I turned around and studied the different camps. He was right. Puck’s army, and a few other fairy armies, were silent, while the others were up and moving around.
“This reminds me of what was happening to the mermaids a while back.” Alleya shuddered and looked at me. “Magic was all messed up, and every time a gateway to Atlantis was closed, the mermaids could get really sick. We’d collapse just like this.”
“Just the mermaids?” I asked.
She nodded. “Colin was fine, but his magic came directly from Poseidon. The Atlantians’ magic went a little crazy, but they didn’t get sick.”
“So it was tied to their magic. And this time, it’s just the fairies.” I started back toward the castle. I had to see if anyone was awake yet.
The others caught up with me. Alleya nudged Colin. “Do the thing.”
Colin nodded and bit his thumb as we continued in. I had no idea what “thing” they were talking about, but I didn’t have time to stop and ask. If this was just affecting fairy magic, I could be next. After all, I was the fairy queen, right? I had fairy magic running through me, even if I didn’t know how to use it.
The hallways were still full of sleeping servants as I made my way back to my room. Jared had cleaned off our beds, and set Adam and Beth in them. He jumped up and pulled me into a hug.
“I wanted to come and find you, but I felt bad leaving these two. What did you find out?”
“It’s just the fairies. Colin said everyone else is fine.”
Jared ran his fingers through his hair. “Was it O’Malley?”
Colin came forward. “No, this wasn’t him. Something knocked the fairies out. It had to have been a spell or something.”
I looked at him in surprise. “How do you know it wasn’t him? And how do you know who he is?”
Colin glanced over at Exander and Alleya before holding up his thumb. “There’s this … thing … I can do. I just bite my thumb, and I can get all the answers. Well, kind of. I can only find out pieces of a puzzle unless I know what I’m asking. I know it wasn’t this O’Malley guy because it pointed toward you.”
“Me? I didn’t do anything.”
“Think hard about everything you said and did just before this quake. Is there anything that stands out?” His brown eyes stared into mine.
My mind went back to just before it happened. “We’d been talking about … something …” I’d almost mentioned ring, but it was hard to concentrate. “And what had happened during the event. And then I said something about wanting to pretend—” I stopped, my eyes widening. “No.”
“Pretend what?” Colin stepped forward.
“You said you wanted to pretend that this place didn’t exist,” Jared said.
A stabbing pain pierced through my chest, knocking me to the ground. It felt as though my heart was being squeezed by a vise. I gasped for air.
“Megan, what’s going on?” Jared rushed over to me and held me up.
The pain spread through the rest of me and my arms and legs spasmed. I fought to grasp what Colin was saying, when suddenly, visions of a childhood story ran through my head. I’d read it countless times to Maddie and William. Of course the fairy world would be tied to me. And if I didn’t want to believe in it …
All I could get out was “Peter Pan. Tinker Bell.”
And then the world went black.
JARED
“What is she talking about?” Jared rolled Megan over and wiped the dust off her face.
“Peter Pan had to try to save Tinker Bell. I just don’t know which one will work, so we’ll have to try both, and fast.” Colin leaned down and started clapping while saying, “I do believe in fairies.”
Jared was so desperate for something to work that he didn’t question the weirdness. He also made a note to himself to watch more Peter Pan when he got home. He clapped and chanted along with Colin, and Alleya joined in. Beth and Adam both stirred and sat up.
Beth rubbed her eyes and stared over at Colin and Jared with a strange look on her face. “What in the world are you doing?”
“Trying to revive your best friend. Get over here.” Jared kept going, and the others joined in. It was several minutes later when the color began to return to Megan’s cheeks. She coughed, but didn’t open her eyes. He picked her up and set her on her bed while the others continued their clapping. It wasn’t until Megan rolled over and lightly snored that Jared finally relaxed. “She’s fine. Let’s just let her sleep.”
“Come on. We need to help the others in the castle.” Colin ran out of the room.
“Go. I’ll get her ready for bed. Then I think we need to have a guard in here.” Beth shuddered. “I’m kinda done with this constant danger thing.”
Jared ran his fingers through his hair and coughed at the dust that showered down. “You and me both. I’ll send people in as soon as we know everything is okay.”
“Perfect.”
Jared left with Colin and went through the castle, spreading the word to help the others wake up. Most of the fairies were already up and cleaning the mess around the castle, but the older fairies took a little longer to revive.
Louie appeared next to Jared after he’d helped an older servant stand. “You’ve done a great job. Now it’s time for you to sleep. We can take the rest from here.”
Jared wanted to argue, but he was sore and wanted to curl up in a ball to sleep for a few years. “Thank you, but I’m going with a few guards to watch over Megan.”
“Alleya and I can do that. We weren’t affected, and you look like you’re about to pass out,” Colin said.
“You sure?” He could have hugged Colin right then.
“Of course.”
Jared clapped Colin on the shoulder. “Thanks, man. I owe you. Not just for this. You saved Megan in there.”
Colin’s face turned bright red. “No problem.”
Jared walked into his room and dropped on his bed, not worrying about pulling off his shoes. He had to agree with Beth. It was time to be done with the never-ending threats to their lives.
