by Jaclyn Weist
No. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t me. I wasn’t Bryce, or Oona, or anything like that. I stalked over to the mirror on my too-tall legs and stared at who—no, what—I’d become. There was nothing recognizable anymore. What had they done? I turned away, but stopped when I noticed something around my neck. The locket Jared had given me.
I clung to it as I sat down on my bed and put my head down on my knees. I reached deep and found that small pocket of luck I’d almost forgotten about. I pulled hard on it, trying to get out of this body. The pain started again, but this time, it started at the tips of my fingers and toes and pulled back into a ball in my stomach. I took every ounce of luck that I’d managed to pull in and pushed to force the ball out of me.
But it fought. The black inky power tried to wrap itself around my luck, but I wouldn’t let it. I’d seen what it could do, and I wasn’t going to be that … that thing. I screamed as the luck pushed the blackness out of me. I screamed again and held on to the blankets of my bed, vaguely noticing the black streaks I left as I clawed my way forward toward my pillow.
My hands and arms went a sickly green, and then a brilliant red, and I pushed harder. I was human. I had Jared, Beth, and Adam waiting outside for me. I had to get back to my family and make sure nothing happened to them. I squeezed my locket as I concentrated on those I loved the most. Louie, Eoin, and Patrika followed my family, and then April and her fairy friends came next. I could do this. I’d done so much before this.
When my skin color changed back to my own, I pushed harder. Jared. I needed him. I needed him to know how much I loved him. And Maddie. Maddie needed her sister back. Who else would help her survive high school?
With one final, agonizing scream, my luck finally pushed the power out of me. I didn’t need that in me. I didn’t need the darkness. I wasn’t going to be that kind of queen in this world. I felt like I’d been torn apart, but I knew I’d done it. I’d banished what was trying so hard to make me a demon. I collapsed and drifted into sleep.
JARED
Jared leaned against the wall, waiting for Megan to come out of her room. She had looked terrible when they shut the door and locked it, and he was worried sick that something had happened to her. She’d already tried the first transformation, and it had covered her in tattoos. He couldn’t imagine how much worse it could get.
“Your Majesty?” A young fairy stood in front of Jared and bowed.
“Uh, are you talking to me? The Majesty is in there.” Jared gestured toward Megan’s door.
He looked up in confusion. “You are Jared, are you not?”
“Yes, but—”
Louie appeared next to the fairy. “Jared—Your Majesty—this young man would like to have you fitted for new clothes.”
Jared had no clue what was going on, but he figured by Louie’s expression that he’d better listen. Louie disappeared, and Jared stood to follow the servant back into his room, where Adam stood on a stool, getting fitted for a suit. Jared hid a smile, and climbed up on another stool next to Adam.
“What’s going on?” Jared whispered.
“Your guess is as good as mine. I think they figure that if Megan has to suffer, so do we. Have you seen what they’re trying to make me wear?” He pointed over at his bed. A rather frilly suit lay there. It was a light blue that clashed with the dark green socks they brought for him.
“Wow, that’s ugly. I mean, just awesome.” Jared cringed at the look on the fairy’s face.
Adam laughed. “Yeah, well, that’s yours.”
Jared frowned. The suit was gold with brown buttons. Lace ran around the collar and all the way down to the bottom of the jacket. The pants were also gold, and the bottoms were short enough that they’d only go to his knees.
“No. I’m not wearing that. Um, sir? Could I get something with less lace? And maybe in black?”
The fairy stared up at him for a moment before bowing. “Of course, sir. We’ll have these taken away and destroyed.”
“As they should be,” he muttered.
Adam snorted. “Think you could get them to change mine too?”
“Oh, uh, sir? My friend here would like the same as well. Thanks.” Jared smiled until the fairy bowed again.
Once the fairies were satisfied with the sizing, Adam and Jared were allowed to go. They darted out of the room and around the corner.
“Oh, man. That was awful.” Jared laughed.
