I wake slowly and realize I'm shivering. Evidently, I've fallen asleep on the picnic blanket next to what feels like a vampire-sized glacier.
"Wave, don't go. Please. I'm sorry. I didn't ..." the glacier says.
"You're sorry about what?" I say, trying to get a hold of the edge of the blanket to capture some of my own body heat.
Pierce's eyes pop open, and he looks at me sheepishly. "Nothing ... I was just ... dreaming." He wraps his arms around me and squeezes.
"Pierce, a little lighter. I need to breathe."
"Sorry, Wave. And you're cold!" In less than a second, the remnants of our picnic are stacked neatly on the ground, and we're cocooned inside the blanket. It's still cold—I mean, vampires have little body heat—but then he presses those full lips onto mine and kisses me, slowly, until I'm practically panting. Oh, right, I'm totally not cold now. He wrinkles his nose. "You smell like garlic."
"And you still kissed me?"
"I forced myself," he says, grinning.
"Just so I understand, the garlic makes my blood all tainted and stuff, right?" I say, hopefully.
"No, Waverly," he says. "Your blood still smells delectable." His stomach growls.
Urgh!
"Oops. Sorry."
An owl screeches from a nearby tree. The full moon is just rising in the sky. "Eels meals! Pierce, we slept through two classes! I'm gonna get a five-hour lecture from my dad, and then he'll make me graph parabolas on the beach this weekend until I either die of sun exposure or boredom."
"I'm sure he'll understand," says Pierce.
"You don't know my dad," I say.
"I don't," says Pierce, looking strangely guilty again. "Why would you think I did?"
"I don't. Pierce, are you okay?"
"Yes, but we should get back." He looks up at the moon. "It's almost time for Enchanted Dance."
Oh, right. I know all about fairy dances. You have to dance until your feet are bloody. No thanks! "Maybe we should stay here and watch the moon rise. I mean, we've missed so much already. What's one more class?"
"I think you should go. No sense getting on fairy princess Iridessa's Bad List. And I have an idea."
"What do you mean, I should go? Aren't you coming?"
"The entire school will be at the dance. It'll be a great opportunity for me to sneak into the Headmaster's office. I could try to do it during the day, but there might be less chance of getting caught if I go now."
"What about you being on Iridessa's Bad List?"
"I'm already on it. One more incident won't make any difference."
He gives me that crooked grin with full-on dimple action. I scramble out of the cocoon.
As soon as we are both free from the blanket, everything disappears in a sparkly tornado of fairy dust—the blanket, the pillows, the empty pizza pan, the ... um ... bottles. "Wow, Pickles thinks of everything," I say.
Pierce pulls me into his arms, facing him this time, and suddenly we're a meteor streaking across a sky dominated by a lemon moon.
As we approach the glade where the dance is to take place, I can feel the magic of the fairy dust buzzing against my skin, like diving into ocean foam.
We land in the back of the chattering mass of students gathered at the base of a stage made from an enormous tree stump. Fairy princess Iridessa, in full pink ball gown attire, is perched on top of it, wearing her crown of live butterflies over her fuchsia hair and smoking her ever-present pipe. Some of the teachers are there too, seated on smaller stumps next to the stage. My dad isn't here. Thank Poseidon! He never was much for land-based dancing.
"I'll see you back at the cabin after the class, Wave," Pierce says, kissing the top of my head. Before I can respond, he's a blur.
"Please pay attention, class," says fairy princess Iridessa in her high-pitched voice. "Lily-Bella? Vang? Could you please come up here and help me demonstrate?"
"Psssst, Waverly! Over here!" It's Pickles. Even though it's chilly, she's wearing shorts like the ones she made for me.
"Hey, Pickles. Wow!" We hug, and I do an excellent job of not crushing the life out of her! "That picnic you sent was amazing. Thank you so much."
Pickles blushes, obviously very proud of her work. "Glad you liked it. First time I ever made pizza! So tell me. You missed class today. Um, what happened with you and Pierce? I mean, everyone kind of noticed."
"We fell asleep."
"What!" Pickles says, shocked.
"Nothing happened, Pickles. Poseidon's beard! I thought fairies were supposed to be all virtuous and stuff."
"Believe me, we are," says Pickles in a sorrowful tone. "At least the fairy godmothers-in-training have to be."
F.P. Iridessa clears her throat in annoyance. "See how Lily-Bella and Vang are floating? That's what you will all be attempting. Now, everyone, find a partner. Quickly, before the moon reaches its apex. That is when the magic is the most concentrated and accessible."
"Where's your partner?" Pickles says, scanning the crowd for Pierce.
"Uh, he wasn't, um, feeling good. He went back to the cabin."
"I didn't think vampires got sick," Pickles says. Students are shuffling around, whispering and giggling in their quests for partners.
"I think something's going around," I say. I don't enjoy lying to Pickles, but I really don't want her involved with the issue of the toxic water. We're dealing with someone ruthless enough to hurt millions of creatures living in the bay, after all. This is when I notice she isn't really listening to me anyway. "Who are you looking for?"
