Twenty-Seven

"Show me the vial," Maura demanded. She had texted Luke after arriving home from Colin's house that afternoon, determined to get to the bottom of this.

Luke barely batted an eye before reaching into his shirt. He held the leather cord so that the glass vial dangled a few inches in front of his face. Maura stepped closer for a better look, her arms locked around her waist as though trying to hold herself together. The contents shimmered, not with reflected light, but with a property entirely of their own. Is that what her soul looked like, she wondered? Curious, she reached out a finger to touch the vial. The glass felt warm, though she didn't know if that was due to the vial's contents, or because it had been nestled against Luke's skin.

Clearing her throat, she met Luke's eyes. "You really can't take it off?"

He dropped the vial, not bothering to conceal it underneath his shirt anymore, and leaned against the kitchen counter. "It's secured by magic. It can't come off until it's full, and only then can the queen remove it."

Maura motioned for him to turn around. His brows drew together, though he complied.

"And as long as it's around your neck, it continues to sap my . . . essence." Brushing aside the fringe of hair at Luke's collar, she examined the knot. She tried to pick it apart with her fingernails, but it was impossibly tight.

"The vial is just a receptacle," Luke replied, stepping away and turning so they were facing each other again. "I'm the real danger to you."

Maura laughed, but not with humor. "We can barely be in the same room without arguing, Luke. Besides, I was dating someone else. A really nice someone else."

"Was?"

"Yes. Was. Past tense." She opened her mouth but then closed it. With a shake of her head, she looked away and said nothing more, not bothering to clarify that she and Colin hadn't actually been dating. It didn't matter now, anyway.

They stood in silence for several moments. The house was so quiet Maura could hear the birds pecking at the feeder outside the window. She could hear the neighbor kids squealing as they splashed through a sprinkler in their front yard. She could hear Luke's rhythmic breathing as he stood across from her. Watching her.

"All I know," he said finally, "is that the longer we're together, the worse it is for you."

"Because you're so irresistible and I won't be able to control myself?"

Luke wrapped his hand around the vial, squeezing so hard that his knuckles turned white. "You can make all the jokes you want, but the vial doesn't lie, Maura. You might have feelings for Colin, but you have feelings for me, too."

Maura blinked, taken off guard by the surety of his words. "And what about you?"

"Are you asking if I have feelings for you?"

"No," she replied emphatically. "I am not."

"Then what?"

"You said that the longer we're together, the worse it is for me. But I'm sure you've considered the possible outcomes. Either the queen gets what she wants, and I lose my essence, or we drag this out so long that all of The Otherworld perishes."

"We don't matter to you," Luke said. "What's the difference? If I die, you can be with Colin and get on with your life. Isn't that what you want?"

Luke's words stung, but she refused to rise to the bait. "The queen doesn't matter to me, but what about your life? I can't stand by and watch you die." She smiled slightly. "No matter how much of a pain in the ass you are."

"I've lived a very long life," Luke said without emotion. "I'm ready to move on."

Maura nodded, but not in agreement. She could be just as stubborn. "I might have agreed with you once upon a time and let this whole thing play out like you want, but you're overlooking one very important thing."

"What?"

"My dad. If everything you say is true and you're not just some crazy person, it's either my life or his."

Judging by the look on Luke's face, she realized this detail hadn't crossed his mind until now, at least not consciously.

"We have to find a way to break this curse," Maura said. "Or whatever this is. There is no other option. I sure as hell don't want to lose my essence, and I won't lose my dad again if there might be a way to save him. And you."

Luke's eyes narrowed. "I thought you didn't believe in faeries."

"At his point, I can't afford not to believe," Maura said. "Now, you told me earlier that you can take me to him."

"Maura, I—"

She raised her hand to stop him. "I haven't seen my dad in over a year. I had pretty much resigned myself to believe he was dead. But then you came along and told me you think you know where he is. Unless you suddenly want to confess that you've been lying to me, don't you dare go back on your word now. I want to see my dad."

Luke nodded. "Okay."

Maura let out her breath and relaxed her shoulders, having been prepared to put up more of a fight. "Good. When can we go?"

Luke stared at her, assessing, before holding out his hand. "How about now?"

*****

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