“Are you crazy? I don’t want to wait another second.”
“Think about it. She’s bound to be wrapped up in last-minute setup for the ball, or she’s already back at her room getting ready. Either way, you can’t blow it all now and derail her. This is a very important night for her. And you.”
“But what about the Lost Boys?”
“Don’t worry about them. Sam and Natalie and I, your plucky band of misfits, will thwart the goblin horde. All you need to worry about is showing up at the ball, looking amazing—”
“I knew you just wanted to give me a makeover.”
Hubble ignored him. “—and then you sweep that fairy off her feet. Give her the most romantic night of her life. One last, magical moment for you both to remember. Afterward, we’ll let the goblins cart you away to the glorious stinking land of No Women Ever Again. What do you say?” Hubble held out his hand.
“Fine. I’ll do it your way.” Tinker shook his friend’s hand and hoped the next few hours wouldn’t be the death of him.
Giddy with power, Hubble practically skipped the rest of the way to the costume department, singing under his breath. As Tinker followed, he considered the one thing he hadn’t told his roommate.
He was going to miss Hubble just as much as he was going to miss Bellamy.
5
Bellamy took a deep breath of the cool, crisp air and surveyed her handiwork. She had truly outdone herself this year. All the time and effort she had put in—so much more than previous masquerades—had certainly paid off.
It might have felt like a wet blanket outside, but in here the season had definitely changed. With the help of Kai and their tireless crew (and a generous splash of teacher-approved magic), the Harmswood gymnasium had been transformed into a winter wonderland. The edges of the room were now a dense wood of icy crystal trees with many winding, lantern-lit paths. The ceiling was a night sky dotted with twinkling stars and splashed with the Northern Lights. The dance floor was a large clearing of silvery white, circled by drifts of magically-induced snow. The scent of hot cider, roasted nuts, and spiced cakes drifted through the air from various old-fashioned wheeled “vendor carts” around the room.
But Bellamy’s favorite part—the pièce de résistance—was a giant ice-pillar in the middle of the dance floor, on top of which sat an equally enormous snow globe. The scene inside the globe mirrored the shimmering majesty of the gym. In the center, two shadowy figures danced the night away amidst a flurry of glittery snow.
Encased in that crystal ball was the perfect night Bellamy would have wished for herself, had she been allowed such a wish.
“Bellamy!” Kai’s voice pulled Bellamy out of her blissful, midwinter daydream. “Are you still here? The masquerade is supposed to start in an hour. It can’t begin without you, and you’re not even dressed!”
Bellamy turned to her friend. Kai was wearing a lovely blue and white gown. Her great golden headpiece was reminiscent of the Greek warrior goddess Athena. She was flanked by Finn, with his matching Apollo mask, and Owen, who wore a tux and a pair of fuzzy cat ears.
Kai wouldn’t have to worry about having a partner with whom she could dance tonight away. If she got tired of one adoring young man, she could just switch to the other. Bellamy had…this gorgeous room, which she was about to share with the rest of Harmswood.
“My goodness, don’t y’all look wonderful?” Bellamy’s exhausted smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
As best friends tend to do, Kai heard what Bellamy wasn’t saying. She dropped Finn’s hand. “Guys, can you give us a minute? Go check on the drinks table or something.”
“Will do,” said Finn.
“I’ll make sure there’s ice,” said Owen. “There’s never enough ice at these sorts of things.”
Kai raised her eyebrows dramatically as her dates walked away. “Owen’s been stuck in the form of a stray cat for a hundred years. You gotta wonder how many of ‘these sorts of things’ he’s really attended, bless his pompous heart.”
Despite herself, Bellamy gave a half-laugh. Kai always could make her laugh.
“What’s up with the sadness?” Kai asked bluntly. “It clashes with your…you know…everything.”
Bellamy glanced at the clock. There wasn’t enough time to pour her heart out again. Even if there had been, Kai had already heard it a hundred times. Since the moment she’d realized she was in love with Tinker, Bellamy had begun to see him differently. He looked taller—if that were possible—and handsomer, broader of chest and fuller of heart. Her heart. Her longing for him had grown so much that she was fit to burst, but there was nothing she could do about it, and Tinker seemed determined to keep her at arm’s length.
