CHAPTER SIX

 

A

irily sat in the doorway nest, looking at the sky. The blue faded, at last, replaced by orange and pink. She could make out the distant spot of light from some star, barely visible in the sunset.

Today was the most humiliating day of her life. Poppa had woken her early and gathered the whole family together in the main room. He’d stood behind her while she confessed to Fluppence and Witter all that had happened. He nudged her every time she faltered, and she could sense him glaring at the back of her head the entire time.

When she’d finished, Witter and Fluppence sat in silence for about a second before exploding with feelings. Witter yelled at her worse than Poppa had the night before.

Fluppence teared up, put her head in her heads, and kept repeating, “I don’t want to move.” Poppa banished Airily to her room, and she’d listened to him trying to soothe her
siblings for nearly an hour. Once the uproar died down, Poppa knocked on Airily’s door and told her he was taking Fluppence and Witter collecting at the Carlisle’s.

The Carlisle’s lived two farmhouses beyond the
Leonetti’s, and Airily had never been allowed to go. Now Poppa was taking Fluppence and Witter? It wasn’t fair. How much more could Poppa punish her?

He’d made Airily promise to stay inside and do the housework until her meeting with Josh. Everything in the house gleamed after she had finished dusting and scrubbing. And then she still had most of the day to mope around.

The joke was on Poppa. Flup and Witter didn’t have the stamina to get to the Carlisle’s, let alone fly back with full collecting sacks. It must be why they weren’t home yet.

Airily forced a mean smirk, hoping she’d feel better—but she didn’t. She wished her family was home and wanted to know if her siblings had forgiven her yet, or if they ever would.

The back door of the House banged open and then slammed shut. Airily jumped, hitting her head on the nest's twig and mud ceiling. Below her, Josh ran across the shaggy lawn and climbed the cherry tree. Old branch stumps had been sawn off, making perfect foot and hand holds for
humans. He slipped a couple times but settled on a wide ‘Y’ fork where a sturdy limb jutted from the trunk.

Once, a long time ago, Momma told her cherry trees weren’t usually as stout and thick as this one. Fairy magic, possibly even the presence of the Sparrow family, made their tree so big and strong with an abundant crop year after year.

Airily remained in the nest a few minutes longer,
watching Josh wait for her.

He peered up into the tree’s empty branches. “Airily, I’m here!”

Airily shook her head at his enthusiasm. Josh was getting the better end of the bargain, for sure. Her wings caught the air and she flew to the tree. Josh was too busy craning his neck—

trying to see to the highest branches—to notice her land on a branch next to his perch.

“Josh, down here,” she said.

He startled and lost his balance for a second, arms
swinging to catch the tree trunk and steady himself. Airily stifled a giggle behind her hands.

He spotted her and grinned. “This is the first tree I ever climbed,” he said.

“Really? I’m in trees all the time.”

“It’s easier with wings. You have no idea how much I’d like to fly. What’s it like?”

“Fun. But it’s a lot of work too,” Airily said. “Have you thought of your second question?”

“I have. But before that…here.” Josh dug his hand into the pocket of his jeans. He pulled out a small, folded square of paper. “I made this for you,” he said.

“What is it?” Airily eyed the paper in his enormous hand. It was actually several sheets of paper cut to be about her size and stapled in the middle.

“It’s a book,” Josh said, and his chest swelled. “I made it today. I scanned the first chapter of one of my books and shrank it down on the computer; I printed it out and stapled it. It’s kind of big for you, but any smaller and I don’t think the words would be legible.”

Airily didn’t touch the slender, homemade volume. She was bewildered by his explanation of how he made it. To her, it looked like magic.

“How Televisions Work,” she read slowly. “I always
wondered about that.”

Josh nodded. “I thought maybe you’d like to learn stuff. Mom got mad because I spent all day on the computer, and I was supposed to be unpacking. I was going to do the whole book, but it took a really long time to scan. Maybe I can
figure out a way to loan you more.”

Airily slowly picked up the gift. With a wary eye on Josh, she held her wings ready to fly in case he decided to spring another trap. She opened the pamphlet. The print was small but legible and densely packed. All the pages were blank on one side. Fluppence would be thrilled to have this: a book her size and blank paper to boot! Clean, blank paper was one of the hardest things to get. Fluppence had Airily scavenge used memos, crumpled notes, and even grocery store
receipts out of the neighborhood garbage bins to have something to write on. Josh probably had all the paper he wanted. Maybe she could get something out of this “friendship” after all.

