Ever After (Unfinished Fairy Tales #3)(19)

I stare at the fairies for a moment. I know they must be Lysander and Lady Gregory, but their features have changed considerably since I last saw them. Lady Gregory’s wrinkles have disappeared, her hair is long and thick and wavy, and her eyes—wow, they are silver, like Lysander’s. She walks—or rather, glides—with an energetic vibe. She looks and acts so much younger, like she lost twenty years, and became a middle-aged version of herself with a touch of fairy-ness. She still looks older than Lysander, but no longer does she look like a grandmother either. Lysander seems more like in his thirties; his face seems rounder and his features more mature, though his expression remains distant and haughty. I wonder how Lady Gregory managed to break through his ice-cold exterior, but that’s a story for another day.

Meg, however, has barely changed. Cute and adorable, with her pink cheeks and dimples when she smiles. “Oh my God! Kat, it’s you! You have really come! I didn’t expect the goblin could’ve managed to do it this quick.”

“Unlike a certain incompetent half-ling, I can perform a reliable spell,” Krev says disdainfully. When Lysander glares at him, he sticks out his tongue. “I didn’t say it was your daughter.”

“Kat, dear.” Lady Gregory’s now-silver eyes are kind but filled with concern. “Meg told us everything about you. How are you feeling now?”

“We put an oxygen spell on her,” Krev says, tapping the ‘helmet’ around my head. “Darn it, it’s shrinking faster than we expected. You’d better start that spell on her right away, or she’ll die if she can’t breathe.”

Meg gasps. “Then we have to act fast! Father, isn’t the spell ready now?”

“Of course,” Lysander says, his tone changing when he speaks to his daughter. In a way, I think he resembles Edward in character. Like Edward, Lysander is more warm and affable with people he is close to. Only in Lysander’s case the difference is even more pronounced. Edward, even in his coldest mood, at least maintains civilness. “One thing I must caution you, human. This spell is an adaption of the kind I used on Margaret. In theory it should work, but there is a possibility it would fail and I cannot be certain of its consequences. Are you sure you wish to proceed?”

“It’s not too late to go back to your own world,” Krev chimes in.

I think of Edward, and all the doubts and fears disappear. “Please perform the spell on me.”

“Very well,” Lysander says. “Hold out your hand, human.”

I do what he says. I close my eyes and fall into a deep sleep. I dream of nearly two years ago, when Edward and I were getting engaged. We were staying at his cousin’s estate in Northport, and his younger son had fallen into the river. I had dived in, heavy gown and all, trying to save him. The water was choking me, his weight was dragging me down, and no matter how I struggle, I can't bring us back to shore.

When I feel like I'm going to drown, all of a sudden, sweet air floods through my lungs. I can breathe, even though I’m under water! Grabbing the back of the boy’s collar, I kick out and make my way to the surface. We rise, and rise, and finally…we break through the surface.

I open my eyes. I’m sitting on mossy grass, there’s not a drop of water, and the boy is nowhere to be seen. And then I realize that I’m in the fairy realm. My going underwater was a dream. I touch my face—my fingers meet smooth skin, which means I am no longer wearing the oxygen helmet. And I’m breathing. Like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Awesome!

I hear singing from a distance. Some fairy is doing karaoke, haha. His/her voice is beautiful but ethereal, just like a normal fairy’s appearance.

“It worked!” Lady Gregory’s smile is radiant and infectious. “Child, I am so happy for you.”

“Allow me.” Lysander checks me and asks me to take a deep breath. “There is no problem of you surviving in Athelia.”

Meg offers me a mirror. My hair is still auburn red, my eyes gray; nothing has changed. I didn’t go through the age-difference transformation as Lysander and Lady Gregory did. Best of all, my body feels more invigorated, more alive. I cannot thank the fairies enough.

“There is no need for gratitude,” Lysander says curtly. “You saved Margaret’s life. She might have been dead by the time I concocted the transformation spell, and then I would have no hope of her return. It is only fitting I should repay the favor.”

“I know,” I grin. “But still, thanks a million. You know what it’s like to be reunited with someone you love.”

There’s a flicker of emotion in his eyes; he looks toward Lady Gregory and I feel moved. Lysander had been separated from his wife for thirty years.

Meg runs up and gives me a hug. “I’ll come and see you some day, Kat. Now you must return to your prince. He misses you dreadfully.” She tells me how she had visited Edward through the mirror, and how he begged her to bring me back. I wipe my tears; I can’t wait to see Edward.

“Right. Now, please help me with one last thing. Get me to Edward.”





12





Kat





I knew it was a mistake to request that I be transported to wherever Edward was.

When I open my eyes, I am in a strange place. I don’t know where I am. I should have requested something like Poppy’s house, Elle’s house, or even Princess College. But since I don’t know whether Katriona Bradshaw is on the throne, I can’t go to the palace. What will the servants say when they see me? I should wait for an opportunity to send word to Edward first, and then decide on the next course of action.