Chapter 20

I t had been two days since the videos had gone live and shortly after it had gone viral. The theft of the Ocean Flower locket had attracted so much attention because of the way Iris had stolen it. So the videos explaining the truth of it, or rather the truth that Iris had claimed, had obviously piqued the public's interest too. There were thousands of comments on the video, some people saying that they'd known it was taken via some kind of orchestrated illusion, others saying they'd seen the locket in the exhibition and known it was fake. Some people were unconvinced, but the majority of the public now believed Christopher was some kind of con artist or criminal mastermind.

Although it didn't matter what the public thought, it mattered what the police thought and whether they had enough evidence to convict him. They had announced they were aware of the video and had simply said they were continuing their investigations and would like to speak to the three people in the video to help them with their enquiries. Iris had no intention of going to the police under any guise, at least not yet. If their plan was to work, they needed Christopher to come here and now she wasn't sure if he would.

She supposed he was having to talk to the police about her revelations, which of course he would deny, but hopefully they wouldn't make things easy for him.

It had been a worrying few days but at least being with Lynx made her feel safe and calm. It was weird how easily they just fitted together.

‘Iris!' Lynx's voice came from downstairs in the shop and she knew straightaway from the tone of his voice that something was wrong.

She quickly ran downstairs to find Wolf and Lynx standing there, looking very serious.

Her heart leapt. ‘He's here, isn't he?'

Wolf nodded. ‘Outside the gates. You don't have to see him. We can do this next part without you.'

‘I think I have to be there.'

‘No, you don't,' Lynx said. ‘Me and Wolf can handle it.'

‘I want to see him, I want to see what he has to say and I really want to be there when he gets his comeuppance. Besides, we need to talk to him before you two knock him out. We need to know where the police stand and he's more likely to talk to me than two people he's never met.'

‘We're not knocking him out, just sending him into a deep sleep,' Wolf said. ‘There won't be any violence involved.'

‘Unless we have to,' Lynx said, menacingly.

Iris smirked.

‘I think there's a greater chance of violence if you're there,' Wolf said to Iris. ‘Seeing you is going to make him very angry, especially if he thinks you have the real locket.'

‘He knows I'm here, or at least assumes I am, that's why he's come. I presume he's asking for me?'

Wolf nodded.

‘Not seeing me and getting fobbed off by you two will also make him angry. This is what we planned. We talk to him, see what information we can get from him and then act accordingly.'

‘But what if he has a gun?' Lynx said. ‘We know he's dangerous, we know he's angry, we've seen what he's done to your house. The likeliness of him bringing a weapon is very high.'

‘This is why Star isn't here. As she's pregnant, I didn't want her anywhere near him,' Wolf said.

‘I don't want you anywhere near him either,' Lynx said to Iris.

She smiled with love for him. ‘We know what he's capable of and we have enough magic between us to be able to stop him. Let's finish this once and for all or it will always be hanging over our heads.'

Lynx sighed and nodded reluctantly.

They walked out of the shop and headed towards the entrance of the village. Iris couldn't deny how nervous she was to see Christopher again, but she was also filled with anger. He had ruined her life and now she wanted her revenge.

As they passed by one of the houses, Lynx ran up and banged on the door. A few seconds later Storm answered. He looked at them in confusion and then in concern, clearly picking up on the atmosphere between them.

‘What's wrong?'

‘I'm about to meet with my mundane psycho ex-boyfriend who is probably here to try and kill me,' Iris explained.

Storm blinked in surprise.

‘We could kind of do with a man of your size to intimidate him,' Lynx said.

Storm stepped out onto the street and closed the door behind him, then joined them.

Lynx came back and took Iris's hand, offering her comfort.

The four of them approached the gate and she saw Christopher standing on the other side. It was the first time she'd seen him since he'd stolen her nan's locket. The last time they'd been together, she'd been lying in bed with him at the farmhouse on the morning he ruined everything. She'd gone out to do some shopping and he'd given her a loving kiss goodbye, and when she'd come back her nan was unconscious and the locket was gone. She'd wanted to track him down and cut off his balls but her nan had persuaded her not to. Now, seeing him again after all this time, she felt none of the feelings she'd had for him, only anger and hatred. It ended here today.

