“Mmm,” she said. “So smooth.”
“Really?” Shae asked. “I think it burns!”
Hope smiled at her and drained the rest of her cup. “I know you wanted to,” Hope said, “so why didn't you go and talk to Herron after he slinked away?”
“Because he didn't want me there.”
“How... Ah.”
“I made a big mistake with him before, and now he's a bit threatened by me. I think he feels like my foresight takes away his free will. And Herron's free will is extremely important to him,” Shae explained.
“You've got that right. How do you know that, anyway? Did he say something?” Hope asked.
“Not yet,” Shae said. “But he will. And when he does, it'll be really hard for me to hear.”
“What do you mean? You already know what he's going to say. Isn't it hard for you to hear now?”
“No,” Shae said. “It's not the same. It hasn't happened yet.”
“I don't get it.”
“Okay,” Shae explained, “I'm going to pinch you. Hard.”
Hope raised an eyebrow at her.
“Does it hurt?”
“No.”
Shae shot her hand out and pinched Hope's forearm hard.
“Ow! What the hell?”
“It hurt then, right?” Shae asked. “I told you I was going to pinch you and it didn't hurt. But when I did...”
Hope glowered at her, rubbing her arm. “I guess I see what you're saying now.”
“But when I mentioned it, your mind imagined what the pinch would feel like, right?” Shae continued. “So you felt it hurt a little. But, no, it really won't hurt until he says it. And then it's going to hurt a lot.”
“I'm sorry,” Hope said.
“Herron and I have infinite possibilities right now,” Shae said. “We could be really happy together. We could stay friends, then drift apart after our mission is complete. I could make a complete fool of myself and really upset him and he'll never want to speak to me again. I could make him never want to speak to me again while we're still trying to save the Realms from The Void!”
“How do you know which version is the right one?”
“At different times, some feel more right than others. Right now, the one that feels the most likely to happen is that he'll try to let me down easy but really upset me, and we'll be awkward friends until we part ways forever. Then we'll see each other in a couple of years and he'll be with someone else and I won't be.”
“That's a terrible future! I know men well enough to know that he likes you. But he's very intimidated by you and Herron does not like being told what to do,” Hope said. “What about you? Do you like him?”
“It's really confusing for me. Right now? I think I do,” Shae said. “But it also could be that I really like what he'll be. What we'll be in the eventuality that we are together. After this is all over, I would travel with him all over the Realms,” Shae said dreamily.
“You like him,” Hope grinned.
Shae blushed. “Okay, I do.”
“But aren't you supposed to be the next Oracle?” Hope asked.
“Yeah,” Shae said. “But I don't have to stay in one place for that. I don't need to sit in a crusty old shack in The Caverns like the old Oracle did. If anyone really needs me, they can come and find me. I'll make fairies do quests to find me. It'll be tremendous fun!”
Hope laughed. “I bet.”
“They'll be back a little after dawn,” Shae said. “There will be some pretty big news when she gets back.”
Hope looked at Shae, curious. “Oh?”
“Yeah. Rommy and The Marsh fairies are talking about Gen.”
“And...?”
“You'll see,” said Shae.
Hope harrumphed and refilled her cup.
-
When Gen and Herron returned to the village, the party was still going. The Marsh fairies were playing music and there was dancing and celebrating. The Marsh had been brought back to the Realms, and everyone here was relieved and grateful.
There was a loud cheer when Gen and Herron returned. The music stopped, then Rommy and several others approached them.
“Gen,” Rommy announced.
Gen decided that he was not as much talking to her as he was orating to the crowd.
“We are eternally grateful for everything that you've done for us. You've brought us back to the world of the living, out of the torment of The Void.”
The Marsh fairies clapped and cheered.
“We lost many in our time in The Void. There were horrors, terrors, dangers unspeakable that claimed many of us. One of those who didn't survive until today was Oleed, the Keeper of The Marsh; the ruler of this place. Gen,” Rommy continued, “as you succeeded Ivy, so you succeeded Nai. You are a born leader, and the rightful sovereign of a Realm that also was taken from us.
“The fairies of The Marsh, and the fairies of The Meadows who joined them here, wish to offer to you this Realm. You've shown yourself to be wise, just, and fair. We may never see the return of The Meadows, and so they offer to you the position of Keeper.
“Please, Gen, do us this honor. Accept The Marsh as your ward and lead us.”
Rommy kneeled. All of the other fairies except for Hope and Herron kneeled, as well.
Gen looked at Hope, terrified. Hope shrugged at her, clearly amused. Gen glared at her, trying to ask with her eyes, What do I do? Hope winked at her and blew her a kiss.
Gen glanced at Herron, who was grinning at her, trying not to laugh. Gen glared at him, too, then looked for Shae. Shae was kneeling along with the rest of The Marsh fairies.
“Uh,” Gen said to Rommy, “Thanks, I guess.”
She addressed the rest of the fairies. “You think I'm fit to lead you?”
A chorus of yeses rolled through the crowd.
“You know that I'm not from here? I'm not from The Marsh. I'm not even from the Realms.”
