“Dick?” Leonard suggested.
“Yeah! Such a dick! What a dick!” Shae huffed and stomped her foot on the floor.
“Let’s accompany Fall to find our missing comrades,” Jewel said.
“Yeah,” Shae agreed. “That’s what we’re supposed to be doing now. We need to all be together. This is where we plan out what we’re going to do.”
“And what are we going to do?” Leonard asked.
“We?” Jewel asked.
“Oh, yeah!” Shae clapped her hands. “Leonard is totally coming with us! Right? You’re still coming? I mean, I saw it both ways, but my favorite is the one where you come with us.”
Leonard smiled. “I don’t know about all of that. But in any case, I’m happy to help you plan this out. Let’s go find the others.” He closed and locked the door behind them.
Shae hesitated for a moment. “I think they’re by a wall. Like a stone wall.”
“The entire Enclave is surrounded by a stone wall,” Leonard said. “Can you give me any more than that?”
“Uh,” Shae squinted her eyes tightly together. “No.”
Leonard laughed. “Okay, to the wall, then. We’ll find them.”
Leonard, Fall, Jewel, and Shae reached the wall and decided to start circling to the left. Shae’s eyes brightened. “Yeah! This is the way! Let’s go!”
Gen sat on the ground, leaning against the wall. Hope sat on top of the wall. Her feet dangled next to Gen’s head.
“Nobody’s blaming you,” Hope said. “But, seriously, you can’t keep doing this. We all know the deal. We’re all your friends and we all know what’s going to happen.” She sighed. “Yeah, maybe you do remind us a bit of our own mortality, but, really, that’s not always a bad thing. I know I’m going to die. Shae knows she’s going to die.” Hope chuckled. “And she probably knows exactly how and when.”
“Not exactly when,” Shae called out. She took off and flew over, settling on top of the stone wall on Gen’s other side. “But there are several possibilities.” She leaned down and squeezed Gen’s shoulder. “You okay?”
Gen sighed. “Yeah.”
Shae looked at Hope, concerned. Hope shrugged.
“Did you find anything out?” Gen asked.
“Yeah! We did! Molly’s human killed Jeegan’s family in a former life, and Jeegan’s tracked her links down to find her, and now he’s going to kill her!”
Gen glanced quickly at Fall, then back to Shae. “How soon?”
“Soon.”
“Like today?”
“No,” Shae said. “Not today. But in the next couple days for sure.”
“Okay. Jeegan is powerful,” Gen said. “We’re going to need help.”
“Don’t count on help from the angels,” Fall said. “David the angel left. He said that this was fairy business and didn’t concern him, so he left.”
“What an asshole,” Hope muttered.
Gen frowned. “Hope! Watch your mouth.”
Hope rolled her eyes. “Sorry. After your rant earlier I figured I’d get a pass.”
Gen scowled and turned back to Shae. “So the angels don’t want to help. That’s fine. Maybe we can get help somewhere else.” She stood up and peered over the wall.
“Gen?” Hope asked. “You can’t be thinking what I think you’re thinking.”
“Yeah,” Gen said. “I think I am. We’re going to get my family to help. Let’s turn to the humans.”
“Both times, now, I don’t know if I should ring the bell or just go in,” Gen whispered to Hope.
“Do you feel like you live here anymore?” Hope asked. She perched on Gen’s shoulder.
“No, not really.”
“Then definitely don’t just go in.”
A moment later, Gabby opened the door. Her eyes widened. “Genevieve? What are you doing here?”
“Hi, mom. We’re here because we need help.”
Gabby’s face sharpened with concern. “Of course. Come in, come in. All of you.”
Gen and the tiny fairies went inside and Gabby closed the door behind them.
“What’s the matter?” Gabby asked. “Are you in trouble? Any of you?”
“It’s complicated,” Gen said. “But, yeah, one of us is in trouble.”
“Who was at the door?” Geoff shouted from the kitchen.
Gabby called back, “It’s Genny and her friends. Come, quick. They’re in trouble!”
“It’s not that urgent, mom!”
Geoff hurried into the living room. His eyes brightened when he saw Gen, the he scanned the room for the rest of the group. “What’s the matter? What kind of trouble are you in?”
