Heather is not known to play these kinds of tricks. If she wanted to hide and have me stalk her through the woods like a monster, all she would have had to do was ask. And she would—she has. She knows I would be more than willing.
“Oh…” Holly is next to glance at the moon, while the humans check their watches and cell phones. My sister blinks slowly. “Ithas… been a while,” There is a wideness of her eyes that confirms something is wrong. I notice there are leaves in her hair and brambles stuck to the tulle of her dress.
“An hour-ish I think,” Clara offers but seems unsure. “Right?”
“We were all hiding in the hedge maze and goofing around,” Rosie says, breathless. I start to get the feeling that 90 minutes is a healthy underestimation. “But, but, it just kept getting later and … do you think something happened?”
Sprout barks, demanding attention. As the most reasonable member of this party, I cast my gaze down.
“What is it you are trying to tell us, my friend?” I ask. After all, he is the only one who appears to be taking Heather’s disappearance seriously.
He darts into the maze, and without hesitation, I follow. The party guests race behind me, huffing to catch their breath. He runs far and fast and I worry that perhaps she has had one of her dizzy spells, and that at any moment, we will stumble across her fallen body. Compared to what I see when Sprout comes to a stop, that would have been a relief.
Sprout whines and paws at the dirt, and I can smell salt in the air.Portal dust. While I was worrying myself over florals and decorations, my flame was being taken right out from under our noses.
“Sprout.”
He whines again, a high-pitched sound, pawing at the ground. The large ball of fluff circles around the area before finally hanging his head. Is he worried he has disappointing me?
The party guests would undoubtably still think this was a game if not for my trusted companion.
I pat Sprout’s furry head, and he lets out a resigned huff.
“Well done, my friend,” I say, and I feel him relax, if only slightly. I bend down to examine what is left of the portal. It is no secret that I am not well-versed in this magic, but the overpowering scent of seawater is hard to ignore. There is something slightly different to this odor than when Holly or Mother come to visit—a tang of iron in the air. The party gathers around Sprout and me, but it is only the faeries who understand the gravity of the dust that has settled on the ground.
“Remnants of a portal… one Heather seems to have been pulled though,” I say, unable to fully grasp the words that have left my throat.
“I’m surprised he didn’t leap in after her,” Oak says, ruffling Sprout’s fur in his hands. “You did a good job, boy.” Hecontinues offering the animal affirmations in a high-pitched voice until his tail begins to wag.
“It is possible Sprout could not follow.” Holly leans down, pinching the dust in her fingers. “The scent of blood in the air suggests this portal has been warded.”
“Warded?” I echo. I did not realize such magic was possible.
“It would mean only the person who created it can pass through,” she says. “If the captor held Heather in his arms, that may have granted her access. However, we haven’t answered the bigger question.” Her eyebrows pinch together as she meets my eyes. “Who would want to kidnap Heather?”
5.
Heather
F
ive more minutes.
That’s all I want before I do any more wedding prep.
Visions from last night swim through my head. It can be stressful having friend groups mesh for the first time, but Rosie and Clara fit right in with everyone from Eclipsica. I wonder if they feel as wrecked as I do. When I stir, my legs glide across silk sheets, an unfamiliar texture that sends a jolt through my system as if I’d just taken a shot of espresso.
Where the hell am I?
Shaking off the blankets, I sit up. The yellow tulle party dress is wrinkled but still firmly in place, ripped at the hem, and Sprout is nowhere to be seen. Ugh, I hope that giant fuzzball is okay. Especially after he tried so hard to pull me back to safety. I squint my eyes shut, trying to remember just what happened last night.
There’s an image of a face—red flowing hair, a hand reaching through a portal, and sadness in his voice. Whoever he is pulled me away from my bachelorette party last night, but why? I piece my thoughts together while I scan the room for clues.
The idea of passing out and some stranger carrying me here and tucking me into bed makes me cringe. Running my hands down to smooth the tulle of my yellow dress, I brush against something firm in my pocket.My phone!I breathe out a sigh of relief, holding the device to my chest. For all the grief it’s givenme, I’m sure glad to have it now. The battery icon is blinking red, and I open my contact list trying to think of who is most likely to answer. Mom would, but considering I haven’t exactly gotten around to telling her about the whole faerie thing…
“Come on, come on,” I whisper, dialing Rosie. I wish I could call Moth, but he doesn’t have a phone; he’s never needed one. I’m rarely gone and starting a family plan when we’re both attached to the hip has always felt like unnecessary—until now.
A deep groan from the other side of the room makes me jump. My head snaps up as I scan my surroundings for the source. A decorative sword. A letter opener at the desk. They would all be somewhat viable weapons if I knew how to fight, but given I’mme, I choose the most intimidating of the three. Creeping out of the bed, I move to explore the rest of my surroundings, and then I seehim.
