Page 44 of A Dance with the Fae (Mistress of Magic #1)

‘Where’ve ye been, Faye? It’s been three days and nae word.’ Annie waved her spare shop keys in her friend’s face. ‘Just as well I had these, eh?’

Faye went to the kitchen to make herself a tea.

In Levantiana’s chamber she had walked in the rose-scented air; she had dived into the blue-and-black sea on the back of a kelpie and felt nothing but comfortable.

She knew that she was getting stronger, finding the transition between the worlds easier now that she was embracing her power and learning from Levantiana.

‘I rang and texted, but there was no answer, I thought ye’d just left. Packed up and gone on holiday or something.’

‘Oh…Yes, I was ill again.’ Faye grasped at the easy excuse.

‘I’m so sorry, Annie. I was so out of it.

Hallucinating.’ It wasn’t even that much of a lie.

She’d been in the faerie kingdom, the most hallucinatory of places.

She checked her phone; there was a text from Rav and a missed call.

Please, Faye. I want to talk. I miss you .

She wanted to reply; her fingers hovered over the screen. But if she wanted to keep Rav safe, she couldn’t see him – at least, until she had enough power to stand against Finn if she had to.

She pushed the phone away, picking up her tea instead and gulping it down in one go.

Annie watched her warily. ‘Looks like ye haven’t eaten for a few days, either, sweetheart.’

Faye opened the cupboard where they kept the biscuits and took out a packet of digestives and two cereal bars.

She was ravenous. Faye tried to mask her shock that she had been gone for three days, and was making tea to buy herself some time to invent an explanation.

She knew time was elastic in the faerie realm, but it seemed it had passed even faster in the Crystal Castle.

Levantiana had asked her nothing when she had returned, merely nodding when Faye had requested some time at home.

‘No. Starving,’ she replied between bites of the bars: vegan ones that Aisha brought in most weeks.

‘Okay, well. Next time drop me a text. Or ring and just groan down the phone, eh? I’ll know it’s you. I’ll come round with a takeaway or something.’ Annie’s tone softened, and Faye smiled apologetically at her friend.

‘Okay. Sorry. Love you,’ she repeated, and reached for her friend’s hand, covered in silver rings. She squeezed it affectionately. ‘What would I do without you, eh?’

‘’I love ye, too, lassie.’ Annie squeezed back.

‘What did I miss when I was ill?’

‘Oh, not much. Aisha did some work for Rav, bit of light emailing. Made him a contact database, apparently. She said the guy has no IT ability at all. Ye didn’t see him, then?’

‘No, like I said, I was ill,’ Faye said, though the thought of Aisha and Rav made her heart ache a little, but she had made the choice not to see Rav – at least, until she was sure she could protect him from Finn.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be too long now; she was already gaining power.

Merging with her ancestors and letting go of her fear about her magic had been two huge steps; she felt transformed.

‘Aye.’ Annie gave her a funny look.

‘What?’ Faye snapped.

Annie looked away. ‘Nothing. Got some news of my own, that’s all.’ She looked uncharacteristically shifty.

‘What is it?’

‘I got a job. Acting.’ Annie was trying to hide a grin.

Faye’s anger evaporated. ‘You’re joking! That’s fantastic, Annie! Why didn’t you say? I don’t mind if you’re going to be away a week or so. Aisha can cover.’ Faye hugged her friend. ‘What is it? The role?’

‘Ah. That’s the thing, see. It’s in London. It’s TV. A series.’

‘A series? Wow!’ Faye beamed. ‘How many episodes are you going to be on?’

Annie sighed and pulled away from Faye. ‘All o’ them,’ she said. ‘It’s a new show. They’ve put me in for six months and see how I go. Maybe permanent. I’ve got to move away, Faye. To London.’

Faye felt numb. ‘London?’

‘Aye. I’m sorry. I’m going to miss ye like crazy.’

‘But why didn’t you say before? That’s where your audition was?’

‘Aye, well, I didn’t think I’d actually get it, did I? Outside chance, I thought, but I had an old girlfriend I wanted to call in on, an’…well. Here we are.’

Tears of shock welled up in Faye’s eyes. ‘But what will I do without you, Annie?’ she whispered, and Annie enveloped her in a hug again.

‘Aw, now. Come on. I know ye’ll be okay. An’ I’ll come home for weekends here and there. It’s just that the filming’s pretty intense, they said. Not many days off for a while, aye.’

What could Faye say? That she really needed her friend, even though she hadn’t yet told Annie anything about Finn or Murias?

But as she looked into Annie’s green eyes, she didn’t have the heart to ruin this for her. She wouldn’t say anything; she could do it on her own. She didn’t need Annie looking out for her all the time any more. And this was the big break Annie had been waiting for.

‘What show is it? One I’ve seen?’

‘ Coven of Love .’ Annie shrugged. ‘Stupid title, aye. But it’s about these three modern witches who are looking for love in London.

They said they liked my interest in the subject, and they wanted a Scottish witch as a character, so.

Life imitates art, aye.’ She winked at Faye.

‘Maybe it’s the spell workin’ for me. Tell me you’re happy for me, lassie? ’ she asked, quietly.

Faye smiled through her tears. ‘Of course I’m happy for you,’ she said, but her face betrayed her, and she sobbed into her best friend’s shoulder. ‘I’ll just miss you, that’s all.’

Annie patted her on the shoulder. ‘I’ll miss you too, you daftie,’ she said, but there was a tremble in her voice, too.

‘When do you leave?’ Faye mumbled.

‘Saturday. I’m going to stay with the ex for a while, until I find a place of my own.’

‘That’s only three days away,’ Faye felt her heart wrench further. ‘Do you really have to go so soon?’

‘Prep starts next week. That’s the way of these things, Faye. They have to see me for wardrobe fittings, rehearsals, the lot.’

‘Oh.’ Her voice was small; she felt powerless, suddenly, like a child. Everything was changing too fast.

‘Faye? Are you okay? Is there something you need to tell me?’ Annie peered at Faye’s tear-streaked face. ‘Is it Rav? You’d tell me, aye? If there was something wrong?’ She looked worried. ‘I don’t like to leave ye this upset.’

Faye shook her head hurriedly and wiped her eyes. ‘I’m fine. Really.’ She forced a smile onto her face. ‘We can have a little party to send you on your way,’ she added.

Annie nodded. ‘Aye, why not. Say a proper goodbye. I’ll miss Abercolme, the old place, aye. But I’ll miss ye the most, Faye Morgan. I need to be blasted for the next two days to get through it.’

Faye laughed.

‘I’m serious,’ Annie insisted. ‘Out of it.’