“You’ll tell me I’m bein’ silly.”
“Between Finn and Owen, I could start a business in silly. Hit me.”
As usual, Bellamy could hide nothing from her best friend. “I’m…scared.”
“About Tinker,” Kai surmised. “About the dance he promised you.”
Bellamy nodded. “It’s just…I keep tellin’ myself that if the ball never starts, then it never has to end.” And then Tinker would never have to leave.
“The clock never stops ticking, Bell. This ball is going to happen whether you want it to or not.”
The masquerade was going to happen. Bellamy and Tinker would have their dance. And then, someday very soon, the goblins would come for Tinker and Bellamy’s already fragile heart would break into a million pieces.
Life would happen, and no wish or spell or bleeding heart could stop it.
“You’ve been avoiding him,” Kai pointed out. “That’s not going to make his leaving any easier.”
“I know,” said Bellamy.
“I’ve been trying to imagine that he’s just going away for winter break. And that he won a scholarship to a really exclusive college or something.”
“But he didn’t,” said Bellamy. “Tinker’s not goin’ off to chase his dreams. He’s leavin’ Harmswood and never comin’ back.” She shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s stupid. It’s not like we could have had a future anyway. Besides…he’s gonna be a king! I should be happy for him, just like everyone else. This should be a happy time for all of us. I have no business ruinin’ that.”
Kai held out her hand and Bellamy took it. “Can I tell you something? As your best friend?”
Bellamy couldn’t imagine ever being upset at Kai, for anything. “Of course.”
“You are allowed to feel however you want to feel, nonsense or not. You are allowed to be sad, mad, scared, and anything else that comes along. You are allowed to grieve. Someone you love is going away, and that’s just going to be terrible.”
“But I don’t want to grieve yet,” said Bellamy. “I want tonight to be wonderful. For you and me, for Tinker, for everyone.”
“If anyone could make that happen, it’s you,” said Kai. “Just look around this place! You have done some amazing work here. The entire school is going to be in awe, and they’re going to have the time of their lives. It will be a night we all remember.”
Bellamy clasped her hands together. Kai always knew the right thing to say to her. “Really?”
“Really. But you’ve worked so hard these past few weeks to hide the pain of losing Tinker…heck, you’ve worked your whole life to hide the pain of being different.”
Bellamy smirked. “I forget how well you know me.”
“So…how about you let yourself off the hook?”
“What do you mean?”
Kai put her hands on her hips. “What I mean, Bellamy Larousse, chair of the Midwinter Masquerade decorating committee, is that you are fired.”
Bellamy couldn’t believe her ears. “What?”
Kai the Goddess waved her finger in the air. “I hereby officially decree that you are no longer in charge of insuring everyone else’s happiness. It is not your job, do you hear me? As of right now, you are allowed—no, ordered—to be selfish. It
’s about time you let your friends lift you up for a change.”
Bellamy felt tears well up behind her eyes, but she refused to shed them.
“And I want you to do me a favor tonight,” said Kai. “As your best and truest friend.”
“Anythin’,” she managed to say without weeping.
“Stay. No matter how lonely or sad or frightened you get, stay at the masquerade. Stay on the dance floor with us. If there’s an emergency that needs to be addressed, let me deal with it. Allow yourself to be admired. Play hostess only until some boy asks you to dance…because he will. And if no one comes to dance with you soon enough, I’ll be your partner. Or I’ll send Finn.”
“I don’t need a pity dance.”
“You’ll be the one pitying Finn, once he’s stepped on your toes a few times.”
Bellamy could not avoid the name that hung heavy on her heart. “And…Tinker?”
“Oh, Bell, Tinker loves you so much. Let him. Whether he can touch you or not. Love him back. Enjoy being together. It’s all right.”
Bellamy looked to the glowing, star-filled ceiling, willing gravity to pull the threatening tears back down inside her. “Saying goodbye is gonna hurt so much.”
“If I could spare you the pain of it, I would.”
