Ferry walked towards one of the windows of the tower. He almost stopped breathing. He didn't know how the magic of the green feather was working. What if the effect of invisibility would go after a while once he was inside the Palace? He could almost smell the fairy charms everywhere around.

But Oona didn't seem to notice him. She watched outside the window, lost in thought, mumbling her little song. He tried to stay completely still, focusing on his heartbeats in fear Oona might hear them.

He heard footsteps coming closer. Oona looked towards the entrance in the tower, waiting; then she smiled at Poppy's sight.

"What is it, Oona?" the little girl asked. "Why did you want to see me here? It took me so long to climb these stairs..."

"There's something really important I would like to talk to you, Caireann," Oona said, as serious as can be. She took a seat in the middle of the room, near the blue flame, inviting Poppy to do the same. "Listen, what I'm about to say, it's not a game. It's something seriously serious. So you must listen carefully. And you mustn't tell anyone. Not even if they give you a thousand oat crackers!"

Poppy looked at her with the sparkling eyes of a child who tried to please a loved one, "Of course, Oona. You know I would never do something like that. You can tell me."

Oona took a deep breath and said in one breath, "It's about the fairy-boy," she whispered, in great secrecy. "They're looking for him... I don't know why, but he seems very special to the fairy people in Medley Path. So you mustn't tell we ever met him or ever talked to him, do you understand? No matter what. If they find him ─ I don't know what will happen if they'll find him."

Poppy nodded repeatedly, a sign she understood all too well. "Worry not, Oona, I won't tell anyone. You know I love you and I wouldn't do anything to upset you. But, why is he so important to you, too?"

Oona glared at her, "That is not the business of small fairies like you," she hissed.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to ­­­­­­­­­­─" Poppy sobbed.

Oona calmed down quickly and then she caressed her hair, adjusting a small flower in her braids. "There are things you are too young to understand, Caireann," she softly said. "In time, you shall see. But you've been here for such a short time to really understand all the mysteries of this place."

Poppy nodded and clapped her hands.

"Say, have you played in the forest lately?" Oona asked her, her good mood seemingly back.

"I couldn't," Poppy sighed. "The forest is crowded with people. They're all looking for the missing children."

Ferry's heart skipped a beat. It was for the first time since he was to fairyland to hear news from home. Danny, Matilda, and he were the missing children. He tried to stop a gasp coming from the depths of his soul, but couldn't.

That very moment, Oona jumped up her feet and searched the room, sniffing the air around.

"What is it, Oona?" Poppy asked her.

"Nothing," the red-head fairy rushed to answer. "We'd better leave. The others might think we are up to something."

And she almost pushed Poppy on the way out.

Ferry could finally breathe easily. Truth be told, the news from home shook him. His mother's image came to his mind. She must've been worried sick. Just as worried as Danny's mum or Matt's father. He imagined her wandering the Shepherd's Forest, tears falling like rivers and tangled weeds crawling on her feet, while branches were catching on her silky blonde hair. His heart broke in pieces thinking about her longing and despair. Sure thing, he needed to find those scissors, free his friends, and get home. As simple as that.

He went down the stairs, studying that strange place he found himself in. He wondered why they called it Palace when nothing reminded of the mightiness and brightness of a palace. Quite the contrary. The place was dark, lit here and there by fairy flames, too few and frail to light the place properly. It looked like a shelter of shadows creeping and intermingling from every dark corner. As he was descending from the highest tower of the Palace, he discovered more round rooms and shelters connected by tangled, thick branches that served as stairs.

Whispers and fragments of words were coming from nowhere and everywhere, melting inside the bark walls. He could see that every room had the strangest architecture ─ every piece of furniture, every corner, or shelf, was actually an extension of the castle-tree. It was as if the giant tree would've built those mysterious rooms from the inside. Ferry had the strange feeling that the tree had a will of its own; that it could see him, watch his every move, and read his every thought.

He almost felt its breath when he touched the wall. He kept going down the stairs with no end; the tangled paths made him feel dizzy, disoriented, and unable to think. None of the rooms that came on his way looked worthy of a queen. They were all dark and crowded with shelves, drawers, chests, cupboards, and secluded slots, carved in the bark walls. All sorts of objects, pots, silver goblets, tableware, vases with dry flowers, parchments, papers, and old books could be seen in almost every room.

Beautiful arches were decorating the entrances and battle scenes were carved in the wood, making the castle look like a temple. Beasts and gargoyle statues were guarding each room, like fearless guardians. The moonlight was entering the rooms through the cracks in the bark walls, making the sparkling dust particles slowly rise towards the ceiling.