“That’s just the beginning.” Louie stared up at him, amused. “Both of you, come with me. We might have a slight problem.”
They followed him into a small closet, and he secured it before saying anything.
“Jared, I hate to say this, but you’re now unofficially the king of the fairies. As part of the position of fairy queen, Megan is required to have a fairy king. Adam can’t do it, obviously, and since you two are already dating, this is the best way. I hope you don’t mind.”
Jared felt like he’d been hit over the head with a baseball bat, and Adam looked like he felt the same way. Of course, if anyone was going to marry Megan, it was going to be him, so it made sense. But marriage? Fairy king? Jared could think of so many other things he’d rather be doing.
Adam slugged him in the shoulder. “Jared? You there?”
“Oh, right. Sure. I can do that. I don’t have to actually do anything, right? I mean, besides protecting Megan?”
“No, not unless you want to. The queen rules, and the king supports. Unless we go to war, which we probably will. Then you’re in charge. Or you can appoint someone else to do it. Like Adam.”
By the time they left the cramped closet, Jared’s head was spinning. Adam asked him to go practice with the sword, but Jared waved him off. He needed to be there when Megan woke up. He walked back and sat on the floor, staring at the wood finish around the hallway. They’d told him there was a sound barrier around the room, but he hoped he could hear if she needed help.
MEGAN
Night had fallen while I slept, and it was dark in the room. I noticed that what was left of the gown I’d been wearing was in shreds and soaked with sweat. Ugh. No wonder Eoin had shown me the wardrobe before he left. I climbed out of bed and walked on shaking legs to pick out a dress. I was more awake than I’d been before, but I was starving. The gowns inside the wardrobe were made of rich materials, but I couldn’t see the colors in the dark. There was one gown that was made of a lighter material, so I slipped it on. It was loose on me, so I had to cinch it up.
I pulled my hair back, wishing I had a ponytail holder. It was too hot to wear it loose. I bent down, and found a piece of my shredded dress, and used it to tie up my hair before going over to open the door. They’d locked it. Probably for the better. I knocked and called out, but no one answered. Oh. Sound proof. Great—how was I supposed to get out?
I pounded harder, but I could tell the sound was muffled. It was too dark to find anything to throw at the door, so I fumbled around for some form of light. A few candlesticks lay on their sides next to the bed. I picked one up and felt around to find some way to light it. Nothing.
Wait—I was supposedly the next fairy queen. Or whatever I was supposed to be. Shouldn’t that mean I have magic? I thought of a flame and threw the idea at the candle, but nothing happened. Maybe it needed a magic word. Not happening. But then, what if it was still my luck? I hurried over to the window to examine the candle. The tip of the wick was blackened from use, so what if I just coaxed the flame that had once been there? I pulled hard on my luck and pushed it into the candle. At first, there was resistance, but then it suddenly burst into flame.
I yelped and almost threw it, but caught myself just in time. No need to burn the place down with me inside. But more light would be useful. I lit every other candle I could find in the room, and then wanted to put the light back out. The room had been completely destroyed. What had I done?
A knock came at the door, and I ran through the mess to get there before they left. I tried the latch again, but it was still locked.
/>
“Megan?” Jared’s voice was muffled, but filled me with warmth.
“I’m here. Help me out.” I pounded again, hoping he’d hear me.
There was a shuffle on the other side, and Jared yelled to Beth and Adam to come help him. A scraping sound was followed by the groan of the door opening.
“Everything okay in there?” Beth asked. “Don’t come yet, you two. We don’t know if she’s decent.”
I laughed and pulled the door open. “I’m fine. I’ve been trying to get out.”
“We didn’t—” Beth stopped, her eyes wide. “What happened to you?”
The others had the same horrified looks on their faces. I felt my face and looked at my arms, but didn’t see any difference.
“What’s wrong?” I looked between them, but none of my friends would meet my eyes. “Beth. What’s wrong with me?”
Beth bit her lip, and I panicked. The fact that she had nothing to say scared me more than anything. She was usually pretty blunt.
