Paxton swallows. “I always wanted magic like Allison or Tammy. Even Mom has a little. I have nothing.”
Tink settles on her shoulder. “Not true. You’re an empath. Youfeelthe world around you differently. That’s rare and really cool. But this,” she points to the glowing ember, “will give your empath abilities an upgrade.”
I glance back at them in the rearview mirror, the glow from Paxton’s palms reflecting in her wide eyes.
“Best night ever,” she says to me, catching my eye.
***
By the time we get home, it’s close to midnight.
The house is still, and my Prius hums a little too loudly in the driveway. I tell Paxton to head inside and not to ask questions. She obeys, wide-eyed and silent.
I called ahead and warned everyone to ignore any weird noises coming from my bedroom tonight. That included wind gusts, sudden thumps, and screams... even if my own.
When I step inside our house, I find Paxton already inside her room, under covers, hugging her favorite unicorn pillow.
I lead the trio of fairy sisters through the living and down the hall. Two sisters are cradled carefully in my palms like rare birds, with Queen Maple fluttering just behind me. We pass my mom’s closed door, where she’s snoring lightly behind it.
In my bedroom, Queen Maple floats to the ceiling, trailing soft golden light behind her. Tinkerbell lands on my desk, knocking over a pen with a flick of her hip. Sweet Root, the Tooth Fairy herself, hovers near my closet door, face pale, eyes shadowed but determined. With each passing minute, she regains her strength.
Soon, my room smells of cinnamon and moonlight. And a little like shampoo, too.
Meanwhile, Sweet Root holds out a small object.
“The decoy,” she says, voice gentle.
It’s a perfect little tooth—gleaming like polished quartz, but cool to the touch. I swear it hums. “Made from condensed dream-sugar and unbridled power,” she adds. “Should be irresistible to him.”
Queen Maple nods. “You must pretend you’ve lost this naturally, child. A girl in the vulnerable state between childhood and adulthood. The ideal prey.”
“Creepy,” I mutter, but I understand.
Maple lifts her hands. “Now hold still.”
A tingle rushes through me as she casts the glamour magic. I feel it settle onto and under my skin, tugging me just slightly shorter, softening my angles, loosening my curls into younger, sleep-mussed waves. When I blink, my lashes feel heavier, like they belong to someone just on the edge of sleep and hypnosis.
I glance in the mirror.
“Oh my goodness,” I whisper. “I look twelve!”
Paxton peeks into the room and gasps. “Wow! It’s baby Tammy.”
I shoo her gently away, locking the door behind her. “Stay out unless the house catches fire.”
“Got it,” she chirps from behind the door. I hear her skip off.
Tinkerbell twirls mid-air and rubs her hands together. A cascade of sparks shower down. “He won’t be able to resist. The tooth. The aura. The pretend innocence. It’s all bait.”
“He won’t recognize me?” I ask.
Queen Maple shakes her head. “Your magical signature has been hidden. You’ll appear as a normal human child to him… and especially delicious.”
Eew!
I climb into bed and place the enchanted tooth under my pillow. Then lay down and rest my head. The room dims. The fairy sisters hide themselves—Maple literally inside my lava lamp, Sweet Root behind a stack of books, and Tink perched in my vent like some kind of glittery gargoyle.
The silence stretches; the darkness deepens.
