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“We should really be going.” Sara touched Leni’s shoulder. “Lucretia is making us supper, and it would be rude for us to be late. Thank you for looking out for Leni, Granny Luna.” The two women exchanged a knowing glance. Dan saw Sara bite her lip. He felt heat rising under his collar.

Granny Luna seemed so determined to do things for him, but he hated, absolutely loathed, being so needy.

“We’ll be back,” Sara said to Dan. “I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.” She smiled at Luna, and Luna patted Leni’s cheek.

Leni glanced back over her shoulder at the space where the mantel would be.

“Don’t forget, Dan. Save Debbie a space!”

“Debbie?” Dan asked.

“Yes. That’s the Sphinx’s name,” Leni said, matter-of-factly.

“How do you know?” Dan asked.

“She told me.” Leni seemed nonplussed.

“Okay, I promise to save a space for Debbie,” Dan said, crossing his heart with two fingers.

After Sara and Leni left, Dan felt the silence between himself and Granny Luna was charged. He knew the conversation wasn’t over. Granny had pressured him into accepting her help, and now he feared she was going to demand he let her do even more.

“I’m about to say something to you,” Luna warned, “and you’re going to listen and then you’ll get all gruff and grumpy about it. So then I’m going to flit off and leave you to ponder on your own time without going all growly at me. How does that sound to you?”

Did he have a choice?

Dan said nothing, which she clearly took as assent.

“After your mother ran off with your dad, I searched for her for a long time.” Granny’s voice was sad but resigned. She’d chosen long ago to get on with her and Dan’s life when it was clear she’d never reconcile with her daughter. “That’s why I came to this country to begin with. But as you know she wanted nothing to do with her old mammy and by the time I figured out where she was living, it was much too late. You were nearly grown and there was little more I could do for you. I don’t have many regrets except for that one. I regret that I didn’t track her down sooner so I could have protected you from all you went through. If I’d known she had a son… Well, I could have, should have, done more for you, Dandelion.” She paused. She was looking at the hearth, not at him. Big sparkling tears threatened to spill from her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re living here in Primrose Court now. I want you to know how very glad I am that you’re here. You’re my own kin and I love you. I wish you’d let me do more for you.”

Dan waited a moment before answering. He stared at the bare cement floor, which was now scrubbed clean thanks to his overzealous grandmother.

“I know that, Granny Luna, I do. And I’m happy to have you in my life as well. But you know I’m not comfortable taking handouts.”

Dan stuck his hands in his pocket. He felt the two envelopes. The one from the trivia contest that he hadn’t had a chance to deposit in the bank, and the fatter one that had been left on his doorstep. He pulled the second envelope out now and held it out for Granny Luna.

She looked at it with confusion. Then she looked at him. “What on earth is that?”

“I think you know well what this is.”

“I swear by the purple periwinkle blossoms and baby bluebells that I do not!” She was indignant. She gave a little sniff and her nose wrinkled as she recognized the smell of cash. “There’s currency in that envelope, isn’t there? What is it you’re accusing me of? That money’s got nought to do with me, Dandelion!”

“Please take it back?”

He held it out a moment. She did not take it. Instead, she picked up her feather duster again. Dan heard the whir and buzz of agitated wings.

“You stubborn little cub. I didn’t give you this money, but if you’re offering it to me I’m not above taking it. I know better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. Perhaps Will Porter will take me shopping in Paris. You can thank our benefactor from me when you figure out who it is!” Granny frowned at him, and then finally snatched the money away.

And then she was gone, leaving him with the sickening feeling that perhaps it wasn’t Granny who had left the envelope after all, and now he’d have no way of paying back whomever it was who had.

Dan stood and paced for a moment, wracking his brain for who else besides Will and Granny might have left the money there. He kept drawing a blank.

Feeling defeated, he fetched himself a stool and sat down in front of the fireplace. Much as he hated to admit it, Granny’s cleaning charm had bought him at least two days, and saved his back. His work was done and it wasn’t even dark out yet. Just a wave of her wand and a flick of her hand. That was all it had taken. It hadn’t even seemed to strain her. His mother, had she still been in his life, would have been quick to point that out.

“Take the win!” she liked to say.

But Dan would rather earn things. It had been his experience that all magical favors, even seemingly small and inconsequential ones, had a cost. It was easy to be misled. The effort expended was not always equal to the price that would, eventually, be demanded. That had always been the case with his father. Every kindness, no matter how small, once accepted, created a contract that was never in Dan’s favor. Dan was deeply uncomfortable with owing anything to anyone. He valued his freedom and preferred to keep his balance sheet balanced.

What was done was done, though. It would have been a massive amount of effort for him to finish the demolition by himself. Not to mention hauling everything away and cleaning up afterwards. If only he’d inherited Granny Luna’s fairy cleaning powers instead of his father’s strength, agility and killer instincts. The fae skillset that was part of his lineage seemed so much more practical now. He removed his bandana mask and took some deep breaths, grateful for the clean air. Even though Granny Luna had insisted he didn’t owe her anything and she wasn’t doing any of it for him, he knew it wasn’t true. He was going to have to find a way to do something nice for her.