“It must have cost a fortune,” Maddie said. She stood up. The dress fell to her ankles, splitting on one side just below the thigh. It was the same fabric she’d seen in the market. “He must have been planning this for weeks,” she said.
“It comes with shoes!” Ebba reached back into the box to pull out a pair of pale, willowy sandals with long leather laces that reminded Maddie of ancient Greece.
Ebba thrust them into her arms and said, “Put it on.”
Maddie laid the dress down. “Now?”
“Well, you’re going to wear it, aren’t you?”
“I’m not sure. It’s a little formal for a day out, don’t you think? I was going to wear my robes.”
“But Maddie, look at it!”
“I know!” Maddie said. “It looks like it cost about a gazillion dollars. What if something happens to it?”
“But he’ll love it!”
“I swear, Ebba,” Maddie said. “You’re like a weird, man-eater version of Jiminy Cricket.”
Maddie folded the dress carefully back into the box. Her mother would certainly approve of Ebba’s angle, and Maddie was grudgingly willing to admit these days that her mother was, perhaps, not so crazy in the way she managed her affairs.
“I’ll think about it,” she said. “Now, give me the other one.”
Ebba was still staring at the prince’s gift. “What other one?” she said absently.
Maddie smacked her on the shoulder. “The other present, you dork. Come on.”
“I still think you’re crazy for not just picking the prince,” Ebba said, handing the other gift over reluctantly.
Maddie tore open the paper and discovered a round reed pouch tied shut with a bit of string, which she undid. “Sometimes,” she said, “status isn’t the most important thi—” Her words trailed off as she reached into the bag and drew out the contents. A long braid of soft, leather cord hung from her fingertips, studded with turquoise and smooth, white quartz. The braid secured speckled feather and a disk of glassy, black stone. Maddie ran her thumb over the pendant as her mind conjured up images of the deep woods and the magic she’d grown to know since coming to the Veil.
Ebba was not impressed. “It’s a rock,” she said.
Maddie fawned over the heavy jewel. “No,” she said. “It’s much more.”
The music outside grew louder as the city stirred awake, announcing that the festival would be starting soon. Maddie put the necklace back into its box and popped over to the bathroom to wash up. When she returned, her pint-sized companion had laid out the dress again.
“Fine,” Maddie said. “I’ll wear it. Happy?”
Ebba helped her get into it, lacing up the back. Maddie turned in front of the mirror, brushing her hands down the smooth material. It breathed so easily that it felt like she was barely wearing anything at all. Chalk it up to faerie craftsmanship. That, and the lack of underpants.
“You’re beautiful,” Ebba said.
Maddie blushed. “You think so?”
Ebba nodded rapidly. “Come on,” she said, climbing onto the bed. “Sit over here. I’ll braid your hair.”
Maddie turned from the mirror and put her foot down. “No,” she said. “No way. I am not doing my hair.”
“But he’ll like it! They’ll both like it.”
“Isn’t the whole idea that they have to convince me to like them? Why do I have to get all fancied up?” Maddie grabbed her brush from the dresser and brushed her hair straight. “These guys fell for me in a pony-tail,” she said, securing it with a white ribbon and a basic knot. “They can certainly date me in one.”
Ebba groaned as Maddie put on the necklace she’d received from Kidhe, donned her lacy sandals, and took one last look in the mirror. Her eyes were back to normal, but she could see in the mirror that there was still a little black in her veins from her last night with Maeve. She decided not to sweat it. The menfolk were probably down for that sort of thing anyway.
“How do I look?” she asked.
Ebba gave her a hard stare. “Like you’re almost taking this seriously.”
Maddie spun around and squared her shoulders. “Perfect.”
The Man from the Woods
Every inch of the city had been papered over with streamers and string. Flowers covered every wall and rooftop, musicians played in every hall, and a thousand lanterns hung over the streets, waiting patiently for the sun to set. Maddie grinned as the cable car descended into the sprawling arms of the city tree.
