Ferry returned home after midnight. He had told his father that he would be late. He went to his room and threw himself on the bed. He felt tired. He could feel sleep coming over him. It had been a hard day, with the fire at the mansion and the excitement of the reunion. But now, it was over. He heard Thyme's wings flutter at his window and smiled. Knowing that his friend had returned made him feel safer and calmer. His presence brought him peace, even though Thyme was always ready to attack to defend him. He arranged his pillow better, but he felt a hard object underneath. He lifted the pillow and discovered his mother's small silver wristwatch. Next to him, a note with his father's sprawling handwriting: When you feel it's the right time, come home. This will always be your home. Dad.
Ferry slowly lied on the pillow. He stroked the cold metal of the bracelet and kissed the watch. He held it tight in his fist and pressed it over his heart, trying to match his heartbeat with the ticking of the watch. He had completely forgotten -- it was June 23rd. His birthday. Seventeen years since he was brought into the world of humans. A tear slid down his cheek. His first birthday without his mother. The first of many. And all joy dissipated. He lost sleep again. Ferry thought he would never find peace until he found out who killed his mother.
He remembered his last birthdays that his mother had tried to make as beautiful as she could. He remembered the berry and cream cake, her gifts, always the same, sweaters or knitted scarves, every year with a larger size. He remembered how much they kept him warm in the winter, knowing that they had been made by her. He thought about the birthday picnics prepared with so much care by Eileen that he spent with Matilda and Ben. Or the times when they roamed the hills from dusk until dawn. Or when he climbed trees with Matilda, with Ben mumbling underneath that the branches could break anytime. He remembered his fairy friends who didn't understand the meaning of birthdays which did not exist in their world, but who were trying to prepare something special for his birthday. None of those were going to happen, now that the time to leave Goodharts was coming. And nothing would have been the same without her, anyway ...
The next evening, he was to meet his fairy friends at Lavender's cottage. Thyme requested an emergency meeting. They had to discuss all the tragic events that had taken place in his absence. And the fate of Akna, as well as his fate, for that matter, now that his powers had come to light. Ferry thought it would not be a very pleasant meeting.
But before that, he had to meet Ben and Celia at the lake. His friends had invited him again to spend the day with them. They called Billy, too. Now that the mansion was burnt, Billy and his father were permanent guests in the Haughty family home. With Ferry's consent, Ben had told Celia who he really was. What the Quest meant. Ben trusted her completely, and Ferry trusted Ben that Celia would keep his secret. The girl had been horrified by the atrocities that had taken place at the Pride Mansion and had hardly accepted the fact that her parents knew and agreed with them. That made them all the more dangerous. That's why Ben and Celia decided to keep their love story a secret from Celia's parents. Celia's father was too upset, however, that the Quest had failed a second time in a row. He didn't care who Celia was seeing. Plus, as long as Billy was around, her parents would let her out of the house almost every time; they still hoped Celia and Billy would be together someday.
Ferry arrived at the lake at noon. Summer had taken over Goodharts and the heat waves were floating above the ground. Above him, somewhere in the heights of the crystal sky, he heard Thyme's wings flutter. Ferry then saw Ben and Celia on a blanket by the lake. Celia was reading something from a book to Ben, and Ben was looking at her. Ferry had never seen anyone so into another person. And he wondered if he had the same look in his eyes when he looked at Matilda. Unfortunately, Matilda didn't come to the lake, and Ferry wondered if that had anything to do with Sage's arrival.
At some distance, Billy was standing on the shore, watching the lake. Ferry saw his golden hair touched by the sun. He could feel a pain in his chest at the sight of him. Billy didn't greet him. He didn't even turn his head to him when he arrived. Ferry thought only how broken his heart was now that he had lost his mother and his home. And the only being with whom he had shared true love.
Ferry stepped closer to Ben and Celia, who waved their hands when they saw him. Celia handed him the book she was reading, a gift from Ben and her. Ferry read the title: Techniques for survival in the wild.
"Happy birthday, Elf," she smiled at him. "See? I've always known you were ... different. In a good way, of course. My intuition never lies," she winked.
Ferry smiled, a bit confused. "Thank you."
Celia stood up and dusted off the sand on her clothes.
"I'm going to talk to Billy," she told Ben. "He needs a friend now."