“Josh?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you a few things?” Airily watched him carefully.

“Sure,” he said, straightening his posture.

“Can you tell me how you caught me?”

A bright smile flashed across his face. “I spent all day
setting that up.” He adjusted his glasses like a TV professor. “The net was just mosquito netting from a camping trip. I threaded fishing line through it and hung it from the pothooks over the island. One end of the fishing line was tied to a remote-control helicopter and the other was left unsecured. So, when I used the helicopter to pull the string, the net fell. I had to do a lot of experimenting to get it to work. I set the toast out for bait. Then I hid in a box with my night vision goggles. Uh…Mom and Dad don’t know about that part.”

“I wasn’t actually looking for toast,” Airily said. She hated to think it, but Josh was awfully clever. “So that part of your trap didn’t work at all.”

Josh shrugged. “I had a whole list of food I was going to try leaving out. I was going to start with the rest of the pizza crusts, but Dad ate them for breakfast.”

“How long were you going to wait?” Airily asked.

“As long as it took. Or, at least, until school started. It’s okay if I get caught out of bed in summer but not during the school year.”

Airily’s brow furrowed. Josh was smart and patient. He was going to be harder to shake than she thought. A heavy gloom settled over her like when her feathers were too wet to fly.

“Now, back to my question,” Josh said.

“What is it?” Airily braced herself. Her hand tightened on the book, crinkling the paper.

“How does magic work?”

She blew out her breath. She could explain what little she understood with some thoughtful editing.

“Alright,” Airily began. She told him about the ancient fae and the power they were said to wield, then about glamour and how her minor magic worked. Josh liked that and called it a natural self-defense mechanism.

“I don’t know a lot,” Airily said after she’d finished her explanation. “Saying it out loud, it doesn’t amount to much.”

“You might call it magic, but I bet there’s a scientific explanation.” He took his glasses off and cleaned the lenses on the corner of his T-shirt. “I wonder if I could come up with an experiment to figure out the forces at work.”

“Experiments aren’t part of our agreement,” she said. It was better if humans remained ignorant of the fae in their midst. They couldn’t be trusted not to hunt them down and lock them up, or to try to take their magic. But answering Josh’s questions brought up dozens more for Airily. She decided to ask Owlby more about magic during her next visit. He knew everything there was to know.

“Could we make another agreement about experiments?”

“No,” Airily crossed her arms. “And I have to go make dinner now.”

“Already? Look, I won’t mention anything else about
experiments, okay?”

“We’ve been talking for a while, and I really do have to go.”

“I guess…”

Josh might not have anything to do but Airily did. She wanted to be home when Poppa and her siblings returned. They might already be waiting for her, but she couldn’t tell Josh that.

Suddenly, a black shape spiraled out of the sky and crashed in the backyard.

“What the heck?” Josh jumped and the branch shook.

Black Burn. Airily’s mouth fell open.

Josh climbed down the tree.

“Stop!” Airily yelled. She had to keep Josh from finding out about the others.

Josh’s feet thumped as he hit the ground, and he raced over to the spot where Burn had crashed.

Airily flew in front of Josh, hovering over the misshapen lump that was Black Burn. She looked gravely ill. The crow’s wings were splayed at wrong angles, her glossy feathers dusty. Her face was pale and sweaty, and her black braids, usually perfect and neat on either side of her head, had come undone.

“No!” Airily shouted. “Go back inside!”

“Whoa,” Josh whispered. He stared at the grass, ignoring Airily’s protests. “Another fairy.”

Airily landed next to Burn’s head. “Burn? Burn? Can you hear me?” She gripped Black Burn’s shoulder and shook her.

“No, stop.” Josh knelt in the grass beside Airily.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Airily said. “You shouldn’t see her.”

“Hang on.” Josh sprang up. “Stay here but don’t move her, okay?” He ran for the back door of the House. “I know first aid,” he called back.

Airily had no idea what Josh was doing. She took Burn’s clammy hand in both of hers. Black Burn was too heavy for Airily to move on her own.

“Burn. What happened?” Airily asked.

She was surprised when Burn stirred and one eye cracked open.

“It’s coming,” Burn said so faintly Airily wasn’t sure she’d heard right.