“It’s not really any of us,” Gen said. “Well, it’s kind of dangerous for Fall. See, Fall’s human is in danger. It’s Molly Ritchey. Jim’s girlfriend’s sister. The Void Master is going to kill her.”
Gabby clutched her chest. “Oh, dear.”
“What can we do?” Geoff asked.
“Yes, Gen,” Slynn said. “What can they do? I still don’t understand the point of coming down here.”
“We need to figure out something!” Gen said. “Last time, when Herron and I came here to stop Pepper, we went to humans for help, and I think we should now, too! More help is better than less, isn’t it?”
“You know we’ll do anything we can to help you, Genny.”
“I think the first thing we need to do is get Jim and his girlfriend over here,” Gen said. “No matter how uncomfortable it is, they need to know and I bet Jim can help. He was amazing before, and we could definitely use him on our side.”
“He doesn’t want to talk to you,” Hope said quietly into Gen’s ear.
“I know he doesn’t, but this is important!” Gen paused and looked around the living room. “Where’s everyone else?”
Geoff said, “George, Laura, and Michelle went out to pick up Chinese. I imagine they’ll be back pretty soon.”
“Well,” Gen sighed, “I can’t just go over there. One of you, a human, has to do it.”
Gabby looked sharply at Gen. Her expression was part worry, part curiosity, and mostly suspicion.
“And we need to talk to Portia, too,” Gen said. “I don’t even know her. I can’t talk to her.”
“A human?” Gabby asked.
“What?” asked Gen.
“You said you needed one of us, a human, to help you.”
“You know what I mean,” Gen snapped.
“I’m not sure I do. Does this mean you really don’t think of yourself as a human anymore? You’re, what? You’re a fairy now?”
Gen smirked and gestured down at her clothing and the sword on her hip. “Kinda, yeah. The only reason I don’t have wings right now is because I’m bigger than normal.”
Gabby scoffed. “Big like a human.”
“Yeah, mom. Like a human. Something I haven’t been in three months or so.”
The front door opened. George, Laura, and Michelle burst into the house, carrying white plastic bags full of take-out.
“Food time!” George yelled. He passed the living room on his way to the kitchen and stopped dead. “Gen? What are you doing here? I thought you left!”
“Yeah,” Gen sighed. “We did. But we need help. We need your help.”
“Our help?” George asked. “Doing what?”
“She needs human help, George.” Gabby tried to keep her voice level but she still sounded angry.
“Huh?” George looked from Gabby to Gen.
“There’s an evil pixie and a bunch of his minions, and they’re trying to kill Jim’s girlfriend’s sister. We need to stop him.”
Laura said, “You defeated some fairy or pixie or something in the fall, right? Can’t you just do… whatever you did again?”
“No,” Gen said. “This pixie, he’s… Well, he’s like me. You can’t hurt him. He’ll heal. He’s immortal.”
“Immortal?” Michelle gaped at Gen. “Like you? You’re immortal? Like you won’t ever die?”
Gen shrugged and shook her head. She didn’t see Hope wince. Gen looked pleadingly at George. “Look, George, a little girl is going to die if we don’t do something. I can’t have another death on my conscience. I just can’t.”
George put down the bag he was holding and hugged Gen. “Of course we’ll help.” He looked at Gabby and Geoff before turning to Laura and Michelle. “Right? We will help?”
Gabby sighed. “I guess we will. What do you need us to do?”
“First thing,” Gen turned to George. “We need to find Jim.”
Chapter 33
“Have you seen Molly?” Mrs. Ritchey asked.
“Yeah.” Jim pushed the curtain aside and pointed out the window.
Mrs. Ritchey pursed her lips and watched Molly through the window. “What in the world?”
“I don’t know,” Portia said. “But she’s been walking around the house for like an hour.”
“What’s she carrying?”
Portia sighed. “I don’t know, mom. Why don’t you just go ask her?”
Mrs. Ritchey narrowed her eyes at Portia. “You better watch it, missy. No sass from you.” She pulled on her snow boots and put a coat on.
“Sorry, mom.”
