The disappearance of Ben's sister had disturbed, as always, the quiet of the small town between the hills. But this time, people hadn't mobilized as they did seven years ago when Danny Stevens disappeared. Albert Pride hadn't sent his men to help with the search. The police had not been called.

Now, that the inevitable happened, the town was turning to its quiet and carefree life. People began taking their evening walks again. The children stayed outside until late at night. It was as if the disappearance of Bianca Knight was what they had all been waiting for so that life to return to normal.

Besides Ben's friends and their families, few people in town had joined the search. During the night, Ferry and his friends roamed the town and the forest in search of Bianca, hoping that maybe the girl had just got lost and had not fallen into the hands of fairies.

Ferry had only been to Ben's house once since Bianca disappeared and had been shaken by how much everything changed. Ben and his family wandered the streets for days and nights without eating or sleeping. Without caring that the clothes weren't clean or the hair wasn't combed. The house was empty, and the echo of laughter had been replaced by silence and dust.

Ben looked weaker with each day. He was still coming to school, but his smile was gone and his gaze was blank. He barely talked to someone, even to Ferry. Matilda had agreed that Ben needed her support, although she and Ferry were still not talking to each other.

"Ben, tonight, Lavender's house," she decided during a recreation.

Ferry felt guilty that he was glad to see her, given the situation. Ben nodded, reluctantly. But he showed up at Lavender's house that night, anyway.

Now, he was sitting in Lavender's living room, surrounded by his friends, as gloomy as usual. Ferry and Matilda, Sage, Rosemary and Parsley, and of course Lavender, were all looking at Ben, trying to bring him some comfort. Oona had already gone to bed.

"All right, let's start over," Lavender said. "Who last saw Bianca?"

"Celeste, her friend," Ben said with a sigh, "It was after school. They went to pick flowers at the edge of the forest."

"Then what happened?"

"Celeste said Bianca started behaving strangely. She was talking to someone unseen. She said a fairy was calling for her to show her something. Then she ran behind the old oak at the edge of the forest. Celeste waited for her to come from behind the tree, and when she saw she didn't appear, she searched for her. But she was nowhere to be seen."

"Maybe she just got lost in the woods, Ben," Parsley tried to encourage him. "We shall keep looking for her."

"Maybe Izzy is right," Matilda tried to encourage him. "You know how children are at this age. She might have hidden in the woods for fear of being punished. Of course, we'll keep looking for her for as long as it takes," she said, putting her hand lightly on his shoulder.

Ferry wrapped her in a warm look, happy to know her so close. But the girl didn't pay him any attention.

Ben slowly shook his head, "No, Matt, we all know where she is ..." he said softly.

"Then we'll go after her," Ferry said, looking determined. "Together."

Ben looked up and a spark of hope appeared in his eyes.

"Are you all mad?" Sage burst out loud. "Do you want to be caught by the Tenalach fairies? This time, you certainly won't escape," he growled. "You'll be prisoners in Tenalach forever!"

"But we made it last time," Ferry insisted.

"Because back then, the fairies didn't guard the entrance. Because we had enchanted feathers and the raven's stone. Because Lavender brought us all back to safety. Now we have any of these," he raised his voice.

"I'm afraid Sage is right," Lavender said. "Ben and Matilda are humans. Without the red feather that opens the gate between the worlds, they will not be able to pass. And Ferry ... I think his presence changed a lot in Tenalach, last time. I don't think the fairies were quite his friends ..."

"But I can get to the other side without a feather," Ferry insisted. "Maybe if I sneak in and hide, I'll be able to save her. Now I know where to look, I know the place. I know how to hide from fairies ..."

"Enough!" Lavender shouted, hitting the floor with her cane. "Understand that you cannot leave!" Ferry had never seen her so upset. "If you leave and something happens to you, we are all doomed. The hope that Akna has put in you shall be lost forever."

Ferry could feel his breath turning faster. He sat on a chair, exhausted. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. It was Ben.

