Kara smiled at the fairy.
“Would you like to come in?” Trystin waved toward the twinkling trees. Kara’s stomach tightened. She felt the pull of the trees, beckoning her. But she was afraid that if she entered, she wouldn’t be able to hide the part of her that belonged here.
“Sure,” Seb said. “We’re working on a project I’d like to run past you, see if you have some ideas we haven’t thought of.”
Kara’s gaze jerked to Seb. “Are we supposed to be, you know, telling people about this? Isn’t it supposed to be kept sort of under wraps?”
“I’m not people.” Trystin laughed. “I’m a fairy. Besides, who would I tell? Come, let’s go to my place.”
Without waiting, Trystin turned and flew lightly into the trees. Seb began to follow. Kara placed a hand on his arm, stopping him. Seb turned to her, brow lifted.
“I don’t think we should . . . I’m not . . . I’m not comfortable with this.” What plausible excuse could she give, really?
“Trystin is my friend. He’s safe. All the fairies are. There’s no danger to be had here.”
Kara glanced toward the sparkling trees. She wracked her brain, struggling to come up with something, anything, to keep her from entering the fairies domain.
“We should really get back to work,” she pleaded.
Trystin came back out of the trees as if to see what kept them. He landed in front of Kara. “You’re safe here, Kara,” he said, his words flowing across her like warm water. “No harm will befall you while in the protection of the fairy forest.”
Kara wanted to fight his words, tried to find that sense within that warned her of this place. Instead she found herself walking toward the trees beside Trystin, Seb following behind. “I promise to protect you,” Trystin repeated. Kara was lulled by his words, accepted them as truth even while somewhere deep in her mind she knew there was something wrong.
All thoughts of danger fled when she stepped into the copse of trees. Magic flowed around and over her from tree trunk to tree trunk. Musical chimes sounded high in the gem colored treetops. Flashes of light sparkled everywhere she looked, and a sense of peace pervaded every living, breathing molecule that surged in the fairies living space. No other fairies could be seen, but Kara suspected that the sparkling lights were more than they seemed. She felt if she concentrated long enough she might be able to see them.
Trystin stopped at the base of a towering tree with a bright amber trunk that led to leaves with the look of garnets. The tree trunk had a girth that appeared to be seventy-five feet around. A door was centered in the broad trunk, which Trystin opened, waving them in.
Kara again had the thought she shouldn’t enter and tried to remember why. She didn’t know why. Elves and fairies were friends, not enemies. Seb entered confidently, so she followed.
Inside the tree green roots flowed up the sides of the walls, looking very much like traditional tree roots—other than they hugged the walls and streamed with life. Soft cushions served as furniture. A second floor stood above them with an opening for entrance. No stairs. She supposed with wings stairs were unnecessary. It smelled earthy, clean, natural.
“I’ll make tea,” Trystin said. “Make yourselves comfortable.”
Kara settled down onto one of the cushions, and Seb sat next to her. He reached over and touched her arm. She jerked at his touch, wondering if he’d feel her secret. She remembered Trystin when they arrived, how his touch seemed to read her as clearly as if she’d exposed her wings. She remembered her fear of entering the trees . . .
“Are you okay?” Seb asked. She turned to him, staring into his concerned eyes. “I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t think it would be a good thing.”
Looking into his eyes, sense returned. What happened to her? She knew it was dangerous for her here. This place was a part of her, or she was a part of it. Her wings moved and panic began to tingle in her stomach.
“Here we are,” Trystin said, returning to the room, a tray with a teapot and three cups balanced in his hands as he flew. Kara’s panic receded and she couldn’t remember why she’d felt so panicked. She was safe here.
They enjoyed the herbal tea—a blend of roots that Kara couldn’t place but that was delicious nonetheless. Seb and Trystin spoke of other fairies, ones they were both familiar with. She realized that Seb was a frequent visitor to Trystin’s forest. Contentment filled her as she listened to them speaking. They included her in the conversation as much as possible, but she was grateful they didn’t ask her about her life in the South. With the security and satisfaction she felt, she’d probably tell them everything. All too soon Seb rose, holding out a hand to her to help her up, announcing they should get back.
Trystin accompanied them to the edge of the forest. He took Kara’s hand in his once again. “Remember, Kara, you’re always welcome here—anytime.” His words were heavy with meaning, though she couldn’t fathom what else he could be trying to say. His words were polite, nothing else. She’d have no reason to return here without Seb.
They stepped from the forest as Trystin turned away, disappearing in a flash of light. As soon as he was gone, Kara felt as though she were waking from a dream. She blinked in the twilight that ruled their days. She glanced behind her at the trees and instantly fear gripped her again. They’d been in the fairies’ forest, inside one of their homes—Trystin’s home. She could have so easily given herself away in front of Seb. What happened to her, why did she feel so . . .? She suddenly realized that it was Trystin. He’d done something to her, something to make her forget her caution. Why?
“Everything okay?” Seb asked.
She realized she’d been staring at the trees where Trystin disappeared. She spun to face Seb. “I don’t know. I feel . . . discombobulated, I guess. I feel . . . was there something in the tea?”
