Chapter Six
Emily’s ear-piercing scream shattered the darkness. I caught a sleeve, clutching the material in my shaking hand.
The familiar light at the end came into view, and we shot out of the gateway book. Emily landed on her side, tumbled across the mauve carpet, and crashed into a chair at one of the nearby tables.
“Oh crap.” Afton hurried over to Emily and helped her to feet. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, I think. Just some carpet burns.” She inspected her shaking palms “I never want to do that again.”
My eyes swept our surroundings. The soaring walls of the room were a warm yellow and accented with white-painted trim. Tall arches led to wide nooks. Narrow, wrought-iron galleries ran the length of the dark wood bookcases.
Aetnae zipped into the room. A boy with cropped dark hair and big brown eyes, and another boy, looking very much like Bastien might have looked when he was young, trailed her. Behind them, a little girl with auburn curls walked with confidence, her chin up and her shoulders back. Their clothes looked like uniforms.
“Who are the kids?” I asked.
“They’re the last of the eight-year-old Sentinels,” she said, landing on the table. “I found them hiding here.”
Afton stepped closer. “The last?”
“As I told Gia before”—Aetnae sounded annoyed—“the new batch of Changelings hadn’t hatched. Well, it’s worse. Something is killing off the eight-year-olds. A disease. It’s been spreading through the Mystik covens.”
I didn’t know what else to say. It sickened and saddened me to think of children dying.
When I didn’t respond, she added, “Katy is working with the curers. Maybe she can help them.”
The little girl stuck out her chin. “Excuse me. We were told to go to Asile.” Though she wasn’t very big, her attitude sure was—strong-willed and a bit on the pushy side.
A warning bell dinged in my head. “Who told you?”
“Our trainer. We were at a training camp in Greyhill.” She lowered her head. “He got sick and died. So did the others. The ones like us.”
Afton’s hands covered her mouth. “How horrible.”
I got down on one knee in front of the girl and grasped her hand. “What’s your name?”
Her head popped up, her eyes a multicolor mix of brown, yellow, and green. “I’m Peyton. That’s Knox”—she pointed with her free hand at the boy with brown eyes, then aimed her finger at the one that resembled Bastien—“and Dag.”
The dark circles under Dag’s eyes concerned me. He looked barely able to hold up his head.
“Well, I’m Gia. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Are we going to die?” The girl bit her bottom lip and stared intensely into my eyes, so seriously I wanted to turn away from her to hide my doubt.
Instead, I answered, “No. Of course not. But we can’t go to Asile. We have to see my nana. She’s a Pure Witch skilled at healing people.”
Aetnae lifted off the table. “Are you ready?”
“We’re ready.” I put on a brave face to hide my worry, even though my insides were swirling in a sea of dread. Dag might’ve caught the illness that had killed most of their generation of Sentinels.
“Follow me,” Aetnae said. “The entry is in the children’s library downstairs.” She zipped off to the door.
Afton held a hand of each of the boys. Emily moved my messenger bag to her side and offered Peyton her hand, but the little girl ignored it. We plodded down the stairs to the children’s library. Aetnae landed on my shoulder and directed us to a reading area.
“It’s in one of those pop-up books.” She pointed at a bookshelf.
I crossed over to the case. There were many picture and pop-up books lining the shelves. “Which one?”
“The Secret Garden,” she answered.
My mouth gaped.
Her eyes widened, and she glanced around. “What’s wrong?”
The Secret Garden? I couldn’t believe it.
“It’s her favorite book,” Afton said.
I’d found it in my mom’s collection of books and had a strong connection to it the first time I’d read it. It was probably why Arik’s parent faery read it to him when he was a boy.
“It’s one of my favorites as well,” Aetnae said. “Our queen’s grandmother chose this book when it was time to change the realm’s door. The entry into our realm moves every hundred years. I’ll be sad when it changes from this one. Wait until you see. It’s quite lovely.” She raised her hand and spoke something in a language I couldn’t understand.
A thick picture book slid out from the bottom shelf of the bookcase in front of us.
Aetnae tugged on my hair. “Stand back. Don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
I moved away as the book opened and grew. Emily scooted back. Afton dragged the three children with her to the other side of the room.
