Page 62 of Samhain

My momentary shock turned to joy when I realized I was the one being recognized.

“You’re James of Denwater. I fecking love you on Fractured Crowns.” Her gaze shifted to Ivy, who she didn’t seem to recognize, before coming back to me. “When you had to tell King Henry you loved Princess Kalli, but not as much as you loved him—” She grabbed her chest and rolled her eyes into the back of her head with delight. “I thought my heart was going to break into a thousand pieces.”

“Thank you,” I said. “I’m glad you enjoy the show.”

“And when you had to pull Henry off the battlefield so he didn’t get hurt after his older brother was beheaded.” She dabbed at her eyes like she was tearing up thinking about it. “Carter…Mr. Scott…You’re one of my favorites. Can I have a picture or an autograph or something?”

“Sure,” I said, agreeing to a selfie with her. I signed a napkin, “To Sunny.” The name on her uniform. “All my best, Carter Scott.” I ignored Ivy’s pursed lips and the amusement in her gaze, that I, the lowly nobody from Chicago, would have fans in remote parts of the world.

“What are you doing in Killwater?” she asked.

“Looking for an old friend,” I said.

“Oh?” She preened and smiled wider. “I’ve lived here my whole life. Who are you looking for?”

“A woman named Siobhan.” It was a small town, sure, but I didn’t think she’d know who we were talking about.

“Oh yeah,” Sunny said. “I know her. She came through a few days ago.”

Surprise flitting through my blood, I glanced at Ivy.

“She’s always so nice to me.” Sunny ran her hand through her bright yellow ponytail. “She stopped for a coffee and some cigarettes.”

“Did she say where she was going?” Ivy asked.

She shook her head. “But she did say that if anyone asked after her to tell them, You already know the way.”

Ivy looked at me, raising her eyebrows up her forehead.

“Did she say anything else?” Ivy asked, seeming more excited the longer Sunny talked.

“No, sorry.” Sunny shook her head. “So, what can I get for you?”

I met my wife’s gaze, already knowing what she wanted to ask.

Should I do it?

It seemed like a violation to invade a person’s mind without their consent, but how could we ask? And how would we explain it to her once it was over? In the end, we didn’t need to.

“Two coffees,” Ivy said. “Cream and sugar.”

“Sure thing.” Sunny touched Ivy’s shoulder in a friendly gesture, but when their skin met, Ivy opened her mouth and her pupils turned completely white. Sunny froze, slamming her eyes shut like the touch hurt her. Neither moved for about thirty seconds, an entire fucking lifetime, as I waited to see what would happen. Then Sunny let go and stumbled back, righting herself on the brick wall of the building behind her.

“Okay,” she said, rubbing one of her temples. “I’ll be back with those coffees.” She walked inside, blinking and shaking her head as if nothing had happened.

“What the fuck was that?” I whispered to Ivy, leaning over the table to get closer. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” Ivy rubbed her eyes as a flush crept up her neck and into her cheeks. “I didn’t mean for it to happen, I swear.”

“I saw. She touched you.”

Ivy furrowed her brows as fear danced behind her fiery gray gaze. Not much rattled her. She had social anxiety, and she didn’t like large crowds, but she’d spent her whole life preparing to argue for national policy. Ivy’s skin had turned to steel.

“Carter, I think Siobhan left a message for me in the waitress.” Ivy shook her head, clenching her eyes shut like she was trying to rationalize it to herself. “I don’t know, maybe I hallucinated it.”

“Tell me.” I put my hand on hers, squeezing it to reassure her.

“Siobhan came here and asked for her, specifically. When Sunny came out, Siobhan took her and…I don’t know…mesmerized her?”

---