The gate opened a fraction and they all walked out. Iris could see the hate she had for him mirrored in Christopher's own eyes. Had it all really been fake, purely to get the locket? That thought made her sick.

‘I knew you were here, I knew you were behind all of this,' Christopher spat.

Storm took a threatening step forward and Christopher's eyes widened with fear and he took a few steps back. Storm moved forward again and Christopher moved back even further. It made Iris feel a bit happier, not having him right there in her space.

‘What do you want?' Iris said. Already she could feel magic humming through Lynx and Wolf, they were ready.

‘You've ruined everything with that video and your lies. The police have been asking me so many questions, trying to put the blame on me. Before they were bending over backwards to try to help me retrieve the locket, now they think I'm the guilty one.'

‘You are the guilty one,' Iris pointed out. ‘You drugged my nan and stole her locket. She adored you, she trusted you and you betrayed her and me. And then when the locket was stolen a second time you drag my name into it and burn down my house as revenge.'

A smug smile of satisfaction crossed Christopher's face and anger boiled up in he. She could feel it bubbling in Lynx too.

‘I want the locket,' Christopher demanded.

‘The police have it,' Iris said in confusion. They didn't know at this stage whether he had come of his own volition or whether he was here working with the police, trying to get her to say something that would incriminate her. He could be bugged or wearing a camera for all they knew.

‘Don't give me that crap, you and I both know the locket the police have is a fake. The fact that you haven't had the balls to go to them to give your statement in person shows you don't want to get involved in this and you don't want to press charges. Give me the locket and I'll make sure all this goes away. I'll spin them some lie completely clearing your name. They never have to know I have it. And you never have to see me again.'

‘What an overinflated sense of entitlement you have. I don't owe you anything. How dare you come here and act like the injured party after everything you've done. As I've already said, the police have the locket.'

‘You don't understand, I need that locket. I've already been paid for it and the new owner is getting very angry that I can't give it to him.'

‘The police have it. Give him it once you get out of prison and everyone will see you for the fraud you are.'

Christopher screamed in anger and whipped out a gun, firing it blindly in Iris's direction. Everything happened very quickly after that. Lynx let out a wall of white-hot fire that melted the bullets before they got anywhere near the four of them. The ground shook and cracked as Storm's earth magic ripped the ground around Christopher like paper, causing him to drop the gun. Iris hit Christopher with a force of water that knocked him off his feet while Wolf's wind struck him a second later and sent him flying through the air. He landed with a thud and didn't move after that.

‘Are you OK?' Lynx asked Iris.

She nodded. ‘He didn't touch me.'

They all looked at Christopher, lying on the road.

‘Is he dead?' Iris said. That hadn't been part of the plan.

‘Unfortunately not,' Wolf said. ‘I can see him breathing.'

‘He'll hopefully have a few bruises to show for it though,' Lynx said.

They all moved closer and Wolf checked him over. ‘He's breathing OK, no broken bones that I can tell. Come on, let's do this before he wakes up.'

Wolf lifted Christopher's limp body off the ground with his magic and carried him into the gatehouse where he let his body slump back down on the floor.

‘Modifying memories isn't easy, so it might take a while. Are we sticking to the memories we discussed?'

Iris nodded. ‘But could we also add in a knowledge that he is really crap in bed? I want him to really believe how inadequate and pathetic he is in the bedroom department.'

Lynx laughed.

Wolf nodded. ‘I can do that.'

‘And I want him thinking for the rest of his life that he smells really bad.'

Wolf shook his head with a smile. ‘I'll try. You lot might as well wait outside for a bit. I'll give you a shout when I'm done.'

They headed out of the gatehouse.

‘Thanks for your help, Storm,' Iris said.

He nodded. ‘Any time.'

He walked off back into the village.

‘Let's sit down over here,' Lynx gestured to a shaded area under a tree.

Iris sat down and Lynx settled next to her. After a while she lay down, staring up at the sun filtering through the leaves of the tree, and Lynx lay down too. She cuddled up to his chest and he kissed her forehead.

‘Are you OK?'

She nodded. ‘I am now. If Wolf can do what we discussed then it will all be over and we can start the rest of our lives together without having to keep looking over our shoulders the whole time.'

