“Hi you two,” Sophie said, as she looked up from pulling a tray of cookies out of the oven.
Ally inhaled the sweet smell that had filled the kitchen. “Hey Sophie.”
James gave Ally a sly wink, then stole a cookie from the plate and was back by her side before Sophie had a chance to stop him.
“James,” Sophie scolded. “Just because you can steal them, doesn’t mean you have to.”
Ally burst out laughing and realised it felt good. Things had become so serious since that fateful night she had been put on a plane unconscious and flown to Scotland. Her mind whirled that it had only been six months since all this craziness had begun. Sometimes it felt like six years and others it felt like six minutes.
Her life as she knew it had ended that night – but despite facing danger, death, loss and becoming an immortal herself, she had never felt more alive or more like the real person she was supposed to be; not the person she thought she had to be.
“Help me talk her into going to the fair with us,” James said to Sophie, interrupting Ally’s reverie.
Sophie looked at Ally, the surprise showing on her face. “I thought you’d love to go to the fair, Ally.”
Ally sent James a small glare before she answered. “I have a bad history with fairs.”
Sophie shared a look with James. “I did hear something about that a few years ago, but this will be different,” she said with a reassuring tone. “It’s something of a ritual in this house and it’s always fun. Besides, the best way to get over a bad experience is to replace it with a good experience.”
“Makes sense I suppose, but I still don’t know.”
“What bad experience?” Chase asked as he entered the room with Mackenzie close behind him.
“The fair,” James answered. “She doesn’t want to go.”
Chase raised his eyebrows at her. “Come on Ally, you’re not scared of a little fair, are you?”
She sighed in frustration. “I’m not scared of the fair. It’s the fortune tellers that I’m nervous of.”
“We don’t bite,” Isabella stated as she swept into the room and stole a cookie as she slipped past the counter.
“You’re as bad as your brother,” Sophie scolded playfully.
James and Isabella shared a conspiring look. “See, Isabella’s a fortune teller and not only that, she is the fortune teller and you’re not scared of her.”
“Well no,” she begrudgingly admitted. “But she hasn’t been spouting doom recently either.”
“I don’t do it for fun you know,” Isabella griped.
James shook his head at the two of them. They had formed a sort of truce since the truth about James’ father came out, but he wasn’t sure how long things would last given their history and Ally’s tendency to hold grudges.
He understood but in his half-sisters defence, she wasn’t the one who wrote the prophecy, she was just trying to help Ally by telling her the truth. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on James. Ally valued the truth above everything, but Isabella telling the truth had condemned her in Ally’s eyes.
Women, he thought with an inward groan.
Mackenzie spoke interrupting his thoughts. “You have to come, Ally. There are stalls and gypsy acts, music and dancing. You’ll love it. Besides, James will be there to protect you.”
She held her ground for another second, and then let out a defeated grumble. “Fine, I’ll go to the bloody fair.”
“You won’t regret it, Ally.”
“There you go again,” Ally winced.