football players from school, but sh e doubted he would tackle if she ran for it.
But there was the other boy, Filo. He spoke like he didn’t care, but Lee sensed an edge about him that she didn’t care to test. More than him, she was suspicious of Neman . Even as she stood silently by the window, calmly watching the proceedings, there was something more to her than Lee could see, something grand and ol d and powerful. Something dark.
“July … ” Nasser’s voice broke into her thoughts. “D o you remember what year it was?”
“What is wrong with you?” Lee choked, swiping at her eyes. Her throat ached with the effort it took to keep from crying and her voice crac ked dangerously . “Why are you doing this?”
“I wouldn’t if it weren’t absolutely necessary,” Nasser said. “What yea r? ”
Nasser and Filo stared at her, like she was a wild animal likely to bolt or attack at any moment. Restlessness surged in he r. She felt like screaming. S he felt like trying her luck and running for the door.
But Nasser had the saddest look on his face, and Filo looked too tense, like he might crack into pieces, and they both looked weary in a way she didn’t understand. The agitation went suddenly out of her, like startled birds from a telephone wire, leaving her drained and dizzy.
“What’s ha ppening?” she whispered . She was afraid, but not from thinking someone was going to physically hurt her. Lee shuddered. “Why are you asking me these things?”
“You really don’t remember?” Nasser pressed .
“No!” Lee shouted. “I don’t remember!”
Filo stood up and pointed to a calendar hanging on the wall beside the window. She crossed over to it and peered at the page. Each day had been crossed off as it passed. Lee followed the trail of Xs to the first unmarked date.
“October twenty-second … ” Lee read, trailing off as she reached the year. Her insides went cold. She whirled around, her voice quavering. “What is this? Don’t screw with me!”
“What is it?” Nasser asked.
“The date is wrong.” He knew it, of course. He had to know.
“How wrong?”
“ Seven years wrong!” Lee shrieked. “What is this? Where am I?”
Nasser op ened his mouth , but all that came o ut was a series of stammers .
Filo glared at him, then turned to Lee. “You want to know what’s happening ?”
“ Yes ,” Lee sobbed, nodding feebly. “Please.”
“Okay,” Filo offered. “What do you know about faeries?”
Chapter Four:
Truth
Byrony lay on her stomach in the grass, her wings folded across her back. A warm summer breeze swayed the branches of the tree above Byrony’s head, and a shower of blush-colored petals drifted down. Music drifted across the glade from somewhere beyond the trees.
She could feel warmth in the soil beneath her, the waiting energy that always responded to dryads like Byrony . She placed her hand on the grass and closed her eyes, sending a wave of magic downward.
The earth stirred; she felt slender shoots rushing toward the surface. A small blue flower rose up from the soil, sprouting leaves and sloping petals.
A voice, deep and humming, floated down to her from the swaying branches. “What a lovely flower.”
Then, in a swirl of petals and leaves , Umbriel dropped down from the branches, holding a lute in one hand. He landed nimbly on his feet, and sat beside Byrony. Her heart nearly burst with glee at the sight of him.
Shafts of sunlight filtered through the branches of the tree, falling over Umbriel’s glossy black hair. The day was warmer, the air sweeter, now that he was here. Umbriel had the spark of summer in him, and carried it with him always.
Umbrie l leaned forward to examine the flower. He brushed the ground beside the flower with his fingers, and another spiraled up beside it. “Does it please you?” he asked.
“Very much.”
“Then it pleases me, also.” Umbriel leaned in and kissed her softly , running one hand through
But there was the other boy, Filo. He spoke like he didn’t care, but Lee sensed an edge about him that she didn’t care to test. More than him, she was suspicious of Neman . Even as she stood silently by the window, calmly watching the proceedings, there was something more to her than Lee could see, something grand and ol d and powerful. Something dark.
“July … ” Nasser’s voice broke into her thoughts. “D o you remember what year it was?”
“What is wrong with you?” Lee choked, swiping at her eyes. Her throat ached with the effort it took to keep from crying and her voice crac ked dangerously . “Why are you doing this?”
“I wouldn’t if it weren’t absolutely necessary,” Nasser said. “What yea r? ”
Nasser and Filo stared at her, like she was a wild animal likely to bolt or attack at any moment. Restlessness surged in he r. She felt like screaming. S he felt like trying her luck and running for the door.
But Nasser had the saddest look on his face, and Filo looked too tense, like he might crack into pieces, and they both looked weary in a way she didn’t understand. The agitation went suddenly out of her, like startled birds from a telephone wire, leaving her drained and dizzy.
“What’s ha ppening?” she whispered . She was afraid, but not from thinking someone was going to physically hurt her. Lee shuddered. “Why are you asking me these things?”
“You really don’t remember?” Nasser pressed .
“No!” Lee shouted. “I don’t remember!”
Filo stood up and pointed to a calendar hanging on the wall beside the window. She crossed over to it and peered at the page. Each day had been crossed off as it passed. Lee followed the trail of Xs to the first unmarked date.
“October twenty-second … ” Lee read, trailing off as she reached the year. Her insides went cold. She whirled around, her voice quavering. “What is this? Don’t screw with me!”
“What is it?” Nasser asked.
“The date is wrong.” He knew it, of course. He had to know.
“How wrong?”
“ Seven years wrong!” Lee shrieked. “What is this? Where am I?”
Nasser op ened his mouth , but all that came o ut was a series of stammers .
Filo glared at him, then turned to Lee. “You want to know what’s happening ?”
“ Yes ,” Lee sobbed, nodding feebly. “Please.”
“Okay,” Filo offered. “What do you know about faeries?”
Chapter Four:
Truth
Byrony lay on her stomach in the grass, her wings folded across her back. A warm summer breeze swayed the branches of the tree above Byrony’s head, and a shower of blush-colored petals drifted down. Music drifted across the glade from somewhere beyond the trees.
She could feel warmth in the soil beneath her, the waiting energy that always responded to dryads like Byrony . She placed her hand on the grass and closed her eyes, sending a wave of magic downward.
The earth stirred; she felt slender shoots rushing toward the surface. A small blue flower rose up from the soil, sprouting leaves and sloping petals.
A voice, deep and humming, floated down to her from the swaying branches. “What a lovely flower.”
Then, in a swirl of petals and leaves , Umbriel dropped down from the branches, holding a lute in one hand. He landed nimbly on his feet, and sat beside Byrony. Her heart nearly burst with glee at the sight of him.
Shafts of sunlight filtered through the branches of the tree, falling over Umbriel’s glossy black hair. The day was warmer, the air sweeter, now that he was here. Umbriel had the spark of summer in him, and carried it with him always.
Umbrie l leaned forward to examine the flower. He brushed the ground beside the flower with his fingers, and another spiraled up beside it. “Does it please you?” he asked.
“Very much.”
“Then it pleases me, also.” Umbriel leaned in and kissed her softly , running one hand through
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