Page 66 of Crown of Wings and Whispers

Wickham didn't bother trying to charm her. Obviously, she understood more than they'd expected. "It's not the ocean I wish to take, lassie. It's the sadness. The ocean is goin' nowhere."

She shook her head, and the wispy ends of her long blond hair caught the breeze and danced around her shoulders. "I still don't want it." She looked around. "Where's Griffon?"

"He had to go away for a while. He explained it to you."

"I want Griffon."

Annag rolled her eyes. "You know he can't come. He'll be back, but we don't know when."

"Yes you do. Tell him to come now." She folded her little arms and turned so she couldn't see the swaying gown.

She knew how much power she held over them. She'd been brought to her favorite place, the beach. All these adults were willing to throw a party for her, offer her things she loved, and all because they wanted something from her. She had them eating out of the palm of her hand, and she knew it. She was the boss.

Persi dusted her hands together. "Well, it was worth a shot. Might as well pack everything back to the hotel. Maybe we can find another little girl who likes mermaids." She said the last quietly, to Wickham, as if she hadn't intended Fallon to hear.

Wickham, Kitch and Alwyn followed her lead and moved to the corners of the tent to start lowering it. Persi snatched the little hanger and pulled the sparkly dress out of the way. Everly, Soni, Loretta and Lorraine began packing up the food. Felicity and Rinky looked for something to do while Brian, Flann, and Simon started folding up the chairs.

Urban knelt beside a neatly stacked fire but held off lighting it.

Annag walked away, hiding her expression from the little girl who was watching them all closely, waiting for someone to break. But no one did. They'd have it all packed up in a matter of minutes.

Fallon's stubborn pout melted into real tears that poured over her round pink cheeks. But it was Rinky who reached her first and wrapped her arms around the child, her pity sincere. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"I dinnae want him to take it. It's mine."

"Aw, honey. Do you know what? I had a big power too, just like yours. You can make the water dance. You can do all kinds of things, just like I could. I could make the flowers grow."

The girl blinked. Rinky had her attention now.

"But you know what? I can still do that sort of thing. I'm still a witch," she whispered. "I just do it one flower at a time." She shrugged her shoulders and held Fallon back a little further, so she could see her face clearly. "But I could also do terrible things. If I was unhappy, I could make the flowers die. I could make the grass dry up and blow away, just because I was sad. What happens when you get really sad?"

Persi thought Fallon wouldn't answer, but after a long pause she said, "Storms come. It's scary. Everyone gets sad."

Rinky nodded. "Yep. That's the power." She waved for Felicity to come closer. "Felicity here had the power to make anything she wanted. Anything at all. Did you ever see that bridge in the back yard at the big house?"

The girl nodded.

"Felicity made that in less than an hour."

Fallon's eyes widened. "And the pond?"

"And the pond. But the bad side of her power, the unhappy side, made her want to tear it all down again. Can you believe that?"

The child looked up at Felicity in wonder, then her bottom lip came out. "Did it make ye sae verra sad?"

"It did. So sad I wished I hadn't made it at all. But then," Felicity smiled, "I let Wickham take the power away and I don't feel like destroying anything anymore."

"But ye can't make things now?"

"Not giant things, no. But I can still make what I want to make, and I have to ask for help sometimes. But there's nothing wrong with friends helping, is there?"

Fallon shook her head, then she ran to Annag and wrapped her arms around her legs and squeezed her tight for a long time. When she let go and looked up, her cheeks were wet with fresh tears. "If I give Wickham the storms, can I have the dress?"

23

Temptest In A Pink Teapot

Wickham…

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