Kidhe met her on the platform, bowed, and put out a hand. Maddie gave a little curtsy and kissed it.
Still weird, she thought.
He wore a deep, green doublet with matching pants. His boots were a dark and woody brown, new and polished. While he didn’t own a sword, a hatchet and dagger hung against his hip, the first tucked away in a hand-embossed sheath, the second polished to a mirror shine and tied securely in a leather thong.
“You look very nice,” Maddie said, folding her arms in front of her. “I especially like the sharp objects.”
Kidhe gave a nervous laugh. “It’s tradition, is all,” he said, turning green.
Rain and Ebba had filled her in on this. Couples went out armed, a holdover from the chaos after the faeries arrived in the Veil, before their civilization had formed itself.
“Isn’t that supposed to be my job, though?” she asked, tapping her hand against her leg. Her witching knife hung on her hip in a purple scabbard.
Kidhe answered with a twinkle in his eye. “Nice.”
“Shall we?” Maddie said, putting out her arm.
They walked out into the city. Maddie was in the driver’s seat when it came to goodies. It was her date, after all. She’d had 24 hours to plan, and her stipend had come in. The human equivalent of over 600 dollars jingled in her wallet in the form of limbs, branches, and leaves.
“I’m going to need your help making change,” she said. “I’ve never used Veil money before.”
“No problem,” Kidhe said. “What do you want to do first?”
Maddie looked out over the street. Every merchant in the Chicago Veil had set up shop in Amaranth. Canvas tents, wooden stalls, and every shelf in every store window sparkled with the region’s finest. The smell of roasting meat blew through the air, cups of fresh fruit sat in bowls of cream, and all around the wind was heavy with the aroma of fragrant spice.
Maddie took Kidhe up to a long table where half a dozen fairies worked over glowing coals and a marble slab. A slurry of shining chocolate flowed like a mudslide over the warm stone.
“You like chocolate?” she asked.
He gazed down at the table. “I don’t actually know.”
Maddie turned to him in shock. “You’ve never had chocolate?!”
He looked away sheepishly.
Maddie cackled like a diabolical mastermind. “Well, Mister Faerie,” she said, “allow me to introduce you to the rest of your life.”
Maddie bought two slabs: one with nuts and one without. The look on Kidhe’s face when he took his first bite was almost enough to make her cry as they moved on, snaking through the crowd.
Two couples in leather halter-tops strolled past them, chatting as they chowed down on smoked grasshopper, still hissing and steaming in the shell. Another couple took a carriage ride on a coach pulled by a team of mice, while off the street, a group of women hurled knives at wooden targets to win prizes for their dates. Children and teenagers frolicked through the streets, chasing each other as they fought over trinkets and melting bags of sweets.
The Cook County Caravan rose like a monolith in the middle of the square, slinging enough hot dogs, cheese fries, and nachos to choke the entire city of Chicago. Maddie breathed it all in like sweet perfume.
“What is it?” Kidhe asked.
Maddie took his hand. “Nothing,” she said. “This is just… great, that’s all. Let’s go see Leoh and Moira.”
The cafe was in a frenzy. Leoh appeared to have drafted a brigade of local teenagers to
help him serve, handing out combo boxes for 10 branches a piece. It was over-priced, but Maddie was willing to give him a pass. The festival was on, summer was in bloom, the review was on the horizon, and it was best to strike while the iron was hot.
There were two options for food: hot dog and a soda, or pizza and a soda. Maddie bought one of each and waved to Leoh, who waved back over the roaring crowd. Moira was nowhere to be seen. Maddie shouldered through the turmoil. “Is Moira in the back?” she asked.
“She didn’t show up,” Leoh answered.
“Is she okay?”
“No idea. I sent a runner, but no one answered at her apartment. She probably blew me off for the festival.”
“That doesn’t sound like her.”
“I know,” Leoh said. “But I don’t have time to think about it. You guys get everything you needed?”
