by Leia Stone
The elder of Spring looked like she was ready to fall over, but Indra remained surprisingly calm. She simply looked at the Winter elder and they both nodded. “Your mother had some intel, weeks before she died, that the Sons had in their possession a powerful warlock who was changing the properties of our crystals so that we could no longer retrieve them, and you would no longer be able to touch them. Only the Sons of Darkness can.”
Oh gods.
What did that mean for Faerie?
“So, it’s just gone?” I shouted. “We can’t use it? Even if I get them all, we will only have eleven!”
Indra gave a deep sigh, her wings wilting behind her. “Let’s take it one step at a time. This crystal should stop the tremors.” She pointed to the one in my hand. “I’ll go and have a chat with an old friend and see what we can do about the dark crystal.”
I just nodded, and with that, her and Aubin walked past me, each giving me a bow of their head. They reached the blue door to Mara’s prison and knocked. She opened it and ushered them inside before closing it behind them. It hadn’t occurred to me that they couldn’t just walk inside like I could. Only Mara could let them enter.
Interesting.
“Come, child.” The elder of Fall coaxed me forward. Maple was sweet and soft-spoken, just like Rose, and I felt more at ease in her presence than Indra and Aubin. Summer and winter were intense seasons, and that reflected in their personalities.
“I’ll wait here.” Elle took a seat in the library and I nodded, wondering if she just wanted to rifle through any books while I was gone and that’s why she was staying behind.
Maple led me through the hallway as Rose lagged behind. They were quiet and reverent, reminding me of Buddhist monks on Earth, but of course with untold power.
As we entered the atrium that held the Tree of Life, my breath hitched. The branch that had been browned and drying before was now turning to ash. Flakes of ash broke off and flitted towards the ceiling.
“It’s worse,” I gasped, feeling the crystal pulse with power as I neared the tree. Deep vibrations ran the length of my arm as we got closer and closer.
“Faerie is dying with its queen,” Maple said, her voice full of sorrow.
No.
I wouldn’t accept that. Hard fucking pass.
“No she’s not,” I said firmly and kneeled before the tree. The little empty golden disc glowed as I brought the crystal closer and closer to it.
Cupping the crystal, I laid it into the open disc, hearing a click as it clinked against the metal. A tremendous power rose up my arms in waves as blue light arced out and surrounded my body. The tree’s leaves rustled as if a great wind were present, and my once red, burned and painful hand … was now healed.
I pulled it back, looking it over closely.
“Interesting,” was all Maple said before she exchanged a look with Rose.
“You think—?” Rose asked, but Maple cut her off with a clearing of her throat.
I was about to ask more when the tree branch that was once ashy and brittle started to grow a thick and vibrant green. Little white blossoms bloomed on its branches as health returned to the tree.
The elders squealed in delight. “You’ve bought us time.”
I grinned, taking a huge sigh of relief. “How much time?”
When I spun around, their delight was gone, replaced with grim expressions. “Maybe a week.”
That wasn’t so bad. It only took me a few days to get this one; the next one surely I could do in seven.
“I’ll be back soon with the next crystal.” I pulled my shoulders back and straightened my posture in a display of confidence.
They both looked at each other in disbelief, but then simply nodded to me. Walking back over to Elle, I found her with her nose in a book. She yelped when I caught her, and leapt up to put it back on the shelf. Her fingers fumbled until the book slipped back into place and then she spun on me. “I thought you were—hey,” she straightened as the elders came into the room. Her cheeks went pink and I grinned.
“Let’s go back in. I want to find the next crystal right away,” I told Elle, and she gave a curt nod before we walked over to the blue door together.
I wondered if I opened this if it would be Mara’s office or someplace else. I hesitated … unsure. “Mara will have set up the portal to take you where she thinks you should go next,” one of them called out behind me.
With that, I reached out and turned the handle. I was sleepy as all hell and was hoping wherever I was going had a soft bed. I didn’t want to sleep in Faerie for fear of missing a tug on my power that would lead me to the next crystal on Earth. Pulling the door wide, I was crestfallen to see the New York apartment my mother died in.