Mrs. Ritchey stepped outside. As soon as Molly saw her, she squealed and turned around. She tromped through the snow, trying to run, and fell down. Mrs. Ritchey walked quickly over to her.
“Mommy, no!” Molly flipped over onto her back and tried scooting away from her mother.
“Sweet heart!” Mrs. Ritchey tried hard not to laugh. She looked at the many sets of footprints that circled the house. “How long have you been out here? What on earth are you doing? It’s freezing out! Why are you just walking around the house?”
Molly burst into tears. “Because I’m running away and I’m not allowed to cross the street!”
Mrs. Ritchey’s resolve cracked. She laughed.
“Don’t laugh at me! You’re in terrible danger!” Molly cried. “They’re after me, so I’m running away!”
“After you? Who’s after you?”
Molly sniffled. “The pixies! Shae told me!”
“You’re talking to Shae again?” Mrs. Ritchey frowned.
“Yeah, so? Why don’t you ever believe anything she tells me?”
“Because, sweet heart, I’m sure that Shae means well but it’s possible she doesn’t know everything that’s going on.”
“She does!” Molly cried. “She knows everything that’s going on!”
“I see,” Mrs. Ritchey said. “And what’s in the backpack?”
Molly’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell Portia!”
“Is that your sister’s backpack?”
Molly looked at the ground and nodded.
“And what’s inside it?”
Molly unzipped the backpack. Half a dozen cans of soup and three boxes of macaroni and cheese were crammed inside.
Mrs. Ritchey tried again not to laugh. “And do you have a can opener?”
Molly shook her head.
“How were you planning on eating that soup?”
Molly shrugged. “I don’t know, mommy.”
“And,” Mrs. Ritchey raised an eyebrow at Molly, “how were you going to cook that mac and cheese?”
“Cook?” Molly looked inside the backpack and started to cry again.
Mrs. Ritchey knelt down and wrapped her arms around Molly. “Oh, sweet heart. It’s okay. Come on, let’s go back inside.”
Molly jerked away and said, loudly, “No! You’re in danger!”
“Danger!” Mrs. Ritchey said, “What is this danger? Nobody’s in danger. Come on inside.”
“But mommy!”
“Right now, young lady.”
“Okay.” Molly stood and looked at the ground for the entire walk back inside the house. She took her jacket off and hung it on the bottom hook on the wall. Her eyes widened when she saw Jim in the living room. She ran up two steps, then spun and ran back down, kicked off her wet snow boots, and then ran up the stairs and into her room.
Portia looked at her mom. “What was all that about?”
“She was running away,” Mrs. Ritchey said.
“What?” Portia laughed. “Running away? She was just walking around the house!”
“She said that she wasn’t allowed to cross the street. Apparently, that’s as far as she could go.” Mrs. Ritchey sighed and shrugged. “She says the pixies are coming and we’re all in terrible danger and she was trying to save us.”
Jim met Portia’s gaze. She looked at him curiously.
Mrs. Ritchey chuckled and headed toward the kitchen. She paused. “Jim, you staying for dinner?”
“Uh, I…” Jim stammered.
Portia interrupted, “Yes, mom. He’s staying.”
“Portia, I think I have to go.”
“Why? That’s dumb.”
Jim sighed. “Something about what Molly said…”
“Oh, ignore her. Her stupid fairy games. Some of her imaginary friends are fairies. So what? She didn’t really run away. Just calm down and stay, okay?”
Jim looked out the window and tried to relax. He looked back at Portia. “Okay. I guess I’ll stay.”
Portia smiled at him. “Good. I’m glad.”
Jim put his arm back around Portia and squeezed her close. He turned back to the window when a car coming up the driveway caught his attention. The doors opened and the Summers got out of the car.
Jim stood up, confused.
Portia asked, “What’s wrong? Aren’t those Jennifer’s parents?”
“Genevieve’s. Yeah.” Jim rushed to the door so he could open it before the doorbell rang. He yanked the door open and the cold from outside washed over him.
“Jim!” George shouted. George slipped on the driveway and almost fell.
“What do you want? What the hell are you doing here?”
“It’s your girlfriend’s little sister! They’re after her!”