Ben glanced sideways at Billy, who didn't even seem to notice they were there."Can't you go later?" he mumbled, taking her by the hand. "Maybe he just wants to be alone."
Celia looked at him, with a small smile in the corner of her mouth. "Are you jealous, my brave knight?" she asked.
"No," Ben replied. "It's just that I don't like the idea that the boy your parents see as your future husband lives in the same house with you."
Celia kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Billy is like a brother to me. I've known him since I was a baby. Besides, my heart is taken forever," she smiled.
"I suppose you're right," Ben sighed, letting go of her hand.
Ferry smiled at his friend who was looking at his girlfriend as if every second without her was a torment.
"How do you know?" he asked Ben.
"Know what?"
"That it's more than a crush?"
Ben blushed. "I guess it's not just a crush when you think of her all the time. When she comes to your mind in the best and worst moments. When you feel her perfume hours after she left the room. When only the thought of her sweeps you off your feet or when you know what every twinkle in her eye means ... Or when you know every mole or mark on her body, " he added, stopping and realizing that he said too much.
Ferry nodded. He recognized himself in many of the situations described by his best friend. And even some more.
Ben changed the subject. "Bianca woke up. Sage was right. She doesn't remember anything that happened in Tenalach. I really think the Valley of Oblivion really has that power to make you forget anything."
Ferry frowned. Just mentioning Sage's name made him lose all his good mood.
"And now?" Ben asked. "What's next?"
Ferry turned sad. "I think I'll be leaving soon, Ben ..." he said in a low voice.
Ben didn't look him in the eye when he asked, "Do you want me to-- Do you want me to come with you? I mean ... I took an oath ..."
Ferry put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "No, Ben. It's too dangerous for people in Akna. Besides, I could never ask you to drop out of school. I know how important it is to you. I've never met anyone who loves to learn so much. Who wants to know so many new things. Never drop out of school, Ben. School will take you far. And you also have Celia ..."
Ben nodded slowly. "Will you ever come back?"
Ferry shrugged. "I don't know."
"You better get back sooner rather tha later. Time is running out faster here. You might find us with grandchildren ..." Ben tried to joke.
Ferry smiled at him and threw his hand around his friend's neck. "Thanks for everything, Ben. You're the brother I've always wished for."
Ben gave him a short hug. "Don't forget to visit us. I'm sure Akna can miss you from time to time. Don't kings have vacations?"
Ferry laughed. "If they don't, I'm going to make a law to give them vacations."
Ben turned serious. "I'll miss you, Ferr."
Ferry couldn't look him in the eye when he said, "I'll miss you too, Ben."
Throwing their arms round each other's neck, they set off for Celia and Billy.
"Billy wants to visit the house by the lake," Celia said. "He hasn't been there since he and-- And he'd like us to go with him, if you don't mind."
The boys nodded and followed Billy into the cottage. It looked different. It was clean, airy and smelled of scented candles. The beds and blankets that covered the couch were also clean and kept a trace of Celia's delicate perfume mixed with Ben's soap scent. A new inscription had appeared on the oak table: B + C, a sign that Ben and Celia were spending a lot of time there.
Ferry and Ben remained at the entrance, and Celia followed Billy inside, keeping some distance. Billy looked around the room, not daring to come in. He finally gathered the courage to step inside. He looked at the sofa by the fireplace where he had fallen asleep so many times in Kian's arms. He then walked over to the oak table and stroked his and Kian's initials embedded in the old wood. Then he fell to his knees, his head resting against the table, and began to cry softly.
Celia leaned over and took him in her arms.
"I miss him so much," Billy whispered through his sobs.
Celia said nothing, just held him in her arms. Ferry and Ben decide to retire and let Billy mourn his lost love.
The boys stared at the lake in silence. From time to time, a light breeze brought a wave of coolness with the smell of shore and water grass. Ferry sighed, wondering how much he would miss all the places in Goodharts he knew so well, but especially how much he would miss his human friends.
The two friends winced when they heard footsteps on the sand behind them, so lost they were in thoughts. Billy and Celia approached. Billy's eyes were swollen and red. He looked at Ferry."Ferry, could I speak to you?"
Ferry nodded, getting to his feet. He joined Billy on the lakeshore.
"Look, I know we weren't exactly friends," he said in a low voice. "Hell, I acted like a jerk with you and your friends. And I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Billy ..."
