Page 26 of A Dead End Wedding

“We should be friends,” Shelley told her, and I was close enough to see the shock in the little girl’s eyes.

“We … rarely have friends among the mortal world,” she whispered.

“Perhaps we should,” Viviette said, leaning her head briefly against Iona’s. “Declared: the mortal child, Shelley of the Callahans, is the victor. As promised, the winner not only wins the privilege of Dead End’s continued participation in the Trials, but a personal gift.”

With that, she nodded to one of her guards, who presented a gorgeous crystal chalice to Shelley, who promptly gave it to Jack. “I don’t want to drop it.”

He grinned at her and pulled me close into a hug so tightly I knew I hadn’t been the only one afraid for Shelley.

“Th—I am honored,” Shelley told the queen, barely remembering not to say thank you.

“Tomorrow shall be the third part of the first Trial, which is Courage,” the queen proclaimed. “Your champions shall meet ours here, at midnight, in a battle of three: Hand-to-hand combat, swords, and the game of queens. Farewell until then.”

“The game of queens?” I didn’t realize I’d spoken out loud until the queen looked at me.

“As I said.”

With that, the entire Fae contingent disappeared.

But a table set with a massive gold and silver chess set appeared exactly where Viviette had been.

“Ah. The game of queens.”

Jack and I looked at each other, eyes widening.

“Uncle Mike!”

We were making our way slowly to the municipal building to meet Aunt Ruby and Uncle Mike when I smelled an … odor.

Not a stench, not nearly as bad as the first time I’d met him, but still noticeably there. Jack and Shelley were a dozen feet in front of me, accepting congratulations and thanks from everyone, so I dropped back to talk to Braumsh.

“Hey, it’s nice to see you,” I said.

He slanted a look at me. “You are an odd human, lovely Tess.”

“Um, thanks?”

Tonight, he wore a T-shirt that featured a bear and saidSeattle Zoo.

“Have you been to Seattle?” I nodded at his shirt.

“What?”

“Never mind. How are you enjoying life on land?”

“I am discovering many things. I even found a job teaching science at the high school.”

I blinked. Science teachers at Dead End High did not last long. They were prone to catastrophe. “Wow. That’s great! Just be careful.”

He snorted, and the breeze from the snort knocked one of the McKee kids forward a few steps. “I have no need to be careful. The class is filled with human children.”

“Sure. Sure. You’d be surprised, though. Well, it was nice talking to you.” I started to move on, but he stopped me by holding up a very large hand.

“Tess, I find myself without lodging. Can you recommend a place I can stay for a few days until I get my land legs beneath me?”

I stopped walking and thought about it for a minute. “Do you need access to water? Like a lake or pond or swamp?”

“It’s not a need, but I would prefer it. Even a swimming pool,” he said in that thunderous voice.

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