The place was quiet, and she realized no one was home. What did her mom say she was going to do? She couldn’t remember. Visit the tea shop in the village to sell more orders of their teas they would soon harvest? She groaned at the thought.
Heart thundering, Kayla rushed back outside, thinking she needed to weed the five acres of lavender she owned. But she didn’t have time. Purple-crowned fairy wrens with their purple heads, black masks, blue tails and blue and gray feathers fluttered about the green stalks of lavender as if they knew she had something to do with the flowers returning soon.
Now, if only she could use Sigrid’s services to remove all the weeds from her garden so Kayla wouldn’t have to do it manually. She would have to take her weed-wacking wand and touch each weed to eradicate them as soon as she returned home from her mission, locket secure around her neck. The problem was she couldn’t just wave the wand and have the weeds magically disappear. She had to touch each weed and the shock went through every root, frying them. That was the end of the weed, but it took time.
She figured she had six hours before sunset. If her mom saw all the work she had done on her garden, surely she’d say it was all right to go to the human’s world for a few days.
But her mom hadn’t started on her own fields of lilac, and if she didn’t, that meant Kayla had more time to do it. No sense in weeding the garden if it wasn’t going to be a garden any longer, and she realized just how sad that made her feel, as if she’d lost one of her best friends in the world.
3
“Hey, Kayla,” Alton said to the chestnut-haired girl in the high school where he was searching for Mark. Alton wasn’t even thinking about the fact she had no gold aura until she turned around, a brow lifting. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”
The girl smiled, showing off a mouth full of braces.
Not Kayla.
“No problem.” Then she waited as if she had to be released, and he nodded.
And turned then for the door that he’d intended to watch while standing there on the outside. The halls were nearly clear now so anyone going out to lunch was already gone. And he’d missed the opportunity to see if Mark had left the building. Alton wondered where Ena’s maid had gone. He realized her fae dust led straight out this door, and he walked outside. A storm was gathering, jagged lightning forking down to the earth some distance away, and sheets of it rippling across the darkening clouds. Thunder boomed off in the distance.
The air smelled heavy of rain and the winds were blowing tall trees back and forth. The wind had blown the maid’s fairy dust trail everywhere and there was no tracking it now. Then to Alton’s astonishment, he saw Mark sitting at a picnic table speaking with a blond-haired girl out in a park-like setting across from the school grounds. He was wearing blue jeans, sneakers, and a T-shirt, typical human attire. The girl was too. She was vibrant and smiling, waving her hands around as she talked, strands of her long blond hair caught up in the wind, twisting that way and that. Mark was watching her intensely as if deeply absorbed in whatever she was telling him. An old girlfriend? Was that why he really had wanted to return?
It seemed wrong somehow. If he was an old boyfriend, Mark would have appeared more…Alton didn’t know, smiling, maybe? But Mark didn’t look that way. He appeared tense, his gaze unwavering from hers.
That’s when Alton heard movement behind him. On instinct, he transported, knowing in retrospect, he shouldn’t have just disappeared in front of people, if anyone was about. But the human world could be dangerous for their kind if fae seers were about. Since Mark was one of them, had he grown bored of living with the fae and had returned to again trap them?
Alton transported to the roof of the school, and crouching down, he looked to see who had come out of the school behind him. Two big male teens carrying a fishing net. An iron mesh net meant to trap a fae, and keep him or her from transporting. Alton had to warn Ena and Brett. They had to find her maid. But first, he was taking Mark out of there, who he suspected was being used to trap them. If he was innocent, Alton didn’t want him being used as bait.
Was the blond-haired girl in on it? Thinking the fae could have bargaining power if the fae seers had taken the maid hostage, he’d grab both Mark and the girl. The problem was carrying both of them as a fae. The other problem was warning Ena and Brett. The solution was as bad as transporting in front of humans and allowing them to see his disappearing act. Or worse. Being a dragon in a world without dragons, except for the mythical kind, was bound to be captured on a few cell phones if anyone caught sight of him.
Alton prayed to every god and goddess known to the fae that he would not turn into a purple dragon.
He shifted, saw that his body was covered in shimmering silver scales, sighed with relief, and dove for the picnic table.
The two male fae seers were arguing with each other about what to do, when Alton flew in close to grab Mark and the girl.
Mark had been watching the two guys arguing, but he was the first to see Alton flying toward him, his green eyes widening. Though the way Alton was changing scale color at whim, he was certain Mark didn’t know which of the dragon fae shifters he was. He didn’t move, quickly averted his gaze so as not to alert the girl, and Alton was glad for it. As far as he believed, Mark wasn’t in on the deception, but a victim of circumstance.
Alton grabbed the girl by her shoulder, the girl shrieking in terror. Alton did the same with Mark right after, hauling them both toward the roof of the school, but further back where someone standing on the ground couldn’t see them. He hoped the girl was in on the whole thing then so he hadn’t terrified her for nothing. Then he released them on the rooftop and shifted. The blond collapsed on the rooftop in a dead faint. Mark didn’t go to her aid, which said a lot about what had gone on. She wasn’t his friend.