"No, it's not okay," Billy shook his head. "I'd rather you hit me. Or at least raise your voice at me. You and your friends ... I've always envied you. I've never had what you had. I think that's why I've always teased you. I learned late what kindness and compassion meant. I'm still working on it. I don't know if I'll ever succeed. Sometimes I don't feel anything ... And that scares me. And when I felt something... It was too little, too late, " he said softly, wiping away a tear quickly. "Anyway, I'd like to thank you for what you did for my father and me," he said. "You saved our lives. And that's no small thing. And I want you to know that I'm going to keep your secret. You have my word. A Pride always keeps his word."
Ferry nodded and they both shook hands.
"I wanted to give you something," Ferry said, taking a photo from his pocket. He handed it to Billy. It was a photo of his mother hugging Billy before the two of them were switched. The expression on her face said it all - pure love. "I want you to have it. My mother really loved you. And somehow, she found her way to you, without even knowing who you were. And I think, deep in her soul, she knew. And you probably felt it, too ... "
Billy looked at the photo and swallowed hard, trying to stop his tears.
"I felt it," he said softly. "Every time I was sad or upset, she miraculously appeared next to me. She used to say a few words of relief. But those words were the warmest, sweetest words I've ever been told. And the pain went away. " Billy took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that filled his eyes. He put the photo in the chest pocket of his shirt, next to his heart. "Thank you. It means a lot to me."
For a few seconds, they didn't say anything, looking at the calm rippling of the lake.
"May," Billy said at last.
"What about May?" Ferry wondered.
"I know there's something between you. Unfinished things. I want you to know I'm not going to give up on her. She's the only one who sees something good in me. The only one I have left ..."
Ferry did not answer. He remembered his last meeting with May and how cruel he had been with her. Billy was right. There were unfinished things between him and May.
"I know she feels something for you. She told me at the prom. But something keeps her from being with you. I don't know what, she didn't tell me. But now that you're leaving, I'm going to start seeing her. When it won't hurt so much ... " he added. "I just wanted you to know that," he said. Then he picked up his shoes, and slowly walked away from him.
Ferry looked behind him. Billy did not look back at the lake house but continued on his way to Haughty's house until he became a dot on the horizon, then was lost in the ravine next to the house.
*
When the crickets began to crawl into the grass and the owls sang the night's song, Ferry headed for Lavender's house. On the path to the cottage, he met Oona. The fairy was walking. From time to time, she would stop and pick a flower that she wove into a wreath. Parsley told him she had recovered almost entirely. The fairy blood she had received had saved her life. But it was the fairy blood she had received that worried everyone. How strong had she become because of it? Or better yet, how dangerous?
When she saw him, Oona smiled and waved at him. When Ferry reached her, the red fairy put a flower wreath on his head.
"Happy birthday, fairy boy," she said.
"Oona, what are you doing here?" Ferry asked.
"Well, Lavender told me I could use a good nighty-night's walk," she chirped cheerfully as Ferry remembered she used to. "But I know they just want to drive me away from the house so they can talk quietly. They haven't trusted me since I betrayed you on the day of the Quest. And they're right to think so."
Ferry smiled. Oona always said what she had in mind, no matter how disturbing the truth.
"How are you feeling?" he asked her.
"Serene. Reborn. Happy," she said, looking him deep in the eyes with her eyes like a forest. "And all because of you. Thank you for not giving up on me, even when I deserved it. But you have to understand that all my memories of you were buried deep. I had to reach the brink of death to remember you, fairy boy," she said, wrapping her arm like a white lily on his hand. "But I'm glad it happened. Not remembering those you care about is a terrible, terrible thing."
They both set off for Lavender's house.
"And what are you going to do now that you remember? Are you going back to Tenalach?"
"Actually, no," Oona said in her most natural tone. "I'll come with you to Akna."
Ferry stopped. "What?"
But Oona continued in the same carefree tone, "You need me, fairy boy. I know best how the enemy thinks. I've seen that place. I've known its people."
"But, Oona, it can be dangerous," Ferry protested.
"I don't care," she said, continuing her trail with Ferry following her footsteps. "We both have more in common than you think. We're both seventeen. You turned this age in the human world, but that matters less. We're both looking for our place in this world or the others. And we're both fairies."
"Yes, but you're a Sun fairy. And I am a Moon fairy."
