Malevia frowned and whirled toward her. ‘You’re more than just a sprite,’ the witch snarled, and raised her hands.
Misty stared at her fingers. Pixie tricks, that was new. Movement out of the corner of her eye had her leaping into the air, flinging her arms up in front of her face to defend herself against any green lightning coming her way, trying to repel the power. She heard the witch scream, and she peeked through parted fingers. The witch clasped the side of her face, steam rising through the claws. Misty caught a glimpse of a black burn before Malevia whirled, dissolving into a cloud that lifted off the house like a tornado, and disappearing into the ether. Misty glanced down at her hands. What had she done? And the fire – where had that come from? She’d scared off a witch. Not just any witch, but the Queen of the Dark Army.
Wait until she told the Seven Dwarfs!
The rain started to ease almost immediately. Misty flew down to the first-floor roof and caught Bella, breaking the connection between her and Gabriel and lowering her gently to the ground. She turned and caught Gabriel as he tumbled off the roof, nearly unconscious with pain. Oh, he was a heavy one. She lowered him to the ground beside Bella.
Misty smiled. She could feel the love these two had for each other. She leaned over so that her lips were next to Gabriel’s ear. ‘She’s safe. You did good.’
Gabriel’s features relaxed, ever so slightly, and despite his pain she could sense his relief as well. Bella lay next to him, her eyes worried as she stared at Misty.
‘What are you?’ she whispered.
Misty realised she’d dropped her glamour. Pixie tricks. ‘Um, you’re dreaming.’ She glowed until the old woman’s mantle covered her, and turned, hurrying over to Rump, who rocked an unconscious Esmerelda in his arms. She smoothed the fairy’s golden hair back from her forehead. She could feel Esmerelda’s pain, as well as her strength. This fairy had risked her life to save her humans.
‘We need to get her home,’ Rump told her, and she nodded. Misty liked Esmerelda, very much. All the other fairies laughed at her, but not Esmerelda. She was the first fairy to show her patience and kindness in the Fairy Isle. Misty knew she didn’t fit in, knew she was a bumbling cadet, but Esmerelda always treated her as if she was normal.
‘What about these two?’ she asked, gesturing to Bella and Gabriel.
Rump fumbled in Esmerelda’s pocket and pulled out a drawstring bag. ‘Can you do a forgetful spell?’
Misty winced. ‘How forgetful do you want them to be, and for how long?’
Rump stared at her. ‘You failed spell-casting?’
Misty chewed her lip. ‘Amongst others.’
Rump exhaled. ‘I think it’s more the power of suggestion,’ he told her, then emptied the bag into the wind. Bella started coughing, and the fairy dust settled on both her and Gabriel. Bella slumped to the ground.
‘We can’t just leave them there,’ Misty protested.
Rump frowned. ‘Fine. You look after them, and I’ll look after Essie.’ With a golden flare, they were both gone, and Misty was alone with the humans.
She turned to face them uncertainly. Bella’s eyes opened, fluttering slowly as though she was trying to fight off sleep. She smiled dreamily at Misty.
‘You’re sparkly.’ Bella fell asleep mid-giggle.
***
Esmerelda’s eyelids opened. She blinked, trying to focus. The swarming sparkles above her eventually morphed into a firefly chandelier. Uh-oh. Someone was blowing the power budget.
She sighed, and moved. Her limbs felt like lead. She was lying on her back, and she tried to shift, to sit up.
‘Shhh,’ a soothing voice said, and Matilda’s face swam into view. ‘Be easy, Esmerelda.’ The Grand Fairy Coordinator looked down at her with warm concern. ‘You need to rest.’
Sparkles and stardust, she felt like she’d been asleep for a hundred years. She moved, and winced at the pain in her ribs. Her eyes widened as memory flooded back.
‘Malevia,’ she rasped, wincing at the dryness of her throat. Matilda nodded, then gestured to someone behind her, and Misty hovered into view, holding a lily cup. She held the rim to her lips, and Esmerelda drank deeply of the dew.
She finally lay back. ‘What happened?’
