The work on the invisibility shields began immediately. Ben drew the sketches, and Ferry's father traveled to the Big City for the materials. Plastic was hard to find in Goodharts.

Ferry, Matilda, and Ben were now in the kitchen, around the round table. They had to work out a plan to save the Tenalach fairies. Ferry asked Ben to make the plan since he had come up with the brilliant idea of ​​invisibility, anyway.

"I think we should release the fairies before the Quest begins. It's easier that way, "Ben said.

"How are we going to do that? There are guards brought from the Big City. They have already started to arrive at the mansion. I saw them," Ferry said.

"That's why we have the shields of invisibility. You can become invisible at will. Matt and I will use them. There is no need for more."

"Ben's right, Ferry," Matilda said. "I think... I think we'll make it," she added, forcing a smile.

Ferry frowned. He got up from the table and stood in front of the window. He looked at the backyard where the last sheets his mother had washed were still swaying in the wind. Neither he nor his father had dared to take them off the clotheslines.

"I don't want you to come, Matt," he said in a soft voice.

Matilda got up from the table and stepped closer to him. "What? Why?" she asked.

"I can ask my father to help us. He agreed with that. You don't have to come," Ferry added.

Ferry felt her snort behind him. "Is it because I'm a girl? I can take care of myself much better than you, Ferry, " she said, hands on hips.

"It's not that, Matt. You know that's not it. You do things better than all the boys in this town, me included. It's just that-- I don't want anything bad happen to you..." he said and gathered courage to look into her eyes.

The girl looked at him that way only she knew to look at him. Ferry felt his guard drop slowly."Nothing bad is going to happen to me, Ferry," she said.

Ferry walked past her. "How do you know?" he flared up. "How do you know nothing is going to happen to you? How do we know nothing will happen to any of us? " he asked, looking at Ben, this time. "It would be best not to get you involved in this. There are things that don't concern you. Fairy things. Which shouldn't matter to you," he said, clenching his fists.

Ben came to him and put his hand on his shoulder. "But they matter to us, Ferr. YOU matter to us. So we're coming."

Ferry sat down at the table. Matilda took a seat beside him. "If anything happens to you... To any of you... I will never forgive myself," Ferry sighed.

Matilda wanted to reach his hand, but something stopped her. "We're not just coming for you, Ferry ..."

Ferry looked into her eyes. "What do you mean?" he asked.

She looked away. "It's been so long since he left ... since they left ..." she softly said. Ferry was beginning to understand. She was talking about Sage.

"What if they caught them? What if they want to trade them for the fairy hunting? " she added, her voice trembling.

Ferry felt his heart ache. He couldn't tell if it was because Matilda could be right and their friends were in danger. Or because she was growing feelings for Sage.

"Whatever the reasons, we must stop this. The fairies of Tenalach need to know about this and about Saraid's deal with people. Maybe that way, we can get my sister back," Ben said. "Until then, you still have to go to the mansion. Behave as if you know nothing. You need to find out more. Any information is useful to us right now," Ben said firmly.

Ferry nodded. "I can find out more now that I can turn invisible. But for now, this only happens at night. Only in the moonlight."

"All right," Ben said, returning to his shield plans. Then he looked at Ferry over the papers. "If you think there may be something else that can help us... As insignificant as it may seem..."

Ferry took a deep breath, "There's more. Billy is the lost son of the Donovans."

He saw the faces of his friends change. "What? Are you sure about this?" Ben asked.

Ferry nodded. "I found the garment he was wrapped in when he was taken to the orphanage; it was in the safe on the third floor. My garment..."

"And when were you going to tell us?" Matilda snorted.

"It's still hard for me to believe, Matt," he said with a sigh. "It is still difficult for me to accept. Think about it. We're talking about Billy here. The boy who mocks and teases everyone Who cares for no one but himself. How can he be my mother's son? They have nothing in common! " he said, and his jaw clenched.

"It's not true, Ferry," Matilda said. "Maybe he doesn't want to show his weaknesses. Besides, he's changed since he met Kian."

Ferry hated to admit it. "Maybe you're right," he said.

"When are you going to tell your father?" Matilda asked.

"I don't know. I don't know how to tell him. Billy doesn't know he's adopted. I'll tell Dad after the Quest. Now that's the only thing we need to focus on. Besides, Billy has something to do with Quest. It's the first time he joins it. The mysterious guest... "

"Let's put things straight, Ferr," Ben interrupted him. "The mysterious stranger is Albert Pride Sr. Albert Pride's father and Billy's grandfather. And he uses the blood to stay young. And that makes it all the more dangerous."