I hesitated a moment and Elle’s hand slipped into mine. “We got this,” she told me, and we both walked in together.
Peering over my shoulder, I gave the two elders a nod goodbye. My eyes fell to the couch where Trissa had given me the crazy news of what my new life’s mission would entail, and then flicked to the bathroom, door ajar. The faint smell of bleach wafted out of the room and my throat tightened. Kira probably came and cleaned it up, but I wasn’t ready to go in there yet.
It hit me then … everything hit me. My mom was dead, my soulmate was the Dark Fae halfling son of the Winter King who was trying to kill me, and the whole fucking world would go to shit if I didn’t find these crystals that—oh, by the way—now nearly burned my hand off!
“I wonder why Mara wanted us to come here?” Elle pondered. “And I wonder what the Fae elders went into the blue door to see. Are they going to Earth? Or is—?”
Tears streamed down my cheeks and Elle’s questions dried up in her throat. “Oh, Lily.”
She rushed forward and pulled me into a tight hug. The walls I’d built to keep me going over the past few days crumbled then and I broke down into sobs. Legitimate pain ebbed from the center of my chest and throughout my limbs, making me feel weak.
“Come on…” Elle coaxed me into the back room of the tiny apartment. The double doors were open and the curtains spread to show a beautiful view of Central Park. My sobs turned to sniffles as I kicked off my boots and Elle pulled the comforter down. Sitting on the bedside table was a picture of me and my mom. I was three and had just learned to fly. My mom was beaming ear to ear as I stood on her shoulders, fluttering about. My tears returned full force and Elle squeezed my hand, easing me into the bed and covering me with the blanket.
“No twenty-year-old should have to bury their mother,” I moaned to Elle as I hugged the pillow to my chest. She nodded, looking at the bedside picture.
“I know. You’re lucky you have me or you’d be totally screwed.”
I grinned; she always knew how to make me laugh. Reaching up, I clasped her hand. “You’re not wrong.”
Feeling the weight of the comforter over me and the aches in my joints dissipating, I felt the pull of sleep summon me.
I couldn’t help but think of Liam. “He saved us,” I mumbled as my eyes grew heavy. Did he get away from his father? Was he dead?
Elle nodded, and my eyes drifted closed. “He did. But I’m not sure that means we can trust him.”
It was the last thing I heard before I drifted off to sleep.
I awoke to the smell of fresh pancakes. My mouth watered as I sat up and looked at the alarm clock.
Ten A.M.
I’d slept twelve hours. The curtains were drawn, and Elle had laid my boots by the door, which made me smile. Even though we were the same age, she always mothered me. Peeling the covers back, I slipped into the bathroom and took a quick ten-minute shower. My mom had the bathroom stocked full of disposable toothbrushes, shampoo bottles, tampons, everything you could need. This must be her main bolt hole besides Mara’s house and our home in Faerie.
Going to the closet, I felt a pang in my chest as I saw rows and rows of my mother’s clothes. Leaning forward, I inhaled sharply, smelling my mother’s unique scent. My throat tighte
ned with emotion as the jasmine and vanilla hit my nose and overwhelmed my senses. My mom and I were the same size—a fact she bragged about in public often. Her hips were a tad bigger than mine, but nothing I couldn’t fix with a belt. Pulling out some low-slung jeans and an NYPD V-neck, I laced my boots and made my way out into the living room.
On the couch were blankets and a pillow where Elle must have slept, although now she was in the kitchen flipping pancakes.
“Where’d you get fresh eggs and stuff?” I called out.
“From me.” Mara’s voice made me jump a little, and I spun to find her leaning against the open front door of the apartment. Only it wasn’t a front door, it was a blue door that now led into her house. I would never be able to wrap my mind around these endless doors and how they could be configured to different places and realms.
She smiled. “Instacart is my friend.”