‘It appears your babysitting assignment became quite eventful,’ Matilda said softly. She was resplendent in a green gown that flowed into gold at the bodice, and this time her wings were tinged a myriad of green shades of the forest. ‘The Queen of the Dark Army was preparing an assault on a fairy tale. You and your team stopped her.’
‘Gabriel – and Bella?’ Esmerelda asked, worried about her charges.
‘They’re fine,’ Misty assured her. ‘Rump and I took care of them.’ She dropped her gaze, and Esmerelda frowned as she lifted up a familiar drawstring bag. ‘You’re going to need more fairy dust,’ Misty whispered, a blush staining her cheeks.
‘She’s awake?’ A deep voice echoed across the room, and then a handsome face framed by white-blond hair bobbed into her vision. Eyes the colour of indigo, lavender and midnight blue peered down at her. ‘Esmerelda. Glad to see you’re back with us.’
Fate. Esmerelda’s frown deepened. ‘How long have I been out for?’
Matilda’s gaze dropped briefly. ‘Three moon-risings.’
Esmerelda’s jaw dropped. ‘Three moon-risings?’
Misty nodded. ‘You were very hurt. You had to be put into a healing sleep.’
Esmerelda closed her eyes. Too much. It was all too much. A healing sleep was only used for those gravely wounded. She forced her memory to go back to her last waking moments, and she saw fiery green and blazing gold, and then felt an intense heat, as though she was incinerating from within. She opened her eyes and stared at Misty. She remembered Misty, remembered the strange things she’d said.
As though Misty read her mind, she straightened and winked. ‘I know someone who will be very happy to see you,’ she said, and fluttered away before Esmerelda could say anything.
‘When you are recovered, I will want a full de-brief,’ Matilda told her.
Esmerelda nodded in the direction Misty had taken. ‘She was a surprise.’ She turned her gaze to Matilda. ‘Who is she?’ Misty had shown a side of herself that nobody else in Fairy Isle was aware of.
Matilda smiled gently. ‘Do you know of her family?’
Esmerelda frowned. Whenever she thought of Misty, her memories of the fairy were of her as an adult. She couldn’t remember hearing anything of her background, she was just simply there. ‘No. I don’t.’
‘You should ask her one day. Until then, though, rest easy, and know that all of the Fairy Isle owe you a great debt.’ The G.F.C. leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, and instantly a warmth filled her body, a lightness of being that chased away all semblances of pain and lethargy. ‘Thank you, Esmerelda. Your efforts do not go unnoticed,’ the G.F.C. whispered, her green eyes glimmering.
Fate took Matilda’s hand and they both left the chamber. Esmerelda stared up at the ceiling for a moment. The arcing tree branches entwined, the wood bleached a light grey over the eons. What a change an assignment could make. Before Gabriel’s latest tale, she’d been a laughing stock, and on reprimand. Now she was warmly ensconced in the Fey Palace, with the gratitude of the Grand Fairy Coordinator – and Fate had seemed quite friendly, too.
How had all this happened?
The great doors to her chamber swung inward, and the scent of orange bergamot wafted to her. Tears filled her eyes. Of course.
‘Hey, Essie, I hear you’re awake.’
She jerked her chin to stare at the wall on the opposite side of the bed. He’d lied to her. Again. And this time not only had her charges been nearly killed, she’d nearly been killed, too.
‘What, no “hello, imp”?’
She remained silent.
‘Not even a troll-dung reference?’
Her jaw felt like it was going to snap, so tightly was she holding it.
‘Hey, what’s goi
ng on?’
He sounded truly befuddled. She turned to look at him in disbelief. ‘You lied to me.’ Fog unfurled outside the window.
He frowned. ‘No, I didn’t. I just didn’t tell you everything.’
Ice formed across the glass panels, spreading in snowflake patterns that were chillingly beautiful. He was manipulating her again. ‘I won’t play your games anymore,’ she told him, her voice devoid of emotion. She was numb. She wasn’t angry, she wasn’t upset. She wasn’t anything, anymore.
He grasped her hand, and she flinched, pulling it away. He made a fist with his hand and lowered it to his side. ‘I didn’t know if I could trust you.’
