Braylin jostles my shoulder as we walk, “Yeah, but you have the sweetest house of us all with the best view.”
I smile, thinking of the home that the Fairies had made for me. It might have felt like a pity offering when they made it, but now I love the small home. The Armarillia Cape that they had found made the perfect roof, its bright red popping out in the vast green of the glade. The walls are a rich brown bark and small windows dot the house. The upstairs has an open loft with a large bed and a small window above the bed that looks out over the most beautiful waterfall.
“It’s pretty cool. But I would rather be in the tree.”
“Speaking of the tree. Tonight’s the big ceremony. You’re coming, right?”
“Yeah, I don’t have a choice. Rena put me into the initiates again. I don’t know why she keeps insisting I try to find my powers. Without wings, I have no talent.”
“Lin, we don’t know that. Maybe this year will be different.”
I don’t respond. The past 4 years have been the same. Every year I’m brought in with the initiates and led to the talents table. I dip my hand into each bowl of dust for the various talents, but nothing happens. The other initiates make the dust glow when they put their hand in the bowl that represents their talent, then Rena comes and pours a cup of their talent dust over them, changing their wings from the gossamer white all Fairies were born with, to the colored wings of their talent. But I stand to the side, watching another year’s initiates go by.
“Perk up. I’ve got a good feeling about this year. Now, I gotta fly. If I don’t gather enough seeds from the everberries, we won’t have enough for planting next year. The glisch have been horrid this year and have eaten nearly everything already.”
I laugh at Braylin, “Go and gather then. Maybe I can find some way to help with the glisch.”
“Hey, that’s a great idea. You’ve a way of finding some interesting solutions. I love the seed bag you made me. I can carry twice as much with it.” Braylin pushes off and flutters for a minute. “You know how to find me, otherwise I’ll see you tonight?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there. The only Fairy without wings.” But my mind isn’t really with her anymore, I’m thinking through the problem of the glisch and protecting the harvest. The glisch are large beetles that eat the berries that are so important to our lives. Not only are the berries food for us, but they’re also needed to plant the mainland. The problem with the glisch is that they can fly and crawl.
Reaching my cottage, I go inside and sit at the desk, pulling my leafpad and charcoal to me. Quick sure strokes bring the field to life. A fence won’t be enough, but it’s a start. How do I keep them from flying over the fence and still let the harvest Fairies in? I don’t notice the shadows lengthen as I mull over the problem.
“Earth to Aislin.” A voice and knock on the open door has me jumping.
“Hey, Nip, what are you doing here?”
“I came to find you. I figured that you’d lost track of time again and would be late to the Dust ceremony. Ren won’t be happy if you hold it up again.”
I blow my bangs off my face and stand up and stretch. “That late already? I better get changed then.” Nip steps into my house, ducking his head to not hit it on the doorframe.
“Go ahead, I’ll wait here.”
I run up the winding stairs to the loft and grab the white shift that all initiates wear to the ceremony. “I really wish Ren would give up on including me in these ceremonies. Nothing is going to change.” I frown at my image in the mirror. This shift might work for the typical barbie doll figured fairy, but for me it just accentuated what I wasn’t. Clinging in all the wrong spots, making me look like I would pop out at any time.
“You don’t know that nothing will change.” Nip, short for Juniper, is one of the few Fairies that are friends with me. His talent is awakening the evergreens, where his name comes from. “And even if they don’t, you know we’ll take care of you.”
I sigh. I’m tired of being the odd one out. I don’t have a home in the tree. Each branch is given to a different Fairy talent. Small houses dot the branches with a large house at the end of each branch. The large houses are the headquarters for each talent and have the landing platforms. The base of the tree is where the library, infirmary and dorms are located. I had lived in the dorms until two years ago when the talents had given me my home. It was too hard for me to live near the talents, while I didn’t have a talent. Plus, my habit of collecting things made quite a mess, thank the Creator that I now have space for all my junk in the back of the house.
I walk down the stairs to meet Nip. “You’re beautiful as ever, but aren’t you going to do your hair?”
“Why bother? I’m not some dewy-faced initiate who’s meeting her talent family. I’m just there as a formality.”
“Lin, your family will come. Now turn around and let me do your hair up properly.” He spins me around, and with steady hands pulls my long hair back and twists it into a neat rope and flips it up to rest on the crown of my head. A few twigs strategically placed, and he pats my shoulder. “Now, let’s hurry up, so we aren’t late.”
“You fly ahead, Nip. No sense in you risking Ren’s wrath.”
“Oh, no you don’t. I’m walking with you.”
I shrug and start down the path to the tree that towers over the glade. I try to act nonchalant, like I know nothing special will happen. But if I’m honest, I really hope that this year a bowl lights up for me. We reach the tree, and I look up the trunk into the branches. At the junction of the three largest branches is a small bowl-like area with a flat base. This is where we meet, where the dust is gathered, and where all our magic happens.
Books by Kirsten Wheelock
Empyrean Tales:
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FindingHerWings
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