The Lake of Twenty-Five Thousand Lovers.
I finally let out a giggle at that terrible name and glance back, but FAE's gone. It's like the path ends where I left her.
Invisibility spells can really mess with your head.
I try to shrug it off, but my heart's beating too fast as I pick up my pace.
This new world is so strange... but it's also beautiful.
I just gotta get used to it.
Birds are singing in the branches above me, and light is reflecting off something on the other side of the forest to my right. That's gotta be the lake, right?
I'm giddy with anticipation as I break into a slight jog.
I still can't believe this is happening to me!
I'm high on life—but very out of breath—by the time I finally reach the little wooden sign marked "A and B."
It leads me down another path, deeper into the woods and away from the lake, and then it abruptly ends.
There's nothing here, and my giddiness fades a tad, replaced with fresh anxiety.
What now?
I stand there for a moment, waiting for more shimmering, but there isn't any. Where's FAE when ya need her?
"Halllooo?" I call out. "Where do I go next?"
"The elevator," a man says. "Ugh. Obviously."
I turn around, my heart leaping into my throat.
There's a very... petite man staring at me from the ferns a few feet away.
He's wearing a medieval-looking outfit in shades of green and brown, with a pouch hanging from his waist, and he's slender and short, maybe three feet tall. If it wasn't for his chest-length beard, I'd mistake him for a boy.
I blink at him stupidly, my mouth hanging open.
He looks like a freakin' cookie elf.
Holy crap. Is he an elf?
Shit, I'm gaping. I slam my mouth shut as he stalks past me.
"Idiot kid," he mumbles.
Oh my God. I was so rude, staring like that.
Also... he was right.
There's a freakin' elevator just hanging out in the middle of the woods. How'd I miss that? It's almost entirely made of transparent glass, and it's parked beneath a tree, crushing a bunch of ferns.
Elf guy stops at the doors, hands crossed behind his back, and then whirls to face me with a snarl.
My cheeks go fiery hot, and I avert my eyes, trying to figure out where the elevator even goes. It doesn't look like it's attached to anything...
I look up, and I'm gaping again.
Wow.
Just wow.
There are cabins in the treetops!
Each one is built around a massive Redwood tree on a circular platform. There are lots of big windows, and I can see the tree trunks through them. Redwood trunks, inside the cabins. Just another part of the decor.
How cool!
Which one's mine?
I can see a whole long row of cabins from down here, all connected by flimsy bridges that are gently swaying in the breeze.
Gently swaying two hundred feet in the air.
My smile fades, and I take an involuntary step back. They're cool to look at, but, uh, me and heights? We don't get along.
Mr. Elf clears his throat, and I glance over at him. He's tapping his brown boot impatiently, and when he sees me looking, he sticks out his tongue.
It's so absurd, I have to slap a hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing.
So far, Sequoia Aegis Base has some strong fantasy theme park vibes, except they've got the rudest park attendants ever. Not that I've ever been to a theme park, but still... I imagine the people working there wouldn't act like FAE and this guy.
I shake my head and force myself to walk up to the elevator, trying to ignore the man's surly presence.
This is so awkward, but I don't know how to fix it. I shouldn't have gaped at him when I met him... That's probably why he's being so mean.
Oh well.
At least he's not trying to make small talk.
Why not? I bet he'd be good at it. Har har.
Shut up, brain. Not nice!
I let out a snort anyway at the thought.
"Moronic child," Elfhole mumbles from under his bushy beard, shooting me another dirty look.
What a jerk. I want to stick my tongue out at him and call him names back, but that obviously won't improve this situation.
I take a deep breath and resolve to ignore him as I study the elevator doors.
There's a small metal disc embedded in one of them, and it's engraved with the same hieroglyphic-looking eye FAE had, but this one's blinking red.
"FAE?" I ask quietly.
Nothing happens.
"Ugh," Elfhole says, reaffirming his opinion of me. "Come on."
My nostrils flare, but I don't spare him a look.
Why isn't he helping me?
Clearly he works here.
Clearly he knows where we're supposed to be going.
Isn't he, like, the bellhop elf?
The Belfhop?
Elfhole the Belfhop. Ha.
I fumble for my keycard in my pocket, smirking even though I feel like I want to cry, and hold it up to the disc. The hieroglyph shifts to bright green, and the elevator doors slide open.
Belfhop hurries into the elevator first, then stands in the corner with his arms crossed over his chest, looking like someone took a piss in his whole cookie stash.
I take another deep breath, glancing up at the treehouses again.
Oh God, am I really gonna do this?
Be scared, and do it anyway.
I force myself to step inside, and the doors slide shut behind me.
I'm gripping my suitcase tightly, waiting, because I don't see any buttons, when the elevator suddenly takes off, shooting up into the trees. I let out a scream as I grab the nearest railing.
Why'd I have to get a treehouse cabin when I'm terrified of heights?
"Why me?"
"Why me?" Belfhop echoes, as if I said it aloud.
Wait, did I say that out loud?
Oops.
I risk a glance at him as the elevator slows, but he's not looking at me anymore. There's a sheen of sweat on his brow, and he looks kind of... sick. I can empathize with that.
"Godsdamn headache... the pain... punishment." He's muttering under his breath. "Shit. Let someone else do it... waste of time..."
I edge away from him, willing the doors to hurry up and open.
Instead, the elevator takes off sideways, and I gasp, grabbing for the railing again.
But I don't fall over. Something—a magickal something—is keeping me upright as we hurtle sideways over the treehouses.
Unfortunately, I can see them all through the clear glass floor.
I'm panting and white-knuckling my suitcase and the railing when we finally glide to a stop.
Belfhop is holding onto his head and wincing. When his gaze lands on me, his expression shifts from open resentment to what seems to be... undisguised hatred.
Yikes. Get me off this ride!
The doors slide open, and I stumble out onto the circular wooden platform.
Belfhop doesn't try to follow me. He must be going back down to escort the next lucky student.
As soon as the doors close, the elevator takes off, heading back the way it came. There's now a railing and a solid bronze panel where the elevator doors once were. Weird.
I have no clue how I was able to step through that solid panel, because it was not there when I arrived.
Guess it's... magick.
I'm smiling again at the thought that magick is actually real, but my heart starts rocketing around in my chest again as I turn to take a look at my cabin.
I'm so high up right now.
But... the cabin looks even cooler from up here! It's like a fairytale treehouse—crafted from curved planks and a thatched roof. A big window in front offers me a glimpse of an empty bedroom, and the rounded door has bronze letters that read "A-12."
On both sides of my cabin, there are scary-looking bridges made of rope and wooden planks. The one to my right leads to the next cabin over, and the bridge to my left leads to a spiral freakin' staircase that winds down a neighboring Redwood tree's trunk. It must lead all the way to the ground.
I wouldn't know, though, 'cause I ain't looking down. And I'm certainly never taking that staircase. I'll ride with Belfhop any day.
I let out a nervous laugh and take the few cautious, shuffling steps that are necessary to reach my cabin's door.
Instead of a doorknob, there's an engraved bronze disc with the same FAE eye I've seen everywhere else. I know the drill.
I get my keycard from my pocket, hold it up, and the disc blinks green.
As the door slides open, my smile slides off my face.
Apparently, I have a roommate.
And I already know we're not gonna be friends.
'Cause friends don't push friends down hundred-foot-high staircases.