A month later

The streets were growing darker. I could feel it taking over as I walk down the sidewalk. Walking past all the shops. The last month had been weird for me. After getting away with stealing the necklaces from my sister I found it was easy. It helped me. It calmed me down and helped me get the magic I needed to complete my wishes. Ailis was happy with the gold though he wasn't sure where it had come from. I'd run out of my own necklaces to give him, maybe I would search through my earrings. Either way I needed more.

I ponder how to get more as I cross the street heading further into the light. Looking over my shoulder watching to make sure no one was following me. Ailis wasn't around, he had snuck off to search for a job or something. I shook my head thinking back to the conversation we had earlier in the day.

He said he would be back before morning so I hadn't worried about staying late at Nathan's place. There was no fear of Ailis showing up and ruining things. I walked past the cafe Nathan worked at, my heart warming at the thought of him once again. Over the past couple of weeks we had spent plenty of time together. Finally making our relationship official his friends backed off slightly, still teasing him about minor things. I hadn't been this happy in a long time and I felt like my life was really coming around.

My heart skips once more as I continue to think about Nathan. My mind wondering to things we had done in the last month, little dates we had gone on since making it official. I thought about the assignments we had worked on together in class. Everything was so perfect...except for the fact that I needed more gold.

A little further down the street was a jewelry shop owned by a younger couple that had just moved to the area. I knew they would be an easy target. My palms were sweaty as I continued down the sidewalk. My plan was in motion and I knew the little girl they had closing the shop would be leaving soon. I would sneak in before she locked the doors and after she had left to pull her car around front. I would be in and out in less than two minutes. She would never notice me.

I watched carefully as she did exactly as she had done every night this week. She would leave the door slightly ajared as she would walk a little ways down the road to get her car and pull it out front. She would then grab her things and load them in the car. I never thought to question why she did this, I just knew it would give me roughly two minutes in the shop to grab whatever I could.

I crossed the street one last time as she left the shop. Sneaking in was the easy part as I just had to wait until she was far enough down the sidewalk she wouldn't hear the bell ring as I opened the door. I paused for a moment waiting for her to turn around to see me enter the shop. She never did. She was too caught up in her own world, her brown ponytail bouncing as she sang to herself.

Once I was inside the shop I rushed around grabbing any small items I could that wouldn't cause too much of a distraction to the naked eye. A necklace here, some earrings there, and maybe a ring or two. Once I felt like I was running out of time I found my place by the door watching to see if she had started her car yet. She hadn't this was the perfect time for me to slip out.

I did so, watching carefully as I left the door adjar just as she had. My heart was racing in my chest so loud that it was all I could hear. I jumped as a car comes barreling down the street, a bunch of teenagers driving way to fast. I slipped into the shadows of the alley as the young girl pulled her car forward. She parked it, hopped out before heading into the shop. I watched carefully to see if she noticed anything missing. A few minutes later she was carrying her school stuff out and a couple of extra books she would bring with her to read on these late nights.

As far as I was concerned this had been a success. I turned walking through the alley away from the store. If I could just make it home without seeing anyone else that would be perfect. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins as I thought of what I had really done. Had I really just broken into a jewelry store and stolen a few items. Not too many to get caught I told myself. There was no way kids didn't pocket things every once in a while. I was doing this to make the world a better place. At least that was what I told myself.

Once I was back on campus and rounding the corner to my room, I decided to take a minute to shake off my nerves. Wiping my hands on my pants to do anything I could to get the sweat to go away. I let out a heavy breath before I entered my room. The tiny leprechaun shuffled in his sleep as I close the door behind me. I placed the jewelry on the bed next to him before I placed my hand on his shoulder. I quietly stir him away hoping he didn't freak out too badly like he was known to do at times.

Ailis jumped up like a soldier ready to go to war. He watched carefully as his attention caught the shiny gold in front of him.

"Where did that come from?" He mumbles rubbing some of the sleep from his eyes. My heart was in my throat. I hadn't thought of a way I was going to explain this to Ailis.

