by Jaclyn Weist
I held out both hands, Jared pointed both his wand and his ring, and Louie closed his eyes and waved his hands. We pushed at the same time, and waves of energy flowed from each of us. Adam and Beth stood to the side with their bows raised, just in case we had a problem on the other side.
I could feel the barrier we were fighting against. It was like Oona had used every last ounce of her magic to close off the fairy world, and it wasn’t about to let me through. I pulled on my luck and shoved it toward the portal. If there was ever a time we needed luck, it was now. With a sudden blast, the portal opened, and the force knocked us off the ground.
“Well, that was exciting.” I rolled over and stood up on shaky legs.
The portal stood open, and I could see the marshes on the other side. Fairies flew over and peeked through the hole before cheering. They called to their friends and came through in twos and threes, flitting around the trees.
I turned to April. “Hey, could you go through and check to make sure other portals are open?”
“Of course. Come on, August.” They flew through and disappeared.
“Are you three going as well?” I asked.
Louie shook his head. “That’s too much travel for Patrika. She must stay home and rest now.”
“Oh, okay.” I stopped and my eyes widened. “Wait—why?”
Eoin smiled proudly. “I’m going to be a big brother. No other leprechaun I know can say that.”
Patrika chuckled. “No other leprechaun can say he has a mum, either. Now let’s get back to the house. I suspect there’s a lot of cleaning up to do, and I believe this baby is coming tonight.”
The four of us watched as the leprechauns walked back the way we’d come. It had been a really long night, but the fact that there would be a new baby soon had me energized. It took until then to realize that I hadn’t seen much of Patrika over the last few weeks. And from how fast Eoin grew up, I assumed the pregnancy would go pretty quick as well. Something clicked.
“You guys don’t think that could be the next queen, do you?” I asked.
Jared laughed. “Wouldn’t that be awesome? We should catch up if we’re going to find out, though.”
We’d only gone a few steps when April appeared next to us. She had to stop to catch a breath, but then she grinned. “All portals are opened. Fairies are flowing through going both directions, and the reunions are pretty awesome. Megan, your grandma sends her best, and wants you to get home as soon as you can.”
My eyes filled with tears. “You saw her? Did she look okay?”
“Of course. You were only gone for a few months. But listen, there’s trouble coming at the castle. The creatures are getting restless. Those who were stuck out here don’t believe you defeated the queen.”
“Awesome. I’ll be back there as soon as I can. I just found out Patrika’s about to have a baby, and if that’s the case, I want to be there when the fairy is formed from her laugh.”
April looked at me strangely. “What are you talking about?”
“You know. Like in Peter Pan?” I sighed. “It worked when I almost took down the fairy world. With the whole clapping thing.”
“Well, of course that worked. The giggle thing is just ridiculous. Otherwise, the world would be overflowing with fairies.” She laughed to herself.
August flew closer. “Forgive her. She got a little too much nectar in there. The clapping thing is true, as is the baby’s first laugh. We don’t know if it’ll work for a baby leprechaun simply because there are very few. Leprechauns come from fairies usually, but sometimes they’re around humans so much, they want the same things humans have, and then a female is born.”
This made April laugh even harder. “Louie must have been really lonely when he found Patrika. And then for her to have a son.”
August grabbed April by the arm. “Again, please forgive her. I’ll take her away before she insults them anymore.”
He dragged her back through the portal, and we could faintly hear her singing about leprechauns and shoes.
I shook my head and turned to go find Louie’s house. Whatever happened, they were about to have a baby. And if it was that rare, I wasn’t about to miss the chance witness it. I felt like I needed to be there. As we ran, I began to get tired before the others and had to rest for a bit.
“Uh, Megan? Are you okay? You don’t look so good.” Beth looked at me closely. “Your hair is going gray, and your face has more wrinkles than I’ve seen before.”
“What? That doesn’t make sense. I’m fine. I just need to take a little nap.” I curled up among the leaves that had begun growing in the forest.
Jared lifted me up. “Come on. We need to keep moving.”
I laid my head against his chest and listened to his heart beat. “Your heart is beating faster than mine.”
“I know, and that’s what worries me.” His voice rumbled through him. “Adam, Beth, do you remember which house was theirs?”
“Over this way.” Beth’s voice was ahead of us.
“Hey, can you walk? I need to catch up in case they need protection, and I can’t do it when I’m holding you.” He set me down.
Beth and Adam had gone several yards ahead of Jared. I waved him on. “I’ll be there. You guys go. Find out if she’s had the baby yet.”
Jared hesitated before running ahead with the rest of them. I hobbled on as fast as I could, but I knew my energy would run out soon. I wasn’t sure if it was because I’d been out of the fairy world for too long, or if my time as queen was running out, but something was happening, and I didn’t like it. I yanked on my luck to make it work, but it didn’t help much. What I really needed was a good long nap.
Soon, I came to a small house with the lights shining brightly through the windows. I made my way toward it and knocked on the door. I had to lean over to get inside, but I found everyone crowded into a small living room.
Patrika sat on the couch, holding a new baby leprechaun wrapped in blankets. A small red beard grew on his chin and he slept peacefully.