"What do you mean?" Ferry asked.

"Fairy blood doesn't just make you young and healthy. It's more than that. Fairy blood can turn you into a fairy. Think about how long Albert Pride Sr. has been using it. He is a fairy. And a very powerful one."

They all turned silent, thinking of Ben's words.

"Fortunately, Celia doesn't take part in the Quest," Ben said. "She thinks it's just a hunt. And she doesn't agree with that. She had a heated argument with her father over this. The initiation that Pride Sr. is still talking about means transferring fairy blood to them as well."

Ferry shook his head. "I think it's more than that. At least in Billy's case. "

"Meaning?" Matilda asked.

"Noble blood touched by true love. My mother came from a noble family. That makes Billy noble blooded, too. And he really loves Kian. If what Lavender says is true, they want to activate the Moon's Tear with his blood. Whatever that means ..."

His friends were shook by a shiver.

"I have a weird feeling about this," Ben said.

"What feeling?" Ferry asked, feeling the shiver, too.

"You are noble blood, too, Ferr. And you knew true love. Your mother and--" and Ben stopped, casting a short glance at Matilda who suddenly pretended to be interested in the papers on the table. "What if the Quest is a--"

"What ?" Ferry asked, feeling his heart racing.

"--A trap for you?"

*

At the Pride Mansion, the preparations were almost over. On the lawn in front of the house white tents were being set up as tall as castles. The tables covered with white tablecloths were laden with fruit and cakes that Ferry had never seen. The most beautiful flowers that had grown in Basil Flower's greenhouse now adorned the entrances and baskets in every corner of the tents.

The whole mansion was filled with a strange energy. All employees left for a few days as long as Quest lasted. It was like a party the whole townattended, even though the two worlds were so different.

And yet, the guards brought from the Big City made everything seem hidden and dangerous. Ferry saw them, in their black suits, watching every move in the mansion. Mr. Pride gave them short orders, told in a whisper. Then, he locked himself in his office.

Ferry and Ol'Joseph were doing final preparations in the maze. The old gardener was beginning to forget from one day to another, and he needed a map so as not to get lost among the tall hedges.

"If only this place could talk," he said as he stepped out of the maze, taking one last look at the winding and lost paths.

"Have you ever taken part in the Quest?" Ferry asked him.

"No. I've always stayed away from this place. And you'd better do the same," he said, looking at him with his old, watery eyes. "You have a good heart, boy. It would hurt my soul if something happens to you. Sometimes it's better to stay away, even if it's wrong. Even if guilt haunts for the rest of your life ..." he sighed.

"Did you ever know what's going on at Quest?"

"I'm old, my boy... A lot has been said about this place and the people who inhabited it over the years. But those who came too close to what was going on here, they suffered, one way or another. They died unexpectedly or simply disappeared... And the erst of us turned our heads from what we suspected was happening. Call it fear, cowardice or simply because we had families that depended on us. Sometimes fear keeps you alive, even if it's embarrassing and unworthy... So please stay away from this place for the next few days," he begged.

And the old gardener started slowly towards his house near the mansion, to prepare for the few days he would stay away from the place that equally frightened and fascinated everyone. Ferry looked behind him and thought of his sayings. How sad it must have been to live such a life. Empty and meaningless. Maybe Ol 'Joseph was right: fear keeps you alive. But what kind of life is one lived in fear?

He then found himself watching Billy again. The boy was now alone on the tennis field. He was hitting the tennis ball fiercely against the wall of the small locker room near the field. He hit the ball hundreds of times until he got tired. He tossed his tennis racket on the ground, took off his shirt, and wiped his face with it. Ferry saw the mark on his shoulder blade, and felt an lump in his stomach again.

Billy caught him. "Stop following me, Ferry! What? Did you get bored of watching May? What's wrong with you?"

But Ferry stepped closer. Now, he could see him better. The late sunlight descended into his soft, honey-colored hair, and Ferry could barely refrain from touching it. How many other parts of his mother were in Billy?

"Are you going to take part in the Quest, Billy?" he asked instead.

"What do you care?" Billy spat the words. "You won't be here anyway when it happens. Employees are free that day, remember? "

Ferry nodded. "Do you know what's going to happen at the Quest?"

Billy shook his head. "No. It's the first time I'll be part of it. Dad said I'd find out then, although--"

"Although?"