Rommy rose to his feet. “We know,” he said. “We know all of this. But clearly you have a lot of Ivy in you. You have some of her knowledge of the Realms, of our world. Now, this is your world, too. You're fighting to save it.”
“But I do have to save it. I have to leave again before the month is out to bring back The Caverns.”
Rommy frowned. “The Caverns? Why wouldn't you bring back The Meadows? Your home?”
“Because The Caverns were the first Realm to vanish. There are fairies there who need our help. The Meadows was nearly empty when it was taken. Nai sent The Meadows fairies out to the surrounding Realms before... Before it happened. I'm sorry, but it's not the top priority.”
“But you... Ivy would have never...”
“I'm not Ivy,” Gen said firmly. “And you're quick to flip from offering me leadership and questioning my decisions.”
Rommy's face flushed purple with anger. Another fairy stepped to Rommy's side and said, “We understand, and the offer still stands. I'm from The Meadows. Nai trusted Ivy to become the sovereign when she was gone. Well, now she is gone. It doesn't matter to me that this place is different. My sovereign chose you, and the last proper ruler of this place is dead now.”
“You're Tate, right?” asked Gen.
The fairy nodded.
“You were trying to convince Nai to make you the successor instead of Ivy, weren't you?”
“I was,” Tate said, “and if things had remained as they were, it's possible I would have made an adequate sovereign. But things are not as they were.”
“And what happens if we succeed? If we bring The Meadows back, too?” Gen asked.
“Then you'll see over both Realms. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen,” Rommy said.
Gen noticed that Shae was grinning from ear to ear. She met Shae's eyes and Shae nodded enthusiastically. Gen looked at Hope, who shrugged again, but nodded slightly. Herron stood straight with his arms crossed. Gen met his gaze and held it for a long moment. She couldn't read anything from his stoic expression. Finally, he nodded hi
s head once.
“All right,” Gen said, looking at the ground. “But only until there is someone else more capable than me.” When she looked up again, she saw that all of the fairies, everyone in front of her, kneeled to their new sovereign.
chapter 17
“What if we didn’t go into the Peace Corps next year?” George asked.
Laura crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway. “If you really don’t want to go, then we’ll do something else. I just want to be with you,” she said.
“I don’t know what I want,” George said.
Laura’s eyebrows raised.
“No,” George said. “I didn’t mean that. I didn’t mean you. I know I want you. I love you. We’re getting married and we’ll be great. I mean that I don’t know what I want to do after school. My mom’s right. What if something happens to one of us? She can’t lose three kids.”
“Three kids? What are you talking about?”
George gulped. “Oh, I just meant, you know, since Gen is away…”
“Something’s fishy here,” Laura said. “What’s going on with Genny?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Ah hah!” Laura pointed at him. “I knew something felt off about that story! I knew something was weird with this. You were weird, your parents were weird, that kid Jim was weird!”
George looked at the floor.
“George, you’re not a very good liar,” Laura said. “I always know when you’re not telling me something.”
“I know. And I love that about you.”
“So,” Laura asked, “what happened?”
George sighed. “I.. I can’t…”
Laura sat down next to George on the sofa and put her arms around him. “Okay, baby, okay,” she said. “If you can’t tell me, you can’t tell me. Just, please, don’t lie to me.”
“I’m sorry. It wasn’t my idea. My parents told me to keep it just in the family.”
“I’m family now, right?” Laura smiled at him.
“You’d never believe me.”
“Try me.”
George told her what had happened. He repeated Jim’s story and what his parents had told him. Laura didn’t say a word while George talked. He finished telling the story. “I didn’t believe it, myself, at first. But they had pictures of the fairies. They were real. It really happened.”
George was surprised when Laura said, “I believe you.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do,” Laura said. “I’ll always believe you.”
“It’s so crazy, though. How could you believe it?” George asked.
“That’s how. Because you didn’t think I would. And like I said, I know when you’re not telling me something. I know when you’re lying to me. And you remember that!” She smiled at him.
George smiled weakly back at her. “So, with Gen and Greg both gone, can you imagine what would happen to my mom if something happened to us?”
“It’s okay,” Laura said. “We don’t have to go.”
“But what will we do then? We’ll graduate. Then we’ll just… what, like, get regular jobs? We’ll be so…”
“Normal?” Laura prompted.
“Yeah. This was supposed to be our big experience.”
“We’ll have other experiences.”
“I guess,” George said. “Are you sure you’re not disappointed?”
“I’m sure,” Laura said. “Besides, my dad will be thrilled. He was less than happy that we wanted to volunteer for the government.”
“I bet.”
“There are lab jobs all over the world,” Laura said. “I’m sure we can figure something out.”
“You won’t be on the malaria research, then.”
“I know, honey. It’s okay. Dr. K. said the job here in the lab is mine as long as I want it. We have six more months until we really need to figure out what we’re doing, right?” Laura asked.
“I guess we do.” George took Laura’s hands in his. “I love you. I was really afraid you’d be upset.”
