Now You See Me

Nineteen: Birthday Surprises

"Happy birthday, Courtney," I murmured with everyone else, as Leia handed over the envelope containing the money from all of us.

"Oh, God, you shouldn't have," Courtney said. She put a hand to her mouth as she took the envelope, and then stared at her name written on the front. A tear slid down her cheek as she began to work her nail under the flap to open it, but Feila stilled her with a light touch.

"Wait a moment, Fraulein," she said, smiling. "There's someone outside who'll want to watch."

At that moment, someone knocked on the front door, and I couldn't help but shoot the Fae a wary glance at her accuracy. I clenched my fists in my lap as they began to tremble and sweat; any mention of sorcery now had me on edge. No matter how determined I was to live as freely as I wanted to, I harboured an insistent fear that something awful would happen. Most of the previous week had seen me either in Feila's office or the confines of my own room, terrified beyond wit of the outside world and of anything to do with the teenage vampire that haunted the place.

It was no surprise – but a considerable relief - to me that Marilyn didn't join Courtney's birthday celebrations.

"Daddy," Courtney whispered, as David escorted into the room a thin, balding man in his fifties who relied entirely on crutches to move around. His face lit up as Courtney stumbled to her feet and went to embrace him. "You came."

"Told you I would, Kaylee," the man replied, kissing her on the cheek. "I promised, didn't I?"

"Yeah... I just thought Mum would, you know..."

"Stop me?" Courtney's father suggested, and she nodded. "Ah, she won't stop me seeing my daughter if I want to. Especially not on her birthday."

Courtney sounded like she stifled a sob then, but covered it up and hurried to pull a chair out for him. He lowered himself into it, with what seemed to be considerable pain, while Courtney chewed on her lip and helped him to get down as slowly as possible. Then, she retook her seat and shook her blonde hair over her face. Her cheeks, from what I could see of them, glowed pink.

"And of course," her father said, leaning back and digging a hand into the pocket of his jacket. "Had to find some way of getting you this." He added another envelope to the first one, and a small box wrapped in purple paper, though it was hard to determine the real shape as the wrapping was a mediocre job at best. "Sorry about that. You know, my knuckles wouldn't cooperate and your mother had one of her heads on."

"It's fine!" Courtney said quickly. "Don't apologise."

Her dad smiled, but it curled into a grimace as Courtney struggled with the tape.

"Need some help with that bit?" I asked, as she began tugging at a persistent string of it on the end. She blew a deep breath out and handed it over with an apologetic smile, watching as I drew out a claw and sliced it open for her.

"Thanks, Damien," she said, and I nodded, before catching her Dad's gaze flicking between us as if he suspected something. I looked away, not realising until too late that it probably made us look even more suspicious.

The package contained a necklace, the pendant inlaid with a large multifaceted amethyst that lay heavily against Courtney's neck. Her fingers fluttered over it, trembling, and I couldn't help but smirk. Lorien – who had been sat on my other side – leaned over for a closer look and made a squeak of delight.

"It was your grandmother's," Courtney's dad said, leaning forward on one crutch. "I thought you might like it."

"I love it," Courtney whispered.