“What’s coming, Burn?” Airily asked. Burn’s eye shut again and, for a worrisome second, Airily thought Burn might be dead. She checked Burn’s wrist for a pulse. There was a weak, irregular throb in her veins.

She squeezed Burn’s hand. “Hang on.”

If something was coming for the crow, Airily should keep a lookout. She flew up to the roof and gazed over the tall grass. The House’s front yard was shorter, trimmed
occasionally by the real estate company before Josh’s family moved in. But the backyard was an un-mowed meadow with grasses reaching past Josh’s waist. Anything could be hiding there.

She stared until the dry, warm air made her eyes sting. Airily blinked and as her eyes opened, halfway between the House and the woods, the tall green stalks shifted. The weeds swayed and then fell quiet as if whatever was out there knew Airily was watching. The shadows in the grass seemed to thicken, growing darker than they were even at sundown.

Her spine turned into an icicle of fear. The crow was way too big. Where was Josh? They needed to get inside to safety.

Just then, the back door of the House banged open. Josh came rushing out with a cardboard box in his arms. Airily flew back to Burn’s side.

“Can we move her?” Airily asked.

“Just a sec.” Josh crouched next to Black Burn. The box contained a pillowcase, sock, and tape piled on top of a folded towel that neatly cushioned the bottom.

“We have to hurry,” Airily whispered.

“What? Why?”

Airily hovered by Josh’s ear long enough to say, “I think the thing that hurt Burn is in the meadow.”

Josh whipped around and looked out over the backyard. “I don’t see anything.”

“Just hurry,” Airily said.

Josh turned back to Burn. He reached for the unconscious crow.

“What are you doing?” Airily asked. She didn’t think Burn would like to be touched by a human.

“I’m feeling her neck bones to make sure nothing’s broken.” Josh delicately probed Burn’s neck with his fingertips. “I told you, I took first aid last year. If you move someone with a neck injury, you could paralyze them. She seems okay though.”

“Let's go.” Airily checked the meadow for any more
disturbances. She realized the evening was dead silent.
Crickets should have been chirping. Flocks of birds should have been raucously settling down to sleep, singing and
calling to flock members. Instead, the air was heavy with
malice.

“Hurry,” Airily urged him. She wasn’t sure about the killer’s nature, but she couldn’t risk it being scared of a twelve-year-old human.

Josh wrapped the sock around Burn’s neck, then taped it in place.

“What’s that?”

“A neck brace, it’ll hold her head immobile.” Josh put on a few more strips of tape before deciding the sock brace was secure. He pulled out the pillowcase and flattened it beside Burn. “This is for a stretcher,” he explained, even though
Airily hadn’t asked.

With his hands held flat, Josh slid them under Burn and carefully set her on the pillowcase. She was still in the same twisted position she’d landed in.

“We have to get inside,” Airily whispered urgently.

“Got it. I’ll put her in the attic,” Josh said. He pulled the pillowcase taut and transferred Burn to the box.

“Can you get her past your parents? You promised not to tell them about fairies.” Airily’s chest tightened with panic.

“Don’t worry. Mom’s setting up her computer, and Dad’s unpacking his books in the study. They won’t even
notice.”

“Good. I’ll meet you up there,” Airily said. There was no choice but to trust he’d keep silent about Burn. Josh lifted the box and carried Airily’s friend inside.

Airily flew up to the nest in the eaves and landed. She looked over the yard one last time. The grass seemed
undisturbed, but that didn’t mean the attacker was gone.

Airily ran into the house calling to see if Poppa was home yet.

The rooms were dark and Airily turned on the lights. At least Poppa wouldn’t come home to a dark house. She was supposed to get supper ready, but Black Burn needed her more. Poppa couldn’t fault her for staying by a friend’s sick bed.

Airily opened the door into the walls. Instead of taking the ladder down, she climbed through a short, wooden walkway that led to the attic hatch. It was so narrow Airily’s wings brushed the wall, gathering plaster flakes as she hurried past.

On its newly greased hinges, the hatch door slid open
silently. Airily spotted Josh bent over the box he had used to carry Burn. Storage bins were piled high all around the
injured crow, hiding her from an intruder’s view. Josh had kept his word, and she was surprised.

Airily stepped onto the wide perch of a window casing and shut the hatch. After landing on a stack next to Josh, she looked down at Burn. Josh dabbed a long cotton swab into a bottle and the tip came out yellow.

