"Ara, we can find another way," Brenon said.

"I told you I would do this, and I keep my promises."

The room was silent for a moment, and I could feel the eyes of everyone on Brenon and me. The tension between us was palpable. Finally, he nodded once. "Alright."

"That's settled, then." Aunt Kay stood. "Ara, you can use the shower if you'd like. Maggie brought you a change of clothes. The elders will be here soon. We should all prepare to meet them. First impressions didn't go so well last time."

I scoffed. That was an understatement. Last time the elders had come to my aunt's house, Tristan had shown up and threatened all of us. It hadn't even been that much time since that happened. Had it been only a day or two? I couldn't even keep track anymore.

My life had been moving in fast forward since joining up with the Rose Circus. Would I still have ended up in this mess if Ryder had never gone in the first place? A terrifying thought ran through my mind. If I hadn't ended up with Brenon and the Circus, would Terra have found me first? Would I be helping her right now or would I be dead?

"Here," Maggie handed me a pile of black clothing.

"Thanks." I took the clothes from her and made my way to the shower. It would be nice to get cleaned up.

Grateful that I didn't have to borrow clothes from my aunt, I pulled on the black tank top and black pants Maggie lent me. They fit well, and I was thankful that I was covered up and not expected to wear anything too formal.

My hair was still wet, leaving a puddle on the back of the shirt. I shivered, colder than I should be on a clear, sunny fall day. Helping myself to another cup of coffee in the kitchen, I took a moment to lean against the counter and close my eyes. I took a few deep breaths, the kind my therapist had taught me to take, brief mind-clearing meditation. I had a feeling that once the elders arrived, we'd be going non-stop again. Terra was too much of a threat to waste too much time planning. We'd need to act quickly. Which meant Brenon would be out of my life forever soon. I tried to push the thought away, but his eyes looked back at me in my memory.

"Ara."

I opened my eyes to find myself looking at the real version of those eyes.

"The elders might say some things about me, or try to dissuade you from helping me." He leaned against the counter next to me.

"I know more about you than you realize," I said, recalling the information I'd gotten from Goldie on the train.

He shrugged. "Maybe, but you never know what they'll say. The Sayges have hated the Fae since the time of the curse. There's centuries of bad blood."

"Are you saying they might make up bad things about you?"

"Not sure. But I want you to know, you can still get out of this. If you don't want to help us open the gate, I understand." He moved away from me, pausing in the arched doorway.

"I'm not going to back down, you know. I need this just as much as you. It's not all about you."

"That's my girl." He smiled, then left the kitchen.

I took another deep breath before sipping my coffee. My life was so strange now. If I got rid of the threat of Terra, I could return to normal. Maybe work as a substitute teacher for the rest of the school year somewhere. Get a job next fall, maybe meet a normal guy, buy a house in the suburbs. Be blissfully, ignorantly normal. No more glowing supernaturals. No more magic. Just boring, typical life. The way it was supposed to be. A flicker of something I couldn't identify rose in the pit of my stomach. Like something inside me was mocking me and my desire to eliminate magic from my world.

The doorbell rang and muffled conversation sounded from the direction of the living room. The elders were here. I was probably the only one they were waiting on. Ignoring the strange sensation in my gut, I chugged the last of the now-cool coffee and set the cup on the counter. It was time to convince the Sayges that they needed to help the Circus.

I paused before I walked into the living room, I could see the four elders seated on the couch, just as they had been the last time they had come here. They were engaged in conversation, and none of them noticed me hovering just beyond the circle of furniture that sectioned off the living room from the entryway.

"How do we know she's not a Fae spy?" One of the twins asked. "She came back with him."

"Hey, I might not like this guy, but he saved her life, more than once," Joe said.

I stiffened, surprised to hear Joe defending Brenon. He had a point, though. Brenon had saved me, and while he was hoping to use me to do exactly what I was planning to do now, I wasn't sure that was the sole reason for him helping me.

"Who are you, again?" The woman turned her gaze to Joe.

"He's my friend, and he's been helping us," I said as I entered the room.

The woman looked down for a moment, seeming to realize how rude she had been. Then she looked up at me. "I am surprised to find you alive. Have a nice family reunion?"

"It was lovely, thank you. Terra tried to kill me, and Tristan helped me get away. If you have questions, just ask them. I'm not here to play games. I'm here to propose a business arrangement that will mutually benefit every party represented in this room."