Her smile was brittle, and she felt as though her cheeks would crack. ‘I know how that feels.’
He blanched, and looked down at the feathered quilt that covered her. ‘I guess I deserved that.’
She laughed, her throat sore from the lack of use. ‘Oh, that and more.’
‘I know you’re upset –.’
‘I’m not. I’m not upset. I don’t think I’m even angry. Or if I am, I’m angry at myself. Angry at myself for again allowing you to use me for your own agenda. Angry at myself for again trusting you, when you’ve shown over and over that you’re not worthy of my trust.’ Angry at herself for feeling something more than distrust toward him, again.
‘I won’t apologise for trying to find out who Confined me.’
‘Matilda Confined you for your crime,’ she snapped. All of the Fairy Isle knew that. Goodness, even the humans knew of the tale.
‘Someone set me up.’
Her jaw worked. She hadn’t heard that before. She glanced at him briefly. Was he lying to her, again? Was he trying to play on her sense of justice, on her feelings for him? It was too little, too late.
‘I told you Darkness was rising,’ she said rigidly. ‘We should have called in the Light Forces.’ The Elfwyn army would have delighted in the scrap with Malevia.
‘I didn’t mean for you to get hurt,’ he told her quietly.
She lifted her chin. ‘You didn’t mean to get caught,’ she corrected him. She sighed. ‘But I’ve learned my lesson. As soon as I’ve recovered I’ll be asking Matilda to assign you to another Fairy Godmother Enforcer.’
‘Don’t.’
This time she did meet his gaze, her anger and pain blazing in her eyes, and she didn’t bother to hide it from him. He squinted, and she realised she was on full glimmer. She didn’t tone it down.
‘You don’t ever get to tell me to do, or not to do, anything, ever again. I don’t trust you. You lie, you manipulate, and you use. But not me, not anymore.’
She turned to face the wall. ‘Now, go.’
‘Essie –’
She ignored him. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend he wasn’t there. It was working until his scent grew stronger, and she felt his breath on her cheek.
‘Ask yourself what Malevia would gain from Confining me.’ His lips pressed against her skin with a reverent softness.
Then he was gone.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. One more riddle, one more game to play with him, but he’d caught her attention. What if, for once, the imp was telling the truth?
What if Rumpelstiltskin was set up?
That would mean he’d spent the Ages in Confinement as an innocent imp – if there was such a thing.
***
Matilda swept into her office, knowing Fate followed her. With a wave of her hand the great doors closed with a snap, and she rounded her desk. She ruffled her wings and took her seat, clasping her hands together as she stared at the handsome figure in front of her. She never grew tired of looking at him. His hair was silver white, his face unlined, his eyes carrying the endless strands of Time.
‘Did you involve Malevia?’ she asked without preamble.
He shot her an offended look. ‘Of course not. I told you I wouldn’t interfere.’ He smiled. ‘Not unless you called.’
Goblin guts. She was calling.
‘The Dark Army is marshalling its forces. Malevia must be strong already to have tried to take a human, particularly a human in his own tale.’
‘There would have been consequences,’ he said, leaning his hip against her desk. His cloak billowed around him.
She nodded. The consequences would have been disastrous. Each tale had to play out, each human had to experience it to learn their lessons. If a tale was incomplete, the Fairy Isle would be caught in a never-ending loop until it did play out. If one of the characters actually died, then the loop couldn’t be closed, and they would be caught forever in the act, never succeeding, always chasing. It was almost as bad as Confinement, but whereas Confinement deprived the fey of power, light and stimulation, a Tale-ended was the opposite, with so much power, constant light and stimulation that life became painful. Each second would become excruciating for those caught in the loop, as minute by minute failure became reality and hope was lost.
It would throw the Isle into a Dark Age.
‘We need to find out what is going on,’ she stated.
Fate nodded.
Fungus. He was going to make her say it. ‘We need Time,’ she said.
Fate smiled. ‘And so you shall have it.’
She waited. Fate didn’t give Time away for free. You always had to pay the price. ‘What say you in return?’