‘So no more fighting it? You're accepting the future you've been shown?'

‘Why would I fight it when you make me so damn happy?'

His face lit up in a big smile. ‘So you're planning on staying?'

She stroked his face. ‘Of course I am. I'm in love with you. I tried to tell you the other night when I came to your house drunk, but I also offered to climb you like a tree and have hot drunken sex with you when I could barely stand so I'm not surprised you didn't take me seriously. But I do love you. I've fallen for you so fast and so hard over the last few days and I'm excited about our future. And it's OK if you don't feel that way yet. I know we were just taking it slow and no sensible person would fall in love this quickly but—'

He smiled and kissed her, stalling the words she'd been trying to say. He pulled back and stroked her face. ‘I love you too. So much. I tried to tell you the night of our date. Well, then I wanted to tell you I was falling for you but now I've definitely fallen. Head over heels in fact.'

‘Wait, you didn't talk about this on our date.'

‘You were asleep, obviously bored by my scintillating conversation.'

She laughed.

‘I love you, Iris McKenzie, and I can't wait to take that path with you, wherever and whenever it may lead us.'

Wolf came out of the gatehouse a while later. ‘It's done. Come and see.'

‘He's awake?' Iris asked.

‘Yes but don't worry, he's very compliant.'

Lynx and Iris got up and followed Wolf back into the gatehouse. As soon as Christopher saw her he threw himself to his knees in front of her.

‘Iris, I'm so so sorry for all of this, I'm such a shitbag. I can't believe what I've done to you, and to Ness of course. Stealing the locket, dragging your name into all of this and your beautiful house… I burned it to the ground and I can't say sorry enough for that.'

Iris knew that none of this was real or heartfelt but it still felt good to hear his apology.

‘And I'm sorry for being so crap in bed too,' Christopher went on. ‘I know I have a small penis and that I could never satisfy you, or any woman for that matter. I know sleeping with me was like sleeping with a wet fish. And I'm sorry I smell so badly too, I'll be taking lots of showers from now on.'

Iris suppressed a bubble of laughter. This was too good.

Lynx snorted behind her and Christopher glanced over at him. ‘Who are you?'

‘The man that can make her scream in bed.'

‘Oh good, I'm glad you've found someone nice, you deserve great sex,' Christopher said.

‘What are you going to do now?' Iris asked.

‘I'm going to go home and film a confession which I'll put out on social media. And then I'm going straight to the police. I'll tell them everything. Hopefully they'll put me away for a very long time.'

‘Let's hope so,' Iris said.

‘Will you ever forgive me?' Christopher asked tearfully.

‘No, I won't and you'll have to live with that for the rest of your life.'

‘I understand and I don't deserve your forgiveness after everything I've done.' He looked around. ‘Can I go now?'

Wolf nodded. ‘You're free to leave.'

Christopher walked out of the gatehouse and started walking down the road, his shoulders slumped as if he was carrying the weight of the world on them. Iris watched him go without feeling an ounce of guilt.

‘You did a great job,' she said to Wolf.

‘It wasn't that hard. Most of his memories are the truth, I just layered in that he realised the locket was fake and it was all part of an insurance claim, and then I added in a whole ton of guilt on top.'

‘And it won't wear off?'

‘No, those memories and thoughts are as real to him as everything else that's ever happened to him. He won't remember what happened with the gun and our magic, only that he came here to apologise to you.'

‘Let's hope it's enough for the police,' Lynx said.

‘I do think it might help if they have a full statement from you and that you tell them you want to press charges,' Wolf said. ‘But we can let things die down first with his confession and see if it's necessary.'

‘I'll do whatever it takes,' Iris said.

Iris and Lynx walked back towards their road, hand in hand. She felt such relief that it was all over, or it would be once Christopher had confessed to the police – and she had no reason to think that he wouldn't.

She saw Zofia coming out of one of the houses in front of them. Her eyes lit up at seeing them together and she hurried over to talk to them.

‘Iris, I'm so sorry to hear what happened to your home. I know Lynx always talks about me being omniscient, but I don't see it all. If I'd seen that happening I would have told you and we could have done something to stop it.'

‘Thank you, I know you would have.'

‘We can help you rebuild. There's enough magic in this village to make it happen very quickly.'

