"My butt done jack wit dis crap since long-time—whip—back in da day, true dat, so back off—shut your clicker's off—you be butt-cheeks up, you keep doin' me like dat," Christmas elf snapped, puffing as he tugged his side of Etah's body harder.
"Look, here's da thing, alright, better listen up reeeal good. I'm only gonna say dis once, feel me?" Tall-and-Reedy waved his free arm around, made a fist, and turned a tattooed bicep in Christmas elf's direction. As he continued to make his nonverbal point, the tall fairy pushed their gang colors at the elf's face, a green shamrock engulfed in flames, the letters FF in the middle, 666 etched below. Small, hollow-eyed skulls ran up both arms marking every member—even the dead and imprisoned. "So my ass been busy trespassing lately, ya hear? There's good bucks in it. I don't mess wit' the Egar—teach me well, true dat—ya feel me, bro? An' you mess wit' me, I get reeeal mean—all up on dat?"
"You talkin' tall, man. I feel ya. No one be messin' wit the Egar—feel dat?" Christmas elf pumped a bicep full of skull tattoos and shoved a cheek in front of Tall-and-Reedy. "I cry ink, too—feel me?" The open teardrops on Christmas' face numbered two. He'd been incarcerated twice. Three more were inked in for the lives of the fellow gang members Christmas mourned.
"Okay," Layol said through gritted teeth as they ducked into some branches on an oak when the Fire fairies stopped in the middle of a small grassy field. "Anybody starts takin' off anybody's clothes, and I'm intervening—just sayin'."
Nesohc turned as red as the Fire fairies. "They wouldn't dare do that! The elders would-"
"A maleficent demise!" Dekram hid her face in a large section of draped Spanish moss, and moaned, "Why are we here?"
Layol grabbed Dekram's white shirt and tugged hard. "What the bloody ever-after are you doing?"
Dekram lifted her head, raking the back of her hand across her mouth. "I feel sick."
"Hey, they disappeared!" Nesohc shot through the Spanish moss.
Dekram blinked at the vacant field. Layol bolted after Nesohc and Dekram slowly followed.
"I bet it's a portal," Dekram whispered moments later. "See it?" She pointed at a small circle of distorted air that churned inches above the ground in the center of the field.
Nesohc leaned in for a better look and the grass below the portal swirled and undulated as the churning circle funneled out toward him, tilting, inviting. It blurred out of focus as it followed his retreat.
"It really is, isn't it?" It's pulsing to the beat of my heart, Dekram thought, and placed a palm over her chest as she back-winged a small distance away. The largest part of the funnel stretched closer.
"Yep, that's what it is all right." Layol zipped in front of Dekram and started taunting the portal by slowly flying near and then bolting away. The thick churning mouth of the portal bonged and wobbled, back and forth, like clear gelatin.
Dekram laughed. "Watch you don't get slimed!"
"You can't feel it," Lay giggled. "It's more like a vacuum when you go through."
Dekram put up a palm. "Please don't tell me how you know this."
"I thought the only portal was the one gated and locked in the woods behind the academy," Nesohc said in awe. He pushed blue fingers through the mouth of the funnel, it crackled and focused, and the three watched as his hand disappeared.
"Does it hurt?" Dekram asked, staring at Nesohc's arm, minus a hand.
"It doesn't feel like anything."
"There's been talk about another portal for years," Dekram said with wonder, "one that was sealed by the Elders."
"I'm headed in," Layol blurted.
Nesohc jerked his hand out, brow furrowed. "Do you ever think before you do something stupid?"
"It wouldn't be stupid if she did," Dekram snapped, touching Nesohc's hand.
"Sooo not liking where this conversation is headed." Layol worked her hand with her hip.
"Sure, let's just jump into some other world," Nesohc said through a sarcastic grin. "I mean, who cares if we can't get back out?"
"I do!" Dekram blurted, and then thought, What if I can't go through because I'm a half-breed? "And we can't just stand here and argue. What if they come back out?"
"Crap!" Nesohc said and pulled Dekram to the edge of the woods. They turned and stared at Layol.
"Yep, that works." Layol laughed. "I can't see you there, all right. Nope, no need to go any farther. You're both good."
"Why not go all pixin' harsh on us?" Nesohc shouted.
