Page 24 of A Dead End Wedding

Jack headed out to the swamp to visit his friends, who owned an airboat business. He wanted to ask them for help, since they were all ex-Special Forces. If we truly had to go to war with the Fae to protect Shelley, we’d need people who were that tough to back us up. They all loved Shelley, too, and had helped her get over the death of her family by taking her for airboat rides and filling in as the deadly, musclebound, brilliant tactical strategist big brothers she never knew she needed.

Somebody wouldn’t just have to go through us to get to Shelley—they’d have to go through the swamp commandos.

Jack told me he wanted to “gear up,” and Uncle Mike was far too interested inthat, and I didn’t know what to do except go back to work. Aunt Ruby was determined to get Shelley out oftown, an idea my sister vehemently protested, so when I drove off, all four of them were in the driveway discussing it.

It was one-thirty when I got back to work.

It was two when I got the first text from Aunt Ruby.

We made it 25 miles out of town, and then suddenly we were back in our driveway

I tried to call, but the line was busy. Eleanor had gone off to run some personal errands, so I had to digest this information by myself. That’s an awful lot of power, to pick up a car and the people inside it and teleport them twenty-five miles to their house in an instant.

I shuddered.

And then I texted her back.

Maybe we should just give Dead End back to the Fae. They’re too powerful, and I don’t want to put Shelley at risk. We can build another town.

Seconds later, my phone chimed with a text from Shelley:

NO WAY! I’M DOING THIS! EVEN IF WE WANTED TO LEAVE, THEY WON’T LET US. JUST TRUST ME!

Even in texts, she speaks in exclamation points.

When Eleanor came back at four, she looked distraught.

“What’s wrong?”

She smiled distractedly at a customer I was ringing up—a Dead End Pawn T-shirt and an ancient typewriter that was missing a few keys but typed a personal fortune-cookie-style message every day for its owner—and bustled over behind the counter with me.

When the customer left, Eleanor sighed and leaned against the wall. “Dave and Zane just got back in town from their fishing trip. I’m so glad to see them, but also not. With all this going on, I just don’t know that it’s safe for Zane here.”

Dave Wolf, Eleanor’s son, owned a major construction company. He was also Jack’s best friend from his childhood andwould be standing up as his best man at our wedding. Dave’s adopted son, Zane, was Shelley’s best friend. They’d made a documentary about Dead End that was getting notice from indie film festivals.

“I know.”

“After you told me about Shelley, I feel guilty for even saying that,” she said, her shoulders slumping.

“Well, for what it’s worth, Aunt Ruby tried to get Shelley out of town, and it didn’t work, so I guess we’re on at midnight. Are you coming?”

“We’re all coming. Bill and I wouldn’t miss it, and of course Dave will be there, which means there’s no way we’ll be able to keep Zane away. If this goes badly …”

Thursday: thirty minutes till midnight

It went badly.

For the Fae.

After the initial ceremonial blah, blah, blah, I stepped forward, holding tightly to my sister’s hand. “Your Majesty, I would ask that you give your oath that my sister will not be harmed.”

Jack stood next to me, his face stone. Uncle Mike and Aunt Ruby were up in her office again, but this time,bothof them had rifles. Jack had told me the swamp commandos were stationed all around the square, armed to their teeth, but of course they stayed out of sight. All of this should have made me feel safer than I did.

Viviette raised an eyebrow. “You wouldask?”

“I would. Politely. Unless you decline. Then I will demand.” I spoke in a calm, even tone, but two of the Fae guards staring at me actually gasped at whatever they saw in my face.

The queen slowly nodded. “Tess of the Callahans, you continually amaze me.”

---