Oona stopped and looked at him with her big, hypnotic eyes. "Actually, the moonlight also comes from the Sun, did you know that?"
Then she set off again, singing a song. Ferry hurried to catch up.
"Do the others know?" he asked.
"Well," she smirked. "But they'll find out soon."
"But--"
"Believe me, it's better to have me in your camp than in ... the other one."
"Is that a threat?" Ferry wondered.
Oona didn't answer. They had arrived. The others were already inside. Only Hoity Toity was waiting outside. He had not yet left, waiting for his reward. Oona smiled at his meaningfully, then she disappeared behind the house.
Ferry entered the salon and greets everyone. Lavender, Parsley, and Rosemary smiled at him. Sage frowned at the sight of him, but he also nodded. Thyme hadn't arrived yet.
Ferry sat on the divan by the window. He felt awkward. Sage was in the middle of the room, with everyone around him, and told everyone (for the hundredth time) the adventures he went through in Tenalach. How he got caught getting to the Blind Alley. How he'd been looking for Bianca for days on end, days that in Tenalach seemed like weeks in a row. How he gained the trust of the Blind Alley prisoners, then become their true leader. How he organized the riot and found Ben's sister. How he fought Saraid's guards who had multiplied since their last visit to Tenalach. How he got wounded and scarred, but with the help of his fighting techniques, defeated them all. How he found the Valley of Oblivion, having to become for a few weeks the servant of a gnome for him to show him the way. How he cooked in taverns to get food for him and his friends. And how he managed to hide Bianca in a sack that he carried tens of miles to the door between the worlds.
The others all listened to him, their jaws dropped, admiring looks in their eyes. From his seat, Ferry glared daggers at Sage, barely refraining from interfering. He suspected Sage had exaggerated some acts of bravery here and there. He did not dispute his courage, and the fact that he saved Bianca was worthy of all admiration. But Sage was an old fox. Or rather, an experienced dog. He knew how to play the role of the hero and how to charm everyone with his countless talents.
Now, Sage was telling a joke about a dwarf and a Leprechaun, and the others laughed that the whole house trembled. The laughter stopped when Thyme entered the room.
The raven man glared at them all, then sat down at the round table. The others all did the same.
"I think you all know why we're here," he began, his voice getting louder than usual. "There are no words to say how disappointed I am. Of all of you. None of you have accomplished your mission. None of you have accomplished the tasks for which you were brought here -- to prepare Garrett for Akna, and above all, to protect him, to keep him out of danger, " Thyme said through gritted teeth.
Sage interrupted him, "It's not like Garrett is the most obedient of all. He's always in trouble. He's looking for them. Trouble is his middle name," he growled.
"Shut your mouth, Sage! We all know who your only concern has been for the past years!" Thyme shouted, glaring at him.
Sage bowed his head, but his clenched jaw showed everyone how much he refrained from throwing poison at Ferry again.
"We came into this world with a purpose," Thyme continued, "To take care of Garrett until his time to return to Akna would come. And what did you do? You became too comfortable in this world. You should have seen this world as a host. Instead, you turned it into your home. You began to behave like people. To live among them as if you were one of them. To refuse to take your animal forms or to use them less and less. To reject your own nature! "
"And what would that nature be, Thyme?" Sage asked, looking him in the eye.
"To serve those who created us. Not to have feelings for those who have nothing to do with our nature," Thyme said, looking back at him.
Sage did not answer. His eyes sparkled and his long hair covered his face, making him look even more threatening. Parsley and Rosemary stared at the ground. Lavender frowned, leaning on her cane.
"It happened for as long as I was gone," Thyme continued. "Garrett has been in danger so many times ... You left him alone to go in search of a human girl. You let him face dangerous people and activate the Spear of Justice and the Moon's Tear, the stone on which Akna's fate depends. His human mother died and we still don't know if the fairies have anything to do with it ..." he said, seeming to calm down.
Ferry couldn't help himself. It was time to talk, "It's not just their fault," he said. "It's not like I wasn't ready for all the events that happened," he said loud and clear, raising his head to support Thyme's gaze.
"Oh, don't worry, Garrett," Thyme snapped. "You are not innocent either. You have been reckless. You have stuck your nose in the people's business and the ones of the Tenalach fairies."
Ferry stood up, "I had to, Thyme!" he raised his voice. "I couldn't let the Tenalach fairies die! The man who's behind this story, behind everything that's going on in this town, is dangerous. More dangerous than you think. And he shouldn't be underestimated."
