The Fairies' Path

by Ava Corrigan

  I looked from one face to the other and found strength.

  “Rosalind wants me to believe that she’s the person I need to get through this. She’s not.”

  Then, I took a breath and turned to the clearing. Aisha and Stella retreated away from me. When I turned back, by all appearances, they were gone.

  I took a few steps into the clearing.

  Let it come, then. Everything I was afraid of. Let me be everything I ever feared or desired.

  Water swirled from the lake, Aisha’s magic pulling it out in a silvery stream that moved in the air like a wind current. It encircled me in a curtain of water, a diamond-bright cocoon that wrapped around me, isolating me from the world. Suspended in there, I felt weightless, as though I could fly.

  Water and fire. Oddly, there at the end of my journey, I didn’t think of Rosalind’s words or even Ms. Dowling’s. I thought of my mom, how we used to play pretend princesses in a castle, and how she would sing me peppy cheerleading songs.

  Close your eyes and open your heart!

  Okay, Mom. I closed my eyes.

  I felt flames come to dancing life at the very tips of my fingers, encircling my hands.

  I felt sparks coruscate up along my legs as my feet lifted off the ground.

  And out of my back, I felt tendrils of fire escape, unfurling like a flower made of flame.

  Finally, I opened my eyes. The water curtain evaporated in front of my gaze, raindrops melting in the air. I burned brightly and felt the night air ruffle my bright wings.

  My feet touched down on the ground, and I turned my lambent gaze toward the forest.

  The Burned Ones were coming for me. I lifted a finger to beckon them on, and saw a magenta flame spring from the fingertip. The flame seemed to summon an echo of fire in the Burned Ones’ chests. I could see a light in each of them, a strange and terrible light. This must be what Professor Harvey had called a Cinder. But why could I see them? Why did the Burned Ones suddenly look so strange to me?

  “What are you?” I whispered as they leaped through the trees at me. I ran to meet them.

  The closest struck out at me, and I lifted my hand. The fire slipped from its chest to me, and as the Cinder left it, the Burned One’s charred shape wavered and changed.

  He was dead on the ground, and the other Burned Ones were attacking. They seemed almost slow-moving to me, as though they were out of their element and I was in mine. I lifted my hand and light called to light, the Cinders a trail of torches as their magic came to me.

  The Burned Ones fell all around me, like leaves in the forest. Human bodies hit the ground, and at last I stood in a circle of the dead.

  The Burned Ones were gone. My school was safe. I’d done it.

  I turned and saw Ms. Dowling on the edge of the clearing. She was looking at me the way I’d always wanted her to: with pride.

  “Well done, Bloom,” she said.

  I nodded. But then, faster than my magic had risen, the flames receded. Darkness began to flicker at the edges of my vision, and I felt my knees give way as I toppled over. Ms. Dowling ran across the clearing, and caught me in her arms.

  Aisha and Stella rushed up out of the darkness.

  “What’s wrong?” Aisha demanded.

  Stella’s voice was fearful. “Is she …?”

  “She’s okay. Just weak.” Ms. Dowling looked from Aisha’s face to Stella’s. “Maybe you girls want to help bring her back to her room?”

  As they took my arms over their shoulders, I managed to look at each of them. Stella, beautiful and haughty. Aisha, tranquil and steadfast. Both of them right here, determined, and afraid for me. Holding me steady, as they had been all night.

  “We did it,” I whispered.

  “Yeah.” Aisha’s voice as warm and strong as her shoulder supporting me. “We did.”

  Mind

  Musa was sitting curled around Sam, feeling the agony batter at both of them like black waves trying to tear them apart, carry them away and drown them.

  Then suddenly, the tide receded.

  Musa blinked, trying to clear her vision. “His pain. It’s leaving.” She started to smile. “I think they got it.”

  Sam squeezed Musa’s hand, gazing up at her. They locked eyes. There was no joking around between them right now. No banter. Just gratitude in Sam’s eyes, deep and sweet as the beginning of something true.

  “Thank you,” he murmured.