The pages flipped as the book grew. Pictures popped out and folded in, rustling and crinkling with each turn, until it stopped on a page with a three-dimensional image of a gate nestled in a vine-covered wall. The book quit growing when it reached the ceiling.
The detailed artwork on the heavy gauge paper was awe-inspiring—the weathered gate, its wood splintered with age, the vibrant green leaves on the vines yellowing at the ends, and the bricks with cracks and pockmarks. It all seemed so lifelike.
Emily took a step forward. “You don’t see that every day.”
“There are many things I’ve seen lately that you don’t see every day,” Afton said. “But this is so much better and a lot less scary.”
The gate slowly crept open, revealing a lush garden with pointy flowers of various colors dotting the greenery. Cutting through the middle was a glittering sandstone pathway. The birdsongs and low-toned chirping of insects created a soothing melody. A peaceful feeling loosened muscles I didn’t know had tensed.
I’d never seen such beauty. It was what I imagined the Garden of Eden would look like, but magnified.
“Can we go inside?” Peyton asked, standing by my side, her eyes wide.
“Yes. Follow me.” Aetnae flitted into the garden.
Peyton grasped my hand, and I gave her a no-need-to-worry smile as we plodded to the book. There was something special about her. Strong and determined. I bet she bossed the other two eight-year-olds. But the way she kept glancing back at them, I also bet she took care of them.
Passing through the gate was like walking into a dream. The temperature was perfect, and the air smelled of sweet honey. A balloon of excitement and fear inflated inside me—I was thrilled for a new discovery, frightened of the unknown.
Emily came in after us, then Afton with the boys holding tight to her hands. Once we were through, the gate behind us shrank and disappeared into the vines.
Emily rotated, taking in our surroundings. “Is this for real?”
“It’s amazing,” Afton said.
Aetnae hovered in front of us. “Welcome to Tír na nÓg.”
“Tir…what?” Dag asked, then hid behind Afton.
“It’s the name of the faery realm,” Aetnae said and zipped up the pathway. “This way.”
Knox rubbed his nose. “Will they have food?”
“Of course. They have to eat, too,” Peyton said, and then whispered, “I just hope it’s not bugs.”
I pressed my lips together to stop a laugh from escaping. There was a crack forming in the walls around Peyton.
We followed the pathway winding through cottages of varying sizes—large ones with curved doors, small ones like birdhouses hanging in the trees, and others built into their wide trunks. Beings of different sizes, some with wings, some without, looked out windows or stepped onto their porches. The tiniest we saw zipped in and out of the shrubbery. Their moth-like wings, hair made of twigs, and bodies resembling sticks helped them to blend into the woods.
“What are they?” Peyton asked, keeping up with me.
Aetnae buzzed around us. “They’re sprites. There are many different species of faeries in the Fey realm. Some can be tricky and others not so nice, but mostly all are friendly. So keep on your toes until we reach the castle.”
The pathway curved and trails branched off to unknown places until we came to the end. A magnificent city, crowded with extremely high buildings made of glass and copper, spread out across the land under a sky bluer than any blue I’d ever seen.
An expansive bridge constructed of twisted wood and vines arched over a large body of water that cut off one side of the city from the other. Riders in one-person aircrafts that looked like metal birds mingled with the many different faeries flying overhead.
In the distance, an enormous castle sat on the tallest hill. The sun dancing across the walls made them sparkle like crystals.
Aetnae landed on my shoulder and grasped my collar.
“I’m dreaming,” Afton said.
“If you are, then I am, too,” I said, stepping onto the bridge, my boot clacking over the tightly placed stone pavers.
Emily came up to my side. “Too bad I forgot my cell. I could’ve snapped some pics of this.”
Aetnae gave her a disapproving look, which, since she was so small, no one noticed but me. “Cell phones don’t work here. Our magic blocks human technology. It’s damaging to the environment. And we don’t have many humans visit the Fey realm. You all being here is a rarity.”
By the curious looks we were getting from the citizens of Tír na nÓg, I’d bet many of them had never visited our world, either. The majority of the faeries on the bridge reminded me of Sinead. They had pointy ears and no wings like her. I wondered how she and the others were doing at our hideout in Ireland. I missed them. They’d become my family. My strength.