“I love you, too, Georgy. I’m not upset. We’re already pretty amazing. If we told all of our future friends and party-guests about our time in the Peace Corps on top of my Nobel prize and your Pulitzer, with all five of our kids on the honor roll, they’d just think we’re bragging.”
“Five kids?” George asked.
“To start with,” Laura said. “We have to work our way up to the full twelve.”
George laughed, then his face became serious again. “I’m glad I told you. It was really hard having to deal with that alone.”
“Georgy,” Laura said, “you can tell me anything.”
“I love you,” George said again.
“I love you, too. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. I think the Chinese buffet is calling us. Beckoning us. We have to heed the call or terrible things will happen,” Laura said.
George grinned at her. “Okay. Instead of actually traveling around the world, let’s start at the Golden Palace.”
“Off!” cried Laura. “To the Golden Palace!”
-
Portia set her tray on the table and sat next to Jim. “Hey there,” she said. “I thought you were going to come and find me yesterday. Did you chicken out?”
Jim said, “No, I did look for you. I didn’t find you.”
Portia laughed. “I’m teasing. I was out yesterday.”
“Sick?”
Portia shook her head.
“Ditching?”
Portia laughed and shook her head. “No. My aunt left yesterday. Her flight left at like six in the morning, so we all had to get up early and trek out to the airport. And not O'Hare, like normal people. We had to go all the way to Midway! We left the house at like three thirty! So my mom called me in.”
“Where is she from?”
“Seattle. That's where I'm from, too. We only moved out here this year, so my aunt came out for a couple weeks to visit and make sure we were settled and everything.”
“Why did you move to Chicago?” Jim asked.
“I hate to break it to you, Jim,” Portia said, “but this really isn't Chicago.”
Jim rolled his eyes. “Why did you move the suburbs of Chicago?”
“My dad got a job out here,” Portia said, “so we packed up, left everything we've ever known, everything that's good and right with the world, and came here, where the air is dirty and the music sucks and school is behind where I was at home. And my boyfriend, or, rather, my fucking ex-boyfriend, already found my replacement. So much for promises.”
“Sorry,” Jim said, not quite knowing what to say.
“Eh,” Portia shrugged. “Fuck him. So, you're crazy, huh?”
“What?” Jim asked.
“Why else would you be seeing the shrink?”
“Oh, that. Yeah, well, I think my dad thought I was on drugs or something.”
“Are you?” Portia asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“No!”
“But he thinks you are.”
“Well, no. Not exactly. He was seeing this woman. Well, not seeing exactly. But he was...” Jim lowered his voice, “he was having sex with this woman. Gen and I saw them together, checking into a hotel room. Then I ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time and happened to be where that same woman was when she died, and she had drugs in her possession.”
“Were you stalking this chick?”
“No!”
Portia gave Jim a teasing look. “Mm hmm.”
“And you're not on drugs?”
“No!” Jim said again.
“Well, that's a shame.”
“Why?” Jim asked.
“Because I'm new here and I don't know where to get any.”
“Oh,” Jim said. “I guess I can introduce you to my buddy Charlie. He has pot pretty much all the time.”
“Fantastic. You're a pal, Jim.” Portia took a big bite from her apple and said, mouth full, “Who's this Gen? Should I be jealous
?”
“Jealous? Of what?”
“Who is she?”
“She's my girlfriend,” Jim said. “Was my girlfriend. Maybe. I don't know.”
“You don't know if you have a girlfriend or not? How does that happen?” Portia asked.
“She went away,” Jim said. “To a boarding school. I don't know if she's staying or coming back or what.”
“Have you heard from her?”
“No.”
“No calls or letters or anything?”
“No,” Jim said.
“She's not coming back.” Portia crunched into the apple again. “Aw, no, don't look like that. She didn't switch schools because of you, did she?”
“No.”
“Then don't blame yourself. Gotta pick up the pieces and move on.” She wiped at her lip. “Son of a bitch, I'm drooling on myself. Get me a napkin, will you?”
Jim got up and returned a minute later with a napkin for her.
“Thanks,” she said. She wiped her lips and the napkin came away with a thick pink streak of her lipstick. She crumpled the napkin and dropped it on the table.
Jim turned it over. “I didn't even realize you were wearing any lipstick,” he said.
“That's the point. You can keep that,” Portia nodded at the napkin.
Jim looked at the napkin and just realized he was holding it in his hand. He dropped it on the table and Portia laughed. Her laugh was low and clear, not overly loud, but loud enough to hear that she was genuinely amused.
“I like you, Jim,” she said. Her voice was strong and full of confidence. “Good thing you and my sister are both nuts.”
Jim smirked and Portia laughed again. She does have a really great laugh, he thought.
“The bell's going to ring in a minute.” She slid her tray toward Jim. “Would you mind throwing this away for me?”
Jim got up and put her tray away. She was standing up when he returned to the table.
“I've got English next,” she said. “You?”
“Biology.”
“Close enough. Walk me to my class, yeah?”
“Okay,” Jim said.
“You know why girls tell you what to do?” Portia asked when they reached her classroom.
“No.”
“Because you let them.” Portia winked at him and went into the classroom. “Find me after school!”
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