by Erin Forbes
I glanced over my shoulder to make sure the group was keeping up. We veered toward an old dirt trail, which led around the side of the castle. We passed the towering windows of the dining hall before making our way around one of the Four Lone Towers. Half of the group had no idea where we were going, but I was sure my plan was infallible.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
We walked down a steep dirt path, which had been uprooted by the trunks of towering oaks. Every step we took and every sound
in the distance made my heart beat a little faster. I didn’t want to be caught for sneaking out in the night, especially with the effect the curse was having on the creatures of the woods. But I could not drop the plan and go back. Whether the Gifted people knew it or not, the realm of Aisling was depending on us to find Juniper Stone.
As we came to a halt where the tall oaks greeted the bank of a clear stream, shadows lurked among the trees, hiding secrets from our eyes. I did not know what the future would bring, but I knew that life is not merely about knowledge. It is about the courage and trust we place in our stories. After everything that brought me to this moment, it was courage that kept me going.
Through the darkness came a light that illuminated the path ahead of us. My gaze wandered in search of its origin, but the radiance appeared to be coming from the forest itself. Sycamores lined the far side of the stream as each of the branches danced with the breeze. Beyond them settled a quiet meadow that was scattered with wildflowers and the early morning dew.
Emery stood silently at the edge of the stream. Her pale eyes closed as she listened to the sound of the current. As the rest of us gathered near the top of the bank, we could barely see each other through the flickering golden light. The stream was flowing fast. There was neither a bridge nor fallen tree to lead us across the water. Nevertheless, I suppose it was a fine example of the moments when Gifts come in handy.
“Is there any way you can make it easier for us to cross?” I asked my sister, as her eyes penetrated through the shadowed water.
Before Emery had the chance to respond, I noticed something move out of the corner of my eye. I turned to see a flash of purple disappear no quicker than I had caught sight of it. I glanced around at the others with a puzzled expression, before we noticed another flash of light on the far side of the stream.
Violet stood on the opposite side of the water, waving gleefully from the line of sycamore trees. Laughter escaped from my lungs. Her teleportation skills must have slipped my mind.
“I didn’t know you could do that,” my voice echoed across the water.
Her response came back in a puzzle I was unable to decipher. There was another sudden flash before Violet disappeared into a puff of blue smoke. Each of us looked around for a moment before the girl reappeared in the center of the group. As she stood before us, her eye color transformed into a brilliant shade of blue. She was unable to contain the laughter that filled her soul.
“Can you get us across?” I inquired.
Emery was still sitting on the bank. She had calmed the current, although I was sure none of us wanted to swim. Violet nodded in response before each of us gathered into a circle.
“I’m not going to lie. I’ve never done teleportation this close with more than two people.” Violet sighed as we each took hands. “I’m hoping it will work.”
“I think we’re all hoping it will work,” Ronan responded grimly.
There was a moment in between our conversation and the light that filled my gaze—a moment so quick it could have been missed. I was sure my heart had skipped a beat, for it felt like the ground below us was caving in and disappearing at the same time. The only thing that felt secure was my left hand, as it held tightly to my sister. For the first time in my life, it felt like everything was falling apart with the promise of coming back together.
Something shifted in the air. I opened my eyes to see we were now standing on the opposite side of the stream. The tall sycamores towered over us like skyscrapers in the world’s largest city. As I looked across the circle, Violet’s eyes faded back into a pale shade of blue.
Not wasting any time, we quickly climbed the bank and stepped into the vast meadow that stood before us. The tall grass swayed gracefully in the midnight breeze. For an ethereal moment, I could have sworn it was dancing. We had not taken more than one step into the meadow before stopping in our tracks. A high-pitched squeal echoed through my eardrums.
I felt a sudden prod at my foot and glanced down to see a tiny girl standing in the grass. Her curly blonde hair swept down upon her leaf-like dress, and she held a bouquet of wildflowers in her arms. The fairy must have been no more than four inches tall. Looking up at me with obvious annoyance, she poked my leg once more. I lifted my foot to reveal a pink flower, which was no bigger than the tiny girl. It had crumpled to the ground under the weight of my boot. As the little creature touched the stem, the delicate flower ruffled its petals and sprung back to life.
The laughter of friends faded out of focus as the tiny fairy gathered the flower in her hands. She glared at me with one last look of annoyance before disappearing into the dew-covered meadow.
“What in all of Aisling was that?” I asked.
“That was one of the droplet faeries,” Violet responded as she took the lead. She was careful to watch her step as we trekked through the field.
“Many of them wander this meadow,” Ariadne remarked with a hint of laughter. “They have this sort of obsession with wildflowers.”
“They collect the blossoms and bring them back to their clans,” Ronan added. “They use flowers to build villages on the other side of the White Birch Forest.”