"It's okay, Ferr," he said, forcing a smile. "You don't have to do that. Besides, maybe she'll be fine there, he said, and his voice broke. "She always loved fairies."

Matilda came to Ben and took him in her arms, and Ben rested his head on her shoulder. Ferry stood up and hugged them both. There, next to his friends' sad hearts, Ferry never felt so much peace and quiet in a long, long time.

*

At the Pride mansion, Bianca Knight's disappearance had almost gone unnoticed. Only her older sister, Bella, who now helped with the cleaning, was the one who reminded everyone that not everything was fine in the town and the world.

Ferry had heard the ladies in the kitchen whisper behind her back.

"Poor girl," they pitied her, "who knows if she'll ever see her sister again ..."

Ferry's mother, who often witnessed their discussions, was not at peace with their attitude. Unlike them, she had taken part in the girl's search. "Instead of feeling sorry for Bella and her sister, you'd better help with the search," she scolded, glaring at them.

But they found excuses and went back to feeling sorry for her again.

Ferry felt exhausted and helpless. The fact that he couldn't help his friend when he needed him most hurt.

During the five o'clock break, he found Bella sitting a secluded bench, holding a glass of cherry juice in her hand. The girl didn't hear him coming, lost in thought. She shuddered when she felt Ferry's hand on her shoulder. She got up quickly and poured all the juice in the glass on Ferry's shirt.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she said, trying to clean his shirt with her tear-stained handkerchief.

"Bella, it's fine," Ferry tried to reassure her.

But instead of calming down, the girl began to sob helplessly. Ferry stepped closer, not knowing how to comfort her. He tapped her lightly on the back, and she threw herself on his chest, crying even more. Ferry let her cry at will. When she calmed down, Bella moved away from him, wiped away her tears, then rose to her feet, and... kissed him. The kiss was so quick, like a butterfly's wing flutter, that Ferry didn't know if it really happened or he just imagined it. He stood motionless for a few moments, holding his breath.

But judging after Bella's reaction, who buried her face in her hands and started sobbing again, he realized she didn't imagine it.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, her face in her hands. "I'm so embarrassed ..."

Ferry came closer and parted her hands slightly. "It's all right," he said. I know you're upset, with the whole story of Bianca's disappearance ... It's alright."

"I am upset because of Bianca, but that's not why I kissed you," she said with a sigh. "I really like you, Ferry. I've always liked you ... I think we are alike. You like the same things I do..."

Ferry was completely taken by surprise, "I didn't know that, Bella," he said. "I like you too, but not that way..."

"It's because of another girl, isn't it?" she asked, seeming to calm down.

Ferry nodded.

"The girls in my school say it's May Flower because you've always had eyes only for her. But I know it's not her. I know you like Matilda. I saw the way you look at her. You have a light in your eyes every time you look at her. And this for a long time ..."

Ferry agreed, "It's true," he said. I like her. I like her a lot. But she doesn't like me anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Bella said, blowing her nose. "And there is nothing you can do?" she asked, forgetting to cry.

Ferry shrugged. "No, until she wants to talk to me again."

Bella looked at him with her deep black eyes. "Promise not to tell anyone about it," she said with a serious look on her face. "If the girls in my school find out, I won't leave my house until I'm thirty years old."

Ferry laughed, "I promise."

Bella finally smiled. "You know, you're very popular. The girls in my class say you look cute, in a weird way."

Ferry smiled, too. "I'm glad to hear that. I think ... Now, I have to go change. And Bella ..." he told her before he left, "I make you another promise. We'll find your sister. You have my word."

*

Ferry ran to Lavender's house to change his shirt stained with cherry juice and Bella's tears. He couldn't fly, but as he ran faster than any boy his age, the road to Lavender's house took no more than five minutes. On the dusty path to her house, something shone in the late afternoon sun. He stopped and studied carefully. It was a stone. A simple gray stone, broken, like a thumb. For some reason, he picked it up and put it in his pocket.

