The Heart's Content

Rosie slipped Alastor a drug that would keep him unconscious for an uncertain amount of time. The next morning, she confided in Beth and Angel about the shard lodged in his eye and its effects on him. The news left them feeling both frightened and relieved.

"I knew it." Beth said. "I knew something was wrong. Even if Charlie being a mermaid freaked him out, he wouldn't have been that cruel. But what's going to happen to him?"

"I'm afraid he'll only grow colder with each passing hour, until his frozen heart shatters, leaving him devoid of love or goodness." Rosie replied.

"Can you help him? There must be a way to undo this, right?"

"There is, but it's incredibly difficult. The only way to dislodge the shard from his eye is for him to cry. To do that, we need to thaw his frozen heart so he can feel a sadness strong enough to bring forth tears."

"Okay, so how do we thaw his heart?"

"Would that tea help?" Angel asked.

"No, the tea isn't strong enough for something like this. We need something far more powerful than mere heat."

"Like what?"

"You have to appeal to his heart. You need to reach him with something so significant and dear that not even the ice trapping his heart can keep it out."

"But we don't know what that is."

"I know, and that's what makes this so challenging. Understanding the inner workings of another person's heart can be incredibly difficult—sometimes even impossible."

"Maybe not in our case." Beth said. "We all know Alastor. I'm sure we can figure out what makes him tick. Let's think: what does he cherish most? What brings him the greatest happiness?"

"Cajun cooking?" Angel suggested.

"No, that won't work." Rosie dismissed.

"Old-fashioned technology?"

"No."

"Good entertainment?"

"No."

"The suffering of people who deserve it?"

"No."

"Bad jokes?"

"No!" Rosie exclaimed. "It can't be something simple or material. It has to be something meaningful."

"What about music?" Beth proposed. "That's his greatest passion, and I don't think anything on earth could make him give that up completely."

"Too easy. We live in Louisiana, music is all around here which Valentino knows. There's no way he would have put that shard in Alastor's eye if a simple song could break its spell."

"But what about that special song?" Beth theorized, recalling the events of the previous night. "When Alastor came to get me, he briefly looked like his old self, as if he were on the verge of snapping out of it. And we just happened to be singing Mom's favorite song at that moment. Maybe that's the key—a song from the heart."

She paused, then had a eureka moment.

"I've got it! We need to get him to hear Charlie sing!"

"How will that work?" Angel asked.

"Music is everything to Charlie. It's not just a hobby; it's her life, her essence. Any song she sings comes straight from her heart, and if I know Alastor's heart, he won't be able to resist."

"That might actually work." Rosie said, considering the idea. "But Valentino won't let Charlie get anywhere near Alastor."

"Then we'll bring him to her. Rosie and I will head to the circus to get Charlie to sing. Angel, you stay here, and when Alastor wakes up, tell him where we are. He'll come to find me, hear Charlie's song, and return to normal."