"Although I have a strange feeling that he doesn't want me to be part of this."

"Maybe you shouldn't ..." Ferry said softly. Ever since he learned that Billy was his mother's lost son, he felt the need to protect him.

"It's none of your business, creep," Billy said, then walked past him, still troubled by Ferry's insistent gaze.

Ferry thought it appropriate to end that tiring day, though he hadn't done much. He went tp Lavender's on his way home. He wanted to see how Oona was feeling. He found her on the edge of the fountain from which water gushed every time she was around. Lavender was kkeping her company, combing her long, silky hair.

"Still no change?" Ferry asked when he reached them.

Lavender shook her head. "Why are you waiting for a change, Ferry?" she asked. "Why is it so important to you that she remembers?"Ferry sat on the edge of the fountain, too. "I don't know... I just think that if she remembers me, everything will be like in the beginning...  And she would be among us again..."

Lavender carressed his cheek with her dry hand that smelled of wildflowers. "Nothing can bring her back, my dear ..." she whispered.

"It's stupid, I know ..."

"It's not..." she whispered and her gaze flew to the grave at the top of the hill. "Love and longing are never stupid."

"You once said that fairies can see the past and the future," he said. "Can I travel in time?"

Lavender smiled. "Fairies don't call it time. They call it the Passing. In our world, you can move forward. But you can also come back..."

"Do you think it's possible? To travel to the past? " Ferry asked.

"Not for the humans, no. They haven't gotten there, yet. I'm sure your friend Benjamin could enlighten you better."

"What about fairies?"

Lavender sighed. "I've thought about it countless times. What would it be like if I was there when my James died? Just a moment before. Would that have made a difference? His death has haunted me ever since and it will haunt me until the end of my days."

Oona interrupted her memories. She got up and began to pick the small yellow flowers by the fountain.

"Lady's bedstraw," Lavender said softly, as if it were a secret. "It's their time. Here and beyond..."

Oona came to him, caressed his forehead with her light hand and gave him a small bouquet. Ferry took off his gloves which, even if he could barely feel them, still stood in the way of touching the magic of the flowers. He wanted to feel their delicacy and ephemerality.

"You see, Ferry, some places keep a print," Lavender continued. "A print that keeps the memories alive as if they happened now. A track that unites the passings and that can carry you back and forth as if you were crossing a bridge ..."

"Are there such places in this world?" Ferry asked, feeling his heart racing.

"Yes... Some stronger, some less so. It depends on how intense the events or feelings that happened there were. The one here is old and if you close your eyes in its surroundings, you can almost feel the scent of memories ..."

"What is that place?" Ferry asked, barely breathing.

"It's the forest. It's always been the forest."

*

The town was closed two days before the Quest. Albert Pride's men were everywhere, not just at the mansion. In the train station, in the central square, at school and even at the tavern. The employees had a few days off on this occasion, and enjoyed themselves as if it was Christmas. No one, not even the most curious child or the most daring man, driven by the steams of alcohol, could put his foot near the mansion.

Ferry and his friends were working out the final details of the plan. They had decided to keep it as simple as possible. Protected from the shields of invisibility, they would release the fairies before the Quest began. For that, they needed to know exactly where they were kept, and that task fell to Ferry. Then they would escort them safely to the forest, to the door between the worlds. Ferry's father, as well as Matilda's father had offered to help them.

The shields of invisibility, made by his father at Ben's directions, looked like objects from another world. Behind them, everything turned invisible and they were big enough to cover a man of robust stature like Peter Donovan; they were light and could be easily carried. Ben couldn't be more proud.

When it got dark, Ferry headed for Pride Mansion. He left behind the music, the uproar and the murmur of the parties that were held in town and sneaked against the trees at the edge of the estate. Two massive men guarded the main gates, their heads turning in all directions like hawks for prey. His attention was drawn especially by the weapons they carried on their belts.

The moon rose above the mansion, a silver sphere on the starless sky. Its light crept through the branches of old, gnarled trees near the estate. Ferry found the light casted on a patch of tender grass. He let himself be surrounded by it and thought of Matilda. Then he couldn't see his hand  in front of his eyes, nor his shadow, signs he turned invisible.

He slipped lightly past the trees. He didn't know if he could fly and be invisible at the same time, and he wasn't going to check now. With a light step, barely touching the ground, he reached the side gates of the mansion. Behind him climbed lazily, in a row, black cars that shone in the moonlight. Ferry counted them. There were ten of them. The guests had arrived.