Thyme stood up, too. Now, they were both looking at each other in the eye on either side of the table. "It wasn't your concern to get into the business of the Tenalach fairies!" he shouted.
"Don't you see it?" Ferry shouted back. "It's not just the fairies of Tenalach! It's this man, Albert Pride whose fairy's blood has been flowing through his veins for years. He's the real enemy! We don't know how old he is. We don't know who he is or if that's his real name. We don't know how strong or dangerous he is. We know he has a connection to the Hollowers. That's how he found Kian. I still haven't found peace knowing I had to do with his death. I can't sleep anymore because of that! "
"Then you shouldn't have participated in the Quest!" cried Thyme. "That shows how reckless you have been. How unprepared you are for everything that awaits you!" Thyme said, hitting the table with his fist.
"That's not true!" Parsley interrupted, standing up. "I tried to stop him from participating in the Quest," he said. "But his powers are greater than that. You didn't see them, but I was there. I saw what he could do. And I saw him conceiving the whole rescue plan for the fairies of Tenalach. I saw him defending others. I saw him sacrificing himself for others. I saw him for what he really is."
"And what is that?" Thyme asked, seeming to calm down.
"A true ruler," Parsley said, looking at Ferry. "The leader we've all been waiting for, for so long. He's ready," he said, sitting back.
Thyme nodded. He took a string from his pocket and tossed it to Ferry. Ferry caught it and studied - it was the raven's stone on a leather thread.
"Put it on," Thyme told him.
"Do you want to track me again?" cried Ferry. "Do you want to keep me on a leash again?"
Thyme stepped closer to him. He put his hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. "You have no idea how important you are to me, Garrett ..." he said in a low voice. "To all of us ... Please, keep it. You'll need it in Akna."
Ferry sighed and put the thread around his neck. "Happy now?" he asked.
He saw a trace of sadness in Thyme's dark eyes. "It's for your own good ..."
Ferry frowned. He didn't know what that look meant. He had never seen it before.
Thyme turned to the others. "Alright, that's all I had to say. We all need to prepare for the journey to Akna. Lord Stephan will be here soon. We'll be leaving with him."
They all got up from the table.
"Now it's time to forget a little about the worries," Lavender said and opened the back garden door, motioning for Ferry to go outside. As he crossed the threshold, he was greeted by his human friends. Matilda, Ben, May, they were all there. Hoity and Oona also joined them.
"Happy birthday," they all shouted in one voice.
Ferry smiled, a bit uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say. He saw Lavender's garden adorned with lanterns and colorful cutouts on which he discovered May's beautiful handwriting with best wishes for him. A long table, laden with all his favorite foods and drinks, stretched to the back of the garden. The air was cool and smelled of linen trees. The stars and the moon shone above. Everything looked great. It was almost perfect. Almost.
Ferry thanked everyone, stammering on his words. The guests then began to spread, laugh, joke, and enjoy all the goodies Lavender, Rosemary, and May had prepared.
Ferry retreated to a willow tree, where the lights were not so bright. All the events of the last few days had become overwhelming. And yet, he could not sleep. From behind the tree, he watched Sage laugh, his arm around Matilda's shoulders. He was telling for the one hundred and one times the adventures he's been through in Tenalach.
"How things have changed," he heard a voice behind him. It was Thyme.
Ferry did not answer, still keeping an eye on Sage who was now singing a cheerful song, clapping his hands. The others joined him, clapping their hands as well. Ferry barely refrained from rolling his eyes in front of Thyme. Sage was the type who could fight with one hand and knit with the other. And he was probably baking a pie and playing ball with one foot at the same time. His popularity was starting to get annoying to Ferry.
"I bet he's chatting with cats when he's dog-shaped," he mumbled, not caring that Thyme could hear him.
Thyme laughed loudly and his laughter resounded far and wide. "I doubt Sage has taken his animal form, lately. Not in her presence, at least."
Ferry realized that Thyme knew Sage's feelings for Matilda. It was so obvious.
"But their story, if there really is a story between them, is impossible. And he knows that. As you should know ..." he added, looking at Ferry.
Ferry looked away. In his case, too, it was pretty obvious how he felt about Matilda.