Maddie held up her food. “I did, and it looks delicious.” She followed him as he ran to wipe down a table. “Maybe I’ll come back later,” she said. “Just in case she comes in. Tell her I said hi, okay?”
“Will do.” He said as he zoomed off. Maddie took their food, collected Kidhe, and went back outside, staring at her sandals and kicking the cobbles as they walked down the street.
“Everything alright?” Kidhe asked.
“I don’t know,” Maddie answered. “It’s probably fine. I’m just worried about Moira. It doesn’t seem like she’d be the type to skip out on work. Do you think something’s wrong?”
Kidhe put an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry. It’s a crazy day. I’m sure she’s fine.”
“I guess so,” Maddie said. “Sorry for spoiling the mood.”
“It’s alright. I’m having a lovely time. Where do you want to eat? Should we find someplace to sit down?”
“Ah, I have a plan for that,” Maddie said, perking up. “Follow me. We’re having our lunch in style.”
She led him to a wooden platform at the other end of the street, where a long rope rose up from a huge, man-powered crank. A woman stood beside it wearing a floppy jester’s hat and a brightly colored red and blue uniform.
“Reservation for 10:30?” Maddie said, approaching.
The woman checked her papers and looked up. “Foster?”
“That’s me,” Maddie said. “Plus one, for an hour.”
The woman stuck out her hand. “That’ll be $172.50.”
“What is this place?” Kidhe asked, gasping at the price.
Maddie got out her wallet and started doing math in her head. “Hang on,” she answered, counting out loud. “A limb is 50, branches are like fives, and leaves… crap.”
“50 cents,” Kidhe supplied. “What are we doing here?”
Maddie paid the woman and pointed up as the crank began to turn. “See for yourself.”
The rope descended. Above their heads, an enormous hot air balloon made from red and yellow canvas emerged through the branches. Kidhe’s jaw dropped.
“Come on. It’s our turn,” Maddie said as the balloon touched down and its occupants got out. A few minutes later, they floated over the city, drifting on the breeze while they ate and sipped their soda in airy peace.
“And you live on this stuff?” Kidhe asked, sipping his soda.
“Oh, no,” Maddie replied. “You definitely can’t live on it, but it’s perfect for a day like this.” She leaned on the edge of the basket and stared. The broad, blue field of Lake Michigan shimmered in the distance beyond the city. Maddie had been to the beach a hundred times, but the lake’s reflection in the Veil was like an ocean. She could even see whitecaps cresting on the waves.
“It’s so different,” she said, gazing in wonder. “Have you ever been out there?”
Kidhe leaned in the corner of the basket, one arm gripping the rope securing the balloon. “Sure,” he said. “Before I joined the wardens, I worked for an air messenger service. We went all over.”
“What’s it like?”
“Incredible. Get away from the city-states, and it’s nothing but untamed wilderness for hundreds of miles. If you go to the deep Veil in those places, it’s like a jungle. Go far enough north, and it turns to alpine slopes that reach up and up and up until the mountains brush the clouds.” His eyes were locked on the horizon.
“Do you miss it?” Maddie asked.
“Sometimes,” he answered. “I go out there every once in a while on vacation, but it’s been a long time since I really traveled. Maybe the two of us could take a trip sometime and see some real sights.”
“That’s awfully presumptuous,” Maddie said, allowing a smirk to grow across her face. “This is a provisional, first-date-type scenario, remember?”
“Of course,” he said, blinking innocently.
Maddie sipped her soda, smirking as she turned her eyes back to the landscape. “You guys crack me up,” she said.
“Why is that?”
“You’re so focused on relationships. Where I come from that’s pretty unusual, at least for a man your age.”
“I could say the same thing about you.”
“How’s that?”
“Well, it’s pretty uncommon for a woman under 25 to be in the mood for a real relationship.”
“A faerie woman, you mean,” Maddie said. “You know, our species complement each other pretty well. Shame about the Veil barrier. Though I can only imagine what would happen if your girls met our guys.”
“A second baby boom?” Kidhe replied.