“Congratulations, you two. He’s beautiful. Can I hold him?”
Patrika handed him over, and I smiled at how tiny he was. I knew it would only last a couple of hours before he was wrecking things, but for right now, he was just perfect. “What are you going to name him?”
“This is Íosác. Your friends were just telling me what you’d said about the baby’s laugh, and I thought it was appropriate. It means ‘Laughter.’”
“It’s perfect.” I yawned and leaned back against the wall to rest my eyes for just a few minutes.
Íosác stretched and jerked me out of my sleep. I looked down to see that he was awake and staring at me with large green eyes. He grabbed on to my hair that had come loose from my ponytail and yanked on it. It hurt, but his grin made me bite back the pain.
He giggled as he touched my cheek. A small light formed and floated above all of us. Íosác watched it as it moved toward the door and out into the night.
Jared ran outside to catch it, and I handed Íosác back to Patrika so I could follow. “Congratulations again. I’ll be back to visit as soon as I can.”
We watched as the light moved back toward the portal. Jared waited until it was low enough, and then grabbed it and lightly cupped it in his hands. He brought the light back to me. Inside the light was a small fairy that grew until it was the size of April. It yawned and stretched, then curled up to go back to sleep.
“I think we found our queen.” I smiled and dropped down on a log behind me.
Louie followed Beth and Adam out to where Jared and I sat. “You need to transfer the powers soon. Megan won’t last much longer.”
JARED
Jared laid the fairy down on the ground next to Megan and pulled out his wand. “So … does anyone know what I’m supposed to do?”
Louie shook his head. “No one here was alive the last time we got a new fairy queen. Just guide the magic from Megan into the new fairy. I can help where possible, but I’m ju
st as new at this as you are.”
“Right. That’s easy.” Jared bit his lip. If he did this wrong, he could lose Megan. So no pressure or anything. He watched Megan lay down on the ground. Her hair had now gone completely white, and her skin was wrinkled.
Beth laid her hand on Jared’s arm. “You can do this. I have faith in you.”
And coming from Beth, that was saying a lot. Adam just stood there silently, watching his sister wither away in front of his eyes.
It was time. Jared pointed both the ring and the wand toward Megan and delved inside, looking for whatever it was that made her queen. He found her source of luck. A large golden essence that pulsed as it started to die. No, she wasn’t allowed to lose that. He needed to move quicker.
There. Near the center of her heart sat a small round orb that he knew had to be it. He tugged on it until it loosened and left her body. He kept his ring focused on Megan’s life source, moved the orb over to the fairy, and let it rest on her. The fairy turned red with the power of the magic just before it sank in. Once that was done, Jared went back to focusing on keeping Megan alive.
Her heart was beginning to slow as she continued to age. He wanted to pick her up and hold her. He pushed harder, focusing on the healing stones in the ring. He needed her to be okay. They had a lot they had to do together still and he wasn’t about to let go.
A sob escaped as he realized he wasn’t strong enough. She’d told him over and over that he was her knight in shining armor, but when it really counted, he wasn’t going to be able to save her. He nearly faltered, but then a light creature—the new fairy queen—put her hand on his shoulder.
“You have done well. Let me do the rest.”
Jared sank to the ground and pulled Megan into his arms. He continued to push the ring’s power into her, but it was soon joined by another source. And another. More and more sources of light pushed their way into Megan as all the fairies in the area concentrated on making her well again.
When the light faded, Jared looked up to see a breathtaking fairy standing above him. Her crown gleamed with jewels, and her smile was kind. She turned away and walked toward the portal. The other fairies who had helped went back to saving the trees and plants of the forest.
Megan’s features softened back into the perfect nose and cheekbones that he’d fallen so in love with. The four-leaf clover marks disappeared from the spot near her ears, and the crown fell off onto the ground. Jared watched as most of her hair went back to blonde, but some of the gold stayed as streaks through her hair.
When she stirred, he pulled her close, kissing her cheeks, her eyes, and her forehead. His Megan was back.
“You are welcome to stay here tonight,” Louie offered.
Jared looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you, but I think it’s time for us to go home.”
“Aye. I suggest you go back through the portal. You can access the magic easier that way, and it will take you to the portal near your home. I’ll be by to see how all of you are when I’m sure that Patrika and Íosác are okay.”
Jared stood and lifted Megan up. “Thank you, Louie.”
Beth and Adam grabbed Jared and Megan’s bags and walked along beside him.
“So, I guess we picked the right queen, then?” Beth asked.
“I guess so.” Jared still felt the warmth from her as she helped heal Megan. “I wish we’d caught her name before she left. Megan would have wanted to know.”
Beth nudged him. “You like her.”
“No, there’s only one girl for me. But yes, she was very beautiful. And she saved Megan.” He stepped through the portal. Of course, it had to be the one in the swamp. They barely had room to maneuver. He turned back. “You two stay there. I’ll be back to get you.”
Jared had to stand Megan up so he could reach his wand. There had been a barrier keeping Louie out earlier, but Jared hoped Merlin’s magic would be more powerful. He whipped the wand around and transported them to dry land.