"I'm sorry I wasn't with you when your mother died," Thyme said softly. "I'm sorry I arrived so late. That I let you go through so much on your own ... I tried to get to you sooner when I heard the news about your mother. I even left before Lord Stephan arrived. But every time I found a door between the worlds, something happened. A sudden storm. Birds and animals attacking me. And that force ... That old, strong presence that I always felt every time I was coming closer to you ... As if-- "
"As if what?" Ferry asked, trembling.
"As if it was holding me back from you. It was like what happened while I was gone ... your mother, the Quest, Kian, and the Moon''s Tear ... Like they were all meant to happen ..."
"What do you think it was?"
"I don't know ... But it doesn't matter. I'm here now," he smiled. "And nothing will separate us. I have to go now. I want to try Lavender's blueberry pie. Besides, there's someone who wants to talk to you," he added, pointing to May who was approaching. "I have a feeling you'll appreciate her presence more than mine," he said, walking away.
May smiled at him as she came closer. She was holding a roll of paper tied with a blue satin ribbon.
"Happy birthday," she said, handing him the roll of paper.
Ferry took it and slowly untied the ribbon. He discovered his portrait painted by May's talented hands.
"I know you can't appear in photos. So I thought it would be nice to have a portrait of you at this age. It's important to know what we look like at certain ages," she added. "Try to guess what we were doing or thinking about at the time of the photo. I hope this will do it for you."
Ferry was speechless. The portrait looked exactly like him.
"Thank you," he said simply. "When did you do it? Where?"
"Some time ago. In class ..."
"How come I didn't see you drawing it?" he wondered.
"I think you were captivated by something. Or someone. You were looking at her ... Matilda. I wish you look at me the way you look at her," she smiled bitterly.
Ferry slowly folded the portrait. "Listen, May ..."
"You don't have to say anything," she said. "It's okay."
Ferry sighed. May was such a kind person. She didn't deserve the way he had treated her.
"People change, Ferry," she said softly. "We're not in third grade anymore. We're not children anymore. We're not even the same as we were three months ago. And it's normal to be like that."
For a while, they didn't say anything to each other. They just watched the others laugh and feel good.
"I'll be leaving soon, too," May said. "My aunt is not feeling well. Again ..."
"I'm sorry..."
"This illness ... It's so persistent. So wicked. Now you think you've gotten rid of it and everything will be fine. And then ... Then it comes back, fiercer than before," she added and Ferry saw two tears shining in her eyes.
"May, if I can help you with anything ..."
She shook her head, forcing herself to smile. "Don't pay attention to me. I don't want to ruin your day. You should have fun with others ..."
"I know, but ... Nothing is the same without her ..." he whispered.
She gently squeezed his wrist lightly with her cold hand. Then she tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek. Her kiss was just as cold, even though her lips rested for a moment on his cheek.
"I have to go now. Promise me you'll take care of you in Akna. I wish I could go with you. I took an oath for that ... But Thyme released me from the oath. I'd like to see you again, someday... " she whispered. Then she smiled and walked away slowly, leaving behind the soft scent of jasmine that had once made him feel so good ...
*
After the party, Ferry went home. He had dinner in silence with his father, then they both retreated to their rooms. His birthday had been difficult for both of them. And now, they were waiting for it to come to an end.
"It's been a long day, son. You should get some sleep," his father told him before entering his bedroom.
In his attic room, Ferry thought of his human friends and fairies and how much they meant to him. He was sorry for one thing, though-- that he hadn't been able to say goodbye to Matilda properly. He hadn't even had a chance to talk to her because Sage was always around as if he was guarding the most precious treasure.
He got out of bed lightly, knowing Thyme at his window. He removed the raven's stone from his neck and placed it on the pillow. Then he thought of Matilda and turned invisible.
Under the protection of invisibility, he slowly went down the stairs, then went out the front door of the house from where Thyme could not hear him. He knew it was wrong to sneak. He knew what a scandal it would be if his guardians found out. But he had no choice. He had to see Matilda.
When he reached the front of her house, he searched the area to see if Sage was around. But he didn't see any trace of him. It turned visible and flew to her window. It was open, but he couldn't just break in, so he knocked on the window. Unfortunately, Matilda did not have a balcony in front of her room, so he had to wait, floating in the air and hoping that Sage would not smell his presence.
He knocked once more, praying that she would be awake. He had never been to Matilda's room at such a late hour. Finally, he saw her ruffled head at the window.