“He promised me one dance.” Bellamy took a shuddering breath. “But what if it’s only one?”
“Then make it a good one. But maybe try not to put him in the hospital.”
“Upon my honor, I swear to do my very best. Not to,” Bellamy added quickly. “You know what I mean.”
“I do.” Kai chuckled and kissed Bellamy’s cheek. “Now, off with you! We have a masquerade to begin!”
With the spring back in her step, Bellamy raced up the stairs to her room in the girls’ wing. Lian was already there, dressed in a floor-length, violet silk wrap dress with bright pink flowers along the seams. A delicate strand of ivy and varying colors of glitter made up an organic half-mask that enhanced Lian’s dark eyes. She looked to be putting some finishing touches on her face with a brush that she dropped the moment Bellamy walked in.
“Fairy girl, where have you been?”
“I know, I’m sorry. I got caught up in…well, it doesn’t matter. It’s late and I don’t have much time. Will you help me?”
“Of course! But first you have to open the giant box your mom sent. I’m sure it’s your dress…I can’t wait to see it!”
Bellamy smiled, though she was a little confused. She knew how much Lian loved surprises, and Mrs. Larousse often sent tailored clothes for Bellamy to add to her closet, making her meager wardrobe all the more special. But her mother usually sent a message beforehand so that Bellamy knew to expect a package. In fact, she’d just had a call from home yesterday, and Mom hadn’t dropped so much as a hint about this. Had she known how important this masquerade was for Bellamy? Had Merri said something? Or Asher?
The giant white box was wrapped with a sky blue silk ribbon. A slip of paper under the bow read: For Bellamy. Love, Mom.
Bellamy furrowed her brow. “That’s not my mother’s handwritin’.”
“Well, it’s got your name on it, and you’re the only ‘Bellamy’ at Harmswood,” Lian said impatiently. “She probably bought it for you online and the delivery person wrote the card for her. Like when you send flowers.”
“Maybe,” said Bellamy, though she hoped that wasn’t the case. Her parents couldn’t afford such extravagance. But she pulled at the silk ribbon anyway and opened the box, before Lian did it for her.
Both the girls drew in their breath at once.
Bellamy picked up the iridescent white chiffon by the sleeves and gently lifted it out of the box. The dress just kept going and going…like something out of a movie.
“Put it on!” Lian said excitedly. “We’ll examine it properly once it’s on you. There’s no time to waste.”
Bellamy glanced at the clock—she had little more than half an hour to spare. “Let me rinse off.” She pulled a few fresh underthings from a drawer and vanished into the bathroom. “I’ll be right out.”
Bellamy pinned up her hair and washed her face quickly. Then she set herself to the most important task: removing all the fairy dust on her wings that she could reach. If there had been sufficient time to dry she would have completely immersed herself in the shower, but she couldn’t show up at the ball in a fairy tale gown with disastrously limp wings.
Within minutes, it looked as if a rainbow had exploded in the bathroom. There was enough loose fairy dust on the floor to make an elephant fly.
“Bellamy, aren’t you done yet?”
“Almost there.” Satisfied, Bellamy rinsed her skin off once more with the last clean towel. She wanted to be as harmless to Tinker as humanly—fairy-ly—possible. She slid on her underthings and emerged so that Lian could help her put on the dress. “I have a pair of fancy gloves I wore to the Spring Social, don’t let me forget them.”
“I won’t,” Lian said as she pushed the box aside and let the dress spill out.
The back looked like it was cut daringly low, but once Bellamy pulled it on and Lian fastened her in, she realized that the drop perfectly accommodated her wings. The sleeves were full at the top and then tight at the elbow, tapering to a point down the backs of her hands. The snug waistline accentuated the fullness of the skirt, which fell to the floor in glittering silver and white waves that covered her toes.
Lian stepped back and sighed. “It’s magical. Simply magical.”
And it was. Bellamy had thought the same thing about the masquerade decorations, similarly wintry silver and white. The pureness of the cloth highlighted the iridescence in her now almost colorless wings. Somehow, her mother had chosen the perfect costume for her to lead tonight’s festivities.
“I have some white sandals—they’re a little old, but they’ll match well enough,” said Bellamy.
