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"We thank you for this h e of the rooun to take leave My heart raced They had tricked ht not completely understand, but they knew the line had tapped into fairythe exits closed before anythe intensity of my emotions build "You will not studyit withit at thee threw up his ar as a rain of ashes "No?" he asked "And how do you intend to stop us?"
I began shaking, fear and rage corasp How could I stop the hiood? My feet er e I approached hi, breathing ea, the very spirit of a e’s confident s down as his brow furrowed As I neared him, he tried to take a step back, but my hand shot out of its own accord and pierced his skin, above the navel, below the heart, right at his solar plexus, right at the point where the line connected its ic to his I ripped that connection out of him He screaht, bright and shi, before his eyes and then shoved it back into hiave way, and he tumbled forward "That," I said as the other anchors rushed in to catch him, "that is hoill stop you Do we understand each other?"
"Yes," he said, nodding furiously as the others helped him balance
"Good," I said and reopened the haint-blue rooet out of here and tell the families to stay away from me Stay away from my child Stay away from my husband Stay away from my family And stay the hell away from Savannah" The anchors who had remained fled the cha shadows, comforted, I am sure, to face the kind of adversaries to which they felt ht, and then watched as Jilo’s cha away only at the last possible ood
FORTY-ONE
A truly vintage wedding dress from the 1940s, ivory silk with a cowl neckline and a low-draped back A bouquet of white roses and blue hydrangeas Both fro, which had been passed down through more than a hundred years of Taylor women, a diamond-encircled cabochon eift of a new pair of es, the ely close match to the antique ones in the necklace From Maisie, I stole a kiss, as she continued to live in her dreaive me away His other contribution to the event was that he’d convinced the justice of the peace and the parks authority with just three days’ notice to let us perform the service in Forsyth Park, where Peter and I had first met Peter had the idea that we shouldtree," the one with the lowest and sturdiest branches No groomsmen, no bridesmaids Just the two of us before God Iris had balked at first when Peter and I had said anted a si, no fancy reception, just cake and a band in the park In the end, she’d capitulated and had even taken out a full-page ad in the Savannah Daily Neelco the whole darned town
We had taken over a suite of rooms at the Mansion, and a tea e I’d never re-create under ic I loved every h, because this day wasn’t just for me It wasn’t even just for me and Peter It was for the whole fa their attention to even the s on them as well
"Shaed into the roolories and a purple hat large enough to shade half of Savannah
"Why shaup my hair or makeup
I popped up and kissed her instead "You know you aren’t supposed to outshine the bride"
"Well, darlin’, Jilo can’t help it if the Lord has bestowed such blessings on her Wouldn’t seehed, and took a seat on the foot of the bed "Are you happy, girl?"
Tears started welling up in my eyes just as Ellen and Iris entered the room "Yes," I said "Yes I am very, very happy" Jilo nodded in reply
"Oh, no," Iris said reaching for a tissue "No orks until after the photos," she said Then she noticed Jilo "Oh, Jilo I alad you liked the hat I kneould suit you perfectly"
"I love it Thank you," Jilo said softly and smiled So much for my ability to surprise anyone I looked at these three beautiful women Each of them, in her oas a mother to me
"Let’s loosen her hair a bit," Ellen said to the stylist Then she turned to ot a crazy idea," she said "It’s only that the thought of you and Peterhere in the park reminds me of when you were still a scrawny little toown, hoould you feel about doing this barefoot?"
A knock at the door interrupted the decision "May the future mother-in-law come in?" Claire asked We hadn’t seen each other since the day Ryder and Josef had barged into the bar I hadn’t been purposely avoiding her, I had just been busy I knew froht actually turn her away
"Of course," I said, waving her in "Would y’all mind if Claire and I had aas soon as IJilo grumbled a little under her breath, but then she worked her way off the foot of the bed Once the rooirl, are breathtaking"
"Thank you," I said, reaching out to take her hand "I am so sorry, Claire For what I did to Peter--your natural son Peter, that is" Heck, I should probably apologize for what I’d put her adopted son through as well, but I would spend the rest ofmy best to make it up to him
"No, I arief and confusion talking I know that you tried to help him and that he was already dead when you put your hands on hiainst her heart "Listen, I have realized that the Fae did live up to their promise, just that time must move a bit differently in their world than in ours" She paused "When the police found hi a heavy overcoat"