“What’s that?” Airily asked.

Josh gasped and jumped, nearly spilling the bottle. “Where did you come from?”

“That’s a secret. How’s Burn?”

There was a short silence while Josh glanced around the rafters of the stuffy attic. “She’s still alive. But I don’t know what’s normal for a fairy.” He gently poked the cotton swab between Burn’s black feathers. “She’s got a lot of cuts. I’m using iodine to disinfect them.”

Airily recognized most of the medical supplies Josh had laid out on the work surface: gauze, bandages, ointments, and white packages of things she couldn’t name.

When Josh finished dabbing the swab between Burn’s feathers, the tip came away red with blood. Airily grimaced. She flew down and perched on the edge of Burn’s makeshift bed.

“Poor Burn,” she whispered.

“Do you know what got her?” Josh asked.

Airily wondered if she should tell Josh about the mystery predator killing birds. That was fae business, not his.

“Maybe a cat,” Airily said.

“There’s not much blood. So, I think she’ll be alright. You should stay with her though. Come get me if anything changes. Like she gets a fever or something,” Josh said.

He gave Airily a sidelong glance, and she felt the back of her neck prickle.

“You didn’t tell me there were other fairies.”

“Please don’t make me.” Airily looked at his large face, creased with worry. “We hide from humans because we must. It’s not my secret to tell.”

Josh’s lips parted as if to ask her anyway. He could use one of the promised questions, and she’d have to answer or die, all because of the curse.

“Alright. I won’t ask,” he said. He stood up and brushed the dust from his jeans. “I’ll leave the first aid kit here in case you need it. And if anything changes—”

“—I’ll come get you.”

Josh turned sideways and squeezed between the stacks he’d built to hide Burn.

Just before he disappeared downstairs, Airily said,
“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he called from the stairwell. He left the attic light bulb burning overhead.

She sighed with relief when the door shut. Airily didn’t feel good about her relationship with Josh, but she was
grateful. The situation could’ve been so much worse without him. For some reason, he kept proving to be reliable.

Airily checked Burn’s pulse again. It was stronger now. Josh didn’t know it, but fairies healed fast. It was safe to leave Burn for a few minutes. Airily needed to see if Poppa was home and tell him what happened.

She flew up to the door above the window and let herself back into the walls. The muffled sounds of her family’s voices came from inside their home. Airily had never been happier, or more fearful, to face them in her life.

Poppa, Fluppence, and Witter unloaded their collecting sacks on the kitchen table.

“Poppa, I was outside when–”

“I asked you to have dinner ready.” Poppa sat down. He propped his elbows on the table and sighed wearily.

“I didn’t have time,” Airily said.

“You had all day,” Fluppence shot back.

“Or were you too busy with your human?” Witter asked.

Airily scowled at him. She bet he’d been waiting all day to say that stupid jibe.

“Just listen to me,” Airily pleaded.

“Airily, I’m too tired for your excuses. Just start dinner,” Poppa said.

“Black Burn is hurt. She’s in the attic and needs our help. She crashed in the yard when Josh and I were talking. He’s seen her too.”

Poppa sat up, suddenly alert. “What?”

“Black Burn is hurt?” Fluppence asked. Her face drained of color.

“But how?” Witter’s voice cracked with emotion.

Poppa jumped off the bench and hurried from the kitchen. His tail feathers disappeared through the attic door. Airily ran after him. By the time she caught up to him, he was perched on top of the window frame scanning the atticscape.

“It’s alright. Josh is downstairs,” Airily said and landed on the edge of Burn’s bed.

“What happened?” Poppa demanded as he joined her. Gently, he put a hand on Burn’s forehead, checking for fever, just like he did when Airily felt ill.

“Something attacked her. I-I think it might be what killed the other birds,” Airily told him. “I watched over her while Josh got supplies. There was movement in the grass, but it stopped. I don’t know if it’s still out there.”

“Did the Daily Whoot come? Does Owlby think something weird is going on?” Poppa asked.

“Burn can tell us more when she wakes up. Her color looks better,” Airily said.

“Good.” Poppa checked her pulse, then loosened the clothing around her neck. He unbuttoned her black vest and the top collar button of her charcoal gray blouse.

Finally catching up, Witter and Fluppence landed next to Poppa.