I ran back into the room and peered in the shattered mirror. My eyes were a piercing blue, and I was thinner—like, thin enough to make my cheekbones predominant. And my hair … it was gold. Not blonde. Gold. Right next to my left ear was a four-leaf clover tattoo. It was faint, but it was still there. No, no, no. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I agreed to be queen. I fought hard to stay myself through that transformation, and I still ended up like this?
“Are you okay, Megan?” Beth asked quietly.
I whipped around. “No. I’m not. Besides being the creepy whatever I am now, I’m starving.”
“Can we talk about it at least?” Beth put her hand on my arm, and I jerked away.
“I’m sorry. I’m just jumpy. I mean, look at me.” I grabbed a chunk of my hair. “I’ll be lucky if I don’t have leprechauns after me to shave my head.”
Beth snorted. “Lucky. I mean, it’s not that bad. You look pretty cool, actually.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Would you like to look like this?”
“Nope. Now, come on. I hear there’s a feast down the hall. Louie and Patrika made sure that the fairies didn’t make the food for us.” Beth walked out of the room.
I glanced one more time at the mirror before leaving. At least I had no other features that would make me stand out when I got back to earth. Hair could be dyed—or shaved—and there were colored contacts. As for the tattoo, people already knew I was lucky, so it would be easy enough to brush that one off.
Jared met me at the door and took my hand. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was so scared for you in there.”
“Okay is relative, but yes. It could have been much worse. I thought I was being pulled apart, but thanks to you, I was able to save myself.” I reached up and kissed him.
“What do you mean? I wasn’t anywhere near you. The fairy guards made sure of that.” Jared glared at the guards standing a few feet away.
I held up the necklace he’d given me. “This helped me remember who I am.”
Jared pulled me close. “I’m glad I was able to help in some way.”
“Are you two coming?” Adam asked. “I’m starving.”
“Oh, right. Food. I need some food.” My stomach growled in agreement.
We walked to the banquet room, flanked by several fairy guards. I was told to sit at the head of the table, and my friends sat to the sides. I tried not to think of the last time I’d sat at this table. Jakob had taken the poisoned fruit from Oona and eaten it himself.
The table was filled with meats, vegetables, and puddings. When everyone looked up at me expectantly, I jumped. “Oh, that’s me. Eat!”
The others at the table dug in, and Jared turned to me. “What would you like?”
“All of it.” I took a whole chicken and set it on my plate, then added some vegetables. “Are you sure this food is—what are you laughing at?”
Jared buried his head in his arms, still laughing. When he finally came up for air, he wiped his eyes. “You weren’t kidding when you said you wanted all of it.”
“Hey, that whole transforming thing took a lot out of me.” I tore into the chicken, no longer caring if it was cursed or not. The spices were strong, but I just kept eating. When the chicken and the vegetables were gone, I rinsed them down with a large glass of grape juice. My stomach still screamed at me, so I grabbed another chicken, wishing I had some beef to go along with it.
“Megan, stop it,” Beth hissed. “I know you’re starving, but you’re going to make yourself sick.”
I looked down at the third chicken I’d grabbed. She was probably right. I sat back and wiped my hands. “Ugh, I’m still hungry.”
“You just ate more than the rest of us combined.” Adam took a drink of his juice. “I need to give my compliments to the chef. I think Louie outdid himself. He’s come a long way since that nasty slop in his cave.”
“I heard that.” Louie glared at him and turned to me. “The food was to your liking?”
I smiled down at him. “Yes. You did well. I could have kept eating.”
Louie nodded. “You’ll be doing a lot of that in the next few days. For now, rest up. Tomorrow, you will have to meet with some of the other leaders who have arrived.”
Jared stood and pulled my chair back so I could stand. “Can we go on a walk first? I want to talk to Megan before she goes back to sleep.”
“Of course. Just don’t stray too far.” Louie’s eyes held a fear in them that hadn’t been there before.
