“Is that what Drosselmeyer wants, too?” Bitterness crept into his tone. Alex was tired of feeling like a useful pawn in bids for power.
“Heavens, no. Drosselmeyer needs you because you’re the only mortal we’ve met with enough magic to power a gateway to your realm. It’s the only reason we were able to get to you in the first place.” She started walking again.
“Why do you need a gateway?”
“Because we’re going to send Stahlmaus through and close the gate behind him.”
Alex stopped in his tracks. “You’re going to send him toourrealm?” he scoffed.
“Yes, actually.” Celesta looked at him quizzically. “Why does that bother you so much?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” he answered sarcastically. “Maybe because he’s too big of a threat for you faeries–who have magic–and you’re just dumping him on us.”
“But the magic works differently in your realm,” the little pixie argued. “What makes Uncle such a threat here will only make him a versatile performer there. He might have the power that comes from adoring crowds, but it won’t make him dangerous.”
“But what’s to stop him from just returning?”
“He won’t be able to,” she said confidently. “Drosselmeyer is the one who can make the gates, remember? And even then, he needs magic from both ends. When Stahlmaus is exiled to the mortal realm, he won’t have a way to access Faerie magic. He’ll be trapped there.”
“And me?”
“Well, I suppose you will be, as well. But it’s your home; I thought you wanted to go back?” Celesta looked up at him, her head tilted in confusion. There was a hopefulness in her tone, as if she wanted him to argue with her.
And for a moment, he wanted to as well. As strange and unbelievable as the events of the past few days had been, Alex finally had a purpose again. He wasn't wasting away in an army hospital, wondering what his place would be now that the war was over. Rather than the reminder of everything he had lost filling his mind, it was the impossibly cheerful pixie with sparkling eyes and a zest for life that took up his thoughts.
But then he remembered the ruins of his parents’ home and the four unmarked gravestones in the chapel cemetery. They were all he had left of home; how could he possibly leave them?
“So, we need to find the mirror shards in order to rebuild the gate that will send me and your uncle through to the mortal realm.”
Celesta’s wings drooped ever so slightly, and a dark shadow passed in front of her eyes for a moment. “Yes.”
“And how exactly do we do that? It seems like the first one was rather by chance.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. Drosselmeyer said we need to look for places where the ‘heart of Faerie is reflected in mind and action.’ Maybe it was because of our music that it appeared? We were working together to rebuild, and our hearts were certainly in it.”
Alex just shrugged. “I suppose.”
“Well, it’s a good working theory, even if you aren’t convinced. At any rate, we’re on our way to Autumn. The waypoint should be close by.” Celesta tilted her head to look up through the branches. “It’s still early enough in the day; there’s a place in Autumn that makes the best coffee. We’ll have to make a stop there. They make a drink with coffee, cream, and pie spices that is absolutely a-maz-ing.” She practically sang the last words, punctuating each syllable with a little hop.
Alex shook his head. “Why am I not surprised? Lead the way, Sugar Plum.”
Going through the waypoint was just as disconcerting as it had been the first time. True to its name, stepping into Autumn from Spring was like jumping forward in time six months. The trees were vibrant with oranges, yellows, and reds, and the wind had a sharp, cold bite despite the bright sun that was shining. Crunchy leaves littered the ground.
They entered Autumn at the edge of the tree line. In front of them the ground was rocky terrain, sloping up into foothills that sat at the base of tall mountains.
“I take it the inhabitants of Autumn are not the tree-dwelling type,” Alex commented.
“Not in the least,” Celesta laughed. “In fact, they might be offended if you suggest it. Most of the fae in Herbst are dwarves, along with a decent population of gnomes. They mine ore and precious metals in the mountains. You’ll find the homes in the city very solidly on the ground. You should be able to see it once we reach the top of this hill.” She bounded forward, her energy not in the least bit sapped by the steep climb.
Alex followed at a slower pace, and as he crested the small rise, he caught his first glimpse of the city of Herbst. Buildings of stone and brick were laid out in neat, even rows. Most were only a single level, though there were a few closer to the center of the city that boasted two or three stories. Unlike the dirt streets of Arboris, Herbst had roads paved with smooth stones.
Herbst lacked the bustle of Arboris as well, with streets that were quieter than Alex would have imagined for a city of its size.
“Something isn’t right here,” Celesta said with a frown. She looked around. “There are usually more dwarves about. And I don’t hear any hammering. Usually, this place sounds like one big smithy.”
Across the street, a short figure ducked out of one doorway and into another. He had only been visible for a few seconds, but it was long enough for Alex to catch a glimpse of his stout arms, barrel chest, and long beard.
Celesta saw him, too, and she ran lightly across the street and rapped on the door the dwarf had just entered. The door opened a crack. Alex was too far away to hear what was said, but he saw a hand appear, gesticulating wildly before being quickly withdrawn back into the house. After a moment, the door closed again and Celesta returned.
