Author's note:

Because I cannot let go of this book so easily, I thought we should all go down the memory lane, and remember the best moments in The Lost Son. 

So I have selected the best ten moments based on the number of comments, but also based on the buzz that particular scene has generated. Funny enough, the most talked about moments in this book were not related to magic or Fantasy, but rather to real human emotions such as love, loss, forgiveness, and suffering.

Moreover, I will give you some "behind the scenes" info, what inspired that scene, or what song I was listening to while writing the scene. 

Disclaimer: I don't own the copyrights to the pictures and clips accompanying this chapter. The pictures I use are only generic and might not look like the characters or the situations described in the book. 

READY? LET'S DO THIS!

10. Billy and Andrew kiss (from the chapter Issues)

This was not so much of a surprise for the fans because these two always seemed to have some sort of an electric energy when together. And although they both had their fair share of mean in the book (at least in the first half), they proved that love can bring out the best of us.

https://youtu.be/o5EN5BtmeGk

Andrew got up and came to him. Billy was resting his head against the wall next to him, his eyes closed. Andrew slowly turned Billy towards him, grasped his face in his hands and looked into his eyes.

"I do trust you," he said, stressing the words. "If I could, I'd take you with me and we'd get away from here. Away from everyone and everything ..."

Then, as if it were the most natural thing, he locked his lips to Billy's. Billy tried to resist him at first and pushed him away. But Andrew came back and kissed him again. This time, Billy gave up resisting and kissed him back. It was an insatiable, breathless kiss from both of them as if there was no tomorrow; as if their lips separated, the world would come to an end. When their lips finally parted, they just stood there, motionless as if for eternity, their foreheads glued to each other and their eyes shut.

9. Ben crashes the Spring Fling (from the chapter The Spring Fling)

A lot of things happen in this chapter, the most notable being that none of the characters had the partner they wanted beside them. By the end of the chapter, at least two of the characters got to be with each other, turning into one of the readers' favorite couples. And all these thanks to Ben who was brave enough to show his feelings to the girl he liked in front of the whole school.

https://youtu.be/YoOlZeQk7Mk

Mr. Adams was about to announce the King of the ball when suddenly the music stopped. The murmurs of the crowd melted one by one and all eyes turned to the entrance. A late and uninvited guest made his appearance. Ben. He didn't wear festive clothes, but his ordinary clean and tidy clothes.

He made his way through the crowd, went up the stage, and stopped in front of Celia. He offered her his hand with his palm up, looking into her eyes without worrying about the whispers and the mumbling around him. Celia's eyes turned wide. Then, she laughed, trying to bring her arrogant smile to her lips. But Ben kept on looking at her, his hand still waiting. Ferry and everyone else watched as Celia's arrogant smile vanished and two small tears sparkled in her eyes. She slowly gave Ben her hand which he held tight, and hand in hand, they set off for the exit. Everyone made a corridor in front of them, making room for them to pass. But they didn't see anyone else anyway because they only had eyes for one another. And as they made their way out, Ferry knew their hearts belonged to one another forever.

8. Thyme comes back (from the chapter Endings. Beginnings)

Of all Ferry's Guardians, Thyme is the less social, less friendly one. Part man, part raven, and focused on his tasks and his mission, Thyme is the quietest, most introverted of Ferry's fairy-friends. And yet, fans (and especially the girls) seem to feel a strange attraction to this character, something that always surprised me because I never wrote him as an irresistible, attractive one. 

Fun fact: Thyme is an Amalgham (as all Ferry's Guardians). Their names were inspired by the song Scarborough Fair, one of my all-time favorite.

https://youtu.be/hCRLr9JCLT0

They were ready to leave the Round Meadow when the door between the worlds shivered again and flashes of light shone on the other side. Someone was trying to get through. They all stood still, almost forgetting to breathe. Sage and Parsley exchanged a strained look, placing themselves in front of everyone. The light coming from the other side was covered by huge wings. And a winged creature passed into the world of humans, making a small storm with the beating of his black wings. Thyme. Behind him, the door between the worlds closed, turning back into stone.

At first, Ferry thought he was dreaming. He stepped closer to the winged creature that fluttered his wings and looked at him with eyes as black as the winter sky. How long was it been since he last saw Thyme? It felt like an eternity. How much suffering, how much pain had accumulated in his absence? How many souls had perished while he was gone? How many dreams had been broken? And all the torment he had gone through all this time came back, more overwhelming than ever, pressing on his chest and taking his breath away. Ferry fell to his knees and began to sob.