Once in Lavender's yard, he took off his shirt, intending to head for his room. But a sigh stopped him. He listened carefully. The sigh came from somewhere behind the garden, near the dried-up fountain. A girl was crying on the edge of the fountain. Ferry thought that must have been sobbing day. At first, he thought it was Oona because he knew how much the fairy liked to spend her time there. But it wasn't her. It was Matilda. The girl quickly wiped away her tears at his sight.

"Matt, did something happen?" he asked, hurrying towards her. "What are you doing here?"

"I was waiting for Sage to go look for Bianca together," she said, hiding her gaze from him.

Ferry sat down beside her on the edge of the fountain. "Matt, I know you. You don't cry for small things."

She shook her head. "I'm not going to cry on your shoulder, Ferry. I'm not."

"I know that," he said. "But sometimes, it's alright to cry. With or without a shoulder," he smiled.

The girl smiled back at him, but then sighed, "It's because of football. Today, the new selections were made for the team. I wanted to join, but ... They didn't even let me try, Ferry," she said, trying to hold back her tears. "Mr. Owen said there was no point in trying because nothing had changed since the last time I tried. And that it would be just a waste of time. Danny insisted a lot. Mr. Owen always listens to him because he is one of the best players. But he couldn't persuade him either ..."

"I'm sorry, Matt," Ferry said. "I know how much it means to you."

"I'm better than three-quarters of that team," she said, clenching her fists. "It's not fair. Sometimes, I feel like--"

"Like what?" Ferry insisted.

"Like I can't find my place in this town ... No matter how hard I try, something or someone will always find a way to stop me. It's like I don't belong in this place ..."

Ferry felt his heart aching, "You shouldn't think like that, Matt. Any place in this world and a thousand others would be lucky to have you."

"I don't know about that. I don't do very well with school, let's admit it. I mean, I've never been able to excel in any subject. No matter how hard I try, I'm always mediocre and that irritates me. Football and fight training are the only things that I enjoy and that I really do well. And since I will never play football here, nor I will ever have to fight for this place... So..."

"You're not thinking of leaving, are you?" said Ferry in a low voice.

"I don't know ... My family and my friends are here. But sometimes, I feel like-- I could do great things and this place stops me."

Ferry shook his head, "Sometimes even the smallest and insignificant places need people like you, Matt," he softly said. Look, I feel like I belong in this place and I'm not even from here. If the people in this place don't want change, then you should bring change to them."

Matilda sighed, "Yes, but sometimes you get tired of trying, you know ..."

For a few moments, no one said a word. Ferry remembered the stone in his pocket. He took it out and studied it. On the outside, it looked like an ordinary stone, dulled by the weather. But its insides shone. He turned to Matilda, took her hand, and placed the stone in her palm, then closed her fist over it. He held her hand in his hands for a moment.

"Don't forget me, Matt. Please. Don't forget me," he softly said.

She looked at him with her dark, deep eyes, trying to understand his unusual gesture. They heard footsteps behind them and the girl pulled her hand away, rising from the edge of the fountain.

Sage appeared from behind the trees. His gaze darkened as he caught sight of Ferry, half-dressed, so close to Matilda.

"What are you doing here?" he growled. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I stained my shirt," Ferry said, pointing to the shirt as proof. "I came to change."

"You shouldn't wander around when so many weird things happen in town. When you say you're in a place, be there!" he said dryly.

"Sage, I just told you that--"

"Then hurry! And put something on!" he spat the words. "It's mosquitos season." Then he turned to Matilda and his voice softened, "Let's go, Mattie. I know what could make you feel better. Triple ice cream from the grocery store."

Matilda tried to smile, "Right now, I doubt there's anything to make me feel better," she said. "Let's go look for Bianca, okay?"

Sage nodded and joined her, heading for the garden's gate. Ferry looked behind them; he could feel his blood boiling as Sage's hand gripped Matilda's shoulders. The girl took a few steps, then stopped. She turned her head to Ferry and smiled.

"Thank you," she said. Then, she turned and walked away. But Ferry noticed how she easily slipped his stone in her pocket, without Sage noticing.

