He chuckled. “Y’all mus’ be some kinda magical creature t’ offer all thet,” he said, skepticism tinging his tone.

She sketched a glyph in the air in front of his eyes. “Then look and see what is truly here, not what you think should be.”

He gasped and looked around himself wildly. “Where am I?” he stammered.

“You are in my realm now, and I am the Queen of Copper Mountain,” she said proudly. “And I can give you all these things. I can give you your heart’s desire.”

He pulled himself together. “Beg pardon, Miz Jolene, but y’all cain’t do thet. Not ’lessen y’all c’n give me Anna May, too.”

Anna’s heart spasmed, and she gasped.

Jolene shook her head imperiously. “That is not possible. My craftsmen and artists must devote themselves entirely to their work. There is no place here for distractions.”

“But she ain’t a distraction,” he contradicted her. “She he’ps me thank. She rests me up. An’,” he ended simply, “I love her, an’ she loves me. Feller c’n make all the purdy thangs in the world, but iffen he ain’t got love, they got no heart in ’em.” He laughed. “Truth is, I druther make my own way an’ do it all th’ hard way with her, than git ever’thang y’all promised an’ do it th’ easy way without her.”

With every word the weight of despair that had been crushing Anna to the ground was lifted. By the time he finished speaking she was light-headed with joy.

But Jolene wasn’t done.

“What if I said—Anna May can come here, but to do so, she would have to give up her aunt, and her magic?” Jolene asked slyly. “After all, this would be a tremendous concession on my part just to allow her here at all. I have never offered this to another.”

Josh paled, but he stood straighter. “Then I’d tell y’all I ain’t niver gonna arst her t’give up nothin’. It ain’t fair. It ain’t fair t’ make her do all the sacrificin’, an’ I won’t do it.”

“What if I said she would keep her magic, but it would all have to go to you, in the service of your art?” Jolene persisted.

“Then I’ll say agin, I ain’t gonna arst her t’give up somethin’ thet important jest fer me. It ain’t fair. Not only ain’t it fair t’ her, it ain’t fair t’ all the folks thet are gonna depend on her healin’ ways and potions when Miz Jinny’s gone.” Josh crossed his arms over his chest, but his expression was apologetic. “I’m right sorry, Miz Jolene, but I reckon I’ll hev t’do thangs th’ hard way. I don’t even blame y’all iffen y’all take back yore tools an’ thet stone.”

Jolene sketched a different glyph in the air, and Josh froze.

The Queen of Copper Mountain turned back to Anna. “Now you have that debt hanging over you. It is true that you do not have to worry about McDaran buying it, but the Coal Company in Soddy will still wish to collect it from you.”