“Partially. Also, being a magical island does have some perks.”
“Like nice weather?” I asked, squinting as I glanced toward the perpetually beautiful sky.
“It’s like this all year round,” Millie said. “Perfect summer days. Part of the built-in enchantments.”
“The wards,” I said, latching onto what Millie had said. “Silas mentioned them too. He said they might be failing. What did he mean by that?”
“You’ll have to discuss the specifics with him,” Millie said. “All I know is that while The Isle has had its share of problems over the years, the wards have never failed. They’ve never collapsed, never broken down. But the curse appears to be debilitating to the wards, and I believe it’s getting worse. As far as I can tell, nobody has a clue how it’s happening. Or how to fix it.”
“What would happen if the wards broke down completely?”
Millie’s eyes were the size of silver dollars. Her mouth moved, but it was like she couldn’t find the words.
“Right,” I said. “I’ll discuss this with Silas. Where is he, by the way?”
“Tending to some things. I told him to collect you later. I figured you’d have some questions, but I wanted to ease you into your surroundings first. Silas, while good intentioned, can be a bit rough around the edges. Direct would be a good way to say it.”
At this, I stopped walking and tried to clear my mind. I’d been thrown into a new land and new problems before I’d had time to adjust to regular life. And by regular life, I meant an enchanted fairy tale in which the evil curse was currently winning and a happily ever after seemed entirely out of reach.
“It’s unfortunate you’ve arrived at The Isle at this time. Our home is really a wonderful place,” Millie said. “If you give it a chance, you might really love it here.”
I scanned the horizon as Millie gestured. It felt like someone slugged me in the stomach with a sack full of bricks as I caught sight of the lands around me. The breath whooshed right out of me as I got my first real glimpse of my surroundings.
We stood outside the small cottage where I’d arrived, a home that made it seem like Hansel and Gretel had taken up residence on the beach. The cottage I’d slept in, the one belonging to Silas, was all purple on the outside—a deep, royal purple.
Across the front of it, wisteria vines weeping with heavy violet blooms dripped from every surface. A rock wall fenced in a lush cottage garden with poppies and lilacs and roses and anemones. Grape vines were heavy with purple gems. Foxgloves and delphiniums stood on thick stems, all shades of amethyst and lilac and violet.
“This place is called Wisteria Cottage,” Millie said, giving me a side eye. “For obvious reasons.”
“Uh huh,” I muttered.
I finally managed to look beyond the structure to the lands beyond. Wisteria Cottage was the only dwelling as far as the eye could see. To the north was water, lapping onto white-sand shores. To the west, a forest rose on the other side of a massive wooden bridge. I couldn’t see much to the south, as we were shielded by a ridge of rolling hills. To the east, more water, more sand. We were cocooned in our own littlenook of nature.
“Where does Silas live?” I asked.
“Technically he lives in the main residence, but I’m not sure how much time he spends there.”
“Where does he spend his time?” I asked.
“Elsewhere,” Millie said, ever-evasive when it came to personal questions about Silas.
It was hard to tell if she was bound to secrecy by some paranormal law as a Commoner Fairy, or if she just didn’t know the answers. I’d normally have thought it wasn’t my business, but seeing as Silas was the reason I was here in the first place, I felt it very much was my business.
“Take it up with him,” Millie encouraged again. “I’m happy to answer any new questions you might have about Wisteria Cottage or The Isle. Questions about Silas or the curse can be directed to him. By the way, I should show you this.”
I followed Millie on a flagstone path through a bustling display of lupines and bee balm—purple, again—and the bumblebees flitting over them around to the back of the house, into the garden.
It took me a moment to register what Millie was showing me. It was a pile of gift bags and wrapped presents.
“They’re all for you,” Millie said. “Everyone has heard about the new doctor on The Isle.”
“But—”
“Word has spread that you delivered Irina’s baby in a complicated situation.” Millie leveled her gaze at me. “Irina,though a forest dweller, is a very accomplished portal writer. Her word means a lot to the other islanders.”
“Only the baby.” I tried to read her expression. “They don’t know Irina was affected by the curse?”
Millie shook her head. I wanted to ask more, but I knew I’d hit a wall. She’d just direct me to Silas, who I was getting very, very eager to speak with. And more and more annoyed with, the longer it took for him to arrive.
