

My tongue darted out to lick dry lips. The whole of me was a husk at that thought. “Auggie is working on that. There’s a heretic’s fork embedded in Snack’s collar—that has to be destroyed before the wedding ceremony is complete, so we need to draw it out as long as possible.”

“That’s a lot riding on a snail.”

“There’s a lot riding on all of us,” Shari corrected.

“And your escape?” Ame wanted to know. “Have you thought about that?”

“I have.” I nodded, more encouragement for me than reassurance for them. “And it begins with me feeding Bruno.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

The snow had finally started to fall.

The flakes were small and infrequent, but from the darkness of the clouds overhead, more were coming. Even though Shari had lined the satin dress with fleece and I had a fire element to keep me warm, I still shivered. Shuddered.

Tonight was the one night I couldn’t lose my nerve, yet that’s all I seemed to want to do. Everything—my entire life—had been leading me to this moment, the day Violet Ní Dara’s spirit joined with the Stag Man and returned home to the immortal lands.

Or not.