“I’ll fetch them,” said Lian.
Bellamy moved to the mirror. “And now I’m wishin’ Kai and I hadn’t streaked my hair with all those colors this summer.” She loved her rainbow hair more than anything, but against the beautiful dress, the fading tresses looked a bit haggard.
“Let me worry about your hair.” Sandals in hand, Lian examined the flowerpots on the windowsill. “Just give me a second.”
Bellamy scanned the top of her dresser. The ballgown had a sweetheart neckline made for a necklace, but every piece of jewelry Bellamy owned would have paled in contrast to this dress. Except… Bellamy snatched up the blue silk ribbon from the dress box and threaded it through the hole of the heart-shaped piece of tin that had dropped from Tinker’s Mantle of Majesty. Tinker himself had called it cheap, and maybe it looked a little silly as a necklace, but Bellamy didn’t mind. Maybe by wearing it, Tinker would realize just how much she cared about him.
On the off chance he didn’t know already.
She tied the long ribbon around her neck and neatly snipped off the ends, then sat down before the mirror. Lian appeared behind her with a handful of wildflowers.
Bellamy gaped. “Snowdrops? Do you want to get suspended?” Among the flower fairy community, it was frowned upon to bloom wildflowers out of season.
Lian scoffed. “If anyone gives us a hard time about the galanthus—which they won’t—I’ll blame our bathroom full of fairy dust.”
“Sorry about that,” said Bellamy. “I promise I’ll clean up when we get back.”
“You don’t have to be sorry about anything,” said Lian. “This is a big night! Now hold still while I fix your hair.”
Bellamy closed her eyes as Lian brushed her hair and then threaded her fingers through it, twisting and pinning. The effect was incredibly soothing. Bellamy took a deep breath and forced herself to relax. She remembered Kai’s words: Be selfish. Let your friends lift you up for a change.
“There,” Lian said all too quickly. “Finished.”
Bellamy opened her eyes. Her hair had been expertly twisted at the temples and secured
with butterfly clips and snowdrops. Here and there, her rainbow streaks added a subtle flash of color. A few loose tendrils of honey gold curled down her back. The style was elegant in its simplicity.
“Lian, you are a genius!”
Her roommate chuckled. “You forget that I have almost as many sisters as you do. I’ve had lots of practice! Now, let’s make you a mask. How daring do you feel?”
Bellamy answered honestly. “In this dress? With this hair? I feel like I could conquer the world.”
Lian’s grin was wicked this time. “Excellent. Tilt your head back and close your eyes again while I fetch your pillow.”
Bellamy did as instructed. “Because you’re gonna smother me with it?”
Lian giggled from across the room. “Hush!”
Bellamy heard Lian unzip the pillow—she forced herself to banish the silly image of being tarred and feathered. She felt Lian draw a line above her brows with something cool, before pressing her fingertips along its length.
“Hold still while that dries,” said Lian. “I’m going to glitter you up a bit.”
“Good.” Glitter always boosted Bellamy’s spirits.
Lian gently applied Bellamy’s makeup along her eyelids and up to her temples. She felt a dab of something on the apples of her cheeks, and a sprinkle of something over her skin in general. Lian pressed the line above her eyebrows with her fingers again, blowing on it for good measure.
“Perfect timing,” said Lian. “I’m going to let you do your own lipstick. We only have about five minutes to fly back downstairs, so don’t dawdle.”
Bellamy opened her eyes and gasped. The line Lian had drawn had been some sort of glue, into which she had pressed some downy feathers from her pillow and a few rhinestone crystals. The result was a very natural-looking tiara. Coupled with the rest of her silver and white glitter makeup, it made a gorgeous mask. “You really are an artist,” she breathed.
“Yeah, well, don’t tell my parents. They want me to be a doctor.” She pointed at the clock. “Now we only have four minutes. Lip gloss and let’s go!”
Bellamy quickly applied a shimmer to her lips and sped after Lian. Together, they raced down the halls and jumped down the stairs. Bellamy felt the wind in her face and smiled into it. She was Cinderella running to the ball, instead of away from it.