‘Thanks. Wolf has already offered to help with that, using the same magic he used to create Stardust Street.'

Zofia nodded and her eyes cast down to where Iris and Lynx's hands were still linked. She was clearly bursting to ask if they were together, but trying to stick to her promise not to interfere.

‘And I know that the plan was always to return to Scotland but maybe you might be happy here, at least for a while longer?' Zofia said.

‘I'm going to be happy here for a very long time,' Iris said, deciding to put her out of her misery.

Zofia looked like she'd won the lottery. ‘You mean… you're together?'

Lynx looped an arm around Iris's shoulders. ‘We're in love.'

‘I knew it! I was starting to think my gift was on the fritz when I kept seeing your future together and you two were saying you didn't even like each other.'

‘We've been together since before the poker game,' Iris confessed. ‘We just didn't want any interference when we were still trying to figure it all out on our own.'

‘Oh, you sods. I was so confused. But fair point. You don't want someone interfering when everything is still so new. So have you thought about when you're going to get married?'

Lynx sighed. ‘Zofia.'

‘I'm just saying, traditionally couples got married at the summer solstice and those that did always had a happy marriage.'

‘That's tomorrow,' Iris protested.

‘Well it doesn't need to be a big deal. You just need a pretty dress, some flowers and some rings, and Lynx can make those.'

‘We're not getting married tomorrow,' Lynx said, firmly.

‘OK, OK, it was just an idea. Maybe the winter solstice then. Much prettier flowers in my opinion. Oh yes, I can see it now.'

‘You can see it?' Iris said.

Zofia gave her a mischievous smile. ‘Maybe.'

Iris smiled and shook her head in despair. Zofia was clearly going to be relentless.

‘Anyway must dash,' Zofia said, giving them a wave. ‘Think about it.' She hurried away.

‘I am so sorry about her,' Lynx said.

‘It's fine. Living somewhere as small as Midnight, people are bound to be interested in us, especially as we got together so quickly. And her meddling comes from a good place, she wants to see you happy.'

‘I am happy, that should be enough.'

‘Ah, happiness can only come from marriage and babies apparently.'

He smiled and rolled his eyes.

Iris opened the door to her home to find Ness sitting on the sofa, reading her favourite spy story.

‘Oh, I'm reading that one,' Lynx said. ‘Have you got to chapter fourteen yet?'

‘Yes, what a shock,' Ness said.

Iris sat next to her and took a deep breath. ‘Christopher came here this morning.'

‘And?'

‘And he was angry. Which I loved. His plan has failed spectacularly and the police have already been asking him a ton of questions. But we were able to carry out our plan perfectly. Wolf modified his memory and he's now going to the police to give them a full confession. As he's likely to be charged with insurance fraud, I think he'll be going away for a long time.'

‘Good, it's what that little bawbag deserves.' Ness paused, shaking her head. ‘It doesn't bring back my home though.'

‘No, it doesn't. But Wolf has said he'd help us to rebuild it, exactly as it was. I know it won't be the same but we can fill every room with your memory crystals so you'll still have the memories of each room, whenever we visit.'

Ness nodded. ‘I'd like that.'

‘And Lynx has suggested we go back to Loch Fyne tomorrow, for the summer solstice sunrise. We can have a swim as the sun rises above the hills.'

A big smile stretched on her face. ‘I'd really like that.'

‘Maybe not naked though, we should probably save Lynx's blushes.'

‘I can keep my clothes on for once.'

‘A bit of nudity doesn't bother me,' Lynx said. ‘Besides, if there's nudity involved, my eyes will be firmly on this one,' he gestured towards Iris.

She laughed. ‘Pervert.'

‘Oh you know it. My future wife parading around naked, I'm never going to get enough of that.'

‘Your grandfather was the same,' Ness said. ‘He loved seeing me naked. When we honeymooned in a little holiday cottage on Skye, I spent the whole time butt-naked. We never left the house.'

‘Now that's the kind of honeymoon I could get on board with,' Lynx said.

Iris laughed and shook her head. ‘What have I got myself involved with?'

Ness took her hand. ‘He makes you happy, blissfully so.'

Iris looked at him and smiled. ‘I know.'