As we entered the atrium that held the Tree of Life, my breath hitched. The branch that had been browned and drying before was now turning to ash. Flakes of ash broke off and flitted towards the ceiling.
“It’s worse,” I gasped, feeling the crystal pulse with power as I neared the tree. Deep vibrations ran the length of my arm as we got closer and closer.
“Faerie is dying with its queen,” Maple said, her voice full of sorrow.
No.
I wouldn’t accept that. Hard fucking pass.
“No she’s not,” I said firmly and kneeled before the tree. The little empty golden disc glowed as I brought the crystal closer and closer to it.
Cupping the crystal, I laid it into the open disc, hearing a click as it clinked against the metal. A tremendous power rose up my arms in waves as blue light arced out and surrounded my body. The tree’s leaves rustled as if a great wind were present, and my once red, burned and painful hand … was now healed.
I pulled it back, looking it over closely.
“Interesting,” was all Maple said before she exchanged a look with Rose.
“You think—?” Rose asked, but Maple cut her off with a clearing of her throat.
I was about to ask more when the tree branch that was once ashy and brittle started to grow a thick and vibrant green. Little white blossoms bloomed on its branches as health returned to the tree.
The elders squealed in delight. “You’ve bought us time.”
I grinned, taking a huge sigh of relief. “How much time?”
When I spun around, their delight was gone, replaced with grim expressions. “Maybe a week.”
That wasn’t so bad. It only took me a few days to get this one; the next one surely I could do in seven.
“I’ll be back soon with the next crystal.” I pulled my shoulders back and straightened my posture in a display of confidence.
They both looked at each other in disbelief, but then simply nodded to me. Walking back over to Elle, I found her with her nose in a book. She yelped when I caught her, and leapt up to put it back on the shelf. Her fingers fumbled until the book slipped back into place and then she spun on me. “I thought you were—hey,” she straightened as the elders came into the room. Her cheeks went pink and I grinned.
“Let’s go back in. I want to find the next crystal right away,” I told Elle, and she gave a curt nod before we walked over to the blue door together.
I wondered if I opened this if it would be Mara’s office or someplace else. I hesitated … unsure. “Mara will have set up the portal to take you where she thinks you should go next,” one of them called out behind me.
With that, I reached out and turned the handle. I was sleepy as all hell and was hoping wherever I was going had a soft bed. I didn’t want to sleep in Faerie for fear of missing a tug on my power that would lead me to the next crystal on Earth. Pulling the door wide, I was crestfallen to see the New York apartment my mother died in.
I hesitated a moment and Elle’s hand slipped into mine. “We got this,” she told me, and we both walked in together.
Peering over my shoulder, I gave the two elders a nod goodbye. My eyes fell to the couch where Trissa had given me the crazy news of what my new life’s mission would entail, and then flicked to the bathroom, door ajar. The faint smell of bleach wafted out of the room and my throat tightened. Kira probably came and cleaned it up, but I wasn’t ready to go in there yet.
It hit me then … everything hit me. My mom was dead, my soulmate was the Dark Fae halfling son of the Winter King who was trying to kill me, and the whole fucking world would go to shit if I didn’t find these crystals that—oh, by the way—now nearly burned my hand off!
“I wonder why Mara wanted us to come here?” Elle pondered. “And I wonder what the Fae elders went into the blue door to see. Are they going to Earth? Or is—?”
Tears streamed down my cheeks and Elle’s questions dried up in her throat. “Oh, Lily.”
She rushed forward and pulled me into a tight hug. The walls I’d built to keep me going over the past few days crumbled then and I broke down into sobs. Legitimate pain ebbed from the center of my chest and throughout my limbs, making me feel weak.
“Come on…” Elle coaxed me into the back room of the tiny apartment. The double doors were open and the curtains spread to show a beautiful view of Central Park. My sobs turned to sniffles as I kicked off my boots and Elle pulled the comforter down. Sitting on the bedside table was a picture of me and my mom. I was three and had just learned to fly. My mom was beaming ear to ear as I stood on her shoulders, fluttering about. My tears returned full force and Elle squeezed my hand, easing me into the bed and covering me with the blanket.
“No twenty-year-old should have to bury their mother,” I moaned to Elle as I hugged the pillow to my chest. She nodded, looking at the bedside picture.
“I know. You’re lucky you have me or you’d be totally screwed.”
I grinned; she always knew how to make me laugh. Reaching up, I clasped her hand. “You’re not wrong.”