*

After a week, everyone gave up talking about Bianca's disappearance. The search was over. Except for Ben's friends and their families, no one was looking for the missing girl. Life gradually resumed its natural course and people began to behave as if nothing had happened, relieved that it didn't happen to them or to a loved one.

In the gym room, the last exams took place. Before the gym teacher arrived, the girls and boys were gathered in groups and talked about the most important event in the city: the wedding. 

Everyone was making plans about what to wear, who would accompany them to the wedding or who they would meet there. Almost all of Ferry's classmates were there, waiting for the exams to pass so they could enjoy other things that only people their age see as really important.

The gym room was filled with laughter and a cheerful hum. Ferry searched for Ben in the crowd of young and restless hearts. He saw May in the middle of a group of girls who were giving him meaningful glances. Matilda was in the company of Danny Stevens who showed her a complicated figure with the soccer ball. Celia stared blankly in the middle of her group of friends who were chirping like sparrows.

Suddenly, the sound of broken glass interrupted the hum and wiped the smile from everyone's lips. Someone had thrown a basketball directly into the top window of the gym room, now scattered all over the floor by the window. The ball bounced a few times and reached the arms of the one who threw it. Ben.

All heads turned to him. Ferry made his way to him.

"Ben? Are you alright?" he asked.

Ben laughed bitterly."Alright... How could I, Ferry?" he shouted. "How could I be alright when I know my sister is missing? She's alone, and lost, and frightened. And she's just a child ... And now I see you all laughing, feeling good, and planning a date for the wedding or what to wear. But do you know what hurts the most?" he continued, his fists clenched. "That no one cares. No one in this town cares that a child has gone missing. That they all returned to their lives, feeling relieved that it was not they or someone they loved to go through this. Seven years ago, when Danny disappeared, the whole town was looking for him. And now, except my friends and their families, no one bothered to even come and say a word of comfort to us. That was the least they could do... And do you know why? Because of my sister's skin, my skin, and my family's skin is darker than yours," he said, trying to hold back his tears.

Celia stepped closer to him, "Ben..."

Ben looked at her, biting his trembling lip. "No, Celle ..." he said softly. "Seven years ago, all the men at your father's sawmill searched for Danny for weeks. And now ... Nobody cares," he said, shaking his head.

"I care, Ben," she said as she got close to him. "It hurts to see you like this ... I'll talk to my father ..."

Ben looked at her and his eyes filled with tears, "You know it's useless, Celle ..."

Celia came to him. "We'll find her, Ben..."

She looked at him, then kissed his forehead, eyes, and lips, and hugged him. In front of everyone. And Ben buried his face in her hair and cried, not caring about anyone or anything.

No one said a word, everyone almost forgetting to breathe. Finally, Ben slowly pulled away from her embrace and wiped his eyes; he and Celia looked at each other as if they had seen each other for the first time, then smiled as if they were the only ones in the world.

Danny Stevens approached slowly, followed by several boys from the football team.

"Listen, Ben ... You were right. When I disappeared, seven years ago, the whole town was looking for me. And you and your friends were the most determined to find me of all. And you did, in the end. So I and all the boys on the football team are going to look for your sister, after school."

"I'm coming, too," Billy said, pulling away from the crowd.

"So are we," Celia's friends said.

More classmates joined them. Ben looked at them all, unable to believe it. Then he thanked them all with the biggest smile.

*

But Ben's sister was nowhere to be found, even as the number of those looking for her increased. The girl seemed to have evaporated, with no trace behind. Ferry and his friends knew all too well why.

Each time the evening came, Ferry felt more hopeless. Ben and his family had always been his second family. Knowing them so broken hurt him.

That night, he couldn't sleep. He stared at the sky above, with stars twinkling in the endless ocean of the night that was calling for him. He suddenly got out of bed, packed a few things in a sack, and took a flight to the Shepherd's Forest. He had thought of leaving thousands of times over the past days. He was the only one who could bring Bianca back, even if this meant that he might never return.