But there was something else he's been noticing inside and outside the wooden castle. Fairy flags. He could now take a better look at one of them, waving at the entrance, its edges frazzled. Unlike the flags he's seen in the village near the Palace, this one looked older, tailored from delicate linen which the passing of time adorned with holes and fissures; it had a rectangular shape with triangular edges on the lower side. But what really drew the most attention was the coat of arms on the flag, sewed in gold and silver fibers. It showed a hearth where a fire was burning, sewed with a red, glittering fiber. Strangely enough, it wasn't like one of the fairy fires he met all around Medley Paths. It looked more like the fire of... humans. The fire was crossed by two swords. On the edges, the flag was embroidered with small, red dots and crosses.

How strange, Ferry thought. How come that in a land of a peaceful fairy people, their coat of arms reminds so much of... war?

But he didn't have the time to think about it. He could hear heavy footsteps coming closer. He quickly hid behind a dusty curtain. He was still insecure about the invisibility shelter of the green feather.

Just in time! A man came into the room and threw himself on a wooden armchair. Ferry watched him and his jaw dropped. He didn't look like any of the creatures Ferry met before in Tenalach. He wasn't tall, like the men with golden hair he's seen in the village. Yet, he was sinewy; he was wearing an armor made of red metal. Ferry watched his strong, muscular arms with the wrists protected by leather gauntlets. A thick beard and a scar crossing his forehead were hiding the firm features of his face. He had a keen look and he was now staring at the blue flame in the middle of the room, his chin in his palm.

He had a blade on his belt; a shiny, long sword, blue sparks of the flame dancing on its surface. The handle was decorated with jewels, precious stones that were projecting colorful reflections on the dark walls.

Ferry could hardly come to himself. He was in front of a flesh and bone warrior. He could hear footsteps approaching. And the man rose from his chair at once.

A woman entered the room. Her head was covered with a white kerchief, as thin as the air. When she took it off, Ferry recognized her. She was Mamma Leena.

"Did you ask for me, Milord?" she asked.

"Yes," the man answered in a penetrating voice that filled the room. "I wanted to know how the preparations for the ritual are going. The Moon will be full soon."

"Of course, Milord, everything is prepared. Everyone knows the place they shall take around the altar. And everything is ready for the feast after the ceremony," said Mamma Leena with a soft, yet firm voice.

But the man was not satisfied with her answer. He walked across the room at a heavy pace.

"Is there something else, Milord?" she asked.

The man sighed, "Yes, there is. I heard there are people wandering the forest, searching for those children. I wouldn't want intruders from the other side. How about our special... visitors?" he asked, stressing on the last words. "What else do we know about them?"

"Are you talking about the Moonlight Boy?" she asked. "We know he's been prowling around the Palace, but he didn't get too far."

"I wouldn't want him to disturb the ritual."

Mamma Leena seemed calm. "He couldn't, Milord. The boy doesn't know who he is. He is here only to bring his friend home."

The man frowned. "That shouldn't allow us to stay at peace!" his voice raised. "His powers are growing. I would sleep better if I knew him captured! The Dryads said he's being helped," he said.

The fairy nodded. "That is true, Milord. Shifters from Akna has been also seen in his company. I shall tell the guards to be as watchful as can be..."

The man's fury started to recede. "What about the Wandering Fays? Do they know what they have to do in every detail?"

"Worry not for the Wandering Fays, Milord. They've been dancing and singing the Moon's Song long before the Moon ever appeared in the sky."

"I don't know... I've seen some of them wrapped up in thought, lately. I wouldn't want their thoughts to trouble the power they are gifted with."

"Are you talking about Oona, Milord?"

" Precisely. She seemed dreamy and careless, lately. Disobedient even."

"You are wrong about her," she said, shaking her head. "She might look dreamy and careless, but she's so much more than that. Her nature is far more curious than that of any other Wandering Fay I've ever met. Maybe others are pleased with the answers they get, with the peaceful life they're living. Oh, but not Oona! She wants to know what's beyond this place, beyond everything she knows... Why is the Moon so scarce in this land? And why some fairies have greater powers than others. And what this land was before? Questions I wouldn't know how to answer. She's not taking life as it is. She's wondering, questioning, studying and seeing; really seeing beyond what's in front of her eyes..."

"Indeed," the man agreed, "she'll be a great leader sometime. What about ─ her?" he hesitated. "How is she doing?"

Mamma Leena sighed. "She's just as you know her, Milord. Just as stubborn. She simply WON'T FORGET."

"But why? WHY?" he said, his fists clenched. "She could have everything! Here, by my side... Why won't she let go of the memory of the miserable life she had among humans? Why does she find that dark place better than this Palace?"

