Be Careful What You Wish For Read online

  At last, however, enough time had passed in the Realm of the Fae that she knew it was time to go back to the human realm. Hopefully Nana hadn’t gotten into any trouble and Rory was holding down the fort but since she’d basically only been gone overnight and a few hours into the morning of the day after she’d left, Cass was pretty sure things would be okay.

  “The Summer’s End Ball is almost here,” Jake told her as she packed her things reluctantly and got ready to go back home. “Will you have time to get all your business attended to and be ready when I come for you?”

  “Absolutely.” Cass nodded firmly. “I’ll need to take the portraits I painted of you to the I.C.U. gallery and go see Brandon face-to-face to end things with him but after that, I’ll be all ready to go.”

  “And you’ll consider what your next step will be then?” Jake asked.

  Cass understood what he was asking.

  “Yes, I promise I will,” she said seriously. “You’ve…given me a lot to think about, Jake. This time here with you has been…well, magical. There’s no other way to describe it.”

  “I’m so glad you enjoyed our time together. I just wish it hadn’t come so quickly to an end.” He sighed and then turned serious. “Are you certain you don’t wish me to be with you when you break off your old relationship?” he asked, looking at her with a mixture of worry and possessiveness. “He won’t try to hurt you, will he? I’ll send his joints bending in the wrong direction if he so much as lays a finger on you.”

  “I know you will.” Cass shivered when she remembered the howling biker Jake had worked that particular spell on. “But don’t worry—he probably won’t even notice I’m gone. I’m barely in his life anyway—he won’t care that I’m taking myself completely out of it.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Jake was still frowning—looking like a thundercloud about to storm. “Just remember you can call me if you need me. I will be listening for you every moment you’re away, darling.”

  “Thank you.” Cass finished zipping her duffle bag and stood on tiptoes to give him a kiss. “I really have enjoyed my time here with you,” she said shyly. “I…can’t honestly remember feeling so happy and taken care of since I was a little girl—before my mother died.” Then she bit her lip. “Wow, that came out kind of weird. What I meant to say was—”

  “I understand your meaning perfectly,” Jake murmured, leaning down to kiss her back. “And I assure you, I take it as a compliment. You are what we call in the elvish community, a neamhnaid priseil—a precious pearl. Because of your great talent and your beauty and intelligence, I must cherish and protect you.” He smiled. “I’m very pleased you felt so cared for in my home. It was my whole intention.”

  “Well, it worked.” Cass smiled up at him. Every day she fell for the big elf a little more. It seemed impossible now that she had disliked him so much when they’d first met.

  He sighed deeply.

  “And now I must take you back to your own home, though I wish it wasn’t necessary. I have an early court date this morning I must not miss in Judge StoneThroat’s courtroom.”

  “You have to go back there?” Cass shivered. “Ugh—I wish you wouldn’t! I worry about you, Jake—what if he tries to flog you again? Or does something worse?”

  “He cannot touch me if I don’t give him reason to,” Jake said firmly. “Besides, my debt to him is paid in full—paid in blood, as you well remember. He won’t bother me again unless I antagonize him.”

  “Got it. Well, just be careful.” Cass promised herself that she wouldn’t call him away no matter how Brandon reacted to her breaking up with him. Not that she expected much drama but even if her soon-to-be ex pitched a full-fledged hissy-fit, she was not going to get the big elf in trouble again.

  “I will be careful if you promise to do the same,” Jake told her. “Call for me if you need me. If not, I’ll come for you before the ball. Now—are you ready to go?”

  “Yes, ready.” Cass took a firm grip on her duffle bag and canvases and leaned back against Jake, letting him loop one long, muscular arm around her waist.

  There was the familiar puff of navy blue smoke and the warm, masculine scent she now knew was the smell of his magic and then she was standing in the middle of the living room in the big house on States Street and Rory was shouting at her.

  “Oh, Cass—thank goodness you’re back! It’s such an awful mess!”

  “Mess? What mess?” Jake looked stern. “Have you had more problems with your new fairy godmother?”

  “No, no—nothing like that.” Rory shook her head, her long red hair flying. “I haven’t seen hide nor hair of the new FG since she disappeared last time.”

  “Is it the clones?” Cass asked anxiously. “Did someone wake them up? Are they causing a problem?” She could just imagine the havoc ten, not-too-bright, naked Brandon clones could cause.

  But again, Rory shook her head.

  “No, it’s nothing magical at all, I’m afraid.” She looked desperately unhappy. “I’m so sorry, Cass, but Albert from the I.C.U. called on your cell phone a couple of hours ago—he says he’s cancelling your show and there’s nothing you can do to change his mind.”

  “Oh yeah?” Cass frowned. “We’ll just see about that.”

  “Do you need my help?” Jake asked. “Should I come with you to teach this Albert a lesson?”

  “Easy, honey—you’re sounding less like my court-appointed elf and more like a mob hitman.” Cass put a hand on his arm. “Don’t worry about me—I can handle myself just fine.”

  “Well, if you’re sure…” Jake was still frowning possessively.

  “I’m sure,” Cass told him firmly. “Now please go—I don’t want you to be late to court.”

  “I’ll be listening for you,” Jake promised. Bending down, he gave her a swift but sensuous kiss on the lips. Then he nodded at Rory, who was staring at him in surprise, and disappeared in his usual puff of navy smoke.

  “Whoa, Cass,” her sister finally managed to get out at last after the smoke had dissipated. “What was that all about? I take it you and our court-appointed elf are now an item.”

  “Not exactly.” Cass frowned. “I have to break things off with Brandon and take a breather before we can really consider our next step.”

  “Consider your next step?” Rory frowned at her. “Now you sound just like Phil. Whatever happened to living life as a free-spirited artist, Cass? Your next step ought to be right into Counselor O’Shea’s arms if you ask me.”

  “Well, nobody did ask you,” Cass snapped. Then she sighed. “Look, I’m sorry—I don’t mean to be bitchy. I like Jake a lot—I mean, to be honest I’m pretty much nearly head-over-heals for him. But he’s really intense, you know? It’s just…a little scary to go from being in a loose kind of relationship like I have with Brandon to something so…so…”

  “Grown up?” Rory offered quietly. “He wants a commitment and that’s scary, right?”

  “Well don’t you think commitment is scary?” Cass demanded, feeling exasperated. Her little sister wasn’t even nineteen and had never had a serious boyfriend before. There was no way she could lecture Cass on commitment.

  But Rory got a strange look in her emerald green eyes.

  “I think when you find the right person and you know he’s right, committing to him isn’t scary at all,” she said quietly.

  “Wait a minute…” Cass narrowed her eyes as she studied her little sister. “Are you talking about that Phooka horse guy again? That Damien guy?”

  “Daegan—his name is Daegan,” Rory said defensively. “And no, of course I wasn’t talking about him. I just meant, you know—when you find the right guy you want to be with him forever.”

  Cass sighed and shook her head.

  “Maybe so but right now I need to get rid of the wrong guy and then get my head together before I can decide if Jake is Mr. Right or not. Speaking of which, can I have my cell phone?”

  Rory handed it over and she dialed Brandon’s n