Ferry snuck behind the old trees to the mansion. He climbed into a nearby sycamore and observed the whole place from above. The guests were greeted by the new employees, brought from the Big City. Besides the driver, there were only two passengers in each car, men or women alike. One looked young and vigorous. The other, old, sick, and weak. Residues of what a human should have meant. Some of them were in wheelchairs. Others were carried inside  by the new employees.

Albert Pride Jr. also came to greet the guests. At the end of the stairs at the main entrance, he was standing, shaking the hands of the guests in wheelchairs. His stiff smile and haunted look made him look like he wanted to be anywhere else.

A large fire was lit in front of the white tents. At some distance, a wiry man was installing a podium over which he placed a carpet with oriental motifs. After settling into the guest rooms of the mansion, the guests descended and joined the party. The tents could be seen in the dark, huge mushrooms that appeared after the rain. The guests mingled, laughing and talking. Even the weakest of them joined the others. Old wines were brought and even some musicians whose violins sang in silence a long and painful song. Like a wail.

Then the music stopped and there was silence. A young man in a blue, summer suit walked through the crowd to the podium. He was Albert Pride Sr. He was soon greeted with applause and cheers. He climbed the podium with an arrogant smile on his face. Behind him lined up, as if in the presence of a commander, other several persons: his son, Albert Pride Jr., Mr. Haughty, Celia's father, and... Billy. Ferry saw his eyes widen and the horror in them. It was as if he was in a dream from which he could not wake up. Ferry went down from the tree easily and stepped closer to the crowd. There was silence again.

Albert Pride Sr. wrapped the whole crowd with his confident gaze, and nodded. Everyone was there.

"Honorable guests, ladies and gentlemen," he said, and his voice echoed in the silence of the night, "welcome to a new edition of the Quest! I know you've been waiting for this moment for a long time, "he said confidently, looking at each of the guests. "I know that, seven years ago, for reasons beyond our control, the Quest did not take place. And I also know that many who have placed their only hopes in this, are no longer among us. And I apologize for that."

 Mr. Pride Sr. paused, looking for the reactions of those around him. No one made a gesture, no one said a word. Mr. Pride smiled again. "But this year, everything will be different. Better. Bigger, "he said loudly. "But before I tell you the rules of this game that will change your life, I want to tell you a story. Many, many years ago, " he continued, "I was a reckless young man who had the misfortune to participate in a hunt as a tracker. My task was to chase the animals and bring them in range. Yes, I know, my beginnings were humble," he joked, trying to cover the murmur. "But that day was to change my life forever. Because I almost died, that day. "

The whispers and murmurs rose again. Mr. Pride's look became cold, like ice. "That day, a bullet accidentally hit me. I fell into a ravine. I shouted, I begged, but no one heard me. Who would hear a tracker who meant nothing to anyone? I laid there, in agony, for hours on end, waiting for my end. It was night, it was cold, I was losing blood and I knew I was going to die. When I thought there was no hope, a light shone before me. I thought that my agony was over and that an angel, that being of light that was studying me, will take me to Heaven ..."

The crowd gasped. Almost everyone forgot  to breathe. "But she was not an angel. Se was a creature. A creature of the forest," he added, and that evil spark lit up in his eyes again. "And that beautiful creature took me out of this cold and careless world, and took me into her world. I thought I was dreaming. A dream I never wanted to wake up from... I have no words to describe the beauty of that world. It was something I had never encountered in my life and about which I had only heard from old stories. The land of fairies. And that being, that creature, took care of me and gave me her love. But apart from her love, she gave me something else. She gave me her blood."

The noise again engulfed the crowd. "I was healed soon. But I realized that besides the power and vigor that fairy blood had given me, I had gained something else. I could see things differently. I could see life differently. The time I spent there had changed me. And although I knew it would be hard to go back, I still had hope. And when the opportunity came, I left without looking back. I returned to a new life with a plan. I would give the chance to life to those who no longer dreamed of it. I would give them back the right to dream!" said Pride Sr. loudly, and the crowd cheered.

Mr. Pride Sr. raised his hand and the crowd fell silent. "It wasn't easy," he continued. "But I managed to build this town from scratch. To bring here people to build it and raise it higher and higher to the sky. And to offer those who had lost hope a new life. And everything was possible thanks to the fairy blood."

