Page 160 of Harnessed in Gold

Leo fesses up, divulging everything he’s been withholding about Jean: that she could see through his glamour, that she knows other sidhe, that she’d attended the births of halflings. “I think there might be a community here,” he reasons. “A mix of humans and fae.”

“That’s impossible,” Rime protests. “That would mean Nàdarians are traveling here unsanctioned.”

“Evidently, they are.”

Rime jumps to his feet, his sizzling indignation consuming theentire room. “Who would allow it?” His glare cuts to Leo. “The old lady’s lying.”

“Then how does she know so much about us?”

“She wasn’t lying,” I assert. “I would’ve felt it.”

Rime studies me, a storm of confusion in his blue eyes. But he doesn’t argue. Maybe he’s more inclined to trust me than to trust Leo.

Aaron drums his fingers on his knee—in perfect rhythm, of course. “So you’re thinking this community might have a different mode of travel?”

“They must,” Leo says. “Some sort of backdoor method no one else knows about.”

“And if not, there’s still a chance they might know a way to reverse the bracelet,” Topaz points out. “Sounds like it’s worth a try.”

Rime is about to give her an earful when his rant is cut off by Liv, who turns to me and squeaks, “Halflings?”

“Yeah,” I say. “Half-human, half-fae.” I think. Who knows what else is out there? I’d believe anything at this point.

“Oh.”

“Okay.” Avery claps her hands once, loudly. “So now to get in touch with Jean West.” When she makes her way over to us with her laptop, Liv rises and motions for her to take her spot on the couch.

“Thanks.” Avery plops down next to me and unlocks the screen. “Okay, so she’s a midwife, so she should be used to people trying to contact her at all hours.”

I look at the clock on the top of the screen. I wouldn’t exactly call nine p.m. all hours, but maybe it is for a septuagenarian.

Restless and agitated, Rime rises and announces he’s going out to check on his sparrows. As he shrugs into his jacket, Liv goes to him and lays a hand on his arm. “Maybe you should have something to eat first?”

His eyes snap up from the floor tiles to land on her hand. When they drift to her face, the ice in his blue irises melts. He nods. “Alright.”

“Come on.”

We all watch in awe as he follows her. And once they’re out of sight, we exchange knowing looks.

Avery whispers. “Maybe he has a weakness after all.”

“She’s sweet,” Aaron says, wheeling the desk chair closer to the couch.

Yes, she is.

“Hey look!” Avery blurts, making all of us jump. “Jean West is on Instagram!”

“Instagram?” Facebook I could see. But a senior citizen on Instagram?

“Yeah, look.” Avery scrolls through Jean’s account. Post after post about Appalachian folklore and history. And she has over four hundred followers. Avery adds herself to the list, then checks her DMs. “She’s active right now. I’m gonna message her.”

Leo leans over me, watching every letter Avery types until she shoves him back with a hand to his face.

“I’m just inviting her to chat,” she says. “She has to accept before we can have any kind of conversation.” But she mentions Leo and me in the message, referring to us as the ‘young Nàdarian and his blond girlfriend.’ “Anyone not in the know will just think we’re trolls or something,” she explains, tapping away on the keyboard.

“What about the church phone?” Aaron proposes. “Pastors would check their messages a lot, wouldn’t they? You know, in case one of their flock is in crisis?”

“Good idea,” I say, taking out my phone and looking up Redemption Baptist Church.