This was all quite fascinating; however, my mind was beginning to find itself wrapped in another situation. We had nearly made it to the White Birch Forest, but I had no idea what to do once we arrived. I was so caught up in the prophecy and search for Juniper, but I had not even considered where she might be hiding. The White Birch Forest was boundless, and there was a chance we would be searching all night. Nevertheless, as our feet dragged in the mossy soil and our eyes hung low from lack of sleep, I realized this was certainly not an option.
“I need to talk to you in private,” I whispered to my sister.
After motioning for Ariadne to follow us, we wandered out of earshot from the others. I turned to face the two of them. It had occurred to me that half the people in our search party had no idea about the prophecy, and I was the only one who knew Juniper was the last elemental. My sister’s blue eyes always seemed pale and indecisive to me, although they now seemed haunted by the fear of my words.
“A few moments ago, it occurred to me that I haven’t been entirely honest with you,” I told them. “I think there might be something you have yet to learn about the prophecy.”
I had prepared myself for a dramatic reaction, but neither of my friends spoke a word. I lifted my head to see both of them watching me.
“You had the dream, didn’t you?” Ariadne whispered.
My sister’s eyes widened with surprise. We stared at each other with an expression of wonder. All three of us had received the dream. We each knew Juniper was the last Elemental. It bothered me, slightly, that no one else had spoken about this until now.
“We don’t have any idea where she could be,” Emery whispered. “We will be searching the forest all night.”
“We must ask Violet,” said Ariadne.
◆◆◆
The field behind us twinkled in the darkness as all five of us stood on the forest edge. Shadows seemed to consume the activity of the meadow. The moonlight shone upon Violet as she twirled her lilac hair in thought.
“Juniper has been coming to the Academy since she was twelve years old,” Violet told us quietly. “She would often disappear into the White Birch Forest, as it was the only place where she felt at home. As you can see, it is quite a distance from the school on foot. However, my cousin had a soul that could not be confined by the castle walls.”
&nb
sp; “She must be here.” Ronan gestured to the vast expanse of woodland. “We just need to find her.”
Violet nodded as we stepped beyond the line of birch trees. When my boot landed upon the mossy soil, reality transformed into a strange fairytale. Tall white trees surrounded us with dark eyes, which were hidden in the bark of their trunks. The forest was silent as golden leaves glistened in the moonlight. Even amongst the darkness of the night, the ancient wood was illuminated from its core. Each of us began to spread apart, for we no longer carried the fear of being alone.
We wandered through the forest for what felt like an eternity. I began to wonder when someone would notice we were gone. My eyes searched carefully around every corner, yet there was not a footprint left of Juniper Stone. As I stepped around one of the old birches, I caught a glimpse of a small brown hare before it scurried off into the bushes. This seemed peculiar to me, for the creatures of Aisling were rarely startled by the presence of humans.
“Something is wrong,” I whispered.
I looked over my shoulder to see Emery sitting cross-legged in the grass. In front of her was a small group of droplet faeries, who huddled tightly together, carrying bundles of wildflowers in their strong arms. Emery watched them with an expression of fascination, although the faeries were pointing in my direction. Their inaudible conversations confirmed the worry that rested upon each of their brows. Turning my gaze toward the other end of the forest path, I noticed the movement of several bushes at the foot of one particular tree. A sudden squeal erupted from behind me, and the droplet faeries came streaming past.
“What in all of Aisling was that?” Ronan asked, darting around one of the trees.
“Willoughby, is that you?”
There was a moment of silence before Violet ran past me, accompanied by the petite figure of Ariadne. Her bright blue eyes were flashing purple as she came to a halt before the bushes.
“Who is Willoughby?” Emery questioned.
The branches began to rustle once again, before the droplet faeries came running out. Held high above their heads was a tiny yet plump creature, who closely resembled a forest troll. He was dressed in leather trousers with a moss coat around his shoulders. I watched with amusement as he flailed wildly above the strong faeries.
“Put me down, ye filthy creatures!” the troll demanded.
The droplet faeries released the creature just a few feet in front of us. He dropped heavily to the ground before dusting off his coat.
“Willoughby, it is you!” Violet greeted the troll with delight.
“Yes, ’tis I,” the troll groaned as he raised his head to look at us. His bushy brows just barely hid two sparkling, viridescent eyes. “What other troll do ye know who is bossed around by the droplet faeries?”
“We need your help,” Violet told him curtly. “You’ve probably heard Juniper is missing. Has there been any sign of her?”
“Perhaps,”Willoughbyrespondedsmoothly.
“But you know my memory is quite poor. I’m not sure I recall.”
