would be okay.”
Cedar leaned close to her, still keeping her voice low. “It’s not okay, not even for Felix. I’m assuming he went to see Jane?” Eden nodded. “He should know better, and I’m going to talk to him. Lots of people are going to want you to open sidhe for them, honey, and you have to say no to them all—even people you know.”
“But he said you open sidhe for him all the time!” Eden protested. “And how else is he going to see Jane?”
“Shh! Felix and Jane are a very special exception to the rule, but you need to let Mummy deal with it, okay? I don’t want you to open any sidhe unless I’m with you. It’s for your own safety. Did you leave the sidh open for him?”
Eden nodded again. “It’s in his house,” she said with her head bowed. Cedar decided to drop the issue, but she planned to have some firm words with Felix later. The last thing she wanted was for people to think they could use Eden as their own personal travel agent.
The conversation around the table flowed easily, and as soon as dinner was finished, Seisyll floated a large pink frosted cake in front of Eden. Seven delicate white candles stood in a circle in its center. “Riona tells me that the custom on Ériu is to light the candles, and then have the child blow them out,” Seisyll said. “Would you like to do the honors, Your Majesty?”
Cedar hesitated for a moment, and then said, “Of course.” She tried to steady her racing pulse. She just needed to focus, to concentrate—and to avoid blowing up her daughter’s birthday party. Slowly, she raised a hand, keeping her eyes focused on the cluster of wicks in front of her. The power built up inside her before flowing through her fingers in a gentle, controlled stream. There was a whoosh and a short burst of flame, and then she dropped her hand and released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. All seven candles were lit, and she hadn’t burned anything down. Finn winked at her from across the table.
“And now we sing!” Riona said, getting to her feet. She led them all in a round of “Happy Birthday,” and the guests clapped as Eden took a deep breath and blew out the candles. As soon as she was done and Finn was serving the cake, Eden looked at her mother and asked, “Can I be excused?”
Cedar frowned. “Already? But don’t you want to have some cake?”
“Can I just take it to my room?” Eden asked.
“What’s going on? You’ve been acting very rude.”
Eden’s face grew dark, and she lowered her head. Cedar drew her chair closer to her daughter’s and leaned in. “What is it, baby?”
Raising her eyes to meet her mother’s for a moment, Eden quickly looked away. “It’s just…I mean, I know you planned this party and everything, but all it does is remind everyone that I’m different from them. The Tuatha Dé Danann don’t have birthday parties.”
“They don’t?” Cedar asked. She automatically looked at Finn for confirmation, but he was still passing out slices of cake to their guests. Eden shook her head.
“And all the human food, and the balloons, and everything. It’s not how it’s done here, and I want to be like them. I am like them!”
“Of course you are,” Cedar said. “I just thought you might be missing your friends and school and the way things were back home.”
“Maybe I should be, but I’m not. I don’t want to go back. I like it here. And I don’t want to feel like I stick out any more than I already do.”
“Well, what about Molly? She’s in the same situation as you. Maybe you guys can help each other out.”
“Yeah, but her parents lived here, like, forever before they went to Earth. They know everything about the Tuatha Dé Danann, and they’ve been teaching her since she was born. She already knows way more than I ever will. And no one looks at her and thinks, ‘Oh, there’s that human girl. ’ ”
Cedar reached out to hug her daughter, but Eden pulled away. “Can I
Cedar leaned close to her, still keeping her voice low. “It’s not okay, not even for Felix. I’m assuming he went to see Jane?” Eden nodded. “He should know better, and I’m going to talk to him. Lots of people are going to want you to open sidhe for them, honey, and you have to say no to them all—even people you know.”
“But he said you open sidhe for him all the time!” Eden protested. “And how else is he going to see Jane?”
“Shh! Felix and Jane are a very special exception to the rule, but you need to let Mummy deal with it, okay? I don’t want you to open any sidhe unless I’m with you. It’s for your own safety. Did you leave the sidh open for him?”
Eden nodded again. “It’s in his house,” she said with her head bowed. Cedar decided to drop the issue, but she planned to have some firm words with Felix later. The last thing she wanted was for people to think they could use Eden as their own personal travel agent.
The conversation around the table flowed easily, and as soon as dinner was finished, Seisyll floated a large pink frosted cake in front of Eden. Seven delicate white candles stood in a circle in its center. “Riona tells me that the custom on Ériu is to light the candles, and then have the child blow them out,” Seisyll said. “Would you like to do the honors, Your Majesty?”
Cedar hesitated for a moment, and then said, “Of course.” She tried to steady her racing pulse. She just needed to focus, to concentrate—and to avoid blowing up her daughter’s birthday party. Slowly, she raised a hand, keeping her eyes focused on the cluster of wicks in front of her. The power built up inside her before flowing through her fingers in a gentle, controlled stream. There was a whoosh and a short burst of flame, and then she dropped her hand and released the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. All seven candles were lit, and she hadn’t burned anything down. Finn winked at her from across the table.
“And now we sing!” Riona said, getting to her feet. She led them all in a round of “Happy Birthday,” and the guests clapped as Eden took a deep breath and blew out the candles. As soon as she was done and Finn was serving the cake, Eden looked at her mother and asked, “Can I be excused?”
Cedar frowned. “Already? But don’t you want to have some cake?”
“Can I just take it to my room?” Eden asked.
“What’s going on? You’ve been acting very rude.”
Eden’s face grew dark, and she lowered her head. Cedar drew her chair closer to her daughter’s and leaned in. “What is it, baby?”
Raising her eyes to meet her mother’s for a moment, Eden quickly looked away. “It’s just…I mean, I know you planned this party and everything, but all it does is remind everyone that I’m different from them. The Tuatha Dé Danann don’t have birthday parties.”
“They don’t?” Cedar asked. She automatically looked at Finn for confirmation, but he was still passing out slices of cake to their guests. Eden shook her head.
“And all the human food, and the balloons, and everything. It’s not how it’s done here, and I want to be like them. I am like them!”
“Of course you are,” Cedar said. “I just thought you might be missing your friends and school and the way things were back home.”
“Maybe I should be, but I’m not. I don’t want to go back. I like it here. And I don’t want to feel like I stick out any more than I already do.”
“Well, what about Molly? She’s in the same situation as you. Maybe you guys can help each other out.”
“Yeah, but her parents lived here, like, forever before they went to Earth. They know everything about the Tuatha Dé Danann, and they’ve been teaching her since she was born. She already knows way more than I ever will. And no one looks at her and thinks, ‘Oh, there’s that human girl. ’ ”
Cedar reached out to hug her daughter, but Eden pulled away. “Can I
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