He flew faster, for fear of losing courage. He descended easily at the edge of the forest. The night was warm and clear. Birds and animals roamed the trees and bushes. Ferry could hear their footsteps and wings rustling all around. The song of the night's creatures urged him to go deeper and deeper into the thicket of the forest, ever more alluring with each step he took.

Ferry advanced farther and farther to the middle of that place he had never feared and which he had known for such a long time. And the further he walked less walked paths, the clearer and more inviting the night became. Ferry went to the middle of the forest where the grass was no longer growing and the trees were scarce. The Round Meadow, the place where the fairies were caught dancing in the moonlight. Ferry slowly went closer to the standing stone in the middle, the door between the worlds. The voices of the night's creatures could be heard somewhere far away. It was quiet. Ferry felt his heart begin to pound. He went even closer and reached out his hand to the surface touched by time. Then he heard a branch crack behind him and a whisper in the night air calling his name. He could feel someone behind him, watching him from the darkness.

He slowly turned to the shadow that came out of the darkness, heading for him. It was Ben. Ferry breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ben, I almost had a heart attack."

But Ben frowned at him. "Ferry, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I watch the door between the worlds. Maybe a magical being crosses on the other side and I can slip. How about you? You wanted to get on the other side, didn't you?" he scolded him.

"Well--"

"No, Ferry! I can't let you do that. You're risking too much if you go to Tenalach. Too much depends on you. But most importantly, you put yourself in danger. I don't want anything to happen to you, Ferr. You are my best friend. I could never forgive myself if that happened."

"But Ben, if I don't go, Bianca might never come back."

Ben sighed, "I know that. But you, of all people, must avoid this place. You're a good friend, Ferr. You really are," he told him, putting his hand on his shoulder. "But I can't lose you, too. Let's go home!"

"But--"

"It's okay, Ferry," he forced a smile. "Maybe she'll like living among the fairies ..."

Then Ben threw his hand around Ferry's neck, and they both started for the edge of the forest.

"Can you imagine what a scandal it would have been if your fairy friends find out what you were going to do?" Ben laughed. "Now I have something on you."

At the edge of the forest, they had to go on separate ways. An idea popped into Ferry's mind.

"Ben, do your family still have smoked ham in the pantry?"

"Ham, sausages, pastrami ... Anything you could dream of if you ate meat. Why?"

"Bring a big chunk early tomorrow, near the hills by the forest," Ferry said. "I know someone who can't resist smoked meat," he grinned.

*

As dawn broke, Ferry and Ben were at the foot of the northern hills, Ben had brought a nice chunk of lamb pastrami into a basket. Ferry opened the basket and put it down. Then they waited. It didn't take long before hearing a cheerful whistle and Hoity Toity appeared.

"Did you go for a walk in the morning, Master?" he asked as he caught sight of Ferry. Then he saw Ben and stopped.

"It's okay, Hoity. This is Ben, my best friend. You can trust him."

"He's a human," Hoity spat the word. "Humans are not to be trusted."

"This one is," Ferry smiled. "He's my best friend. He's more than that. He's the brother I've always wanted."

Hoity walked around Ben and examined him from head to toe. "If you say so, Master ..."

"Ben needs your help, Hoity. His sister disappeared into the woods ..."

"Shhh, Hoity whispered. "Here, the wind has ears," he said softly, pointing to the forest. "See you in three hours, at Lavender's house," he added taking the basket with him.

"Why three hours?" Ferry wondered.

"Do you really believe I can think with a full stomach?" the little man growled. "I need digestion," he said, then disappeared.

In Lavender's garden, at that early morning hour, Ferry had called all his friends, humans and fairies. May had gladly accepted. She and her family were still looking for Bianca every day. She and Rosemary were whispering now like two good friends. Sage stood with his arms crossed, not losing sight of Matilda who exchanged a few words with Hoity whom she had not seen for so long. The girl didn't even look at the Ferry as if he didn't even exist. But he was just happy to see her again. Lavender and Parsely approached, too, each taking a place on the stumps under the trees with the branches flowing to the ground. Ferry stood in middle.