The old troll looked around in thought for a moment. The creature wanted payment for the discovery of Juniper Stone. I had to admit Willoughby was smarter than I expected. Even so, the droplet faeries were listening to his words, and their tiny bodies were beginning to surround him.
“We don’t have time for your games,” Ariadne spoke sternly to the old troll. “We shall only release you if you help us find our way.”
“Fine,” Willoughby responded curtly. “Just don’t come crying to me if ye don’t like what ye find.”
Willoughby led us off the forest path and through another field of peculiar wildflowers. The droplet faeries followed us in haste as they clutched their flower bundles tightly to their chests. They followed with remarkable speed. In fact, it seemed like they knew exactly where Willoughby was going. It was almost as if the old troll had been a messenger for those without a voice.
We eventually came to an emerald hollow that was settled amidst the wildflowers and misty morning air. What we found there was far from what we expected.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Sometimes, when someone is lost or gone for a very long time, you find yourself imagining what it will be like when you meet them again. Often scattered with frantic hugs and tears of joy, the visions are not always realistic. It was evident none of my friends had expected the reunion they were given.
Surrounded by moss and long green vines, Juniper slept with her eyes gently closed. Her skin was pale and her dress was torn, but an intricate wildflower crown wove around the top of her golden-brown hair. The droplet faeries had gathered beside her arms.
My heart felt like it had dropped into the depths of my spirit. I thought about the tragic possibility of the girl’s death. Nevertheless, each of us quickly took notice of the steady rise and fall of her chest.
“She’s alive,” Ronan whispered.
“We need to get her back to the Academy.” Violet looked up at me with tear-streaked eyes and panic in her voice.
A billion thoughts were running through my mind. What were we going to do? How could we possibly get Juniper back to the castle while she was unconscious? I thought about carrying her, but decided it would take far too long and we would be exhausted by the time we reached the stream.
A sudden gust of wind came blowing through the trees, and I glanced over at Ariadne to see a tiny smile on her face. Her hands were raised toward the sky as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Ariadne, would you please stop doing that?”
The unfamiliar voice caused me to jump. Juniper’s eyelids flickered, and her nose twitched with the overwhelming perfume of flowers. I looked down just in time to witness the opening of her wide emerald gaze.
“Juniper,” Violet whispered. “You’re alive!”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
"Where am I?” Juniper asked as the droplet faeries climbed across her freckled shoulders.
“Those tiny creatures have been tending to her ever since she appeared,” Willoughby told us. “I’ve been living in this forest for nearly a hundred years, but ye don’t see them treating me like royalty!”
Ariadne and Violet swung their arms around Juniper, while I stood back and observed the interaction. Ariadne’s Gift had awoken the last Elemental. A few moments ago, it had seemed as though such a thing were impossible.
Juniper lifted her hand to her head. Her eyes were filled with the faded morning stars and nearly a thousand unreadable emotions. I watched as each of the memories began to flood back into her eyes, while she examined our faces with a thoughtful expression. The wild-haired girl knew neither of the Hanley sisters, although she seemed familiar.
◆◆◆
Not long after Juniper had awoken, we decided to make our way back to the castle. The dry earth crunched beneath my boots as we crossed over the meadow of wildflowers. Whilst carefully eyeing the ground for any tiny people, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I glanced over to see Ariadne and Juniper striding behind me.
“These girls are Alice and Emery Hanley,” Ariadne introduced us to her friend. “If it weren’t for the two of them, I’m not sure we would have found you.”
“This may sound a bit odd, but I feel like I already know you,” Juniper told us. “Are you sure we have not met before?”
“I’m quite sure,” said Emery. “This is our first year at the Academy for Gifted Youth, and we do not live in the realm of Aisling.”
“Well, then you are quite right,” Juniper laughed. “I have never left this realm, but my feet have walked in many lands.”
◆◆◆
When we finally returned to the castle, it was nearly four o’clock in the morning. I expected the school to be in a state of turmoil as they searched for five missing students. However, the castle was silent. The only sound was the distant noise of the gardeners working in the courtyard.
I suppose none of us had any lingering concern about getting caught, for together we ran up the steps and through the towering cast
le doors. The entrance hall was silent; not a voice or footstep could be heard.
“We must take her to the headmistress,” Ronan whispered.
Every word echoed throughout the corridors, and I cringed with the hope that no one heard us. We each nodded before hurrying across the entrance hall and ascending the white stairwell. As we traveled upward, the light from every window shone brightly across the castle walls, and the morning sun rose steadily above the trees.
Emery and I led the group down the candlelit passage. We wove our way through the silent halls until we stood just outside the sparkling door to Zara’s office. I almost expected the entrance to swing open with rage, but the moment never came. Before I had the chance to knock, the door began to creak open. The six of us peered quietly around the corner to see the headmistress watching us from the comfort of her desk.