Thyme headed towards him with big steps and helped him to his feet. He looked at the tears in his eyes. Ferry rested his head on his shoulder and wept. He wept again when he thought there were no more tears left to cry. He then felt Thyme's strong arms around him, holding him tight like never before.

"I'll never leave your side again, Garrett. Ever."

7. Ferry and Sage's confrontation (from the chapter Letting go)

Well, another one of Ferry's Guardians. Sage, the character fans love to hate. Until showing his true colors, Sage, the wolf-man, never made a strong impact on the readers. He surpassed his condition of being an Amalgham, and proved he can be a fighter just as well as he was a cook. But his biggest mistake was that he became an obstacle between the two main characters which fans could not forgive, nor forget. Hence the #boilsageforsoup trend in the comment section of this book. 

Ferry felt his heart pounding. He was beginning to understand, "You want to take her away..." he said.

"Of course I'll take her away. Like I told you, this world doesn't deserve her. All they do is cut off her wings and crush her dreams. This world is too small for her. I have seen her torn down so many times, with hopes shattered by people with too petty souls. You cannot live in a false world when you are made for greatness."

"But do her parents know? Do they agree with this?" Ferry asked with clenched fists.

Sage did not answer.

"They don't know, do they?" Ferry continued. "What do you think they'll say when they find out?"

"They won't say anything because they won't find out," Sage said calmly.

Ferry could barely breathe, "Oh, yes, they'll find out. I'll tell them. I'll tell everyone what you're up to. They'll all know. Thyme, Lord Stephan, Lavender. Don't you know that love is forbidden for those like you in Akna?"

Sage laughed, "Who said anything about Akna? There are so many places in the world of fae where someone like her can bloom."

"She doesn't like half measures, you know," Ferry said, stressing the words.

"She doesn't see me as such," Sage growled through clenched teeth.

"Oh yes? And how does she see you?" Ferry asked, feeling his blood boil in his veins.

"Friend, brother, parent, companion. All of this, and maybe more."

"I won't let you take her away from me!" Ferry shouted.

"You had your chance! Sage barked. "And you ruined it! Do you have any idea how many times I saw her dreaming and how many times you crushed her dreams? How many times did she hope that maybe you would open your eyes and see her? Truly see her. But you were too busy running after May. Instead ... I was always the shoulder she cried on. And finally, she realized she didn't deserve to shed tears..."

.............................................................................................................

"Go ahead! Tell them," Sage grinned. "What do you think this says about you? You can't even choose between two human girls. All you'll do is show everyone how indecisive you are. How unprepared you are to become the Savior of Akna. And when you'll choose, do you really think the people of Akna will jump for joy when you'll bring a human bride to rule by your side? Your destiny is already written, Garrett. Others have written it for you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"The people of Akna see humans as inferior beings. Even to us, the Amalghams. And they don't like human lovers, either. They will never allow your blood to mix with human blood. Their salvation is in the blood that flows through your veins. You are the last of your great nation. You are capable of great things when your fairy powers will be revealed to you. You'll have a bride from the world of fairies, worthy of your noble blood; will give birth to noble offsprings who will do great things in their turn. So you can tell them about me." Then he stepped closer to Ferry and hissed in his ear, "But you'll never see her again."

6. Anne is Oona (from the chapter Shadow of a memory)

So this theory circulated ever since the new characters (Lily Jones and her daughter, Anne) appeared in this book. And although Oona was the living proof that the Valley of Oblivion worked and she couldn't remember anything from her past life as a fairy, the fans were very happy with her return.

Fun fact: Of all the fairy characters in this series, Oona resembles the most the Iele (to be spelled Yelleh), the fairies in Romanian folklore. More about these mysterious creatures in this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iele

When he got inside, they were all gathered around the couch by the fire. The air smelled of spring flowers and sun. Ferry could barely walk. The others turned to the sides, making room for him to pass. Fery walked like in a dream to the creature with white skin, green eyes like a spring forest, and hair like fire. She smiled, stretching out her thin hands to him. Oona.

Ferry stepped closer and looked at her. He couldn't believe his eyes. She was waiting for him, her hands outstretched. He fell to his knees and hugged her, burying his face in her forest-scented hair. He felt her thin, cold arms around his neck.

"Oona ... Is that you? Is that really you?" he whispered. "I've missed you so much..."