MEGAN
The room was dark when I woke. My head pounded, and my chest hurt, but I was glad to be alive. I pushed up off the bed and lit the candles around me. Beth was still asleep, but Jared and Adam had left. Colin and Alleya were asleep on the floor, and two guards stood on either side of my door.
I curled back up under my covers, not wanting to wake anyone up. But I was starving. Not to the extent I’d been after my transformation, but close. It had been a crazy day, and I knew I should try to get back to sleep, but my mind didn’t want to relax. It kept going between whoever had thrown the discus, and the ring we still needed to find. Honestly, though, I was hoping the mountain had collapsed in on itself so we wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore.
I stared at Beth, wondering why she and Adam had been affected so badly. April had told me once that it took fairy magic to see her, but I wouldn’t have thought it would be enough to knock them out like this. And if that was the case, Jared should have been knocked out as well.
When my stomach couldn’t handle it any longer, I slipped out of bed and tiptoed over to my wardrobe. I’d been changed into a nightgown at some point, and there was no way I was going out into the hallway like that. I grabbed a gown and went into the bathroom to change.
On my way out of the room, I stopped next to the guards. “Watch these guys, and I’ll be right back. I promise.”
They continued to stare straight ahead as I walked past and opened the door. Another two guards sat out in the hallway, and they stood to follow me as I walked toward the kitchens. Whatever had revived me had apparently worked for the rest of the castle. People bustled about to get the cleaning and cooking done. I smiled and waved as I walked in, and the servants immediately bowed.
“Don’t worry about me. Pretend I’m not here. If you could just show me where the food is kept, I can grab a sandwich or whatever.” I moved toward the pantry, but the head cook stopped me with a deep curtsy
.
“We will get you whatever you want. Just ask.”
I looked around to see what they were making. “Uh, I’ll have a plate of whatever you have ready.”
She snapped her fingers. “You heard her.”
Another servant quickly dished up chicken and some potatoes and brought them to me. “Here you are, Your Majesty. I hope they’re to your liking.”
“This is perfect. Thank you.” I sat down on the chair they put by the table and tried the potatoes. I felt a deep homesickness for my mom’s home cooking. The potatoes tasted just like she made them, and the chicken was cooked to perfection. I blinked back the tears.
“Is something the matter, Your Majesty?” the woman asked.
“No. This is really good, thank you. It just reminds me of home.” I smiled and took another bite, savoring the flavors. I took a drink of the grape juice she offered. “Could you take some of this to my friends? They’d love it too.”
She curtsied again and went to fill plates. When I finished my food, I returned a curtsy and walked back up to my room. Beth sat at the small table in our room, eating the food I’d sent up. She had dark rings under her eyes, but looked fine otherwise.
“Hey, where have you been?” She took a drink.
I sat down at the table. “Downstairs eating. You were all asleep, and I was starving. So, what happened after I collapsed?”
Beth poked at her potatoes. “I was asleep for most of it. I woke up to Jared and Colin chanting something about believing in fairies. Adam was holding me in his arms, which surprised me. As soon as I moved, Louie came in and helped a few of the fairies who were awake work on Adam’s leg.” She shuddered. “I never want to see that again.”
“I tried to heal it, but I didn’t know how to do the bone.” I propped my chin on my hand.
“They said he wouldn’t have survived if you hadn’t done it.” She pushed her plate away. “You took longer than the rest to revive. It took everyone chanting before you finally stirred. I thought Jared was going to lose it by the time you started breathing again.”
My eyes widened. “I stopped breathing?”
“You were pretty much dead, Megan. Your heart had stopped beating as well, and your hair … it was white. If we’d lost you …” She stood and walked around to sit by me. “You need to stop the dying thing. Seriously. Every time you get better, I want to punch you, but then it happens again. I just wish—”
I clapped my hand over her mouth. “Don’t you dare say anything about this place and . . . you know.”
She pushed my hand away. “I know. Jared warned me. But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel that way. I want to go home. This was all fun and awesome, but I’m ready for this to be done. I want to explore the world without having to watch my back for leprechauns or whatever.”
“I know. I’m trying to make that happen.” I stood and went to the door. “I’ll be in the map room. Are you coming?”
She stood. “Of course.”
We walked silently into the hallway and had to acknowledge everyone who bowed as we passed—which was pretty much everyone. I assured several of them that I really was okay, and that I hoped they were doing fine as well. By the time we reached the room, I was ready to scream.
Jared stood by the map, talking to Adam, Ethan, and Louie. He looked up when we walked in and strode over to me, pulling me into a hug. “It’s so good to see you awake. I would have come to your room, but Louie insisted he had urgent news.”
I kissed him on the cheek. “I’m just glad you figured out what I was trying to say before I passed out.”
He blushed. “Well, it was more Colin. I think he knew what you needed before you said anything.”
“It’s a good thing he thought of it. Now, what did Louie think was so urgent?” I looked between Jared and Louie.
“O’Malley was spotted near the cave.” Louie pointed at a mountain to the west of us.
My stomach twisted, and my heart threatened to stop again. “Did he find the ring?”