Such thoughts always led to Pop. How was he doing? Did he miss me as much as I did him? Even though I knew staying away ensured his safety, I wanted to run to him, to have him protect me as he had before all this otherworld shit hit the fan.
“Afton?”
“Yeah.” She glanced over at me.
“I didn’t have time to ask you. Have you seen Pop?” I held my breath, hoping he was okay, but knowing she’d have told me if he wasn’t.
“He’s good,” she said, guiding one of the boys over to the side to let a group of faeries pass. “Been hanging out with my parents at a Cape Cod rental, under my mom’s maiden name. No one can find them.”
I released my held breath and all my worries with it. Pop loved fishing at the Cape.
“Your parents are back together?”
“Yeah. They’re working on it.” Her voice sounded doubtful.
I sidestepped to avoid colliding with an older woman hunched over by age, her ears long and pointy. Her cloak and dress were as green as the leaves. Her sleeves were flared, the hem of her skirt dragged across the ground, and thin gold cords made a swirling design sewn to the material. Another woman, much younger, passed wearing a similar outfit except in midnight blue. Most likely, that was the style in the faery realm.
As we approached the emerald glass doors of the castle, they slowly opened. Somber men and women with pointy ears met us. The castle and the way the faeries were dressed reminded me of a modern-day court in Versailles, less the corsets and bustles.
A young woman with a long neck and platinum hair gathered in a loose braid broke from a large group of faeries. Her ears were like bat wings sticking out of her hair. She couldn’t have been much older than I was. “Good day,” she said. “I am Queen Titania. Welcome to Tír na nÓg.”
Are you kidding me? She was actually the queen of the Fey realm. And her name was the same as in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I glanced at Afton. The shocked look on her face matched mine. Maybe we were dreaming.
Emily slid a look at me and then down at the bag hanging across her stomach. She was thinking the same thing as me. If they knew what was in it, would they take the Chiavi away?
“Gianna Bianchi,” Titania continued. “It is my great pleasure to meet the presage. Agnost was my half brother. He had dreamt of you since he was a boy. It is sad he cannot be here for this momentous time.”
What does a girl say to something like that? It was odd and uncomfortable for people to put all their hope in me. My biggest fear was that I’d fail at whatever I was destined to do. Besides, I was just a seventeen-year-old girl, and barely, at that.
“You haven’t faith in yourself.” Her eyes, the color of coal, studied me. “That is good. If you have too much faith, you will not try as hard. Don’t lose your fighting spirit, Gianna. We all need you.”
Titania’s stare found the eight-year-olds. “Aetnae, who are these children?”
Aetnae lifted off my shoulder, flew over to the queen, and bobbed on the air in front of her. I couldn’t hear what Aetnae said. It must’ve been about the children, since Titania’s eyes kept darting to them as she listened.
After Aetnae had finished, Titania waved a man over. He was your typical tall, dark, and handsome type, except for the large ears with sharp points. She said something to him, and he strode over to Afton and the boys.
“The children are to come with me,” he said, clipped and direct.
Peyton looked up at me, her face a mask hiding her fear, but I could see it in her eyes.
“What will you do with them?” I asked, hoping to get answers for the little girl.
“They will be well cared for and protected.” Titania went to Peyton and knelt to look into her eyes. “I won’t let anyone harm you, dear one. Your friends need a curer.”
I squeezed Peyton’s shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”
“All right.” Her lips pressed together, and she extended her chin, that brave look returning to her face.
Peyton gripped the boys’ hands and the man escorted them down a long hallway.
“Our guards will take you to Katy Kearns,” Titania said as she turned to leave. The group of faeries followed her down a different hallway.
Three faeries, two men and a woman, wearing some sort of uniforms with capes lined in gold, led us down a long stairwell and escorted us into a laboratory. The lab was like others I’d seen—white and sterile.
My heart soared to the ceiling. Nana bent over a tall table, staring into a contraption with a copper arm holding a large oval glass. Her short, silver-gray hair fell in waves around her jawline. She had her favorite pair of dark jeans on, and a white button-down shirt. On either side of her were two older women, one tall and lanky with a thin face and long nose. I recognized the shorter one grasping a cane with a slight hunch to her back. Morta. She had taken care of me after I’d returned from the Somnium.