“Who’s after her?” Portia asked.
Geoff shuffled up the driveway ahead of the rest of his family. He looked at Jim, then turned to Portia. “That’s a little hard to explain, but you need to believe us. She’s in trouble.”
“Trouble? What kind of trouble can a five year old get into where someone would be after her?”
Mrs. Ritchey called from the kitchen, “Honey, is someone at the door?”
Portia didn’t turn around but called back to her, “It’s nothing, mom. Someone looking for Jim.”
“Well, invite them in and close the door. It’s freezing outside and the cold is blowing in here!”
Molly ran down the stairs. She asked fearfully, “Who’s there?”
“You’re not coming in here,” Jim hissed at Geoff. He stepped outside.
“One sec, Mol.” Portia stepped out with him and closed the door behind her. She held her arms around herself to keep warm.
The wind suddenly blew fiercely, icy cold. Jim shrugged his shoulders up to his cheeks to brace against the wind. Geoff was shouting something at him but Jim couldn’t hear it over the wind. He leaned closer to Mr. Summers as the living room windows exploded.
Shards of glass flew everywhere. Jim ducked and put his arm over Portia. Laura and George were blown backward into the driveway. Gabby lost her footing and slipped to the ground against Geoff.
There was a sharp crack from above them and all of the icicles hanging from the eves of the porch plunged toward the ground. One speared Jim through the shoulder. Another grazed the side of Geoff’s head, leaving a long, bloody gash down his cheek and forehead.
Molly shrieked in terror.
“Look!” Portia pointed from the yard into the house through the broken window. Dozens of pixies flew inside, almost too small and fast to see against the windy night sky.
Molly screamed again. “No! They’re here! Mommy! Help!”
Jim lay on the ground, clutching his injured shoulder. Geoff slumped against the wall as Gabby tried to pry his hands from his cut f
ace.
“Are you okay?” Portia asked Jim. She reached for the icicle and as soon as she touched it, Jim howled in pain.
There was more screaming inside the house.
“No!” Jim shouted. “Leave it! Go get Molly!”
Portia tried the front door but it was locked. “God damn it!”
“Mommy! Mommy, help!” Molly continued to scream from inside.
Jim rolled over and sat up. “Look!” He pointed with his good arm.
Gen, Hope, Shae, Slynn, Fall, and Jewel zipped over the lawn. Jewel flew to the porch while the others flew into the house through the broken windows.
Michelle tromped through the snowy yard after them, carrying a large butterfly net. Several large, black garbage bags were tucked into her belt. She pushed through the bushes and climbed up onto the windowsill, then hopped down in the living room.
Jewel hovered in front of Geoff. “Sir, please hold still.” She pulled a vial of healing solution from her pack. “I’m not entirely certain of the effect this will have on a human. It acts as a healing solution for fairies. Would you like me to proceed?”
Geoff’s eyes were glassy. He didn’t respond.
Gabby nodded quickly. “Yes! Try it!”
Jewel poured the liquid into Geoff’s open wound. The torn flesh sparkled with a golden light and began to stich itself back together.
“It’s working!” Gabby cried.
Geoff blinked. His vision came back into focus. He gently probed his face with his fingers, wincing slightly. “Ow.”
“Are you okay?” Gabby asked him.
“Yeah, I guess so. It still hurts but not like before.” He looked at his fingers, sticky with his blood, then he spotted Jim.
“Oh, god!” Geoff said. “Help him! Give him some of that!”
“I’m afraid I don’t have any more pre-made healing solution. I have only the raw, harvested dust, tapped from a Heart,” Jewel said.
“What does that mean?” Geoff asked. “Would the dust heal you?”
Jewel shook her head. “To a degree, yes. It really needs to be mixed with a certain kind of tree sap to have maximum effect.”
“Tree sap?” Gabby shouted. “We don’t have any tree sap! Just try it!”
Jewel frowned but she reached into a small pouch for a pinch of the fine, silvery dust. She flew over Jim’s injury and sprinkled the dust over it. Like Geoff’s wound, Jim’s skin began to sparkle faintly gold.
Sovereign (Realmwalker Book 3) Page 24