“I know. You sure were right about the danger. But . . .”

“But I should have let you decide for yourself what to do about it,” Mother Crone said. “Believe me, I know that now.”

Okay, what was going on here? Lizzie wondered. She hadn’t even known that Geordie had a sister. Now who was this other woman going to turn out to be? His mother? Too young. But there was obviously history here.

“But I’m fine now,” Geordie said. “I guess you didn’t see that I’d get past dying and come back.”

Christiana hooked her arm in his. “I need to hear this whole story.”

But Mother Crone wasn’t done yet.

“First I owe you an apology,” she told Geordie.

“No, it’s okay. I understand why you had to keep me at the court.”

“Well, for that, too, but I meant for something else.”

Geordie’s eyes narrowed. “You had another enchantment on me?”

“Moons, no. It has to do with our relationship over the past couple of years. Or rather, the mess I’ve made of it.”

“You don’t have to explain.”

“I think I do. I want to.”

“But—”

“Hear her out, Geordie,” Christiana said. “For my sake.”

She unhooked her arm from his and gave him a little push toward Mother Crone.

“You guys need to talk this out,” she said.

She walked away from them and made a show of having a great interest in the petroglyphs on the rocks. Geordie and Mother Crone waited a moment, then moved away as well, going to stand by the edge of the mesa. Lizzie watched them talking until she realized she was staring. Turning away, her gaze went to Timony, who was still looking at the pair with big eyes.

It took her a moment to realize that he was starstruck.

“Okay, what do you find so interesting in all of this?” she asked him.

“It’s—she’s a seer. I wasn’t sure at first, because she looks different than I remember from the last time I saw her, and people called her by a different name, but I’m sure it’s her.”

“Which means—what?”

“Well, she’s like royalty, isn’t she?

Lizzie smiled. “So what? Do fairy have their own version of E!? Is this like the fairy version of Entertainment Tonight?”

“I’m not sure what that means.”

“Do you like to follow the gossip of the rich and famous?”

“Well, surely. When was the last time you saw a seer? It’s like being allowed into the inner workings of one of the courts.”

“Not judge and jury, I’m guessing.”