“Like what?” Seb asked.
“Do you feel like you’ve just emerged from a dream?”
Seb took a step closer to her. “No, I don’t. What’s going on, Kara?”
Suddenly her wings began to burn. The need to stretch them was nearly crippling. The pull toward the trees she’d felt when they first arrived was stronger now.
“I need to go, Seb. Now. Fast.”
To Seb’s credit, he didn’t question her. He climbed on the sled and, as soon as she was seated behind him, took off—not too fast, but not as slow as before. As the distance increased between them and the fairy forest, Kara relaxed. Her wings settled against her back, her fear and panic receding. As if Seb could feel the change in her, he slowed a little, maintaining a steady speed, but not one that caused her too much anxiety.
As they neared the village, he stopped the sled and turned to her. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”
Kara looked up at him, lost as usual in the sapphire depth of his eyes, wishing she were immune to him so she could form a coherent thought once in a while. She nearly laughed at her silliness.
“Yes, it would appear all is back to normal. I’m sorry, I don’t know why I was so weird about that. I promise I’m fine now.”
Seb studied her for long moments. She forced herself to keep a steady gaze and not melt and get all googly-eyed. Satisfied, he nodded and drove them straight to the diner, which was a good thing. Kara was suddenly starving.
Chapter Nine
Kara had to wait for the weekend before she could get back to the fairy forest. She wanted to leave early enough that she’d have time to talk to Trystin—from a distance so he couldn’t enchant her again, or whatever he’d done to her. That meant not entering the forest. So she’d wait, and hope eventually he or one of the other fairies would notice her.
She debated taking her sled, but when she tried to start it, the battery was dead. She supposed having sat here all this time without a single bit of attention was the cause of that. She walked until she felt she was far enough away from the village to be safe, then she pulled off her jacket and spread her wings. She took to the sky, exhilarating in the
feeling of being airborne as always. It felt like freedom. She took advantage of the opportunity and flew in a decidedly crooked pattern to the fairy forest.
From above, in the distance the fairy forest looked as though a rainbow had been shredded like confetti and sprinkled in a large, circular pattern. The rainbow of gems glittered brightly in spite of the dusky light that pervaded this time of year.
Once she landed she folded her wings and put her coat back on. She walked the rest of the way. Even though she was pretty sure Trystin was aware of what she was, she didn’t want to give her secret away just in case she was wrong. As she neared the sparkling trees, she felt that same familiar pull. She fought against it, stopping a ways back. Trystin stood just outside the trees, almost as if he’d been waiting for her.
When Kara didn’t move any closer, Trystin smiled sardonically and flew close to her. She held up a hand when he was still a good fifty feet away. “Stop!”
Trystin stopped, landing on his feet and folding his wings. “I won’t hurt you,” he called.
“Maybe not, but you did something to me last time I was here. What was that?”
“Are we really going to have this conversation yelling back and forth?”
Kara hadn’t thought that through. He was right—she didn’t want to have a loud conversation in case someone was nearby who might expose her secret. She also didn’t want him close enough to do whatever it was to her again.
“I know what you are!” he yelled.
Even though Kara suspected he did, hearing him say it shook her.
“I promise,” he yelled, hands up in surrender, “to not do anything to you that you don’t want me to.”
What did that mean? Kara didn’t trust him further than she could toss her sled, but what choice did she have? She walked until she stood directly in front of him. His red eyes unnerved her, not because of their color—there were plenty elves who had that same color. It was the way he looked at her, as if he knew all there was to know about her.
“What did you do to me?” she demanded once she stood before him.
“You don’t know much about your abilities, do you?”
“My abilities? What are you talking about?”
“You have the best of both worlds, Kara, and you don’t even know it. Let me guess: you were raised strictly by elves.”
“Of course I was.” She still refused to admit she knew he was aware of her.
He nodded. “That explains a lot.” Before she could open her mouth to be offended, he said, “Some elves might actually know what fairies are capable of, but even those don’t know how to teach it. I take it Seb doesn’t know of your fairy heritage?”
She considered denying it, but really, that would be stupid. Besides, what other reason would she have to be here? She shook her head.
“And you don’t want him to know?”
She shook her head again. He tilted his, studying her.
“Are you . . . ashamed of your fairy legacy?” He sounded saddened by the thought.
Kara looked away, blinking against the tears that threatened. Ashamed? That word couldn’t begin to encompass how she felt about her fairy side. She’d lost her family because of the simple circumstance of her birth. Her home, her friends . . . all because she hadn’t been careful in hiding it. But she didn’t know Trystin well enough to share this with him. She could give him the basic facts, though.
“I’m from the South Pole,” she said. “I had to leave home because my secret was discovered.”
“Your secret?” Trystin asked, perplexed. Understanding suddenly lit his eyes. “You had to hide your fairy heritage? They made you leave because of it?” His mouth hung agape as he processed the information. He shook his head, disgust lining his features. “I had no idea there was such prejudice . . . and you’re once again bound to keep your true heritage hidden?”
Kara nodded. “I can’t afford to be found out.”
Trystin’s jaw clenched, his brows pulled together thunderously. “We would never hold such prejudice here. Any fairy would be welcome here in our forest.”