  Musa nodded, then looked at the Harvey family, feeling the waves of gratitude come at her from all sides. Tears welled in her eyes. Musa blinked hastily to hide them. She wasn’t the emotional type. She never had been. It wasn’t safe.

  Professor Harvey turned to Terra, his face shining with pride.

  He said, “Yes. Thank you, both.”

  Terra glowed, but it was too much for Musa. This felt like another sea trying to swallow her, too many feelings all around. She began to turn away, until Terra put her arm around her roommate, and stopped her.

  She held Musa gently in place, for just long enough. The sea of emotions didn’t drown Musa, as she’d feared. The relief and joy surrounding them didn’t feel like struggling in dark waters at all, but like stepping out into the light.

  “Nope,” said Terra into her ear. “You have to feel the good stuff, too.”

  And to Musa’s own astonishment, she relaxed into her best friend’s arms, and did.

  Specialist

  In these times of trouble and murder, Riven found consolation in one of his few constants: Messing with Dane’s head was fun.

  “So wait. ‘Fighting like a girl’? ‘Throwing like a girl’? ‘Running like a girl’?”

  “All. Problematic,” Dane informed him.

  And what about letting killers loose while holding grudges against an innocent girl who really liked you, Dane? Riven thought. Is that problematic?

  But it was kind of sweet, what an earnest dumbass Dane could be.

  From her position by the greenhouse window, Beatrix spoke up, her voice lazily amused. “He’s messing with you, Dane. Riven understands contemporary gender linguistics much better than he lets on. A cute act, though.”

  Riven shot Beatrix a smile. She got him, he thought. Nobody else did, but she did. She thought he was smart, and that he was cute. That felt as if she liked him.

  Then he transferred the smile to Dane. Yeah, they were kind of awful, but so was Riven. Their weird gang was reunited, and in the midst of horror, it felt pretty good.

  When Beatrix spoke, her tone was warmer than usual. “This term … It didn’t suck, boys. Thanks for that.”

  The lights flickered on, and the conversation went silent. Riven glanced at Dane.

  “We should get back,” he said.

  “We should,” Dane said.

  Nobody moved. If they left, it was over. Riven would be alone, with all his fear and all his regrets.

  Only then Beatrix said, “Rosalind will be here soon. Hear her out. She and my dad have a plan. You two can be a part of it. This … doesn’t have to end.”

  This. So Beatrix thought there really was a “this.” It hadn’t all been an act. There was something between them. And that meant there was something to lose.

  Dane said, in tones of revelation, “Hang on. Your dad was the one who sent you in here?”

  “Technically, he’s not my dad, but he’ll know what to—”

  Then, the door swung open. An older blonde woman stood at the greenhouse’s main entrance. She was wearing an unsettling smile. Riven had been a Specialist long enough to recognize an air of command.

  Beatrix breathed, “Rosalind.”

  Rosalind. Yay. The mastermind behind the no-doubt-evil plan Beatrix was talking about.

  “You remember me,” said Rosalind the mastermind. “Good.”

  She eyed Riven and Dane with a haughty air, all who the hell are they? Riven eyed her back, like, who the hell are you, lady?

  He didn’t say it. This lady had intensely unbalanced vibes. Like if she was fif
ty years younger, Sky would try to date her.

  But then Beatrix said, “They’re friends. Both of them.”

  That sounded nice. It sounded real.

  Rosalind’s eyes glowed, and Riven felt her magic like a torch shining into all the darkest corners of his soul. Eventually Rosalind nodded, as though they passed muster.

  Guess that meant Riven’s soul was pretty dark.

  “Always nice to have friends,” said Rosalind. “I bet they wanna know what happens next?”

  Rosalind smiled, a slow smile that seemed somehow both warm as sunshine and cold as a snake. Riven wasn’t sure he wanted to know what came next at all.

  Fire

  As Stella helped me into my room, Aisha pulled down my covers and pointed imperiously. I crawled into bed just in time for Terra to enter with soothing tea. Musa was following behind. She did not have soothing tea.

  I had to double-check. “And you’re sure Sam is okay?”