But she pushed him lightly, pulling away from the embrace, "Why do you call me that?" she wondered, her big eyes studying him. "Who is Oona? My name is Anne."

5. Kian dies (from the chapter The fairy hunt)

Starting up as the antagonist of the book, Kian of the Voids/Andrew turned out to be an intriguing character. Not only that he showed Billy the meaning of true love, but also sacrificed himself for his people, leaving the fans in pain and shock. His death occurred during the climax of the book which made it all the more painful.

https://youtu.be/XaKr98ktoxU

Ferry felt the hand holding the Spear become insecure and trembling. He slowly descended the Spear. He clenched his teeth and a tear slid down his cheek. He screamed in pain and fury. Then, he could feel a whirlwind of cold air taking him over, freezing him to the bone. The Spear remained in the air. He saw Kian rise into the air, floating above the ground toward him. Towards the still lifted spear. And he saw its sharp tip pierced his heart. With his last strength, Ferry pulled the spear from Kian's chest, collapsing to the ground.

Kian's eyes widened. He looked for Billy's gaze.

"Goodbye, my love ..." he said and collapsed on his back, his hands on his chest. White blood began to flow from his pierced heart.

Billy let out a cry of despair and crawled to him. The chain hanging from his leg could not stop him, even if the wound bled even more. With trembling hands, he pressed the wound from which the blood flooded. Billy called out his name, his real name. But Kian didn't answer. His heart stopped beating. His body then turned into millions of light particles that rose into the sky, becoming one with the moonlight, dripping over Billy. His white blood still lingered on Billy's trembling hands.

4. Ferry and May kiss (from the chapter Residues of a heart)

Ferry and May (named by the shippers FAY) had always been one of the fans' favorite couple. Their story is long and complicated, and still unfinished by the end of this book. Their kiss has been waited for a long time, but when it happened, it was too late and happening at the wrong moment. Nevertheless, it still made their shippers very happy. 

She touched his feverish forehead with her thin, cold fingers. She got even closer and kissed his hair. Ferry wrapped her thin body with his arms and buried his face in her jasmine-scented dress. And he cried. He cried some more when he thought there were no more tears left to cry. His eyes stung, but he couldn't stop. She pressed her cheek to his head and caressed his back all this time.

She then sat next to him on the swing and slowly turned his face toward her. She pressed her forehead to his forehead and Ferry felt her eyelashes fluttering on his cheek. She cupped his face and kissed his eyes and his tears. Her mouth searched for his. Then her lips stopped on his lips, as light as a summer breeze. Ferry felt the strands of silk touch his neck. Her lips began to tremble as if she whispered something to him.

If only her kiss had come earlier, just two months ago, it would have made him so happy. If only her kiss had come when he thought he knew what love meant. When love didn't hurt so much. When life was simple and beautiful. When his mother was still alive ...

He closed his eyes and imagined that her kiss happened at the spring ball when spring was just beginning. That she didn't run away from his arms, but they danced, chained in an endless embrace, behind the gym room.

He touched her fragile shoulder with the tips of his fingers, and she shivered; then his lips met hers, melting into the kiss he had been waiting for so long, but which came so late. Much too late. He put all his pain into that kiss, pressing his lips harder to hers just to feel something. Anything. She softly sighed but didn't let go of the kiss as if she wanted to feel his pain. And their mouths kept on finding each other and hurting each other, their kisses melting with their tears.

4. Ferry and Matilda's first kiss (from the chapter First time)

The fans' favorite couple since The Moonlight Boy (also named MERRY by the shippers), Ferry and Matilda's first kiss was the first chapter to generate a lot of buzz when it was published. Happening at the beginning of the book, their kiss was the catalyst of the complications that followed between them, some of which with not  so nice consequences. 

Fun fact: Did you know that Ferry and Matt's relationship was not supposed to be the main romantic arc in the series? Their romance was to end with their first kiss. And no, May was not supposed to be Ferry's long-term love interest either. But when I saw the reactions after this chapter, I decided to pair them, and I don't feel sorry for it. This is proof of an interesting phenomenon: not only art can influence an audience, but also an audience can influence art. So I guess Ishould thank you for that. However, this is not changing the main outline of the book, so they might or might not end up together.

Ferry sighed and closed his eyes. He felt Matilda's fingers on his lips. There were warm, small touches dripping on his lips; as if she was measuring them inch by inch with the tip of her fingers.