"My sister bought them for me as a parting gift, an apology for stealing so many items of my clothing. It felt horrible to lie to him. Ailis had been there for me through thick and thin and It wasn't fair of me to do this to him. I shook my head knowing I would need to make it up in the future but for now hopefully he wouldn't find out.

"lily bought yer a necklace dat wus worth 100 dollars an' lef de tag on it?"

I shook my head. I should have taken those off before I woke him up. I knew this and it was such a stupid mistake to make. A thought sparked into my head though.

"You obviously don't know my sister very well then," I mumbled picking up the rest of the jewelry to pull the tags off.

"How so?" He question his eyes dancing over me as he tries to read my body language. Could he tell I was lying? I could feel my eye twitching slightly under his stare.

"She likes to leave price tags on things and add zero's to them to make them seem more expensive, she does this in hopes that she will get more expensive presents," Ailis looked at me for a moment as he fumbled with the idea in his head. He shrugged his shoulder.

"sounds loike somethin' a thief wud chucker if yer ask me," He yawned stretching as he picked up the pieces before biting them. He looked pleased at each piece. I knew my crime would be worth it.

"Yeah, typical theif," I muttered searching around the room. I just wanted him to turn them into magic so I could get rid of them and not have to worry about them anymore.

"Why don't you turn them into magic now?" I question looking at him as he took a seat on the sheets. He fiddled with his tiny little shoes before pulling them off and wiggling his tiny toes.

"but, oi jist tuk me tackies aff," He points at his feet as he wiggles his toes once again. I shook my head laughing slightly before getting serious again.

"But I really like watching you do that, and why do your shoes matter?" I glanced down at the tiny shoes delicately placed on the edge of the bed. They looked easy to get on and off, he was just being a complainer.

"Chucker oi 'av ter?" I was getting better at understanding him, but sometimes I wanted to shake him until he learned to speak without an accent. It would make things easier for the both of us. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Yes," I wasn't exactly sure what he asked but I figured yes would be a good answer for most anything. He gripes at me for a moment shaking his hand up at me before he reached for his shoes. Plopping them back on his feet before standing up. He grabbed the first necklace and balled it up in his hand before he put pressure on the precious metal.

He let out a couple of groans as he worked through the metal. Green sparkles slowly begin to form around him as he whispers into his hands. Soon enough he pushes the powder into his bag. My mouth gaped open as the find powder flows smoothly into his pockets. I watch carefully waiting for the moment they began to overflow. He grabbed the earring next whispering in his hand just as he had the first time.

"I still fend it 'ard ter believe yisser buff an' blister wud jist buy dis much stuff for yer, whether de total wus a ton or a single piece wus a ton," His accent was so thick and heavy that I decided to just shrug it off. There was no reason for me to try and argue with him if I didn't know what he was saying.

"I'm sorry what the heck are you talking about?" I question the little creature as he places the now powdered earrings in his pocket. He shakes his head a little annoyed with me as he grabs the first ring I had taken.

"Why...would Lily send you this stuff?" He questions looking at me carefully, his tiny lips racing as they spoke into his fist. I shrug my shoulders trying to avoid the questions he was asking.

"Maybe she stole it," I shrugged playing it off like it was all her fault. I wanted to mentally slap myself as soon as I had said it. If I wasn't trying to make it obvious then I was failing. If Ailis had paid any attention to where I'd been the last couple of days he would be able to put all the pieces together. Unfortunately in my case he had.

"Emerson!" Ailis shouts, his accent thick as he drops the last ring. He shakes his head kicking it away as it flies across the room. "Do ye want me to fail?" He nearly shouts, his arms folded over his chest.

"I will make it better I promise," I mutter as I dive for the ring he kicked across the room. Grabbing it I handed it back to him hoping he would still change it into magic.

"You are lucky I need gold as much as I do and haven't found a job yet," He groaned as he grabbed the last item quickly turning it to dust like the others. Once it was secure in his pocket he walked towards me his tiny fits bopping me on the nose.

"You need to straighten up!" He shouts, his fist flying through the air one more time whacking me in the same spot as the last blow. I shook my head pulling away, my eyes welling up from the tears forming and the blows to the nose.

"It won't happen again," I promise him. My heart filled with guilt from stealing. I had risked his graduation. I could have ruined everything.