Dekram said, "Get over here! I think we should hide in the oaks and wait."
Layol squawked, "What if they're…um…doing you know what to you know who? I mean, we wing it now, karma bites."
Dekram covered her chest with her palm and shaking her head, treaded air. Nesohc bolted for Layol.
"No prob, gal-pal, I'll just save smart-butt, trashy-mouthed Etah all by myself. See ya." Layol dusted a circle of purple sprinkles around Nesohc and dove into the portal.
"Tink's baby brother's pissy pull-ups! She's done it again!" Nesohc spit purple sparkles, glared at the portal, kicked up a patch of grass, blew air out his nose and then frowned at Dekram. "You comin'?"
Dekram gripped her lips between her teeth and vigorously shook her head.
"Is that a no?"
"No-it-is-not! More like an, I'm going to slap the stupidity out of her the minute I make sure she's okay!" she said flying toward him.
"All righty then," Nesohc said and darted through the circular disturbance over the grass.
What if I can't?-What if I can't?-WHAT IF I CAN'T! Eyes closed, breath held, Dekram jumped in after him.
On the other side, Layol was perched on a blade of grass in the exact same field they'd left on the other side, only everything was fifty times larger. With both hands on her hips, toe of her bright pink Louie Leprechaun knockoffs slapping the grass in three-quarter time, Layol snapped, "Well that took, like, forever! They're probably in another elfin realm by now!"
Nesohc puckered his lips, hooded his eyes. "It was only seconds, Lay. Let's not do the drama queen thing. And why are you suddenly dusting me?"
Dekram, hands turning in front of her face, thought, I'm here. All of me.
"Don't change the subject, Nes. Look at the sky." Layol tossed an arm up, eyes locked with Nesohc's. "It's dark, there's a moon up there!" Finger pointed, she fanned the field, stopping on Nesohc, fingers waggling at him. "I looked around, hid for a while, got bored waiting, and finally headed back here. It's been FOR-EV-er!"
"Well, apparently not only is everything huge here, but time moves faster on this side of the portal," Nesohc harped.
"Where are we?" Dekram asked. Doesn't matter, I'm so totally NOT a freak of nature. I flew right through, not even a hiccup.
"Human world?" Nesohc guessed, not bothering to hide the sudden excitement in his voice. "Will you look at the trees? They shoot up forever!"
"Could be," Layol said. "There's human-sized wildlife here. I saw two cats—the size of the Black Shamrock—a field mouse, squirrels, and there are birds all over the place. No people, though."
Jumpy, Dekram scanned the woods lining the field. "Did the animals react to you?"
"Nope, well the cats got spooked when I flew circles around them."
"Pix me and turn me into a toad!—we really should go back." Dekram's voice took on a serious tone.
They looked at each other, and back at the portal, air heavy with unspoken words.
The portal swirled in and out of focus, like a lost breeze tickling blades of grass.
Layol's expression perked, head tilted toward the woods. "We need to go back..."
Nesohc laughed. "Well, will ya listen to Miss I'm-Jumping-Through-Whether-You-Two-Do-Or-Not."
"...right now!" Layol's wings dusted Nesohc with the same purple sprinkles as she bolted back through the portal.
"I'm dusting back!" Nesohc yelled after her. "Why is she suddenly being such a dingbat?" He took Dekram's hand. "You ready?"
Dekram shuddered. "I hope we can get back."
Nesohc pecked a kiss on her cheek, wings flashing red. "Of course, we can. We're Fairy."
A breeze carried the blue sprinkles dropping from Dekram's wings.
"Now you're dusting me..." One side of Nesohc's mouth turned up. "...with sprinkles the color..." His wings folded around her. "...of blue that holds a flame up."
Hand on her cheek, the ability to go through the portal forgotten, Dekram blushed. His lips—Tink glowing in a Mason jar!—they kissed my cheek!
"Move it!" Layol's voice echoed from the portal.
Hands clasped, Nesohc pulled Dekram into the portal and straight back to the fairy-sized woods lining the field on the other side. The sun was setting on the opposite side and they both turned toward it, faces flushed, hands locked with anticipation.
Layol was all over the intimacy thing. "'Bout time you got all close and crushy." She abruptly ducked behind a tree. "Go on, kiss 'er. Pretend I'm not here."