He then felt her hot lips pressing against his lips. They smelled like milk, cookies, and summer rain. He could feel the tip of her tongue slowly touching his. His breath sped up, just as the beatings of his heart. And he kissed her back. It felt natural. Simple and beautiful. He could feel her lips firm as if he was tasting a strawberry that just ripened under the first touch of the summer sun. Her warm fingers were touching his neck, giving him shivers all over his body. He couldn't tell for how long they were kissing. He felt his lips were starting to swell and hurt, but for some reason, he couldn't stop. He didn't want to. He never thought kissing could feel so good. Suddenly, Matilda stopped and retreated from the kiss. When Ferry opened his eyes, it was already dark. He got up and helped her stand up, too. He was holding her hand.

2. Ferry's mum dies (from the chapter The end of spring)

The saddest  chapter of this book and the series so far, this one broke the fans' hearts and was the most difficult for me to write. Ferry's mum was everything a mother should be. Adding the fact that she truly loved Ferry knowing he wasn't her real son made this loss even more hard to bear. Everything Ferry did up to that point was somehow because of his mother and the real values she taught him. After the death of his mother, Ferry becomes the lost son, one of the several references to the title.

https://youtu.be/nD-631ti5ho

Her eyes sank into tears, and he reflected himself in the love inside them. "You don't have to tell me anything, my dearest. I know..."

"Mum ... Don't go... Don't leave me ..." he cried.

"I'll never leave you. I will always be with you. Always, my sweet, sweet boy..." she smiled.

She then caressed his face one last time, wrapped him in the endless love of her eyes, and left.

Ferry held her, pressing his tears to her forehead. He rocked her, holding her tightly in his arms. And he cried like he never cried before. The tears he cried before were not tears. The sadness he felt before was not sadness. The void in which he thought he had sunk was not a void. And nothing could fill the new, endless one.

Before we go to NO 1, here are some HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Ferry invites Celia to the Spring Fling (from the chapter Storm Clouds)

Billy is the lost son of the Donovans (from the chapter Noble blood touched by true love)

Peter Donovan adopts Ferry (from the chapter The good hearts of Goodharts)

Lily Jones is Alwyn, and she had Oona with Albert Pride Sr. (from the chapter The Fairy Hunt)

Ben's #BLM speech (from the chapter The disappearance of Bianca Knight)

And now, on to NO. 1:  Ferry and Matilda's second kiss (from the chapter In the name of friendship)

The first chapter to break 1K comments in less than one day, this chapter proved to be by far the fans' favorite chapter. Ferry and Matilda's second kiss happened in odd circumstances, to say the least (under Steph's bed during the rescue mission of Celia's diary to help Ben). And even though their dynamic changed in this book (from best friends to love interests and then to best friends again), they still remained the fans' favorite couple.

Fun fact: Did you know that the music selection in this book was mostly suggested by my teenage daughter based on the TIK TOK trends? Since she is in the target audience of this book, I thought I should listen to her suggestions. What do you think? Do the songs fit the scenes in this book?

https://youtu.be/VUCuoxOUD6U

Ferry reached out and slowly removed the strands of hair from her face. She finally looked up at him. And Ferry knew she could see him, as clearly as he was seeing her. He moved even closer to her.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, barely breathing.

"Kiss you," he said. "Unless you want me to stop," he whispered on her lips.

"Don't..." she whispered back on his lips and pulled him closer.

And Ferry could feel her lips, drops of summer rain pouring on his lips. Then he felt her thin fingers running down his neck and through his hair and bringing tingling all over his body. Then his hands gripped her and pulled her even closer until her heart beat in his. He had never felt anything like it. People talked about butterflies in their stomachs; he felt thousands of flocks struggling inside him, amazed at the miracle that was just happening to him. He felt out of breath, but couldn't stop. He didn't want to stop, drowning into her being ever deeper with every kiss.

Then her kisses took him elsewhere. They were now lying on the meadow bordered by the tall grass by the hills. It was dusk when stars began to fill the sky, and fireflies rose from the grass. The wind blew gently, but not even it could slip between them, so close their hearts. Even with his eyes closed, Ferry could see sparks around them, rising into the sky and blending with white butterflies that turned into stars. And in that embrace in which their beings merged, their lips searched and found each other again, while their hands uncovered each other in amazement, trying not to forget any crumb of the miracles they had just discovered.

Well, what do you think? Do you agree with my picks? Which was your favorite moment from The Lost Son! Let me know in the comment section below. Love lots!