  Terra beamed at me over the teacup. “Yep. Thanks to you and Musa.”

  Musa shot her a fond glance. “Please. You should’ve seen Terra. She’ll be operating on all of us in a week. As practice. Even if we don’t need it.”

  “I will say, I’m a bit disappointed I missed the wings,” Terra admitted. “They were like full-on, Tinker Bell–style?”

  “Much cooler than that.”

  High praise, coming from Stella.

  “Cooler? I like Tinker Bell,” Terra said wistfully.

  “Of course you do,” Stella murmured.

  My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Mom and Dad.

  “You rest,” said Aisha. “I’ll cover. It will be my one allocated lie of the month.”

  As Aisha grabbed the phone and walked out of the room, I heard her voice go peppy. Mom would like that.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Peters, hey! What? No, Bloom’s fine. Yeah, it’s been a rough week. Exams are killer.”

  I looked around at my friends, all around me. Their faces smiling. They were happy and safe. They were with me. I wasn’t alone.

  I let my eyes drift shut.

  Specialist

  Bloom had done it. Sky had known she could.

  He just wished he knew what to do with himself.

  He sat outside the school, in the grass before the main entrance. The stars moved. The sky lightened. The sun rose. The gold-touched castle standing against the blue sky was the same, he knew that, but it didn’t feel the same. Alfea was the only home he’d ever known, but now it was tainted.

  His hours-long daze was broken by Bloom’s voice. “There you are.”

  She sat in the grass beside him and leaned in a bit. Letting her shoulder touch his. It would’ve been nice, if he hadn’t felt a million miles away.

  “I heard a rumor you went full fairy last night,” he said.

  “Was it a good rumor or a bad one?” Bloom mused. “Actually, I don’t care. Whatever people think, it was the first time I felt like myself. Totally myself.” She added, softly, “I belong here.”

  Sky looked over at her. Unlike his school, unlike the world, Bloom made sense to him. She didn’t look lost anymore. She’d found herself, as he’d always been sure she would.

  “You do,” Sky murmured.

  He just wasn’t certain he could say the same thing about himself.

  Bloom’s voice went suddenly sharp. “Are you wearing the same clothes you were wearing last night?”

  Her gaze stopped being dreamy. She focused on his face.

  “Sky. What happened?”

  She’d been so happy when she came out to meet him, glowing like the sunrise, feeling she belonged here. He didn’t want to be the dark cloud on her horizon.

  “I’m fine. I promise.”

  Then he motioned up the driveway, where Dowling stood. Providing the perfect excuse.

  “Looks like somebody wants to chat.”

  Personally, Sky was done talking.

  Fire

  Another interview in Ms. Dowling’s office. I’d slammed my way in here demanding truth so often, it was slightly weird now that we were trying to be polite to each other.

  “How are you feeling?” asked Ms. Dowling.

  “Bit rough. But I’ll live.”

  Ms. Dowling nodded. “You drew on a great deal of magic. I’m sure you’ll be drained for a few days, and—”

  That was enough pretending. Maybe Ms. Dowling’s punctilious soul would be horrified, but I had to get this out.

  “I was a brat. I keep thinking about what I said to you last night.”

  Without Ms. Dowling, I wouldn’t have Aisha or Sky or Terra or Musa or Stella. I wouldn’t have Alfea or magic. I wrestled with my guilt at how I’d treated her. I knew now she’d been doing her best. I knew now how hard it was, to do your best.

  “You’ve been incredible to me. You found me when I was lost. Brought me to a place I was safe. Gave me guidance. Surrounded me with good people. And I’ve been—”

  I’d been so ungrateful.

  Ms. Dowling looked a little like Rosalind, as though perhaps she’d modeled herself on Rosalind long ago. Maybe that was why I’d trusted Rosalind too fast, wanting her to be everything I’d decided Ms. Dowling couldn’t be for me. Ms. Dowling’s blonde hair was a shade darker than Rosalind’s, her eyes dark instead of Rosalind’s intense blue. She wasn’t Rosalind, who glittered like costume jewelry. Ms. Dowling was real gold.