"I called Hoity here because he is the only one who has visited Tenalach in recent years and has news."

"Old news, you mean. Their time flows differently than here," Hoity cut him off.

"All right, tell them what you want," Sage said. "Just tell us what's going on beyond."

"Well ..." Hoity said with an air of an important person, tactfully lighting his pipe, "not much has changed. Saraid is still Queen. The people who are prisoners there have turned into fairies. And those who have recently arrived, such as Ferry's sister, are taken to the Blind Alley until they lose all memories of their old lives."

"Wait a minute," Sage interrupted. "Who is Ferry's sister?"

"Well, Master said this skinny boy was his brother. That means his sister is also Ferry's sister, right?" he said, winking.

Ferry barely refrained from laughing.

"Whatever," said Sage. "Tell us more about Tenalach."

"What has changed, however, is that some of the fairies have disappeared, seven human years ago. Caireen, I mean Poppy, who we now know has left with her mother for the Land of Eternal Youth from where they can never return. Alwyn and Oona, about whom nothing is known ...""But Hoity, Oona is here," Ferry told him. "She lived among us for several years without anyone knowing she was a fairy."

Hoity's eyes widened. He missed Oona who was now standing on the edge of Lavender's fountain, under the crystal clear water dripping from the depths in her presence. Hoity rubbed his eyes, then slowly approached her. The others followed him.

"Oona, is that you?" Hoity asked, looking at her as if she were facing a miracle.

The fairy looked at him with her big green eyes.

"What a nice, funny little man," she smiled, stroking his cheek. "Why are you calling me that? My name is Anne."

"What happened to her?" Hoity asked without taking his eyes from Oona.

"It's a long story," Ferry said. "It seems that she was taken to the Valley of Oblivion, and she doesn't even know that she was once a fairy. But she still has her fairy powers. Only she doesn't know how to control them. The water in the fountain gushes every time she sings. And she can still control the weather, as she did in Tenalach."

"Tell me about it," Sage muttered. "Every time I say something... not nice about Garrett, it always rained on me. Only on me."

"Good thing you don't have to be in dog shape here," Parsley laughed. "It would mean smelling like a wet dog all the time."

But Sage glared at him, and Parsley stopped laughing.

"How did she get here?" Hoity asked.

"She came with Mrs. Jones, who's a fairy, too," Ferry said. "And with a boy coming from a place without sun. Kian."

Hoity's eyes goggled. "Kian?" he asked, barely breathing. "Kian of the Voids?"

Lavender came closer, "What are you talking about?"

"I only know one Kian. Kian, Prince of the Voids, the youngest son of the Void Master and a direct descendant of the Hollow Fairies."

"But what would he be doing here?" Lavender asked.

"I wouldn't know that. The question is what do the Hollow Fairies have to do with those in Tenalach?" said Hoity. "And more, in Tenalach it is heard that there are fairies who are linked to a human. A human of this place, more precisely."

"But who is this man?" May asked. "Maybe he's dangerous. Maybe Ferry should stay away from him."

"That's hard to say," said Matilda. "All the people in this town have, in one way or another, a connection with fairies."

They all agree, nodding in silence. Ferry's eyes smiled watching Matilda, although Matilda didn't even care about it because she still acted like Ferry wasn't there. But that moment, black clouds gathered above her and it began to rain heavily on her. Only over her. The others turned their heads to Oona who gave Matilda a sideways glance.

"What have I done?" Matilda asked, wet to the skin. "I didn't say anything bad about Ferry. I didn't even look at him."

"You didn't," Sage muttered. "But he looked at you."

"Ferry, do something!" Matilda shouted through the raindrops flowing over her. "Tell her to stop."

"What can I do, Matt? She can't control this. She doesn't know she's doing this."

Rosemary came to Matilda, "Come on, my dear. Let's go inside, and change. She can't see you there. Looks like we ended up with a protective, jealous fairy," she smiled.