"Sometimes, love is stronger than any suffering she endured in the world of humans. The memory of that love for her daughter is enough to get through any suffering. Even living in the darkness..."

The man's fists loosened, "Maybe someday, she will see... Someday, she'll understand the fire that's burning inside me. And she'll forget. I'm going to wait. I'll wait until the seas will become one with the land. There's an eternity waiting for us..."

Mamma Lenna wanted to say something, but then she let go.

"Is there something else, Milord?" she asked instead.

"Yes. Tell Alwyn I want to see her," he demanded. When Mamma Leena left the room, he took back his seat in the armchair, losing himself again in deep thoughts.

Ferry was barely breathing. He wanted to leave that room where even the air seemed dense with secrets. He was almost certain they talked about him which made the hair on the back of his neck raise.

Yet he couldn't take the chance of leaving. He could now hear a sweet, melodious voice somewhere close, so he decided it was better to stay hidden behind the curtain.

Alwyn, the golden-haired fairy, came into the room.

"What is it that you wish, Milord?"

"Come, come, Alwyn," he said, making a gesture with his hand to make her come closer. "I want to know how is the preparation for the ritual. You know they should be followed with the biggest accuracy. We need the whole energy the Moon can offer us, at that precise moment."

The blonde fairy laughed. A peal of jolly, crystalline laughter; yet, Ferry felt chills down his spine.

"Of course the ritual is ready, Milord. I'm the one who taught the Wandering Fays everything they know."

The warrior didn't seem satisfied with the answer. "Have you any news about the Moonlight Boy?" he asked, rising from his chair and coming closer to her. Alwyn stood still, looking him dead in the eye, a small grin in the corner of the mouth.

"My spies say they've seen him wandering around. He's pretty confused. And scared. Running away a lot; hiding a lot. I don't think he would dare to come too close to the Palace."

But the man shook his head, "He has the Moon's Tear. Such an incredible stone can give him tremendous power. Imagine what would happen if that stone would get into the wrong hands..."

The grin on Alwyn's face grew bigger and her eyes turned darker. "Can you imagine the power of the one who has that stone?"

But the man turned his back on her. "Careful, Alwyn... Dreams of glorification and power can darken one's mind; they can chase away sleep and consume one's soul; they can chase all your loved ones away. And in the end, they can make you lose everything."

Alwyn guffawed; a trustful guffaw that filled the room. "Dreams of glorification can bring the strong ones together, she said, coming closer to him and touching his armor with her delicate hand. "They can make them invincible. Come, come, Doruh... Think about it," she whispered, clinging to his chest. "We could have everything. We could lead Tenalach and nothing could stay in our way. You just have to choose a side. You've been loyal to Fae Queen for too long. Don't you think it's time to stop letting others decide for you?"

But Doruh pushed her away while holding her hand tight in his strong fist. "This is wrong!" he said between his teeth. "Loyalty is my virtue. I won't lose it now!"

Alwyn wrested her hand from his grip. "It's because of her, isn't it?" she hissed. "Because of that damn Unfay! Ella!" she spat the name.

Doruh tried to temper his anger, "Ella has nothing to do with this," he said. "Leave her out of your scheme!" his voice thundered. And he left the room without another word.

"She'll never be yours, do you hear me?" Alwyn shouted behind him."NEVER!"

Then she raised her hands in the air, screaming. And objects started to fly all over the place, caught up in a vortex. Pots, goblets, statues flew all over, in terrible chaos, colliding to the walls. Ferry tried to protect himself from that wrath, covering his head and ears.

During her rage, splinters, and pieces of metal flew all over. One of them touched Ferry's barefoot. The pain was sharp, and the boy could hardly restrain himself from screaming in pain. That very moment, the things stopped flying and they bustlingly fell on the floor.

Alwyn was barely breathing. She studied every corner with uneasiness in her eyes.

"Who's there?" she shouted. "Show yourself! Oona, if it's you, I swear ─"

Then she seemed to grow calm, unable to see anything suspicious.

Yet, she did the strangest thing. She began to whisper unknown words that broke into thousands of other whispers that scattered all over. Soon, a small, gray bird flew through the window and sat in Alwyn's palm.

The fairy looked at her with her dark eyes, like beads. Then she whispered a few words which gave Ferry the creeps.

"Fly, my little one! Fly and tell my beloved Pooka to find the Moonlight Boy for me!"

So, what do you think about the new characters? Are they intriguing enough? Is the new subplot strong and provocative? Let me know your thoughts. And don't forget to vote!  I feel blessed with readers like you :)