“Where’s Muriel?” Alton quickly asked.
“These clowns took her.” Mark ran his hands through his light brown hair, frowning furiously.
“The girl is involved?”
“Yeah, their bubble-headed leader. Or at least that’s what she wants everyone to think outside of her fae seer group. But she’s leading this bunch. One of the guys recognized me as a fae seer and rumors had gone all over that I had become one of the fae. And since I was with Muriel, that seemed to prove the rumors true.”
“Okay, keep her quiet,” Alton said. “I’ve got to warn Ena and Brett.”
“Don’t get yourself caught. I don’t want to be stuck here.”
“Yeah, well you endangered Muriel, remember? You’re still a human and can just move somewhere else and be safe from your kind. We’ll talk later.” Alton wanted to know why Mark had really wanted to return. He had put everyone in danger—not just Muriel.
Not visible to humans, Alton transported to the cafeteria where Ena and Brett had gone. He didn’t see Brett, but he saw Ena talking to a guy, smiling, flirting with him. He’d never seen her act in such a way. He didn’t like it. Even if she was mated to Brett. And even though he knew she was just trying to get information out of the guy.
She had the rare ability to hide her fae aura so that no one could see it. If the guy she was talking to could see the fae, if Alton just walked right up to her and started talking, the teen could think she was in league with one of them.
He couldn’t delay though. He had to warn her. Instead of heading straight for her, he walked around, watching others, trying to ensure that no one else was observing him. Only the fae seers could see him when he was invisible to the humans.
The two guys who had been outside rushed into the cafeteria, the one on his phone. The one talking to Ena suddenly pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Yeah? Oh really?” He turned his attention from Ena and looked at the other two guys headed for him.
Alton transported from where he stood to a place right next to Ena. He grabbed her hand and before she could say anything, he transported her to the roof. Mark was crouched in front of the girl, tying part of his torn T-shirt around her w
rists, her mouth already gagged. She was still out.
“Is she one of them?” Ena asked.
“Yeah, their leader,” Mark said, standing, looking angry, but a little concerned too.
Maybe Alton’s words had sunk in a bit. Maybe Mark was worried the fae might just abandon the human in his own world after what had happened. But Alton knew Ena wouldn’t do that. Despite her reputation for acting harshly when the situation warranted it, she had a real soft spot for some of these humans.
“Where’s Brett?” Ena asked.
“Not sure,” Alton said.
“And Muriel?”
Alton shook his head. “One of us needs to take these two back home with us. We need more help to locate Muriel.”
“You go. I’ll find Brett. They can’t see his or my aura.”
“But they know what you look like. The way you’re dressed.” Alton liked the way Ena dressed, like a Goth in the human world, the same at home. But she stood out too much now if they thought she was one of the fae if she was going to reveal herself to question anyone.
“I can wait here with her and keep her quiet,” Mark said. “I know neither of you want to leave Brett or Muriel behind. I don’t want to either.”
The lightning continued to flash, and Ena considered the girl’s blue-gray rain jacket. “I’ll wear that.”
Mark quickly untied the girl’s hands. Ena removed her jacket and then slipped it on. “Okay, I’m going back down.”
“I’m taking them to your place and then I’ll come back. If I can grab those guys who were carrying a net, I’ll take care of them too.” Alton shifted, then grasped Mark and the girl in his talons, and transported them to Ena and Brett’s castle. He still couldn’t get used to the notion that Brett was even part of the equation. Though he had to admit, the guy was a good fighter with his fists and had taught him a thing or two that might someday prove to be useful. If dragon fire wasn’t a viable option, that was.
“Mom wasn’t home and I left her a note,” Kayla said to Tanya as she joined her at the junction of the path. “I’ve done it before, and she was all right with it.” Kayla adjusted her backpack.
“Okay, if you think so.” Tanya transported Kayla to Sigrid’s cottage deep in the woods.
She was living alone now, after having lost both her parents and her grandmother, who was supposed to have been the one who had given Sigrid her powers. The girl wore black like Ena, had fairy wings, and yet not like those of the winged fae kind. Hers were feathers, browns and rust with white spots, and they actually could lift her unlike the other winged fae Kayla knew of.
Sigrid was not a golden fae, though she lived among them. She didn’t care anything about gold or any other kind of jewelry. Some said she could shift into a falcon, but no one Kayla had talked to about it had ever actually seen Sigrid turn into one. She had straight dark brown hair, almost as black as the leather bodice she wore and the black form-fitting leggings and boots.
They didn’t know where she’d come from, who her people were, but it was rumored they had killed one another off with their magic powers and somehow her grandmother had lived, hidden away with a baby daughter and a little boy who was orphaned. Eventually, the grandmother found her way to the golden fae’s territory to live among them and raise the two children. When they grew up, her granddaughter and the boy married. And Sigrid was the result of their union.
Most of the golden fae really didn’t care where she came from or who her people were, as long as her talents were useful and could help those who lived here. But there was always a price to pay when playing with magic. Even the queen had used Sigrid’s powers, some said to have a child. But some said it was only rumored and not true at all.
Still, as they approached the cottage, Kayla wondered just what she was getting herself into.