Ben reminded everyone why they were there, "All right, how do we bring my sister back?" he asked.

"Well, you can't because you're human," Hoity cut him off. "The fairies of Tenalach can smell a man from the moment they set foot there. Ferry can't do it because there are spies everywhere and he hasn't found the magic inside him to use it. He can fly, but not fast enough. That would make him safe prey."

"What about you, Hoity?" Ferry asked. "Would you dare go there to save her?"

"I'm a Leprechaun, Master. Maybe I can fool the Kalikhans guarding the Blind Alley, but I can't fool the Tenalach fairies. But ... for a fair price, I could try. Yet the chances are very small."

"What price?" Parsley asked.

"Well ... let's say a hundred golden coins from Akna would be enough."

"It's too big a price," Parsley shook his head. "Besides, can we trust him? Maybe he gets scared and runs away with the coins."

Hoity approached Parsely and looked up at him even from his small height. "Even small creatures like me can show a brave heart," he said. "Even small creatures are worthy of courage. Because sometimes, big hearts hide even in small bodies," he added, hopping on his spot of indignation. "What about you, Lizard? Are you worthy of the burden that hangs over your shoulders?" he said, squinting at him.

Parsely wanted to protest, but then Rosemary and Matilda appeared. The girl had changed into one of Rosemary's dresses, cut from a canvas whiter than the milk that left her shoulders bare. All those present could not help but stare at her.

"You're so beautiful," May smiled.

Matilda blushed and looked down, embarrassed by all the eyes looking at her. Ferry's gaze seemed a little insistent because it immediately began to rain on her again. The girl sighed, exasperated.

"Looks like we all have to go inside," Lavender laughed. "There are too many young hearts together here."

Inside Lavender's cottage, the rain above Matilda stopped. Sage put a blanket over her shoulders and brought her a cup of hot cocoa.

"I don't want you to catch a cold, Mattie," he said softly.

Matilda accepted the cup and took a sip, without looking up. Their gestures, so familiar and warm, displeased Ferry entirely. Didn't the others notice the closeness between them?

"So," Lavender said, "Hoity agreed to go look for Ben's sister. Ferry can't go because he would have been captured by the Tenalach fairies who haven't forgotten what happened the last time he was there. Unfortunately, I can't accompany him. I have no strength left, I am old and I am of no use to him. Parsely can't leave this place because he can't take the form of an animal to hide. Ben, Matilda, or May ... You are humans, and you can't even cross on the other side."

"I'll go," Sage said firmly.

All eyes were now on him. 

Matilda looked up at him. "Sage, are you sure about that?" she asked.

Sage gently put his hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, Mattie. I can turn. I know the place and I know what I have to do and how to get to the Blind Alley. I can get her out of there when the doors between the worlds open."

"I'm coming with you," Rosemary said. "You need someone who knows plants and who can heal," she said, looking at Parsley as if she needed his acceptance.

Parsley nodded, a shadow of concern in his eyes.

"Aren't we a curious gang?" Hoity laughed. "An elegant and distinguished Leprechaun like myself, accompanied by a flea dog and a hopping rabbit."

"Shut it, Shorty," Sage said. "If you want us to come with you, you have to listen to us."

"That's right," Lavender agreed. "Sage is the best in title to be your lead. He masters the weapons well enough to defend you and himself."

"It's set then," Sage said. "We're leaving tonight."

"Thank you, Sage," Ben said, shaking Sage's hairy hand.

Ferry snorted. That was all he needed: for Sage to become everyone's hero, but especially Matilda's. Yet, he had no choice. He was the best choice.

"Be careful," May told them, her big eyes looking at each one anxiously.

"I'm afraid we here need to be more careful," Lavender said. "Now that Thyme is gone, you're leaving soon, and since Parsley and I can't leave this place, Ferry is alone. Anywhere other than here, he's on his own."

So Ferry and his friends won't go to Tenalach after all. What do you think? This story is coming closer to the climax, and I can't wait. As always, let me know what you think. Thank you for being amazing!