Their wings scattered yellow sparkles laced with blue and pink, expressing a range of feelings that were new to both of them.
He's gonna do it! O'mipubescentheart, I'm gonna get a real kiss, this time, she thought as Nesohc moved closer, face dropping to hers. Dekram froze, eyes crossed, trying to see his face clearly as he covered her mouth with his. She gasped around a tongue that hesitantly found hers, and tingled with sensations she'd never felt before as her eyes slowly closed.
Layol yelped, "Hide." All three of them shot twenty human feet straight up and then darted through branches on the edge of the woods.
"You peeked!" Dekram panted away embarrassment.
"And it's a good thing." Layol pointed at the field.
Dekram was still trying to catch her breath as two Fire fairies backed out of the portal, dragging a male Air fairy.
"Hey, isn't that…Detaf?" Nesohc asked. The blush on his blue skin made his cheeks look purple.
"Yes," Layol croaked as they watched the two Fire fairies drag Detaf along the back of the Black Shamrock.
"Detaf isn't like them. He doesn't drink honey." There was loyalty in Dekram's words and concern on her face.
Nesohc narrowed his eyes.
While Dekram watched them drag Detaf toward the Black Shamrock, she heard Nesohc's wings vibrate. They were green and totally contradicted the smile painted on his face.
From behind Nesohc, Layol cleared her throat and got Dekram's attention. She pointed at Nesohc, covered her heart, pouted, and then blew air kisses at the back of Nesohc's head.
Dekram frowned and pulled out her cell phone, flipped it open, rapidly clicked a few buttons, finally pushed record, and caught the two fairies as they pulled Detaf around the side of the building heading for the front entrance.
Layol barked a laugh. "Ooh yeaaaah, says it all. Grimm's graphic tales!—two drunken idiots dragging another drunken idiot around the side of a building. Heck yes! We got Soahc dead-to-rights with that prime bit of footage."
"Shut up!" Dekram slapped the cell shut. "At least I finally thought of sticking with the program!"
"Yep," Nesohc smiled at her, "better than Lay and I did."
Nesohc 's eyes have a look they've never had before. Dekram blushed, rushing her words. "This doesn't make sense. They dragged Etah, drunk already, through the front door, right out the back door and into the portal and then came out of the portal with Detaf. I don't get it."
"No kidding?" Layol said, eyes heavy with thought.
"Are they getting them drunk on honey, parading them in front of the other kids," Dekram paused, "then drugging them on the other side of the portal?"
Layol's head snapped up, big eyes darted toward the field over her shoulder. "After they get Detaf inside the Shamrock, maybe we should go back through the portal and see if we can find Etah."
"We are not going back through that portal!" Dekram snapped.
"You don't have to." Layol spat back.
"Alright girls, let's not go gettin' all Bambi's mama," Nesohc said and headed toward the building. "Before we go portal jumping, I think we should go inside and find out what part Soahc is playing in all this. Isn't that what we came for?"
As the girls followed, the air crackled and the Black Shamrock blinked and flashed brown tree trunk a couple of times.
"You guys see that?" Dekram asked as they flew around the corner of the building.
"What?" Layol came to an abrupt stop, eyes searching everywhere.
"I swear the building keeps turning into a log."
"You're kidding, right?" Nesohc smacked the corner of the building. "All I see is brick and mortar painted black."
Dekram dropped her head and hid behind orange ringlets.
"Did you really see a log?" Layol asked, sporting a set of curious eyes.
"I don't know—maybe not." Dekram's wings fluttered a rainbow of colors.
"You okay?" Nesohc asked. "I thought I saw you hurl up in the palm frond."
"Yeah, she did," Layol told him over her shoulder, "told me she was sick."
"Ya think someone pixed you?" Nesohc asked.
"I am not pixed. No one dusted me, and I haven't had anything to eat or drink, either. So if I saw a log, then I saw a log." Dekram squared her shoulders. "Maybe Dad wasn't lying about everything here being..." Her voice faded and then she added, "I was hoping he was just trying to panic us into not…well, you know."
"You think the Shamrock is charmed? You think everything in Wandermere is charmed?" Layol wanted to know, then tossed up a dainty hand and said, "Wait! Back up! You didn't believe your dad?"
