Fairyville (37 page)

He looked at Oscar, who slid off the couch and came hesitantly toward him as he crouched down. Reluctant as he was to admit it, he did feel a bond with the boy, and a sense of responsibility. Maybe Alex would be happier if he stopped wishing he could be normal. Maybe he needed to face who he was. Steadying Oscar by the shoulders, he met his serious young eyes.

"What do you say?" he asked the boy. "Should we go to Fairy and see what it's like? Should we let your mother meet her real son?"

Oscar wiggled his jaw in thought. "I don't think she's going to be happy until she does."

"Then we'll do it," Alex said, his heart abruptly racing like a rabbit's. "Assuming Mr. Magnus can teach us how."

There wasn't any point in putting off the journey another day. That would only give Magnus's mother time to regroup. Bryan handled calling Mrs. Pruitt, while Magnus grabbed a few supplies. Then they all drove to Fairy Falls.

Because Oscar and Alex had no experience with meditation, Magnus made them a pair of amulets to help focus their intentions. The little drawstring bags contained some crystals for protection, a lock of Magnus's hair to push them into Fairy, and—since it had already proven powerful—a lock of Zoe's hair to draw them back. Operating on the assumption that the Will-Be knew what it was doing, Magnus loaned Alex his yellow high-tops, and put a stay-put spell on both his and Oscar's shoes.

Alex pulled a face as he tied the laces beside the falls, but he'd need the extra traction to cross the slippery rocks.

"She looks worried for him," Zoe said, nodding at Oscar's mother. Mrs. Pruitt was biting her thumbnail and pacing across the grass. "I'm not sure how much Bryan explained, but she turned her car around the minute he phoned her cell. Maybe she's having second thoughts about abandoning her son."

Magnus glanced at her doubtfully. Maybe she was having second thoughts, but they weren't strong enough to stop the exchange. Truth be told, Zoe's fears concerned him more. She was hooked into the forces that arranged this world more than most, and, consequently, her faith or lack thereof affected the outcome.

"Alex's opposite will know he's coming," Magnus said, hoping to assuage her anxiety. "He'll have known the moment Alex made up his mind. I'm sure he's informed his mother. She'll be waiting on the other side when Alex and Oscar cross."

Zoe nodded and bit her lip, watching Alex with worried eyes.

Magnus stroked the bend of her arm to bring her gaze back to him. "It's important that you believe they'll return safely. Like when you call your angels. You know they're coming to help you, and you know you're worthy."

"You're right." She squeezed his fingers. "Your aunt is going to look out for them, and they're going to come back fine."

"You want a crystal to calm you?" he offered.

Zoe shook her head and smiled. "Your hand is touchstone enough for me."

He had to kiss her for that, brushing it soft and gentle across her lips.

Alex cleared his throat as he approached. "I think we're ready," he said. He was holding little Oscar's hand. Both changelings looked steady—wired but not frightened. Magnus experienced a flash of respect for Zoe's old boyfriend. When Alex made a decision, he didn't second guess himself.

"I have one more charm for you." Magnus said, reaching into his breast pocket. "This watch is spelled to keep human time. Don't wind it and don't lose it. It will track how long you've been gone."

Alex accepted the timepiece, flicking it open and checking it against the modern watch he wore.

"They match," he said, which Zoe took as her cue to kneel and hug Oscar.

"Don't go falling in love with any girl fairies," she said. "Corky and the rest of us want to see you again."

Oscar squeezed her neck and giggled. When Zoe rose, Alex didn't pull her to him but only touched the side of her face.

"That advice goes for you, too," she tried to whisper.

"No worries," he said with a slanted smile. "Those fairies have a few hard acts to follow."

Bryan was waiting a stone's throw away, closer to the rocks that led to the falls. Magnus watched Zoe watch the men embrace and slap each other's backs.

"He'd better come back," she said, one hand pressed to her throat. "That man loves the heck out of him."

Something in her voice said she was saying goodbye to him in a deeper way. Though she'd already told Magnus she loved him, her willingness to release Alex caused his eyes to sting. Alex was a good man. He could have won her again. Magnus wrapped his arm around Zoe's shoulder and squeezed just a little bit.

Oscar's goodbyes were shorter. From a distance, he looked at his mother, clearly not waiting for her to hug him. Her arms wrapped her upper body as if she feared she would fly apart: eagerness and fear and guilt practically screaming from her expression.

Then Alex and Oscar were ready to go.

"Hold tight to my belt," Alex told the boy. "I'll lead the way across the stones."

The time Magnus had spent practicing magic in the human realm seemed to have paid off. The stay-put spells were effective. Alex and Oscar climbed like papa and baby mountain goats up the boulders toward the ledge.

Perhaps the portal knew they were approaching. Dusk was falling, but the curtain of water began to glitter so brightly that it was hard to look at without shading their eyes.

"Ooh," Zoe said, her breath catching. "Those are the lights I saw above the falls when Oscar was born."

Magnus could just see them, faint spheres of illumination in every color of the rainbow. "They're spirit guardians for changelings. Probably cousins to your angels."

Zoe's hold tightened on his waist in acknowledgment. They couldn't hear Alex or Oscar over the sound of the falls, but they saw Alex's lips move. He stood at the edge of the roaring curtain, at the mouth of the cave beyond. Oscar reached up with both hands and let Alex lift him in. They both ducked as the water struck their heads. The glitter of the falls flared blindingly, like a sun exploding in the wooded glade. Too solid-seeming to be mere light, the wave struck them silently.

When it passed, Magnus's ears rang for a few seconds.

"Hey," he heard Bryan say over the hum. "Someone is coming out of the falls."

