Page 59 of Wings of Reverie

“Well, yes,” the Keeper said. “But it was Lord Milori who sent Selene on the run for supplies so late in the flu season.”

Periwinkle frowned. “I see.”

“And, well. There are dozens of little caves and hideaways all over Snow Globe Mountain, and Dougal wanted to search all of them. But, you know, that would take quite a long time,” Dewey said, bobbing apologetically. “The fast-flying fairies and the scouts looked hard for Selene. But after they’d delayed the change of the season by a week, they couldn’t wait anymore. Lord Milori called off the search. And Dougal holds that against him.”

Oh.“That must have been awful. For both of them,” Periwinkle said quietly.

“Anyway. That’s what that’s all about,” the Keeper said. “But that’s all private, so please keep what I told you to yourself,” he added hurriedly.

Periwinkle was just as quick to reassure him. “Of course I won’t talk about it.” She paused. “Is there anything we can do to help Dougal? Lord Milori—”

“Isn’t all-powerful,” the Keeper said simply. “He does his best.But he can’t fix everything in our world. No one could do that, you know.”

Periwinkle wanted to believe that Lord Milori was doing his best. No, she wassurehe was.

What she didn’t know was why he chose to carry the weight of so many secrets when he could share the burden instead.

“Anyway,” Dewey finished. “There’s no magic that can heal a broken heart.” He stood beside the chair for a moment then, looking thoughtfully at Periwinkle.

Some of the winter fairies thought Dewey was kind of silly. A nice old sparrow man who held an honorary position at the Hall of Winter. And sometimes he did act kind of silly. But it was times like this, when the Keeper would look at Periwinkle with eyes as bright and clear as winter stars, that she remembered all over again why he was the Keeper of All Fairy Knowledge.

Periwinkle tried very, very hard not to look at the artifact encyclopedia.

“I understand,” she said, giving what she hoped was a thoughtful nod. Then she turned back down the hall, heart thundering as she tried to go casually on her way.

“Oh, Periwinkle?”

She turned. Her stomach dropped when she saw Dewey eyeing the encyclopedia, looking almost reproachful.

She opened her mouth to say something, anything. But the Keeper spoke first. “You forgot to return your book,” he said, raising his eyebrows pointedly.

Periwinkle gulped. “Oh,” she said, sounding breathless. “That’s not mine. You know I always put my things back.”

“Ah.” The Keeper frowned. “Well, good for you. Bad manners not to. I’ll have to put up a notice or something. Would you take this back downstairs?”

“Of course,” Periwinkle said. She hoisted the book off the table and headed back down the hall, pulse skittering.

She knew she needed to hurry back to Weaver at the workshop. But first, she needed a moment to catch her breath.

And then she needed to go find a book on the Pixie Dust Tree.

Found in the Animal-Talents’ Headquarters:

Roster of Pups for Sled Race

Feat. notes from Sled, Shep, Ward, and Drover, animal-talent fairies.

Finney (Fox) √

Don’t let him near the mince pies. Remember last time. —Drover

Athena (Wolf) √