“We don’t think so, or he already would’ve tried to use it.” Louie continued to stare at the mountain on the map. “From what Puck could tell, there was a cave-in. It’s very possible the ring is lost forever. O’Malley was throwing things and swearing at his army, so I’m guessing Puck is right.”
“Of course I’m right.” Puck appeared next to Louie. “He’s not giving up, though. Last time I checked, he had giants pulling rocks away from the opening.”
Louie cursed under his breath. “We have to get there first.”
“How? I thought it was caved in.” Beth leaned in closer. “Whoa. Look. You can see the mountain changing as they pull parts of the rock off.”
“We’ve been there. We know what the space looks like.” Louie turned to me. “I’ll need your help. Do you think you’re up to it?”
Puck stood between us. “Wait—what do you mean you’ve been there? When? And why wasn’t I invited?”
“You were off doing battle.” Louie’s eyes never left mine. “We’ll take you four. Only you four.”
I nodded. “I’m ready.”
Okay, so I really wasn’t. I had no idea what I was doing, and while I’d tamed the last Chimera I’d run into, I didn’t think this one would be quite so nice. It must have been there for centuries.
“Meet me in here in ten minutes. Puck, I need you for something else.” Louie waited for us to leave before continuing. I could hear them yelling at each other from down the hallway.
Jared and Adam ran to their room while Beth and I quickly changed into our battle clothes and grabbed our weapons. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and grabbed a ribbon from off the table to tie around it, but stopped short when I caught my reflection.
“You told me my hair had turned white. You didn’t tell me it kept streaks in it.” Most of it was still gold, but there were chunks of it that were a silvery white.
Beth helped with the ribbon before answering. “Louie said it will go back to normal when you’re feeling better. I kinda like it this way. Besides, feeling better requires rest, and it’s not like that’s going to happen anytime soon.”
“You’re probably right. Okay, let’s do this.” I pulled open the door, and we ran back to the map room where Louie stood waiting. “Where’s Puck?”
“He’s distracting O’Malley. I figured that was the only way I could get Puck to stay away from us.”
Jared and Adam came in soon after. Jared was in his mail and a loose-fitting shirt, and Adam wore something similar. He walked with a slight limp that he hadn’t had before, but he didn’t seem to care. He tended to like his battle scars. Even though this one was because his sister was lame and kept trying to destroy the kingdom without realizing it.
“Megan, you’ve learned to do a few things with your magic, so now it’s time to learn to travel. Again, I can only tell you how I do it. You’ll have to add your own twist to it. Let’s all grab hands.” Louie waited until we were in a circle. “Now, Megan and Jared, picture the cave we stood in. Exactly how it was when we were there. Beth and Adam, keep your minds as blank as possible.”
I pictured the large chamber with the ring in the center. The light was still shining down onto it from an unknown source. The only thing missing was the Chimera, and I was totally fine with that.
“Now, pull yourself there. Just like you always do with your luck. Go.” Louie snapped his fingers, and I pushed hard on my luck, pulling Beth and Jared with me.
The sensation was not the same as when Louie had us travel. He usually made us all squished and stretched. This was smoother, like we just walked through a portal. I almost didn’t think we’d moved until I opened my eyes to find myself in the cave. The entrance was blocked off completely, but the ring still sat in the center of the room. I could have cried with relief. I pulled out my sword to be ready in case the Chimera came out of hiding, then crept slowly toward the center of the room. Jared, Beth, and Adam were to my sides, watching all around as we continued forward
.
A low rumble sounded off to the left of us. Adam and Beth lifted up their weapons, while I concentrated on grabbing the ring. I was so close, and I was not about to let O’Malley get it. When I was close enough to take it, I reached out—and hit a barrier. I tapped on it, but I couldn’t get through.
I grumbled and circled around it. “What is this?”
“What do you mean? Just pick it up.” Louie snapped his fingers and appeared next to me. He reached for it, but the barrier sent a jolt through him, knocking him to the ground.
The boulders next to the entrance shifted, and I could hear shouting on the other side of the barrier. O’Malley was on the opposite side of the wall, and we weren’t any closer to getting the ring. Maybe it was something about our magic. Louie had his, and I had two forms already.
“Jared, grab it.” I turned away from the pedestal and faced the Chimera that had just come into the room from what I assumed was its home.
“You and Louie can’t touch it. What makes you think I can?” Jared glanced between me and the center of the room.
Another large boulder moved, and I could see light coming through. Cheers sounded from the other side of the wall.
“We don’t have time for this. Please just try.” I swung my sword toward the Chimera, trying not to hit it. I didn’t want to hurt it for doing its job, but I also didn’t want to be attacked by it.
Jared moved closer to the pedestal. “Be ready to take us back as soon as I have it. We don’t have any time.”
The rest of us scooted together and backed up toward Jared as the Chimera advanced on us. I was pretty sure it was grinning. Four perfect targets who were giving up trying to save themselves.
Jared grabbed the ring and shoved it on his finger. “Go!”
We clasped hands and I imagined the map room, pushing hard as the boulder came crashing into the cavern. Just as we transported, the Chimera lunged for us, missing Beth’s leg by inches.
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