Two fairies stood nearby, watching Jared curiously.
“Would you two be able to guard her for a moment? I need to go get two of my friends.”
They nodded, so Jared lay Megan on the soft grass and then transported himself back. “Okay, I think I can get you both if you hold on to me. Be careful—this is really narrow.”
Beth climbed through the portal, and then Adam came through. They both held tightly to him, and he looked down and laughed. “Wow, aren’t we one big happy family?”
“Oh, be quiet and get us out of here. This place smells like swamp.” Beth’s voice was cut off as Jared transported them away from the stench.
It was time for the next part of their journey. He couldn’t wait to get home.
MEGAN
I woke up to two small fairies standing over me, staring. I scrambled up and tried to get my bearings. My friends were nowhere to be found, and I was pretty sure I wasn’t in Ireland anymore.
“Hey, have you seen two guys and a girl anywhere around here?”
One of the fairies nodded. “The man who dropped you off went that way.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you Queen Megan? Where’s your crown?”
I reached up, surprised that it wasn’t on my head. And wait. I pulled my hair in front and squealed when I saw that it was blonde again. It had worked. They’d made it work. “I’m not anymore. You have a new queen. Maybe you should go find her. So, you said he went this way?”
They nodded and flew in the other direction. I turned to walk and almost ran into Jared as he reappeared with Beth and Adam holding on to him. I hugged all three of them together and squealed.
“You did it! I’m normal again.” I nudged Adam and Beth out of the way and threw my arms around Jared’s neck to kiss him.
“Oh, sure. And we did nothing.” Beth rolled her eyes.
I pulled away and looked over at her. “Did you?”
“Well, no. But that’s beside the point.”
“Let’s go, you guys. I want to get home.” Adam handed me my backpack.
Jared took his from Beth. “Fair enough. Group hug, everyone. Now, do we want to go say good-bye to our dear friends?”
“No!” we all yelled in unison. I wrapped my arms around him, and Beth and Adam held onto the two of us.
“Fine, fine. Let’s go.” Jared waved his wand, and we squished into each other as we transported to the view I’d been wanting to see for weeks. As soon as we landed, all four of us raced for the portal near Phantom Falls. I paused for just a second to say good-bye, and then climbed through.
The cool breeze flowing off the ice from the falls welcomed us home. Jared helped me down off the rocks, and we made our way over to the path. I expected to see a fairy at every turn, or someone wanting something from the fairy queen, but it was just the four of us as far as we could see. And it was awesome. The Autumn leaves told me we’d been gone longer than Louie had thought, but I didn’t care. I was home.
Jared’s truck was gone when we got to the parking lot. It wasn’t too surprising, considering how long we’d been in the fairy world, but now we had to figure out how to get home. The phone I’d zapped a couple of times no longer worked, and besides, we were too far away from civilization for any signal anyway.
“Anyone up for one more transport? We can go back to Megan’s house.” Jared pulled out his wand.
“Yes, please.” I wrapped my arms around him. “Come on, my knight in shining armor. My fairy king. Take me home.”
Beth groaned and held on. “Seriously, stop making me gag. But yeah, take us home.”
“What she said.” Adam grabbed on, and we transported back to my house.
We tiptoed around the side of the house and saw that Mom and Dad’s cars were both gone. I ran in and grabbed my keys from my room—stopping just long enough to take in everything about it—and then ran back outside. I wanted to take Beth and Jared home and get back before my parents came back. After a quick good-bye to Beth, and then Jared, I hurried home. M
om would probably be home with Maddie and William any minute.
I parked and ran inside, where I found Adam hanging out on the couch. My couch. In my very own house. It was another five minutes before we heard the garage door open. Adam looked over at me and smirked just as Maddie came running around the corner. She stopped in her tracks and looked between us for a second before bursting into tears. William followed closely behind and ran straight into Adam’s arms.
“Maddie? What’s wrong, swee—?” Mom stopped and covered her mouth.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I jumped up from the couch and ran into my mom’s arms. It had only been a few weeks since I’d made Patrika transport her away, but it felt like an eternity.
She let go of me and pulled Adam into a hug, sobbing into his shoulder. I knelt down and took Maddie into my arms.
“I missed you so much.” I hugged her tightly, never wanting to let go.
“I missed you too. And Adam. Why did you two leave for so long?” She looked up into my eyes and crawled off my lap. “And why do you look different?”
I touched my hair, conscious of the gold running through it. “I have so many stories to tell you and William.”
JARED
“Mom?” Jared called as he opened the door. When no one answered, Jared searched through the house.
One of the neighbor girls jumped up from the chair where she’d been reading. “Jared? You’re back?”
“Just now. Where is everyone?” Jared dropped his backpack on the floor and pulled out his phone. Something he hadn’t used for what felt like months. It was dead.
“Abby just fell asleep, and your parents are at the hospital. Your mom had her baby two days ago.”
Jared stared at her in surprise. “How long have I been gone?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. A few months or something. Does this mean I can go home?”
“Sure.” Jared opened his wallet and pulled out some cash. “Thanks for helping.”