"No one," Pickles says. I follow her line of sight and watch as her eyes settle on Fintan Byrnes.
He looks back at Pickles, and he gives her sort of a squashed smile, but for him I think it's the equivalent of a huge grin.
"Go dance with Fintan," I whisper. "I think he likes you."
"It doesn't matter," says Pickles. "And I don't want to lead him on. He's way too nice, and he's already been hurt by enough people."
Fintan is making his way through the crowd to Pickles. She hides behind me. I spin and hold her shoulders. "Pickles, why can't you like someone?"
She looks at the ground. "I know you're going to get upset."
"I care about you, Pickles. You can tell me anything."
"Fairy godmothers-in-training aren't allowed to date. We are betrothed at birth and must marry on the eve of our eighteenth year."
"No!" I say. I can't believe it. Merfolk haven't had arranged marriages since the Middle Ages.
"I'm afraid it's true," she says.
"Hello, Waverly." Fintan nods solemnly at me. Pickles steps out from behind me, and when Fintan sees her, his green eyes radiate with light. "Would you like to be my partner, Pickles?" He offers her his hand.
"I'm ... um ... sor ..."
"I really wish you would," I say, knowing she'll have to do it now. What? Friends help friends in any way possible.
"Sure, Fintan," she says, taking his hand. She tries to frown at me, but I can tell she's super happy. He leads her toward the stage where the students are gathering in a circle.
I stand back, watching Fintan and Pickles join the circle. I'm still kind of groggy from napping on the cliff. All I want to do is go back to sleep, so it's good Pierce isn't here. And all the students seem to be paired up.
"No decent fairy dance is performed with feet touching the ground," the F.P. continues. "It's simply vulgar. An affront to mother earth."
Gloria, the earth goddess herself, is seated in the front row of teachers, dripping mud. She waves at the gathering with a tiny flick of her hand, then whispers something to Cupid, who is dangling from a tree branch upside-down. In his toga! If you want to know what the gods wear under their togas, don't ask me. I'm way too embarrassed to talk about it! But I will say this much—Cupid is totally hot! Whatever Gloria whispered causes Cupid to roar with laughter. I guess they've worked out their 'artistic differences' from earlier today in Life Drawing and Sculpting.
Iridessa shakes her head at them, then throws her smoking pipe into the middle of the circle. A bonfire, as high as the treetops, blazes to life. The fire cracks and sputters and sparks float like fireflies.
From somewhere we can't see, music rises into the glade. It is old music, reverent and ethereal, a sonnet to the moon. Goosebumps run up my arms and down my back. The dancers in the circle levitate and begin dancing a foot off the ground.
"Where were you guys?"
I whirl around to find Cupid standing right behind me. I could've sworn he was in his tree only a moment ago. It's really hard to keep tabs on people at a school for supernatural beings. Cupid wriggles his golden eyebrows at me.
"Which guys?" I ask flatly.
"You and Pierce."
"None of your business, Cupid." Okay, maybe I say this a little too defensively. I'm still not used to the whole 'god deference' thing.
"All love is my business, mermaid. Speaking of which, what do you think about Pickles and Fintan?" He nods in their direction.
They are floating higher than the others, twirling and spinning in the firelight. I have never seen Pickles look more radiant. When I first met her, she told me she was clumsy, but in Fintan's arms, she is dancing even more beautifully than Lily-Bella. I sigh. "Pickles says she's not allowed to date. It's a stupid fairy godmother rule."
"We'll see about that," says Cupid.
Moments later, I hear a scream. It's Pickles; she must have lost her concentration! It's as if the magical floor holding her up is pulled from beneath her feet. She's falling toward the raging bonfire.
In less than the time between heartbeats, Fintan leaps through the flames and catches her. He wraps his body around hers and carries her to safety. I rush over. Fintan is unscathed, and so is Pickles. Even their clothes are fine, though grey smoke rises from Fintan's entire body. What is this guy who seems to have such mastery over fire?
"Miss McPhee, Mr. Byrnes?" Headmaster Crumpet appears next to the couple. "Are you quite alright?"
"Yes, sir," says Fintan.
"Uh, huh," says Pickles. She's gazing into Fintan's eyes as if she's mesmerized.
"Miss McPhee, are you sure?"
"I'm fine," she says. Fintan is still carrying her. She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him full on the mouth. Yes, in front of everyone!
"Pickles!" I say.
She looks at me and grins.
Fintan turns the same red as the fire. "I will take her back to the cabin to rest," he says. He walks away, not even bothering to wait for permission.
"All right, students," says Headmaster Crumpet. "You may continue." He grabs F.P. Iridessa's arm and leads her to the dance circle. It's hilarious to see Iridessa trying to be graceful with Crumpet, who's barely tall enough to reach her chin.
"Did you do that with Fintan and Pickles?" I whisper to Cupid.
He gives me a bow. "Love god," he says, winking at me.
You have to admit, Cupid's got the best job a god could have!
I trust Fintan, but I'm still going back to the cabin to make sure Pickles is well cared for. I have to. She is my fairy godmother and my best friend!