Maddie almost spit out her soda. “Okay, no thanks. I take it back. The Veil barrier stays.”
“Probably for the best.”
They spent the rest of their balloon ride with Kidhe playing aerial guide, pointing out locations of settlements and landmarks in the forest around the city. By the time they came down, they had a 6-month flying tour of the Veil all planned out, in a provisional, first-date-type context.
They spent the remainder of the day visiting every shop on the strip. Maddie bought herself a pair of carved wooden bracelets and a matching set for Kidhe. He bought a pair of leather raincoats for them to wear on their next outing, just in case. Maddie commented that the gift was very ‘him.’
In the evening, the city watch circulated up and down the street, lighting the hanging paper lanterns as the crowds filtered into the city’s restaurants and pubs for dinner. They danced on the breeze while an orchestra of a thousand instruments fluttered into the air. Maddie let her eyes half close and walked in a trance as they made their way back to the cable cars.
“I guess it’s about that time,” Kidhe said, stopping at the bottom of the steps leading up to the platform. “Your other date will be waiting.”
Maddie smiled in spite of herself. “It’s still so bizarre. Are you sure you’re okay with all this?”
“I always expected to have to prove myself,” Kidhe replied.
Maddie squirmed. “Does it ever feel… I don’t know, lopsided?”
“You mean unfair?”
“Yes, frankly,” Maddie said.
“No,” said Kidhe. “Truthfully, I kind of enjoy it. Gives me an excuse to show off.”
The car touched down, and Maddie stepped aboard. “I guess I can live with that,” she said. There was a long pause.
He’s not going to kiss you, Maddie thought. She turned the idea over and over in her head, wondering whether or not he would be disappointed. Did faeries even kiss on the first date?
The pause slowly drew on into an awkward silence. Kidhe ended the standoff and bowed, extending his hand, which Maddie took in her palm and kissed. His eyes flashed green, tracing up her arm as her lips touched his fingers, whispering a thousand silent invitations that trembled in her chest. Ideas that she had never considered fluttered in the corners of her thoughts and lit a fire across her cheeks.
The floor swayed as the cable car rose up into the night.
A Formal Affair
Maddie found Finn at the front gate of the palace, ensnared in a greeting line for the guests. The palace had
been decorated with glowing mushrooms, artfully placed to create a shining portrait against the rising palace wall. Maddie stared up in awe. It was like looking at a bonfire, frozen solid in the midst of swirling motion.
A hundred subtle shapes met her gaze: flowers, butterflies, ants, and millipedes. They danced, confounding her eyes, while a delicate chorus of stringed instruments and woodwinds played from the shadows, lifting the heart and thrilling the waiting ear.
Maddie approached Finn from the side of the queue. He was shaking hands with Brynna.
“It looks like your date is here,” the ambassador said, nudging Finn’s shoulder. “Go on. Get out of this mess while you can.”
Finn bowed and thanked her before he turned around. He and Maddie walked surreptitiously away.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” he said.
Maddie gave him a mock salute. “Anytime. Having fun so far?”
“Let’s just say I’m glad that I’m not in charge around here.”
“We just have to make it through dinner,” Maddie said.
“I hope so. Have you got your speech?”
“I do. Rain gave me a quick run down on royal etiquette. I just wish I’d had more time to study.”
“Well, I’ll try to cover you if I can,” Finn said as they approached the door. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Finn held out his arm to escort her inside, but Maddie pulled back.
“You’re supposed to hold my arm,” she said.
“I’m reaching across the cultural divide,” Finn answered. “What do you think?”
Maddie peeked in through the door at the party goers as they mingled and snacked on hors d’oeuvres. There were so many people, and not one of the women inside was being led around by their date. Finn’s gesture was cute, but as much as she hated to disappoint him, Rose needed her to make an impression.
“It’s not a bad start,” she said. “But if you recall, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to letting myself settle in a little.” She took his hand and placed it into the crook of her arm. “So for tonight, let’s see how this feels.”
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