“Are you sure?” Trystin’s gaze shot to hers at her question. “I mean, have you ever had anyone live here who wasn’t pure fairy?”
“No, but—”
“It’s much easier to say there would be no prejudice than when you are actually faced with having someone in your midst who is different.”
Trystin shook his head. “No, I don’t believe that.”
Kara just shrugged, not wanting to get into a discussion with him regarding something he had no experience with. She had far too much of it herself.
“Will you let me teach you?” Trystin said.
Kara’s brows drew together. “Teach me what? How to make people lose their sense and do whatever I want them to?”
Trystin laughed, the sound surprisingly rich, deep and full. “My apologies for that, Kara. I could feel your panic and knew you were about to bolt. I wanted you to stay so I could decide if you truly were a fairy as I suspected.”
Kara scowled at him. “It wasn’t nice.” His smile didn’t waver. She tilted her head. “Are you saying I have that same ability?”
“Of course. Kara, you have a great many abilities that you haven’t yet been taught. They are all right here.” He lightly touched her temple. “I can show you how to be a real fairy.”
Kara smirked. “What good is it going to do to be a real fairy when I can’t be a real fairy?”
Trystin shook his head sadly. “Perhaps . . . no, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you know all there is to know about yourself.”
Kara looked beyond Trystin to the sparkling trees. “Do I have to go in there?”
Trystin grinned at her. “It would be helpful.”
Kara swallowed loudly.
“Can I see your wings?” Trystin asked.
“Well, at least buy me dinner first,” she muttered.
Trystin burst out laughing. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll make you something to eat, something only fairies know how to do.”
“Something fairies can do that elves can’t? Elves can do anything.”
“Can they fly?”
Kara had to give him that. The reindeer could fly, but none of the elves. Even with all his magic, the Big Guy could only rise in small spurts. She peeled her coat off yet again and, taking a breath, hoping she was doing the right thing, she spread her wings.
Trystin walked around her, examining them. Finally, he gave a low whistle. “Your wings are amazing.”
“How so?” Kara blushed. She wasn’t fishing for compliments.
Trystin didn’t seem to think anything odd about her question. He simply spread his wings and said, “Your wings are thicker, denser than most fairies. Also larger. And yet, they appear dainty at first glance. Lacy. Beautiful.”
Kara wasn’t sure how to answer that so she didn’t. Instead, she examined his wings. He turned to make it easier for her. He was right. His wings were black, not white like hers, and gauzy. She’d always considered her wings gossamer, but compared to his she realized that description didn’t fit at all.
“It doesn’t seem like your wings would lift you.”
Trystin folded them and turned to face her again. “My bones are thin, I suspect thinner than yours, and that’s why yours are thicker. Nature has compensated for our differences. How much do you weigh?”
Kara barked out a laugh. “As if I’d tell you.”
One side of Trystin’s mouth lifted at that. “Okay, fair enough. Care to fly with me? I’d like to see your wings in action.”
Kara’s mind swirled at that. Fly with him? She’d always flown solo, being the only freak around. To fly with someone . . . she’d never even thought of it. She nodded, expanding her wings again. Trystin did the same, lifting his feet from the ground almost simultaneously. It seemed flying was more natural to him than standing. Kara flapped her wings a few times, as always reveling in the feeling of being in flight. She glanced over at Try
stin—to find herself looking at empty air.
“Wha—”
She looked down and saw Trystin still quite a ways beneath her. She dropped to his level to find him looking awestruck.
“Such power,” he breathed.
“Sorry, was I not supposed—”
“Don’t apologize. That was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. Within a few stokes you were higher than most fairies can fly.”
Kara hadn’t ever thought about it. Flying had been instinctual for as long as she could remember. She didn’t remember being taught to fly, though she supposed someone must have. Flying high and fast was just how she did it.
“Stay in place,” Trystin said as he lifted above her, turning so he could see her beneath him, watching her wings. She felt extremely self-conscious, as if she were going to be graded on her performance. Finally he flew back down to face her.
“Just incredible,” he pronounced. “How high can you go? How fast?”
Kara shrugged. “I’ve never measured either.”
“I’ve only ever seen one—” He broke off, clamping his mouth as if he’d said something he shouldn’t have. “Will you show me?”
Kara thought it a strange request, but honestly, it felt good to have someone appreciate what she could do rather than think her strange for it. So she flew, hard. She went higher, faster than she usually did, and she even threw in a couple of loops just to show off. Her cheeks were flushed and she couldn’t hide her exhilaration when she went back to Trystin, who still hovered far above the ground.
“I wish I had the ability you do,” Trystin said. “I can hardly wait to see what other fairy abilities you have, and if they’re as impressive as your flying.”
Suddenly, Kara couldn’t wait either.
Chapter Ten
Entering the trees without Trystin’s spell on her was unlike anything Kara had ever experienced. The pull of the grove from outside was strong. From within, it was impossible to resist. Without thinking about it, she spread her wings and flitted along the forest floor behind Trystin. The colors were as vibrant as she remembered, but now they seemed to sing to her.
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