The crowd applauded again. "And now, before I invite you to return to the party, I will tell you the rules of this competition. Each of those selected to receive fairy blood has already appointed a representative to participate in the Quest. Each representative will receive weapons and a map of the maze where the competition will take place. Each will draw the fairy they will chase. He or she will have the right to chase one. I want the game to be fair. If the fairy manages to get out of the maze and save itself, the pursuer will stop chasing it. But I can tell you that in the many years that Quest took place, no fairy has managed to save itself, " he said and a feline grin covered his whole face.

The crowd turned agitated again, and Ferry felt chills run through his body. Only now did he see that the people he had lived with for so long could be more cruel than the beasts of the wild.

"In the end, I just want to tell you one more thing: tomorrow, each applicant for the Quest will leave on his own two feet, healthy and strong. Younger and freer. Free to enjoy a new life that only this competition can offer. And now, thank you for your presence and I invite you all to return to this wonderful party specially prepared for you. For the Quest!" ended his speech by picking up a glass that was brought to him on a silver tray.

"For the Quest," the guests shouted in one voice, raising their glasses. Mr. Pride Sr. smiled at them again and then retreated to the mansion. Behind him, his son and Cecilia's father remained to talk to the guests. Only Billy was still stuck in place, his eyes wide with horror as if he couldn't believe that what was happening around him was real.

The party didn't last long. The guests, too ill for such gatherings or too tired after the long journey, withdrew one by one. Soon, the servants appeared and began to clean the place. Only the fire was still burning in the firepit, casting trembling shadows around.

Only one person remained to watch it, motionless, as if in a trance. Billy. Sheltered by his invisibility skill, Ferry easily stepped closer. He saw his tense face and the fear in his eyes. Billy was trapped, and Ferry knew that whatever he did, he couldn't make him deviate from the path he had taken. A log crackled in the fire and the flames grew, reflected in Billy's soft hair. Ferry reached out and touched him. Then he retreated into the shadows before Billy made the slightest gesture. The doubt that still existed in his heart that Billy was not his mother's son scattered. And Ferry swore then that he would protect him until the end of his life.

Soon, the fire went out and Billy left, walking towards the mansion with slow and uncertain steps. Ferry came out of the shadows, still protected by his new power. The engine of a car could be heard in the distance, going up to the mansion. Ferry went closer, his heart racing. It was a large truck trailer pulling a wagon behind it. The gates of the mansion opened and the car entered. The cargo had arrived.

Ferry came even closer, barely breathing. From the rusty wagon, there were groans and wails that made him shiver and broke his heart at the same time. One of the guards opened the heavy doors of the wagon which made a long squeak. The cries were even louder, scattering in the night, hitting the trees and turning back, even more heartbreaking.

From the wagon there came down, barely dragging their feet, stumbling over each other, ten beings bound together by heavy iron chains. Their clothes were dirty and ragged, their hair greasy and uncombed. Their faces were stained by the tears that had flowed from their eyes for days on end.

Ferry crept through the trees, following the fairies tormented by the burden of the iron that consumed them inside and out. He studied them carefully. His guardians and Hoity were not among them. They were fairies past their early youth, that is, whatever old meant in Tenalach. Fairies who should have wandered freely through the woods and hills and scattered the fruit where their feet touched the ground. Beings of light who had been destined to return to the light from which they were born when the last hour arrived. And who were now doomed to a cruel and unjust death. Among the faces tormented by pain and fear, Ferry recognized one -- it was Mamma Leena, the fairy who took care of the fairybabies, and the one who raised Oona. Her light had faded, but Ferry recognized her kind, warm eyes.

The fairies were surrounded by armed men and pushed from behind towards the mansion. There, they were taken down into the deep cellars that stretched under the old mansion. The heavy wooden doors closed behind them, and the cries melted. The men guarding the gates now took their places in front of the cellars. An oppressive silence fell that almost suffocated Ferry.

Ferry tried to get even closer. But something stopped him. Out of the shadows, a silhouette gained shape. And a soft song rose in the night. Ferry had heard that song before. It was the one that made him shiver every time. And Lily Jones came out of the shadows, herself a threatening shadow. Her black dog accompanied her, walking slowly beside her. Ferry stood still. The dog began to sniff the air, growling slightly. Mrs. Jones interrupted her song, peering into the darkness with her icy-cold eyes. The dog began to bark in Ferry's direction. It could feel him. Ferry waited no longer. He took flight, away from that place haunted by pain and torment, away from the shadows.

The chapter before the climax, everyone! The mysteries of the Pride family are beginning to reveal themselves, one by one. What do you think? Let me know your thoughts, and don't forget to vote.  Votes are important, too :)