She pressed her lips into a tight line, and I swore I heard Maggie choke down a laugh.

"I can respect that," the woman said, rising from her seat and extending a hand. "I'm Mercy, the Head Elder. Why don't you sit and we'll discuss your proposal."

After a quick glance around the room, I noticed additional seating was added, but the only open place was next to Brenon on the love seat. My new Sayge friends may be willing to work together, but they still didn't trust him enough to sit next to him.

I joined Brenon on the love seat, careful to leave a space between us so that none of the Elders would get the wrong idea about our relationship...whatever it might be at the moment.

"First," I began. "Thank you for coming. I know our last meeting didn't end well and I want to address that incident."

The elders' eyes turned to me.

"I found out from my Aunt Kay that Tristan is my father, making me half Dark-Fae, and Half-Sayge. I'm still not sure what that means, other than the fact that I have some power over the curse that landed Brenon and his friends here, and the possibility of being able to open the gate between the realms." I paused, watching for a reaction.

"I'm not sure I like where this is going," Mercy said. "We've kept that gate closed for generations. There are creatures far worse than your new friend beyond that gate."

"You do realize, my new friend, Brenon," I swept my hand in his direction, "could have broken the curse and opened the gates at any time."

The room was silent. I waited. It was like being back in a classroom again, and I stared down the elders the way I would stare down my students when I wanted one of them to answer a question I had asked.

Finally, the other twin spoke. "We have heard rumors of what he could do, but figured it must not be true since he hadn't done it."

"Yes, why would you not break the curse if you could do so?" Mercy asked Brenon.

I turned to Brenon and raised my eyebrows, encouraging him to speak.

"If we had opened the gates and broken the curse, Terra might have been able to gain the strength she needed to take over both our realm and earth. She's limited in her ability to grow her power because she has access to so few magical beings."

"You were protecting both realms?" Mercy asked.

Brenon nodded. "It was too much of a risk."

"That's why we need to work together to eliminate Terra before she can figure out a way to open the gates," I said.

"Seems to me like if we were to eliminate you, the risk would be gone," one of the male elders said.

"You think she won't eventually figure out another way?" Aunt Kay said. "If what Brenon has told us is true, Terra has been building up her power over the centuries by stealing magic little by little. What's to say she can't eventually open it herself? Sure, it might be after we're all dead, but do you want that on your conscience? Our sacred duty is to protect the earth. Letting Terra continue to threaten our home is irresponsible of us."

"Look, I don't care how much you hate the Fae. They don't deserve the kind of terror that Terra is bringing to them. She's hunting them down. Have you ever even met a Fae before? Just like humans, there are some bad apples, but they're mostly good, and they deserve to live and be happy, just like we do." I took a deep breath and set my hand on Brenon's arm.

"Joe's right, Brenon has saved me more than once. And he has people watching over my brother to keep him safe. He didn't ask for my help in return. I offered it because that's what you do for a friend." I could feel my cheeks redden, and dropped my hand.

"So your proposal?" Mercy asked.

"I say we combine forces. Sayge and the Fae Circus. We take down Terra once and for all." I maintained eye contact with Mercy as I watched her fidget in her seat. She seemed to be struggling with the idea of helping the Fae.

"This is going to be a hard sell," the other woman said. "We have generations of hatred for the Fae."

"We have something in mind that may make it easier," Aunt Kay said.

Mercy and the other elders turned to Kay.

"After Terra is gone, Ara can open the gate back to Faerie. Once they have returned, they'll close them again to keep all the magical creatures in. Earth will be purged of magic that isn't Sayge. Balance will be restored."

"How do we know they'll keep the gates closed?" Mercy said. "What will stop them from letting things out?"

"You have my word," Brenon said. "I will personally ensure that the gate is guarded and well protected from any intruders - from either side."

"What good is the word of a Fae?" the male elder asked.

"Ask Ara. I've kept every promise I've made." Brenon set his hand on top of mine, sending a tingle up my arm.

The elders tried to cover their distaste at the closeness between the two of us, but I could read it on their faces. They didn't approve of Brenon even being in the same room as us, let alone touching me. What must be running through their heads right now? For a moment, I considered pushing his hand away, then I thought about his statement. He was right. He'd never broken a promise to me. Tricked me into joining the Circus? Yes, that he'd done, but never failed to do what he said he'd do.

Interlacing my fingers in his, I squeezed his hand. "He's right. Despite everything, I trust him."