Chapter 23: Family Ties

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"Where is she?" he inquired.

Edger patted his shoulder. "Not to worry, son. She'll be back soon." He winked. "But for now, let's get you guys some food and water. For the time being, we are allies, and we welcome you to our home."

"But, Edger!" Thebes groaned.

Edger ignored him. Fairy dust bounced off his wings as he lifted into the sky. He put his hands under Mateo's arms and helped him up. He lugged him into Joey's saddle.

While he worked, Ben said, "Sir, it's not the shoulder we're worried about, but the tummy."

"Oh, I know," Edger replied in a confident voice. "Crystal told me. The poor guy's been poisoned by the basilisk."

Just hearing the serpent's name, Evie shivered. Her great-grandfather injured her cousin. He betrayed the family.

Evie stuck close to Sam for the rest of the walk down the tunnel. She wrapped her fingers around his hand. His skin was smooth under her palm. Evie met his eyes. "Sam, why exactly did Euphorbia trap you again?"

Sam thought back to sixty years ago. "From what I remember, Evie, she was trying to protect me from a hunter. The basilisk was his pet."

"A hunter you say?"

"Yeah. What's wrong? Why do you look a little green around the gills?" Sam gave Evie's hand a small squeeze.

She paused in her tracks and stared at the tunnel's different-shaped rocks. "That hunter..."

Crystal broke her train of thought. "Come on. Keep up, guys. We're here." Sure enough, the party just reached the end of the path.

***

Seranet was a small but gorgeous village. Scattered around it were mushrooms and huts. The mushrooms themselves had doors and windows. Waterfalls and pools surrounded the area, and a wooden stage was in the center of the village.

Fairies were everywhere. They playfully flew around their hometown. A pixie opened the front door of her mushroom house. She smiled and joined her friends on an afternoon flight. Fae children raced a few unicorns. There was a unicorn stable at the edge of the village.

There may have been many different fae shapes and sizes, but Evie still noticed some things they all had in common: elf-like clothes, long hair, pointy ears, and white wings with different tints to them, such as green, blue, and orange.

The human-sized fairies stopped flying. They hovered and stared at the visitors.

A young, brown-headed girl about Evie's age plopped down in front of her and her friends. She wore a green tunic with gold trimming and a forest-themed crown. A huge grin stretched across her face. "Oh my gosh! Humans! Real humans!" Instantly, she inspected everybody. She flew around Evie and her friends and touched their non-pointy ears.

Mateo popped up a little bit on Joey, right when the fae girl reached him. She ran her fingers through his black hair. "It's so strange to see short hair."

Edger chuckled. "Especially a fae with short hair. Diana, can you do me a favor and escort these humans and bird to the visitor's center? At least until I get this kid settled at the hospital?"

Diana plopped down next to Joey. "Of course, Daddy." She patted the horse's black cheek.

Joey enjoyed her presence. He rubbed his nose against her side.

She laughed and hugged his muzzle. "Who's a good horse? You are."

Evie, still a bit disturbed, observed the lively village. She felt as if the canopy was going to collapse–like the side of a mountain during a rock slide. At the same time, she had so many questions about Mateo. If he was fae, then why didn't he have wings and pointy ears?

Evie took hold of the pebble in her jean pocket. "'Find Mam. Find Mam,'" she repeated to herself. She recalled when Grandma Gilbert gifted her the stone. There had to be more to those two words. What if "Find Mam" itself was the key to defeating the basilisk? There was too much going on. Evie could not think straight.

Thebes took Mateo away from Joey. He handed him off to Edger. The tall grass under the fae men went up to their shins. A few more fairies and pixies peeped out of their houses.

Mateo slapped his palm to his dry lips. His cheeks puffed out. Not again!

King Benjamin quickly got him a bag. He tossed it to Mateo. He threw up for who-knows-what number that day. "Please take care of him. He's my friend," Ben begged Edger.

"We will. He's in good hands, at least until your ambulance gets here," Edger said. "My daughter will give you a tour of the village. Right, Diana?"

"Yes, Daddy! Yes!" Diana said. She was the opposite of Thebes. She loved humans. She always found them fascinating. Diana jumped into the sky and started to dance on the air currents. Light green fairy dust trailed behind her. She enjoyed showing off to Evie and her friends, just as much as they enjoyed watching her.

Mateo looked over his injured shoulder. His heart sank at the sight of the beautiful, little fairy. "I'm never going to watch her grow up," he whimpered. "Maria, I hope that one day, you will find it in your heart to forgive me." He tugged at Edger's shirt sleeve. "Sir, does this village have a baby store?"

He smirked. "Nice try, kid, but you're not going anywhere–not until we get you better."

"But that's just the thing." Mateo collapsed to his knees. He almost ripped Edger's sleeve. A few tears ran down his burning cheeks. His next two sentences were nothing but mere whispers: "Chief, I don't want to get better. I want to die."


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