"Ferry, what are you doing here?" she whispered.
"I had to see you. I had to talk to you. Can I come in?" he whispered back, looking around for fear of seeing Sage's face appearing in the dark and barking at him to wake the whole neighborhood.
Matilda walked away from the window and let him in. The moonlight entered the room, so there was enough light to see. The girl was wearing pajamas five times larger than her size.
"Were you asleep?" he asked her.
She shook her head. "I couldn't..."
"Me neither..."
"What was so urgent you couldn't wait?" she asked.
"Well ... I'll be leaving soon ... And I wanted to say goodbye properly."
She didn't look at him when she asked, "When are you leaving?"
"As soon as Lord Stephan arrives. In a few days ..."
"I wish I could come with you ..." she said with a sigh.
"Matt ..."
"I know it's not possible, this time. It's too dangerous for a human and blah blah blah ..."
"It is too dangerous for a human," Ferry said. "And blah blah blah," he tried to joke.
She didn't laugh but looked at him and her eyes shone in the moonlight. "What are you going to do alone in that world, Ferry?" she asked. "You're a stranger to that land and those people."
"I won't be alone, Matt ..."
"You know what I mean..."
Ferry nodded. For a few moments, they just looked at each other without saying anything. Between them, there was only the moonlight.
"I have to go now," he said.
She stretched out her hand. "Goodbye, Ferry."
So that's how they parted. With a handshake ... As if they weren't going to be separated from entire worlds already ... As if they weren't to be moons apart ...
He took her hand and held it in his hand. "Goodbye, Matt."
Then he turned and flew out the window. He heard the window close behind him. He floated in front of her window for a while, trying to calm his breathing and heartbeat. Then he went back.
He sat down on the outside of her window and pressed his back against the cold glass. "I wanted to tell you something, Matt," he said without fear that anyone might hear him. He just hoped she could hear him on the other side of the window. "I've wanted to tell you this for a long time. I can't just leave and not tell you ... What I feel for you is not friendship. Okay, maybe it was in the beginning. But even then it was more. You're a part of me," he said with a sigh. "You've always been. And to go now, so far, without you, it's like ripping a part of me. Maybe I'm leaving now, but only a shell of mine is leaving. Because a part of me will always be with you ... "
Ferry felt movement behind the window. Had she heard him? He turned when suddenly, the window opened and he fell on the hard floor. It took him a few moments to come to his senses. He could feel Matilda's fresh breath on his lips. He opened his eyes and saw her leaning over him.
"Ferry, are you okay?" she asked, barely breathing. "I'm so sorry," she gasped. "I didn't know you were there ..."
So she didn't hear him. But it was fine. He stood on the floor, looking at her. "See? You always make me slip off my feet," he laughed. He hit his head and probably had a large bump in the back of his head. But he felt a pleasant warmth embrace him as he had felt lately every time she was around.
Someone knocked on the door. It was Matilda's father. "Are you alright, darling?" he asked.
Matilda covered his mouth with her warm palm.
"I'm fine, Dad. I just fell out of bed ..." she said loudly.
"Be more careful, alright?" said her father, walking away.
Matilda gently removed her palm from his lips and helped him to his feet. She moved closer to his face, so close she could feel her cool breath on his cheek. She turned his face to her and looked him in the eye. She looked very determined.
"I thought about it," she said quickly. "Of course I'm coming with you." Ferry tried to say something, but she covered his mouth again. Ferry could smell the almond cake in her palm. "Don't try to make me change my mind. My decision is made."
"Matt, it's not a good idea. Akna hates humans."
"I'm going to disguise myself. They won't know I'm human. Fairies live among people; so can people live among fairies."
"What about school? And football?"
"You can't say I'm going to be an academic. And no one lets me play football here. I can't find my place in this world, Ferry. Maybe I'll find it in your world," she said, looking more determined than ever.
Ferry smiled. He couldn't help but hug her, burying his face in her soft, ruffled curls.
"You don't know how happy this makes me, Matt," he whispered. "It's the most beautiful birthday present."
She sighed, her cheek to his chest. "We still have one more obstacle."
Ferry pulled away from her embrace and looked at her. "What obstacle?"
"We're going to have to tell the others I'm coming."
Another long, long chapter before the final one. Don't forget to vote. I know by now that the comments will be gold. Can't wait :)