Page 7 of Hallow Hill at Halloween: Part One

A little glaze began to form over my eyes as it dawned on me that this was not a birthday party being thrown by human friends.

Could it…?

“No’ a treasure more fittin’ in the wide world, I tell ya,” Maggie said.

That answered my question.Yes. It could!

“Um, Lochlan,” I began. “You don’t mean this is the real, um, Tiffany Diamond. Right?”

“Yes, it is,” Evie confirmed form the other end of the table. She lifted her glass. “You deserve it. Wear it in good health.” She took a drink then decided that needed an addendum. “But only when the enforcer is with you. It could attract the wrong kind of attention.”

I took a deep breath. “You think?”

Criminently, it hadalreadyattracted the wrong kind of attention.

Remembering my manners, I said, “Thank you all for a lovely, unexpected birthday, um, ritual. This present is beyond anything I ever could’ve imagined.”

That seemed to satisfy my guests. They turned to each other with smiles, nods of approval, and mutual congratulations at having done such a grand job of honoring the birthday girl. Me.

I managed to get through the rest of the party without a meltdown and without anyone but Keir knowing that I was less than pleased with my present.

“Keir, would you ask Evie to come to the house after the party?”

Keir glanced toward the end of the table. “On it.”

I watched him begin his mission with a lazy prowl then realized Lochlan was talking to me. He was at the end of a question, but I was able to reconstruct by guessing that he’d said, “Are you not pleased with the gift, Magistrate?”

“Gosh, Lochlan. Who doesn’t love diamonds?” His eyes drifted down to the breathtaking sapphire solitaire on my ring finger. I folded my hands in my lap, out of sight. “Girl’s best friend and all.”

His brow furrowed. “Should I take that as an answer in the affirmative?” When I hesitated, trying to think of an even more clever reply, he said, “It’s useless to waste your time attempting a lie. I know you too well.”

I sighed.

“Of course, I think it’s over the top. After all, it’s the largest diamond in the world.”

“One of the largest,” he corrected.

“Very well. One of the largest. And, gosh, there’s no denying that it’s spectacular.”

“Well then?”

“Well. Then.” I didn’t know if he was using fae mind tricks or if he’d just learned to read me too well. Either way, it felt like I was busted and might as well fess up. I leaned over and half-whispered. “It’sstolen!”

His blank expression never changed as he stared at me, but he did blink twice. “Oh.”

It seemed to be occurring to him for the first time that might be a problem for silly human sensibilities.

“I’ve asked Evie to come by the house after to discuss this. If you’d like to join us?”

“Why yes. I would. Ah. Thank you for including me.”

He stood abruptly. “I’d like to thank everyone for…”

Lochlan was interrupted by Fie, who’d not just stood but climbed up to stand on the seat of his chair. Symbolism is everything. “As Mayor of Hallow Hill, proud home to the Magistrate,Iwould like to thank everyone for coming to celebrate Rita’s ritual.”

Lochlan sat down shaking his head slightly at Fie’s one-upmanship antics. “Rita,” he began, “it might be nice if you would stand over by the entrance so that you can give a personal thank you to all. It will make them feel grand.”

“And I thought Fie was the politician,” I said. “Sure. That’s actually a ‘grand’ idea.”

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