I grinned; the thought of a hundreds-years-old Fae ordering normie food from an iPhone app was hilarious. I wasn’t allowed a phone or any other electronics, other than the laptop and DVDs my mom brought me. Electronics malfunctioned around us anyway. Mara likely had to get a new phone every six months.
“My mom liked the place.” I observed her touch in everything. The paintings on the walls were all of flowers, her favorite, and the coffee maker was teal, which was her favorite color.
Mara nodded. “She did. New York is a special place for seekers. You’ll see.” She winked.
Elle handed me a plate of pancakes. “For Mara,” she told me.
I held it out to the Fae, assuming she would come inside and eat with us, but she shook her head. “I can’t enter Earth. Part of my … sentencing.”
Oh right. I was in New York and not in some weird blue door in-between place. I was having a hard time remembering that.
I handed her the pancakes and she plopped right down on the floor between the doorframe and started eating. Bashur came up behind her and she tossed him a pancake, which made me laugh. It felt good to laugh. I felt like I’d turned a corner in my grief.
Crying last night, letting it all out, was good for me. And wearing my mom’s clothes today made me feel closer to her. It brought me comfort that everything would be okay. Reaching into my shirt, I pulled out the necklace she’d given me with her healing soul energy in it and gave it a kiss. The cold silver touched my lips and I promised myself only to use it for something dire.
“Order up!” Elle called, making Mara and I both chuckle. The scent of normie syrup was so yum. It wasn’t like the pure maple syrup we had in Faerie, this was pure sugar and caramel food coloring, which somehow tasted better to me, even if it was worse for my body. Pulling my pancake plate from the kitchen counter, I grabbed a fork and bottle of syrup and plopped down to meet Mara on the floor. She looked up with tears in her eyes.
“Your mom used to do the same thing.”
It was the perfect thing to say. I felt closer to her than ever and I was starting to realize the sanity in not throwing this life on a child’s lap. I was strong; she knew I could handle this.
Elle nervously shoved a piece of pancake into her mouth as she settled down next to me and eyed the cuffs on Mara’s wrist. “Why did you get … imprisoned?—I mean … if you don’t mind my asking,” she mumbled.
Mara took a slow bite, chewing thoughtfully. “It’s not a very good breakfast story. I’ll tell you girls another time.” She gave us a small smile and my heart plummeted. I mean, I knew it probably wasn’t a great story, but now I wondered just how tragic it might be.
“So, while I was in the shower,” I quickly changed the subject, “I tried to feel out where any crystals might be, but I got nothing.” A frown pulled at my lips.
Mara nodded. “Happened to your mother often. That’s why I sent you girls here.” She gestured to the New York skyline behind us.
“What’s so great about New York? I mean as far as hunting crystals goes?” I took another bite of fluffy pancake.
Mara grinned. “Your mother only discovered it a few months ago, but Central Park has…” She lowered her voice, peering behind her as if she feared being watched. “A seeker stone.”
Elle and I shared a confused look. “What’s that?”
Mara shrugged. “Your mom named it. It’s a stone tablet that shows a seeker where all of the crystals are.”
Whoa.
That was … whoa. “How did it get to Central Park? Who made it?” That didn’t seem like the place for something like that. It should be in Faerie, where the crystals belonged. Whoever made it must have done so after the crystals were taken, because there would be no need for such a thing before.
Mara gave me a look that said, How should I know?
Curious.
She shrugged. “I have my suspicions. When the Winter King fled Faerie, he took many valuable possessions with him. One of them might have been this seeker stone.”
I frowned. “Then why isn’t it still with him? Or why didn’t my mom just bring it back here to the apartment?”
Mara nodded. “Your mother wondered the same until she tried to take it. It’s magically embedded and cannot be removed.”
Weird. I wondered if the Winter King or Liam knew it was there. Who else would imbed it there? Maybe a rogue person did it for safekeeping? Maybe the king knew he was going to flee with the crystals and used dark magic to make it… that way he could always keep tabs on where they were.
I stood, forgetting about the final pancake on my plate. “Well, where is it? I must go see it.”
