He stands, and I realize he’s already completely naked. A dark storm moves in overhead. He thrusts his hand into his chest, pulls out his heart, and drops it, still beating, into my hands.
BUZZZZZZZ. My alarm screams at me from the side table. I sit bolt upright and slap the Off button, then stare at my palms. There’s no blood.
Of course there’s no blood. What the hell is wrong with me? I massage my temples. All the talk of playing poker with Seven yesterday must have worked its way into my subconscious. Weird.
I shake the memory of the dream from my head and go in search of coffee.
* * *
“I don’t like this, Sophia,”my father says in that deep, commanding voice dads everywhere use on their daughters when their safety is at risk. “Going into Shadowvale? It’s foolish. When was the last time you heard of any seelie going through the wall? If anyone has done it in the past century, I haven’t heard. And what about Godmother? It seems as though she would be the best candidate for this task given her relative power.”
It’s before sunrise, and I stand in front of my father decked out in the equipment Seven had delivered to our address the afternoon before. I’m wearing high-tech clothing made from insect-repellant fabric, specially designed to work with my wings, and boots that make me feel like I’m walking on clouds. The pack on my back is filled with more wing-friendly clothing, designed for any weather, as well as a hat and other sun-protective gear. A plastic bladder in the lining holds plenty of water, strategically positioned to fit between dual compartments containing dried food and a survival kit. Kiko’s back there too. I’ve filled her jade belly with as much siphoned luck as she can hold.
“Seven is one of the most powerful seelie fae in existence, and he’s working with Godmother. He won’t let anything happen to me. It will be a short trip, in and out. Everything will be okay.” It’s a good thing I can bluff with the best of them because I have no idea if what I just shared is true. Will Seven be lucky enough to avoid hostile unseelie? Who knows? Will it be an in-and-out mission? No idea. It certainly isn’t safe.
“I think Seven just wants to have you to himself in the mountains for a day or two,” Grandma says slyly. She came by again to see me off and holds a purple mass of knitted yarn in her hands. She thrusts it at me. “I made you a hat, dear.”
I hold up the purple bowl-shaped project. It’s a hat for a giant. If I poked my head through a hole in the center, it would easily cover my shoulders like a stole.
“Thanks, Grandma.”
I kiss my dad on the cheek and tell him to try not to worry, then hug my mother. I save Arden for last.
“I’ll miss you,” she says.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
She rolls her eyes. “I’ll be fine, Mom. More than fine. Everyone here has been incredibly nice to me, and I have Grandma and Grandpa. Don’t worry about me.”
I squeeze her tight and kiss the side of her head unnecessarily hard, hoping it will stick. “You’re the best kid, Arden. I’m not sure any other teenager would have survived being completely uprooted as well as you.”
She shrugs. “Honestly, it’s a dream come true.”
My brows shoot up in surprise. “Really?”
She smiles sheepishly, her green gaze darting away from mine. “I’d been thinking a lot about this, actually, before everything went down. All my school friends had another year and planned to apply to different colleges. Everyone seemed distant once I told them I was graduating early. And I’d always wanted to meet Grandma and Grandpa and see what this place was like. Plus it bothered me how you never connected with anyone because you always had to hide who you were. I just wanted us to be a family before I had to go away and everything changed. A real family without secret identities. I’m sorry you got caught by FIRE, but to be honest, I’m happy how things turned out. I wished for this. Does that make me a terrible person?” Arden blinks at me as I realize that what started out as a lighthearted confession has taken on a note of heavy guilt.
“No, it doesn’t make you a bad person. I’m glad you’re focusing on the positives and making the best of the situation.” I hug her again. “Now I told Seven I’d meet him at Godmother’s in fifteen minutes. I better get a move on before the park opens and I have to explain to some human family why I’m dressed like this.
“Wait,” my father says. “You’re forgetting something.” He hands me my old bow and quiver from when I was on the archery team at Bailiwick’s.
“Oh my gods! I can’t believe you kept this all this time!” I graze a hand over the items like they’re long-lost friends. “And you made me living arrows!”
“Just three to get you started. We used wood from our new birch tree out back.”
A tear forms in my eye. The birch is the plant that crowded out the thornbush at the back of their garden, the one born of the three seeds we planted the day we forgave each other and became a family again. Living arrows are a pixie thing. We are the only creatures who can carve the wood in such a way that the branch remains alive. Bright green leaves form the arrow’s fletching. They can last days if watered properly and fly as if they are guided by the wind itself.
“We?” My voice cracks.
“Mom, Grandma, and me. One from each of us.” I look toward Grandma, who’s smiling lovingly, then at Mom, who steals another hug, and then to Dad, who gives me one last peck on the cheek.
“I’ll be home soon.” My eyes blur with unshed tears. I stroke a hand over Arden’s hair. My heart swells with love for each of them. And then I really do have to go because I’m definitely going to be late. To a chorus of goodbyes, I charge out the door and hope to the gods that I’m doing the right thing.
* * *
We are notthe only fae on this planet.
On the other side of the wall, the unseelie rule.