"I don't know." Dekram's cheeks brightened. She abruptly turned, and then whimpered, "I guess I didn't want to."
"Think about it. If more than the kid stuff is charmed how come Nesohc and I don't see it?" Layol asked, and slid an arm around Dekram. "Look, maybe your mind is playing tricks on you because of what your father told us and you're hacked-off, Elfin'-out, and-"
"Shhhhh!" Nesohc darted back around the side of the building, grabbed a wing in each hand and pulled both girls back from the edge of the structure. "They've dragged another fairy out the back door."
All three hovered close to the black wall, eyes peeking around the back of the building.
"It's Detaf," Dekram said with awe, flapping her wings to move away from the edge. "They took him out of the portal, walked him right through the buzz and out the back door and they're dragging him back to the portal, just like Etah. What the heck?"
Chapter 8
"THIS IS ELFIN’ crazy," Nesohc whispered from under a bush while they watched the Fire fairies drag Detaf back down the path toward the portal. "Maybe we should challenge them—I don't know. We could try to stop them."
"Heck yeah. Let's go all Pleasure Island on 'em. Follow 'em and demand answers," Layol said from a branch above him. "Maybe we'll never come back—" Her face got all snarky demonic. "—as fairies, that is." Pointer finger went to her chin. "Oh, I know, maybe we'll come back humans, or worse, Fire!" She rolled her eyes and mocked a grin. "Let's join them."
Dekram shook her head and gave Layol's shoulder a shove. "While your loyalty is admirable, your stupidity is…stupid."
"I say bring it on!" Layol puffed up her double A's.
"Really, Lay?" Dekram said. "We cannot take on two Fire fairies! Maybe we should call Human Services." She turned toward the Black Shamrock's door.
"Hold on. No one is taking on or joining anyone." Nesohc bolted straight up and hung an arm over Dekram's shoulder.
Dekram froze. He's hugging me again. Can he do that all the time now that I've kissed him?
Layol cleared her throat, batted her eyelashes, made fish lips and then wiggled her brows.
Surely she's not suggesting I get crushy-girly on him right now? How gargantuan inappropriate is that? Eyebrows pushing a wrinkle over the bridge of her nose, she relaxed under Nesohc's arm as Layol's earlier words 'at least act like you're crushing' rolled around in her head. Remembering the kiss, cheeks pink, she batted lashes at the grass. "So we're not goi
ng to get involved?"
Eyes still on Detaf, Nesohc's arm dropped to encircle Dekram's waist. "We could just go talk to them. See if Detaf is willing, knows where he's headed. I agree something strange is going on but at this point it might just be Fire fairies buzzing-down with the locals. Not like anyone was screaming help."
"But Detaf is not like that," Dekram said. "He doesn't go to buzz's or drug or drink honey."
"Well, he's here," Nesohc groused.
Layol nudged Dekram's calf with the toe of her shoe. "I think this is a good time to…you know…tell Nes about," she made finger quotes, "the talk."
Oh, toad crap on a hyacinth petal, she is so not asking me to tell Nes I'm crushing on him! Dekram forced a flirty giggle and blinked rapidly at Nesohc. "I, um, well, from the first day we made friends, I felt…" Dekram gritted her teeth, eyes sliding from Nesohc to Layol. "I felt something."
Layol rolled her eyes so far back she was resting on her wings. Slicing a hand across her throat, lips tight around a laugh, her shoulders bobbed. After burbling for a wing-beat or two she finally blew her lips into a toothy smile and exaggerated a gaze in Nesohc's direction. "Look, the fairies that Fire dragged in and out of the building were wasted. And I saw an adult open the back door for them when they pulled Etah out. I'm not so sure the townsfolk aren't involved in this somehow."
"Paranoid much?" Nesohc laughed.
"Dek," Layol prompted.
Nesohc hovered like a hummingbird in front of a feeder. "You okay?" he asked, gaze on Dekram's fluttering lashes.
Giggling, Dekram bounced her head up and down, wings buzzing madly.
"Dek, for the love of Saint Valentine! Will ya just give it up and tell him why I think the town may be involved? What you've been overhearing?" Layol's comment took a wing-beat to freeze Dekram's overzealous lashes.
"No!" Dekram tightened her mouth and shook her head. "I don't think we need to discuss this tonight."
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