EVERYONE STOOD IN front of the corner door at the bank, staring at the doorknob, worried about putting the gold back in the vault. What if Paddy was playing another illusion on them? Arden glanced over to where the cluricaun dangled between Ruck and Gerst, Ruck taking it upon himself to jerk the tiny man every chance he got. Good thing we haven’t turned him in just yet. Arden glanced around at the rest of the gathered group. He had sent Quinn after Police Chief Sebastian Thayer and Seraphine, both of which were there now. Sebastian wasn’t too happy about being left out of the loop, but gargoyles could be a surly bunch to begin with. Seraphine just stood there beside Kerry, smiling sweetly. Arden believed Seraphine deserved to be there because she was the one who helped him find Underwood Investigations—and Kerry, who now stood there beside him offering him her support and encouragement.
Arden glanced over at Paddy who wore a scowl of hatred that would burn them all alive if he could. “This better work,” Arden warned. “If you don’t want to be turned over to the leprechaun Elders, I suggest you put things to right. To keep your charade up now would only bring a war between the leprechauns and the cluricauns. Neither side would fare well in such a feud.”
Paddy remained silent, just glaring at him.
They needed Paddy’s magic to return the pots of gold to their true size. If he refused, they were still in trouble, even with the gold in their possession again.
Arden glanced at Kerry and nodded. “Shall we?”
She smiled at him and nodded. He had no clue the mixed emotions she felt right then. She had finished her sister’s task, and yet, still not found Brandie. As soon as the gold was back safely in the vault and Paddy sent back to the home country, he would throw everything he had into finding Brandie Underwood. He agreed with Kerry; her sister would not just walk off without telling someone. Paddy stashed her somewhere, and he wasn’t talking.
“Arden, dear, relax,” Seraphine said, her musical tone almost chiding. “One step at a time, and at the end of the journey, things will return to normal. You must have faith.”
He just nodded at the cryptic woman. She brought him to Black Hollow, gave him a new life, and quite possibly the woman of his dreams, but sometimes, Seraphine creeped him out.
Turning back to the wooden door, he took a deep breath and reached for the round doorknob. Quinn and he wrapped their magic around everyone as they traveled to the other end of the hall and the pinprick of light that winked at them. Arden reached out, taking Kerry’s hand in his again and ignoring the knowing smile on Seraphine’s lips.
Upon entering the vault, everyone spread out a little, the fake pots of gold now gone, the floor bare granite. Arden released Kerry’s hand, opened the box, and started to slowly set the small pots of gold out where they would have been if Paddy hadn’t stolen them. The others stood on the edge, watching. Arden said a prayer with each pot he set on the cold, hard floor that they were more than what they appeared—toys from a kid’s bedroom. He needed this to work. Paddy needed to follow through and return the gold, or Arden didn’t know what he’d do.
Once the pots were set around in their rightful spots, Arden returned to Kerry’s side, taking her hand in his once more. He hoped he appeared confident, but he somehow doubted it. He then turned to Paddy with a deep breath. With his other hand he pointed to the black pots. “Fix them,” he simply said. “Put things right.”
Paddy sneered at him. “Put things right? It’s not right that you’ve stolen my gold. We all have a part of our heritage.”
“Take it up with the Elders,” Arden said. “Now, work your magic and make the pots of gold normal again. Or I send you back to my Elders, and we both know what they’ll do to you.”
Paddy paled, his eyes widening as he stepped back from Arden a little. Finally, he gave a nod, and shook himself out of the ogres’ grasp. “Fine,” he snapped. “But it’s still not right.”
Arden just glared at him.
Paddy faced the tiny pots on the ground, growling for a second before reaching out with his magic, surrounding the room and calling the pots back to their original size. Arden felt the magic sizzle the air, a light buzzing that electrified the interior of the vault. Within seconds, the pots started to shimmer and then grow. Arden didn’t realize he held his breath until each of the dozen cast-iron pots were back the way they were, gold spilling out the tops, and a rainbow shooting out of each one into the ceiling. He squeezed Kerry’s hand, but she screamed, and he felt her body collapse to the floor.
“What the hell?” Kerry screamed, and when Arden turned to help her, Brandie Underwood lay sprawled on top of her sister, arms and legs flailing from where they both hit the ground and now struggled to get up.
“Brandie!” Quinn shouted as he shoved his way through the others to reach the eldest Underwood’s side.
“Oh, there she is,” Paddy smirked.
Kerry sat up as Brandie slid off her and onto the ground beside her, shoving her blond hair out of her eyes. Quinn stood beside her, eye-to-eye with Brandie as he put his tiny hands on her shoulders. “Are you okay?” he asked, right before he threw his arms around her shoulders.
“I’m fine,” Brandie said as she hugged the leprechaun back. “At least, I am now that I don’t resemble a pesky fly.” She turned to her sister. “God, I’ve been screaming in your ear ever since you entered Arden’s office.”
“You have?” Kerry looked at her, her brows pinched in puzzlement. “But how…?” And then Arden saw dawning stretch across her features. “The fly in my ear was you? Oh my god, I almost killed you how many times?” She reached out, pushing Quinn out of the way as she embraced her sister. “I’m so sorry.”
“Oh please,” Brandie wheezed, trying to get free of Kerry’s tight hug. “You have lousy aim.”
Seraphine turned to Arden, smiling, a twinkle in her different colored eyes. “See? I told you everything would return to normal.”
“Arden,” Ruck said, drawing everyone’s attention to the mountain of granite-like flesh. The ogre stood there, his head bowed, gaze fixed on the floor, shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry for what I did. I broke the rules and went where I shouldn’t have gone. I trusted Paddy. I should be punished as well. I failed my job and you.”
Arden walked over to Ruck and placed his hand on the man’s shoulder, having to stretch his arm upward to do so. “It’s only a mother-in-law would blame you for trusting someone who said they were a friend,” Arden said. “Don’t worry about it, Ruck. The blame lies on Paddy, not you.”
“What are we to do with him?” Sebastian said, shoving his hands into his pockets as he stared at Paddy. “He came very close to ruining this town. We should punish him here.”
Arden reached out, helping Kerry to her feet. Quinn tried to assist Brandie, but a three-foot man isn’t that great at helping a five-foot-eight woman to her feet. Arden chuckled at his friend’s attempt at chivalry as he watched Brandie get to her feet on her own while pretending that Quinn actually helped her. While he watched the scene between Quinn and Brandie, he answered Sebastian. “While I agree with you, the Elders are eager to exact their own punishment on him. I assure you, he will be dealt with.” He then glanced at Paddy. “Severely.”
Sebastian nodded, then turned to head out, only to come up short when he faced the small pinprick of a door. “Um, how do we get out of here?”
Arden just started chuckling as Kerry walked up beside him, wrapping her arm around his and holding onto him. Everything was put to right. It was time to go home.