Like most, the cottage was built of stone, with a little stone wall out front and a garden planted just inside of it to grow some of what she needed for cooking and potions. The wall protected the tender plants from the deer foraging in the forest.
“Are you as nervous as me when I’m not even asking her to do anything for me?” Tanya asked, wringing her hands.
“Why not?” Sigrid asked, climbing out of a tree.
Kayla and Tanya jumped a little and watched Sigrid drop the last few feet, her beautiful wings spread, making her land softly on the pine-needle covered ground. She was such an odd person that Kayla shouldn’t have been surprised, yet she really hadn’t expected the girl to be watching them, hidden in the tree. Had she been a falcon up there, and that’s why they hadn’t noticed her?
Tanya’s face colored in embarrassment. “Why wouldn’t I ask you for anything? I don’t need anything. That’s why.”
“Everyone needs something. Even you. But if you didn’t come here to see me,” Sigrid said, turning her dark brown eyes on Kayla, “then it must be you who is in need of my services.”
Kayla didn’t want to tell Sigrid what she had lost. She only wanted to ask Sigrid to help her hide her fae aura with that of another and lose the fae dust trail she would leave behind. But what if she could ask Sigrid if she could retrieve the locket for her? Or find it for her at the very least? It seemed silly to just want something that might not work, when she could ask for the one thing she really needed.
“You are missing your locket,” Sigrid said. “Come into my cottage.”
“How did she know?” Tanya whispered to Kayla, sounding just as shocked.
“You are not wearing the locket,” Sigrid said as they entered the room.
By the gods, could she hear everything that was said from that distance? Falcons had sharp hearing, enough so they could hear a mouse running through the understory way below where the falcon was soaring. So maybe Sigrid could.
“My tunic could be hiding it,” Kayla said, her eyes focused on Sigrid, challenging her to come up with another explanation for why she knew the truth.
“It could be, but you always wear it out. You’re proud of it, and you want others to know how carefully you protect it. But not carefully enough, eh? So you have lost it to a dragon, and you want it back. How can I assist you?”
Kayla shut her gaping mouth. How did she know so much? Had she been watching them all along? Sitting in trees? Kayla wanted to ask if Sigrid could come with her. She didn’t think Sigrid would do it. And Kayla had no intention of asking. So how did the words come out anyway?
“Could you go with me? To retrieve it?” Kayla felt Tanya’s gaze boring into her. She knew her friend would be as shocked as she was for mentioning it.
Sigrid smiled. “Have some tea with me?”
The girl rarely offered anyone tea. She conducted her business with whoever needed something and then they were out of there. Kayla wasn’t even sure if Sigrid ever invited anyone into her cottage, come to think of it.
“It would cost you more if I went with you, but I think you already know that.” Sigrid poured the hot tea into three floral tea cups.
Kayla didn’t even know what it would cost her to just have her aura changed.
“Tell me your plan first.” Sigrid motioned to a small table with a view of the gardens, then smiled as Kayla smelled the tea. Lavender.
Kayla hadn’t known her mother had sold it to Sigrid.
“It’s my favorite flavor of tea. I would hope you would get your locket back so that I may continue to buy your tea.”
“But a dragon has it and I don’t know which one.”
“Maybe the one who carried you off? I followed the two of you for a while, but then he transported and vanished. I had work to do, so hoped he would bring you home okay. And he did.”
Tanya’s mouth gaped. “He flew off with you?”
“He wanted to know why we were spying on them. I told you. I said I intended to steal his gold.”
Sigrid laughed. “I bet he loved to hear it.”
“He didn’t believe me, naturally.”
“You didn’t tell me he flew off with you.” Tanya s
cowled.
“Sorry. Nothing happened.”
“Except that you made a friend, kind of,” Sigrid said.
“He threatened to leave me to perish!” Kayla said.
Tanya gasped. “You said nothing happened!”
“Okay, so that happened, but he did leave me safely back at the river. Do you know who would have stolen my locket?”
“You left it behind, did you not? Finders, keepers.” Sigrid finished her tea and put her empty teacup on the table.
Kayla knew that. She didn’t want to be reminded. She glanced at the way the cottage was decorated and thought it suited someone else. All lace curtains and pastels. Hand-painted bunnies on tables and chairs. But then again, just because Sigrid wore all black, didn’t mean she liked to surround herself with the same color in her furnishings. Maybe this was the real her.
“My mother’s decorations. Do you like them?”
“They’re beautiful,” Kayla said. She was much more into pastels than dark or bright colors. Except for the lavender. She loved the way it was so vivid and colorful. Mix it with pastels and it was the perfect combination.
“It reminds me of her. I wouldn’t change a thing.” Sigrid looked down at her empty teacup.
Kayla felt badly for her at once. She must miss her mother. She hadn’t ever thought someone who was so powerful would miss anyone. But why wouldn’t she?
Sigrid quickly looked up, tears shimmering in her eyes. She quickly blinked them away. “Here is the deal. You obtain a bronze locket for me that has the symbol of a falcon engraved on it, and I will help you to reach the dragon fae kingdom in relative anonymity.“