Mara nodded, her red hair shaking around her shoulders as she stood as well. “It’s in Central Park in the Shakespeare Garden, embedded into the informational plaque.”
I nodded. That seemed easy enough to find.
Elle shoved a final pancake in her mouth and then gestured behind Mara, into her house. “Can I stock up on weapons? I used all my throwing knifes.”
Mara nodded and stood to the side.
Bashur barked and Mara shushed him. “I’ll let you out later.”
I grinned. “Does he want to go for a walk?”
The second I said the word “walk,” the giant dog began to spin in circles, yipping and panting heavily.
Mara chuckled. “Well, now you have to take him!”
“We’d love to.”
“Sure you don’t mind? He’ll drag you halfway across the city.”
I nodded. “I’m sure.”
“I’ll grab his leash.” She ventured into the house, leaving me to rub behind Bashur’s ear.
Ten minutes later, Elle was armed to the teeth and Bashur was on his leash, raring to go.
“Alright, see you in…” She checked her watch. “An hour.” Then she waved to us before shutting the door.
I looked at Elle, opening the door again, and gasped when I saw the long hallway of an apartment building and not Mara’s apartment.
“Okay, that’s seriously cool,” I told Elle and Bashur. She nodded her agreement as Bashur yanked on the leash and started to run for the elevator. I had found a key for the apartment in a dish on the entry table, so after locking up, we took the elevator down to the bottom floor.
“Hang on. Let me do an illusion to make Bashur look like a chihuahua. Some buildings don’t allow giant dogs.” Elle threw some magic over Bashur and I nodded.
“Good thinking.”
She’d been listening in our Earth Studies classes.
With Bashur fully illusioned, we strutted out into the lobby, passing a doorman. He was slouched in a chair staring at his phone. He looked about twenty-five years old, with short cropped black hair and dark skin. As we passed, he did a double take when he saw me and set-down his phone. “Are you Violet’s daughter in 3B?”
My heart pinched at the sound of my mom’s name and I nodded. The guy grinned, pulling out one headphone. “You look just like your mom. You girls living here now?” He was clearly feeling chatty and I didn’t want to be rude.
I bobbed my head, but was unsure how to expla
in our current living situation.
“Off and on between here and Milan. We’re models.” Elle put a hand on her hip, tilting her chin up.
The dude gave a slow grin. “I can see that. Yeah. Cool.”
Bashur barked, tugging at the leash and the dude reeled back. “Damn, little homeboy has some lungs on him.” He looked down at Bashur’s feet. “Don’t you, cutie pie?”
Elle and I grinned. Chihuahua illusion worked. “Yep, he’s excited for his walk. Hey, it was nice to meet you…?”
“Derek, I’m from Brooklyn, but anything you need, just ask.”
“Cool. Thanks!” I yelled as Bashur yanked me towards the door and we all headed out into the bustling city. We took a right and I peered up at the street. Madison and 79th. I’d memorized the map of Central Park my mom had on the counter. Our apartment was right at the entrance of Central Park, and maps were something my photographic memory took well to.
Elle looked back at our apartment. “This place probably costs five grand a month.”
I frowned. “I wonder where my mom got the normie money from.”
Elle shrugged, that’s obvious. “It’s gotta be illusioned.”
That felt wrong, but then again, if they never knew it was counterfeit … it was still in circulation and wouldn’t really matter, right?
There were so many people around, all walking head down and fast paced. I’d never seen so many people in one place in my life. The entirety of Faerie’s population was probably in one city block. It was loud and overwhelming. I’d been out to Earth as part of our training, but I’d never been to New York City. We pumped our legs, letting Bashur weave us in and out of the people. It was just a short walk to the entrance of the park, and then we went through an archway. One second we were in a concrete jungle and the next I was surrounded by rolling green hills and thick trees. My little Fae soul relaxed a little among the nature and I got my bearings, comparing it to the map in my head. We continued on 79th past Turtle pond, keeping our eyes peeled for the garden Mara spoke about.
“Should you try connecting with the Earth?” Elle whispered.