I walk up to the trunk and point to a wide, swirling knot about waist-high.
Paxton leans in, blinking. “That’s a fairy door?”
“Yuppers.”
“But no one could fit through that!”
“Nohuman, but fairies can,” I say, grinning. “And with a little fairy magic, I can, too. If I want to.”
Paxton’s mouth drops open. “You can really do that?”
I give her a wink. “Sure can, but tonight, we’re going to do this the polite way. We’re going to knock.”
And I do just that, rapping three times on the knot. It’s always three times, fyi.
Immediately, a hush falls over the grove.
Then, from the upper branches, tiny blips of lights drift downward—glowing, flitting, spinning in lazy spirals. Soon, the air fills with the faint sound of bells and wind chimes. Paxton grabs my sleeve, staring up in awe and wonder.
“Fairies,” she breathes.
“These are the tree’s residents, the guardians, each as tough as two grown men.”
The little lights dance around us in a welcoming swirl, then hover expectantly near the very knot.
“I’m requesting an audience with Queen Mother Maple,” I say aloud. “It’s urgent.”
In an instant, the lights zip into the knot, one after another. A soft, cool breeze rustles the leaves above us. We wait.
Then the knot begins to shimmer. The bark warps, twists, and opens like a mini oval-shaped door. From within emerges a radiant figure the size of a Barbie doll with wings like stained glass, her flowing gown glittering with diamonds and dew. Her crown, woven gold and dotted with crystals, catches the moonlight like fire.
Queen Maple.
She flies directly to me, landing on my outstretched palm.
“Tamara Moon,” she says warmly, speaking in English for Paxton’s benefit. Her voice is like sunlight through wind. “It has been too long.”
I bow my head. “Your Majesty.”
Paxton does the same, clumsily, and whispers, “She’s so pretty…”
Queen Maple beams. “Who’s this sweet light beside you?”
“My little sister,” I say. “Her name is Paxton.”
“A pure heart,” Maple murmurs, nodding. “Rare and precious.”
I feel a flutter of pride as Paxton wipes a tear, overwhelmed. “No one’s ever said such nice things about me.”
I pat her shoulder, then remember why we’re here.
“Your Majesty… I believe something dark has taken over the office of the Tooth Fairy. It may be a corrupted being, possibly a dark fairy. The Tooth Fairy herself could be in danger. One child in Tustin was attacked. Her tooth was stolen, her dreams invaded. And she’s not the only one. Several children in the area have been affected.”
Queen Maple’s expression darkens. “This is worse than I feared.”
“You… you feared something?” I ask.
She nods gravely. “There’s been a shift in the currents of fairy travel. A flickering where there should be pure light. We must check on the tooth fairy at once.”
