“Very well. We bring goodwill from our realm, Brogan of the Leprechaun.”

“Oh, thank ye.” Brogan bowed again. “We are very much obliged.”

“Should there not be music and dancing on this momentous occasion? Please, commence the festivities.”

The bronze-haired man snapped his fingers and the pixies flew to him. He looked toward the Faerie girl, as if seeking her approval, but her freaky eyes were busy scanning the Chaun people. Brogan signaled the musicians who exchanged glances before raising their instruments. All except McKale, who had moved further into the clearing away from the musicians, appearing dumbfounded and dazzled. He’d left his fiddle next to the stump. The other musicians began a song.

Watching McKale, a knot slowly formed in my stomach. I followed his stare to the Faerie girl who was intently watching him in return. The knot grew larger and curled inside of me.

The four Fae men dispersed as the music began and the girl drifted seamlessly through the clearing, straight toward my betrothed. I watched, frozen, as she approached and stopped in front of him, not ten feet away from me.

“It has been too long, McKale of the Chaun.” Her voice was a soft caress.

He bowed his head and said, “Indeed, Khalistah.”

She held out a dainty hand and McKale hesitated. When he took her fingers in his palm, he shuddered and closed his eyes, but it wasn’t pain he was experiencing. His expression was euphoric. The knot in my stomach exploded like hot lightening. Warning sirens blared in my head. Every cell in my body desperately wanted to get him away from her. She gave the smallest smile of satisfaction before releasing his hand.

The Fae girl, Khalistah, looked past him to where I stood. Her lips tightened as her eyes took in every detail, from my flip-flops to the top of my head, which surely had stray hairs and frizz.

“This is her?”

McKale, who didn’t seem to want to take his entranced attention from the Fae girl, turned enough to verify that I stood there, and confirmed who I was with a nod.

“Wait,” he said, blinking when she stepped around him and moved closer to me. A small crowd formed, their faces worried.

Khalistah’s eyes reached the top of my tall frame.

“I didn’t realize human women could grow so large.” There were a few gasps from the crowd as Khalistah laid down the ultimate insult by Leprechaun standards. I already felt like a gigantic oaf here, so the smack-talk was unnecessary. She continued to speak to McKale about me, right to my face.

“You will bind with her?” she asked in a distasteful way.

I looked to McKale, imploring, but he appeared dazed. He blinked again and swallowed hard.

“I will do my duty for the clan,” he said quietly. Bile rose in my throat.

“Hmph,” Khalistah breathed.

Yeah. I didn’t like her. And I wasn’t his biggest fan right now either.

I clamped my teeth down hard. As visions of violence danced in my head, I had to remind myself that this Fae witch had the power to curse my family and me.

I didn’t feel so good.

“Excuse me,” I said. With a humble bow of my head, I turned on my heels, and pressed my way through the crowd. I heard the tinkle of her laughter behind me. Onlookers gawked as I passed, picking up speed as I headed toward our bungalow. I contemplated going to my parents, but decided I’d tell them everything in the morning. Right now I needed to be alone to think this through.

Something was going on with my betrothed and a beautiful, cruel Faerie. I wouldn’t go so far as to say he was in love with her. It looked more like infatuation. He’d better not be in love with her. Infatuations were bad enough.

Could she be the reason he’d brought up our binding the way he did this morning?

Acid burned the back of my throat. How was I supposed to compete with that?

Wait, compete? I didn’t want to compete for a guy! It went against my basic morals. If a guy didn’t want me, then screw him. But this was different. I couldn’t just walk away from this like some silly crush in high school. My family’s lives depended on McKale and I together. If this binding didn’t work out, the Fae wouldn’t care about the reasons.

I walked into my bungalow and shut the door a little too hard. I kicked my flip-flops across the dark room. Then I pushed down my shorts and yanked off my blouse, throwing them to the floor and falling into the squishy bed in my tank top and panties. I curled up small, and my bra dug into my sides, but I was too ticked to move. I willed the bile back down to my stomach.

I wanted to go home.

I regretted leaving Cassidy in the trees with Rock, and I hoped she’d come to me soon. I felt stupid and out of place here. I needed my sister.

The memory of McKale kissing the Faerie’s hand kept resurfacing, making me ill and something else—something bitter. Jealousy. He’d seemed so… overwhelmed or something.

After seeing that, I felt apprehensive of what else I might find out about McKale. I was scared of his possible secrets and past. But getting to know him was the only chance I had in this battle. Khalistah had taken the first round, but I wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Unfortunately, I had a feeling Faeries wouldn’t fight fair.

I HADN’T FULLY CALMED yet when I heard voices and the door swooshed opened.

“Robyn!”

I exhaled with relief at the sound of Mom’s voice.

“It’s so dark,” Cassidy whispered. “Robyn? Are you in here?”

“I’m here,” I replied. I wiggled around until I was able to push myself up on the bed with my legs crossed. Cassidy stumbled through the dark and sat next to me while my mom found the oil lamp and turned it on. She wore flannel pajama pants and a pullover fleece. Her face was tight with worry as she came and sat next to me. Having both of them was a comfort, a balm for my agitation.