“What’s going on?” I asked, dreading the answer.
Louie scratched his head and looked around before taking my hand and leading me away from everyone else. “We did an inventory on the prisoners after Oona died. All but one was accounted for.”
My heart stopped for a second. “The grey man?”
He shook his head. “No, he’s still there. And angry about it. O’Malley is gone. We don’t know how he got out, but we have people going after him right now.”
Awesome. “And we don’t know where he is?” Fear and anger coursed through me. He was almost as bad as the grey man. Okay, probably worse, with his magic. Either way, I had no desire to see either one ever again.
“We have no idea. He keeps moving. But if other reports are to be trusted, he’s building an army. Most of the leprechauns are still on earth, so he’d be looking for other creatures. It does not bode well for you.”
“I can imagine it’s bad for you as well. If you need to run, I understand.” O’Malley had gathered plenty of nasty creatures on earth before Louie helped me stop him.
“No, I’m here to protect you. I got you into this mess.” He turned to walk away, but stopped. “I’m proud of the way you held on to yourself in there. I’ve seen devastating results from the transformation.”
I stared at his back as he walked away and shook my head. “I have no idea how that leprechaun became one of my best friends.”
“You just have a way with people. And leprechauns.” Jared chuckled.
“I guess so.” I looked around. “Hey, where did Beth and Adam go?”
Jared shrugged. “Probably to spy on the armies outside. It’s driving us crazy that we can’t go out there, but we’ve been banned. Doesn’t stop us from making plans, though.”
“Shouldn’t we be going there too? I’d like to see what we’re up against.” I looked up at Jared.
“We will in a bit. I just wanted some time with you first.” The tenderness in Jared’s eyes sent a thrill through me. He took my hand and pulled me around to the back of the castle. We walked between two large trees, and it was like walking into, well, a fairy garden. Small fairies flitted around, tending flowers and pruning bushes.
“Whoa.” That’s about the only thing I could get out. The fairies suddenly froze and turned toward me, then quickly bowed. “Thank you. You can go back to work if you’d like.”
The fairies flew off to another corner in the garden, leaving me and Jared alone. He led me to a bench and we sat down, enjoying the cool night
air.
“How are you holding up?” I asked. “I’m sorry you’re stuck here.”
Jared put his arm around me and pulled me toward him. “I’m here with you. That’s what counts. And I’m doing okay. I miss my family, of course.” He paused. “I found out my mom is pregnant.”
I gasped. “Really? That’s so exciting! When is she due?”
“Sometime around Halloween, I think. She’d kept it hidden for months.” He let go of me and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I was so scared of losing her. She collapsed in the kitchen, so I rushed her to the hospital. Five months along, and I had no clue.”
I put my hand on his back. “She should have told you sooner, but she didn’t. It’s not your fault you didn’t notice.”
“Yes, it is. If she was that sick, I should have seen it.” He ran his hands through his hair.
I took his arm and pulled him up close so I could look into his eyes. “Hey, stop stressing about it. It’s not like you were just sitting around all day. You took care of me, won a championship in both basketball and baseball, and graduated from high school. Plus, you chased your crazy girlfriend around. Yes, she’s your mom, and yes, taking care of her is good, but you’re an amazing guy.”
He caressed my cheek, then kissed me lightly. “I’ve missed you. I spent the last couple of weeks beating myself up, and you helped me feel better within minutes after telling you. I still want to get back as soon as we can, which I realize could be a while. The battle didn’t go well earlier. Many of the fairies who are loyal to you were injured.”
I jumped up. “What are we doing here, then? We should be making sure they’re okay.”
“There’s not much we can do that isn’t already being done. Besides … I had something else to talk to you about.” Jared shifted on the bench.
I sat next to him and waited for him to speak. A breeze picked up, making me shiver. He pulled off his jacket and put it around me, but didn’t meet my gaze.
“Jared? Is something wrong?” I dreaded the answer. Too many people had been avoiding my gaze that day.