  Ms. Dowling smiled, sudden and bright and true. As though from now on, we would be true to each other. “It’s forgiven.”

  I believed her.

  “Do you … can we … hug?”

  It just came out, an awkward and probably ridiculous request. Cool, aloof Headmistress Dowling would be horrified by me as she usually was.

  Only Ms. Dowling nodded, stepped forward, and took me into her arms. The first time I’d seen Ms. Dowling she’d been surrounded by light. She’d looked like a revelation, but the light had been cold. This hug was warm. I put my arms around her and held on tight.

  We would understand each other more, and get along better, from now on.

  She would be my mentor, and Alfea would be where I belonged, from now on.

  Except there was one thing I needed to do first.

  Fire

  My home in California was in better shape than the last time I’d seen it. Everything mended, with time.

  My dad was very surprised to see me. All he could think to do was yell for my mom.

  “Bloom,” Mom said as soon as she saw me. “Why are you home? Are you in trouble?”

  My mother had no idea of the trouble I’d been in, or the trouble I suspected I’d be getting into in the future.

  “I’ll explain everything,” I declared. “I just need to ask one quick question.”

  I gestured to my friends.

  “Hi,” murmured Aisha.

  “Hello,” Stella intoned regally.

  “So good to meet you!” Terra gushed.

  “’Sup,” drawled Musa.

  My parents’ eyes went wide.

  “Can my friends crash here for the weekend?” I asked.

  Mom’s face was baffled, but brightening. I could see the my-daughter-has-gone-demented worry battling with the my-daughter-has-a-social-life! joy. “Um. Sure.”

  And then I asked my friends to go wait in my room, while I sat down with my parents and told them the truth. About what I was, and what I’d done to them. About their first daughter, whom they had lost without knowing it.

  She would have been human, that first daughter. She would never have set fires, or set off for strange lands. But she couldn’t possibly have loved them more than I did.

  I was too scared to look at my mom. When I finally managed to do so, she was staring down at the burn scars on her arms.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered as the tears spilled down my face.

  I felt as though I’d been waiting for months to say that. To cry.

  And just like every time in my whole childhood, when I cried, Mom was right ther
e. She put her arms around me and held me tight, and I knew I was hers, and I knew I was home.

  We talked for a lot longer. And my friends and I talked later, up in my room.

  The next morning, I came downstairs, and my parents welcomed my friends properly. Mom let Dad order pizza that evening, and even ate some herself, since it was a special day. Mom had always wanted me to have enough friends to throw a pizza party.

  I’d read in poems, back in my old school, that fairies granted wishes, and fairyland was called the Land of Heart’s Desire.

  All my wishes had come true, even though none had come true in a way I expected. Still, I got to go home, with my new friends. Now I’d embraced the truth of myself, I could have everything I’d always wanted.

  Maybe fairyland was the Land of Heart’s Desire after all.

  Specialist

  Sky helped Silva carry weaponry through the shattered detritus of their school. The windows were smashed, the gates torn down, but at least the armory would be in order.

  “Where’s Riven?” asked Silva.

  “Probably getting stoned somewhere with Dane.”

  That was all Riven did these days. Apparently, that was what he’d been doing on the night the Burned Ones attacked. Bloom and her friends were off being heroes, and what was Sky’s friend doing?

  On the other hand, Riven had seen how screwed up Alfea was way before Sky had. Perhaps Riven was the smart one.

  Silva gave Sky a direct look. Sky had always thought that look of Silva’s was so honest.

  “One day I hope you see that everything I did was for your benefit. The world is not perfect, Sky. It’s not black-and-white. Heroes and villains. Good and evil.”

  Sky asked, despairing, “Then why did you spend my entire life convincing me otherwise?”

  He wanted to ask, Did you ever love me at all, but he’d never said anything like that to Silva in his life. He didn’t get the chance to ask now. Down the driveway came a retinue of SUVs, and Queen Luna’s Rolls.

  Silva approached the vehicles with his brow furrowed. “They shouldn’t be here. We told them the attack was over.”