“Nana?” My voice sounded shaky, and tears spilled over my lashes. All the warmth from my childhood came rushing in, and though we were in unfamiliar surroundings, I felt like I’d just come home. Nana always said a place or town wasn’t a home until it was filled with people you loved.
She spun from the table and charged over to us. “Oh, my dear Gia. I’ve been so worried.”
I met her halfway and threw my arms around her. The familiar scent of her lavender soap and floral perfume filled my nose. “It’s really you.”
“Now, now.” She patted my back. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”
“Why are you here?” I drew back to look into those soft gray eyes of hers. The eyes that had always shown so much love and care for me. But they were stormy, her lids heavy from fatigue. Something was wrong.
“I was summoned.” She let me go. “Emily, you did a great job. She’s a little battered, but looks well.”
“I had a good teacher,” Emily said. “She wouldn’t stay still. Kept opening the wound in her shoulder.”
“Let me see.” Nana eased the right side of my trench coat off my shoulder and inspected the wounds. “Ena, we’ll have to stitch this.”
“Stitches? Do I really need them?”
“You do. Now, sit over there.” Nana pointed at one of the stools.
I collapsed onto the seat, teeth clenching in anticipation.
The glances Nana and the other women were giving each other concerned me. They were keeping something from us.
Ena clopped over to a table, grabbed some supplies, and joined us. She lined up the items on a table. Nana tied a rubber tourniquet around my arm and inspected it. “There’s a nice vein.”
Ena passed her a silver syringe with a long needle attached.
My eyes narrowed on the sharp needle as Nana aimed it at my arm. “I don’t think— Ow! Nana, you didn’t even give me a count-to-three warning.”
“It’s better to get it over with than to think on it too long, dear.” Nana pushed the plunger, delivering the clear liquid into my arm. Her lips were pursed tight as though she wanted to say something but held it back. It didn’t take long for the pain in my shoulder to subside, and she began stitching up the cut.
Nana turned to Afton. “Thank you for getting them out of that house in time. I couldn’t risk calling. Not after I learned Conemar discovered the location of our hideout.”
“I’d do anything to keep Gia safe,” Afton said.
“I know you would.” Nana rested her hand on Afton’s cheek. “We need your help here.”
“Certainly. What can I do?”
“There are so many sick and not enough hands to aid them.” Nana tied the final stitch in my skin and lowered her hand. “The curers could use your skills. Ena, please get Afton clean clothes and show her to the infirmary. She’ll need instructions, but she’s helped the curers before.”
After Ena and Afton were gone, I followed Nana to the contraption she was using when we arrived. Nana definitely wasn’t herself. It was as if a dark cloud hung over her.
Emily dropped onto one of the stools surrounding the work area.
“Why did you need me here?” I leaned my back against the counter, watching her. “I have to get back to the hideout in Ireland. Have you heard from Arik?”
“She has.” His voice, with that English accent of his, sounded foreign in contrast to the sterile room. His dark hair was messy, and his Sentinel uniform looked like he’d been in a war.
“Arik?”
Emily straightened her back and brushed her dark hair from her face. When we were hiding out in Branford, Conemar had put an evil witch spirit into Emily that had forced her to place a charm on Arik that made him like her. He’d broken up with me because of it. She was supposed to get information about Nick and me from Arik and feed it back to Conemar, but she had resisted and helped us during the battle on my front lawn. By her actions, it seemed she definitely liked him in a more-than-friends way.
Arik crossed the room. “You look quite a bit better, Gia.”
I look better? “How do you know how I looked?”
“I came to the house in Jamaica Plains to see you.” His eyes went to the bandage on my face. “You were completely out. Peaceful. Disturbing you would have been cruel. I would have stayed, but I was called away.” A sadness hung on his face, and he had dark circles under his eyes.
“Why are you here? What aren’t you telling me?” I pushed myself away from the counter and walked over to him. “You’re keeping something from me.”
He lowered his head. “While I was gone, our hideout was attacked.”
It felt like everything collapsed around me. “What? Where is everyone?”
Arik’s hesitation scared me.
“Was anyone hurt?” Tears burned the back of my eyes as I searched his eyes for answers.
He bit his bottom lip and lowered his head.
Oh no.
“Are they dead?”