just…go now?” she asked. Mutely, Cedar nodded, watching as Eden slipped through the golden door, heading for her room.
Finn returned to his seat. “Where did Eden go?” he asked.
Cedar stared at him. “Why didn’t you tell me that people don’t have birthday parties here?”
He looked taken aback. “Well, I knew you really wanted to do this for her…and I thought she’d like it.”
“Well, she didn’t. And now I feel like an idiot for not picking up on it.”
Finn reached over and covered her hand with his own. “I’m sorry. I should have told you that we don’t really do birthday parties. It doesn’t make much sense when you live so long.”
“It’s okay,” Cedar replied. “I thought she’d like it too. We always used to have a party for her at home. My mum would make a big meal like this and a fancy cake—one that would take all day just to frost. But I should have asked about the customs here. I know how badly Eden wants to fit in.”
Seisyll, who had apparently overheard their exchange, patted Cedar’s arm and said, “Don’t worry too much about it. Eden’s just trying to figure out who she is. Eventually she’ll learn to celebrate her human upbringing and her identity as a Danann. She just needs to sort it out.”
Cedar gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks. Sometimes I feel like she’s seven going on fourteen. One second I’ll see her clutching one of her stuffed animals from home…the next she doesn’t want anything to do with Earth. I feel like I’m walking on eggshells trying to figure this out.”
“I’ll go talk to her,” Finn said, standing up. “I know for a fact that some of her presents are very unhuman—maybe that will convince her to come back to the party.”
Before he could leave, they were interrupted by the arrival of one of Cedar’s guards, who had been stationed outside the house. “Pardon, Your Majesty, but there is a boy at the door who says he must speak to you. I told him to leave, but he insists he has an urgent message.”
Cedar stood up, intrigued. “Of course,” she said. “Send him in.”
A moment later a thin boy with a shock of curly red hair stood nervously in the entranceway. He looked to be about ten years old, and Cedar wondered idly if Eden had met him. He was breathing heavily, as if he had just run a great distance.
“I have an urgent message from Toirdhealbhach, the healer,” the boy said once she reached him, his voice hushed. “He begs you to come to his house at once. He says your friend, the human, is in great danger.”
The room was silent, and Cedar wondered if anyone had overheard him. The boy looked around nervously. Cedar drew closer and knelt down. “Jane?” she whispered. “She’s here in Tír na nÓg?”
The boy nodded, then whispered back, “She’s at his house. He sent me to get you.”
Cedar stood up quickly, and then raised her voice to address their guests. “Sorry for the interruption, everyone, but it seems I have to step out for just a minute. Eden’s taking a little break, but she’ll be back to open her gifts. Please, stay and enjoy yourselves! I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“You’d better come with me,” she said to the boy. She motioned for Finn to join them and ducked through the doorway that led to the inner rooms.
“What’s going on?” he asked as soon as the door closed behind them, giving the messenger a curious look. Cedar told him what the boy had said.
“Can you come with me to close the sidh that Eden opened to Jane’s place?” she asked. “I still think it’s a good idea for you to talk to her after that. She shouldn’t be alone right now. I’ll stay with Felix for a while to see what’s up with Jane.”
Finn nodded. “Do you know what’s wrong with her?” he asked the boy.
“No, sir,” the boy replied. “Only that I was asked to come here and tell the queen that her friend was in danger.”
“It must be bad if Felix brought her back here,” Cedar
Finn returned to his seat. “Where did Eden go?” he asked.
Cedar stared at him. “Why didn’t you tell me that people don’t have birthday parties here?”
He looked taken aback. “Well, I knew you really wanted to do this for her…and I thought she’d like it.”
“Well, she didn’t. And now I feel like an idiot for not picking up on it.”
Finn reached over and covered her hand with his own. “I’m sorry. I should have told you that we don’t really do birthday parties. It doesn’t make much sense when you live so long.”
“It’s okay,” Cedar replied. “I thought she’d like it too. We always used to have a party for her at home. My mum would make a big meal like this and a fancy cake—one that would take all day just to frost. But I should have asked about the customs here. I know how badly Eden wants to fit in.”
Seisyll, who had apparently overheard their exchange, patted Cedar’s arm and said, “Don’t worry too much about it. Eden’s just trying to figure out who she is. Eventually she’ll learn to celebrate her human upbringing and her identity as a Danann. She just needs to sort it out.”
Cedar gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks. Sometimes I feel like she’s seven going on fourteen. One second I’ll see her clutching one of her stuffed animals from home…the next she doesn’t want anything to do with Earth. I feel like I’m walking on eggshells trying to figure this out.”
“I’ll go talk to her,” Finn said, standing up. “I know for a fact that some of her presents are very unhuman—maybe that will convince her to come back to the party.”
Before he could leave, they were interrupted by the arrival of one of Cedar’s guards, who had been stationed outside the house. “Pardon, Your Majesty, but there is a boy at the door who says he must speak to you. I told him to leave, but he insists he has an urgent message.”
Cedar stood up, intrigued. “Of course,” she said. “Send him in.”
A moment later a thin boy with a shock of curly red hair stood nervously in the entranceway. He looked to be about ten years old, and Cedar wondered idly if Eden had met him. He was breathing heavily, as if he had just run a great distance.
“I have an urgent message from Toirdhealbhach, the healer,” the boy said once she reached him, his voice hushed. “He begs you to come to his house at once. He says your friend, the human, is in great danger.”
The room was silent, and Cedar wondered if anyone had overheard him. The boy looked around nervously. Cedar drew closer and knelt down. “Jane?” she whispered. “She’s here in Tír na nÓg?”
The boy nodded, then whispered back, “She’s at his house. He sent me to get you.”
Cedar stood up quickly, and then raised her voice to address their guests. “Sorry for the interruption, everyone, but it seems I have to step out for just a minute. Eden’s taking a little break, but she’ll be back to open her gifts. Please, stay and enjoy yourselves! I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“You’d better come with me,” she said to the boy. She motioned for Finn to join them and ducked through the doorway that led to the inner rooms.
“What’s going on?” he asked as soon as the door closed behind them, giving the messenger a curious look. Cedar told him what the boy had said.
“Can you come with me to close the sidh that Eden opened to Jane’s place?” she asked. “I still think it’s a good idea for you to talk to her after that. She shouldn’t be alone right now. I’ll stay with Felix for a while to see what’s up with Jane.”
Finn nodded. “Do you know what’s wrong with her?” he asked the boy.
“No, sir,” the boy replied. “Only that I was asked to come here and tell the queen that her friend was in danger.”
“It must be bad if Felix brought her back here,” Cedar
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