“Right. With spells and enchantments to keep him at your side.”

“You know why I laid those.”

“So what are you going to do?” Christiana asked. “If you don’t use spells, do you think you can actually hold him? It means going out into the world, you know. It means making a commitment to living, instead of holing up in that mall you’ve made into a fairy court for yourself.”

“I know.”

“And what makes you even think he’ll listen to you? He knows what you did.”

“It doesn’t matter. I still need to see him. To talk to him. I need to tell him how I feel.”

Christiana cocked her head. “You really do care, don’t you?”

Galfreya bit back the sharp retort that sprang to her lips. What was it about this woman that made her constantly want to slap her?

“I thought you said he loved this other woman,” Tatiana said.

Galfreya nodded. “Jilly.”

“So then . . .”

“They circle and dance around each other,” Galfreya said, “neither able or willing to commit. But I am ready. I can give him what she can’t.”

“And being this immortal seer in skater gear?” Christiana asked. “How does that play into a normal relationship?”

“I would give it up for him.”

Galfreya ignored the shocked response of Tatiana and the rest of the court.

“Wow,” Christiana said, then she smiled and nodded. “Cool. And you know what? If you’re on the level, I’ll even make sure he hears you out.”

Galfreya blinked in surprise. The shadow was going to help her? What sort of game was she playing now?

But Christiana’s eyes were guileless. She reached out a hand to Galfreya.

“Come on,” she said. “Time’s a-wasting.”

With her hand still proffered, she turned back to Granny Cross and her scrying bowl.

“Show me that picture you’ve got.” She put on a pretty smile to make it sound less like a command and added, “If you please.”

Galfreya shook her head, but she walked over to where Christiana was waiting for her, red curls falling in her face as she bent over the image in the bowl.

Tatiana caught Galfreya’s arm as she walked by her.

“I have to do this,” Galfreya said. “I should have done it a long time ago.”

“But to give up your heritage . . .”

“We’ll see. Maybe it will need to come to that, maybe it won’t. But I’m determined that this time, I’ll do it properly. That we will share our lives. If he’ll have me. If he’ll listen to me.”

“Oh, he’ll listen to you,” Christiana said. “Unless you keep lollygagging, because then I’m just going to leave you behind.”

Tatiana dropped her hand from Galfreya’s arm.

“Good luck,” she said.