Fate eyed her with consideration, and then his smile broadened. ‘I will give you Time, if you will give me the same.’
She frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘You must share your Time with me,’ he told her, and she narrowed her eyes. More Time with Fate? It was madness, it was dangerous, it was – tempting. She pursed her lips. They needed Time to save the Fairy Isle and all of the creatures that resided in and out of the realms. And all he wanted was a little Time with her? It was too easy, which meant it was to be the most difficult Time. Really, though – was there any alternative? She couldn’t see one.
‘Deal.’
He stood and shook her hand, then raised it to his lips, kissing her with a slow heat that had her trembling. Fate smiled wickedly.
‘Deal.’
Chapter 15
‘Honey, I’m home.’ Bella dropped her keys into the intricately carved bowl sitting on the table in the hallway, and walked down the corridor. She placed her kit in the second room on the right, where she’d originally set up a treatment room for Gabriel.
She looked down the hall, then up. Home. Such a simple word, yet so full of meaning. The house was silent. She smiled. She knew where Gabriel was. She swung her arms, loosening up her right shoulder as she walked. Since that night when Renee Gordon had thrown her off the balcony she’d received weekly treatment on the shoulder. She’d been injured, but she was so happy to be alive, she’d do whatever it took to get back into shape. And she was nearly there, too. She’d started seeing clients on a part-time basis.
She’d been injured ‘on the job’, and despite her protests, she’d received a payout. That, along with the money from the sale of her family home, had gone a long way to paying off her debts. She could now breathe a little easier.
She climbed the main stairs. She continued past the landing that would take her to the room she shared with Gabriel. That had been slightly awkward, telling her district director about their relationship. She’d chosen Gabriel over her job, and she’d managed to keep both. She continued up toward the attic.
Initially she’d struggled with entering the space. Renee’s body had been removed and the police had conducted an investigation. They discovered the sleeping bag in the attic, along with all of the missing items Bella and the other physiotherapists had reported, and they found the tea that was laced with an herb that inhibited muscle repair as well as creating tension and mood swings. It had become abundantly clear that Renee had been squatting in the attic and stalking Gabriel.
She shuddered. She still had nightmares about that night, as did Gabriel. Some sort of green-eyed monster that neither could
explain. Her memories of that night were a little blurry. She’d received a knock to the head when she’d fallen, and she vaguely remembered hanging on to Gabriel, his face twisted in pain as he whispered encouragement to her. She vaguely remembered Ramsey and Ellie also falling, and Misty helping them down, but everything else was a little hazy.
It helped to talk though, and while they were both receiving counselling, she’d found her greatest comfort came from talking with Gabriel – over the breakfast table, in the living room after dinner, and in the middle of the night as they each tried to reassure the other in the darkness.
She hesitated at the door to the attic. Their counsellor had suggested they convert the attic into a room with purpose, to slowly chip away at the memory that this was ‘the place where Renee hid’. And it was working. It was easier for her to approach the room. Gabriel was amazing; he’d approached the task like a project manager, and had seemed to get past any issues. He now spent most days in here.
Bella nudged open the door and stepped in. He’d converted the attic into a workshop. He’d built in some more windows, and the room was open and airy, with bright natural light for most of the day. His sculptures had caught the eye of a gallery owner in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, and he had his first showing in a couple of weeks. He’d also finished a couple of commissions for the local council, so his reputation as a skilled artist was growing.
She watched as Gabriel blew the dust off the object in his hand. He sat back, looked at it closely, then nodded.
‘Is it finished?’ she whispered, and stepped toward him. He looked up at her and grinned. She still marvelled that she woke up with this man each day. His eye patch was gone, and his vision was good. His arm was gradually healing, although he still felt fatigue. He could return to building, if he wanted, but he had a new occupation now.
‘I just need to stain it, and it will be ready for the drivers when they come to collect,’ he told her, and held out his arm to her. She sidled up to him, sliding her arm around his neck as he pulled her close. It was late afternoon, and the shadows within the room were lengthening, but she could clearly see his work, bathed in the golden glow of the sun.
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