They all leaned forward to see. Two someones were coming, two tall, athletic young men who clambered down the rocks like they'd been doing it all their lives. They were garbed in flowing cambric shirts and chamois leather trousers—classic hunting clothes in Fairy.

Seeing them, Mrs. Pruitt covered her mouth.

"Where's my son?" she demanded, her voice rising. "You promised I'd see my son!"

The taller of the two young men leaped lightly from the final boulder onto the grass, dripping water and laughing. His shoulder-length, wavy hair was a beautiful honey-brown, his eyes the same sky-blue as Mrs. Pruitt's.

Stopping a step away from her, he put his hands on his waist and grinned. "Madame," he said, "I am your son."

"Oh, dear," Zoe murmured as Mrs. Pruitt gasped. "I see what you meant about him not being what she expects."

Before Zoe could go to Oscar's mother to offer support, the glen seemed to explode with fairies—tiny ones.

In the gathering darkness, their colorful glows made it look like a party was starting. The two young men exclaimed with awe, as if they'd never seen such a marvelous sight. Where they'd all come from Zoe didn't know, but she supposed Rajel's crew couldn't have been the only little fey who'd escaped Fairy.

"Rajel is the queen of queens," Magnus said, seeing her confusion. "All the human flocks owe her allegiance."

"Really?" Zoe wondered what she'd done to rate such an important mini-godmother. She spotted a few more crowns among the crowd, but Rajel's did appear to be the sparkliest. "It looks like she's called out the fairy National Guard."

"Yes," Magnus said, a hint of musing in his tone.

As he rubbed his jaw, a trio Zoe recognized flew up to them. Samuel wasted no time revealing what was up.

"We want to go back to Fairy!" he declared, hovering side by side with Florabel.

"Go?" Zoe's question broke in the middle as Magnus pulled her closer to his side.

Samuel's little chest puffed up, but it was Queen Rajel who addressed her next. She flew a bit above and behind the lovebirds, her face beaming with a joy Zoe hadn't seen on it since Alex blew into town.

"Yes," said the queen of queens. "If a five-year-old child and an ignorant fairy changeling are willing to dare the Evil One's wrath, my people can do no less."

But… what about me? Zoe
thought.

"We want to see if what he says is true," Rajel continued, jerking her head toward Magnus. "Much time has passed since the last of us fled Fairy. We want to know if there are other big ones like him, who wouldn't make slaves of us, who believe their only right is to rule themselves."

"You heard that?" Zoe said, remembering Magnus's speech to Alex at the sweat lodge.

Samuel zipped a dizzying circle around her head. "We hear everything that concerns our human."

Zoe swallowed the lump in her throat. She'd always liked being called "their" human. "You don't need my permission to go," she said huskily. "But you have my blessing if you want it."

Florabel flew to Zoe's ear. "The queen would like a confidence spell," she whispered so loudly that Zoe winced. "The opposite of what
that one's
mother tried to put on you.
He
knows her magic.
He
can guarantee we stay brave."

This request gave Zoe an even higher estimation of Magnus's abilities. Her fairies were nothing if not magically gifted. Not knowing what to say, she turned to him helplessly.

He was smiling with red-rimmed eyes.

"Queen Rajel," he said, his formal tone causing the fairy's beaming to falter as she flew to him.

"Prince," she responded, curtseying in the air. "Since you obviously heard that, my people and I humbly request your aid."

"You would have it if you needed it, little queen, but you require my help no more than you did Zoe's permission. You are free will fairies. You reclaimed that title the moment you decided to escape to the human realm."

"But your magic has grown strong here," Rajel said, "among the slow and heavy Earth ethers."

"So has yours," Magnus assured her. "Didn't you fight off my mother when she threatened Zoe the other day?"

Queen Rajel's face twisted. "That was quick," she said. "Too quick to give us time to be afraid.
And
the ignorant changeling sang with us—which means honor obliges us to protect him now."

Magnus put out his hand, allowing the queen to flutter warily to his palm. "You are brave, Rajel, the bravest queen the little fey have ever known. Being a tiny bit afraid won't change that. All that my good wishes can give, you have, but I cannot steal your victory from you. I
know
your courage is up to this challenge. You can do what you wish without any help from me."

He seemed a prince as he said this, quietly sure of himself and her. For the first time, Zoe could believe he'd lived for centuries. Rajel also seemed impressed—if a tad suspicious. She stared at him, weighing his words. Then she squared her shoulders and put up her chin.

"Very well," she said, lifting off his hand. "We shall follow the path we've chosen on our own steam." She turned in the air to the horde of fairies who flew behind her, her next words ringing. "We go, my beloved subjects, with our honor bright and our hearts strong!"

"For honor!" Florabel echoed.

"For fun!" Samuel chimed in.

"Before the portal closes!" Rajel urged.

They zoomed away en masse, sparkling like multicolored confetti in the darkening air. The instant they disappeared through the water, Zoe had to hide her face in Magnus's chest.

Thankfully, he understood.

"Don't worry," he soothed, rubbing her back to comfort her. "Those little buggers might not realize it yet, but they wield more power than the rest of my kind combined. I predict they're not going to have any trouble once they're home."

Zoe nodded but couldn't loosen her grip on him. The fairies had been with her since she was a baby. They'd been her most constant and sometimes her only friends. It didn't seem fair that they were leaving only minutes after she'd said goodbye to Alex.

"You'll be all right," Magnus promised. "Neither your power nor your happiness came from them. Okay, maybe your good hair days did, but you'll find a way to compensate."

Zoe couldn't laugh at his joke. "I'm going to be sad for a while," she warned him. "I can't help it."

"I understand," he said, and even as his eyes crinkled in amusement, one tear slipped from them for her sake.

Zoe didn't miss her fairies any less at seeing that, but the bands of longing that had tightened around her chest loosened just a little to know she was loved by him.