“Is she going to die?” Witter wrung his hands and his voice shook. He looked pained and Airily felt a twinge of
sympathy.

“No, she should recover in a week or so.” Poppa put his arm around Witter.

“Poor Burn,” Fluppence said. She stroked Burn’s raven black hair.

“Josh knows first aid. He’s the one who fixed her up,” Airily said.

“But now your boy knows about Black Burn,” Witter snapped. “Did you tell him about us too? How long 'til he finds out?” Witter’s lower lip quivered.

“It’s not like I told him. And he’s not my boy.” Airily rolled her eyes, tired of Witter’s dramatics. “He didn’t even ask about there being other fairies and he could have.”

Not that he didn’t want to. Why was she defending Josh? She’d had all the same ungenerous thoughts about him. But he’d been so helpful today, and she knew they might need him in the future.

Witter scowled at Airily and wiped unshed tears from the corners of his eyes.

“I think Airily’s right to trust him,” Fluppence said.

“No, she’s not,” Witter said. “We have to move. We’ll never be safe here.” He fluffed up his feathers.

“That’s my decision, Witter. And we aren’t there yet.” Poppa hugged him.

“Look at Burn. Josh made her a neck brace and hid her up here,” Airily said.

“I hate it, but I agree.” Fluppence put her hands on her hips, chin raised. She looked just like Momma had when she was sure she was right. “We would’ve had to leave Burn in the yard. We couldn’t have gotten her inside and out of
danger.”

“Airily could’ve gone to get Owlby,” Witter argued.

“And Burn would’ve been dead by the time she got back. You didn’t see that ripped-up bird in the woods. No one should die like that,” Fluppence retorted.

“What bird?” Poppa cut in.

For a very brief moment, Airily had been proud of
Fluppence.

“Oops.” Flup put her knuckle in her mouth as though
trying to block any more confessions from slipping out—not that it helped. “We saw one of the dead birds in the woods on the way to Owlby’s,” Fluppence spilled.

Airily was sure Poppa was going to start yelling. He let go of Witter and his suntanned face went red. Instead, he let out a long, harsh breath and pushed up his spiked pompadour.

“First, we’ll deal with Burn, and then I’ll deal with you two.” He gestured at Airily and Fluppence. “Witter go get some water.”

Witter hopped to obey.

“We didn’t want to worry you,” Fluppence said when Witter was gone.

Airily could’ve kicked her. Getting in trouble so often taught Airily a lot about how to deal with Poppa when he was mad, and Flup was doing it all wrong. She should’ve stayed quiet.

“I have a good mind to send you both to Aunt Twilla’s house for a good, long course in discipline,” Poppa said.

Aunt Twilla was the second worst threat after wing-
clipping. Thankfully, Poppa’s oldest sister lived three days away, and they only saw her every couple of years. She was as stern and gray as the three-story Victorian house she and her family lived in. Twilla scheduled everything to the second: when her children got up, when they ate, when they slept, laughed, cried, and played. Her two cousins—Airily could barely tell one from another—both dressed in the same dismal gray uniforms made by Twilla. They drilled and
exercised to such precision, Airily was sure they farted in unison as well.

“Murder your daughters later, Jay.” A weak, cracked voice emerged from the bed of towels.

“Burn! You’re awake!” Fluppence threw her arms around the crow’s neck.

“Flup. The neck brace,” Airily warned.

“Oops!” She let go. “Sorry.”

“What happened, Burn?” Poppa asked.

Burn squinted up at the attic ceiling and touched the neck brace at her throat. “Where am I? What is this thing?”

“Airily explain,” Poppa ordered.

With the most apologetic look Airily could muster, which wasn’t difficult since she really did feel bad, she told Burn what she saw of the crow’s crash landing and Josh’s quick thinking.

“We’re very sorry a human has seen you. Airily has shamed us all,” Poppa added.

Airily glared at the soft green towel. Poppa didn’t have to get that last remark in.

“Never mind,” Burn said. She propped herself up on the cardboard wall, so she could sit up better. “Not the first time I’ve met a human. You guys need to relax a little.”

“But you were seen,” Poppa said.

Burn grinned crookedly at him. “Humans can be useful. Don’t worry so much.”

“What happened?” Fluppence asked.

Black Burn’s smile shriveled into a grimace. “I-I feel kind of tired,” she said.

“Burn, what attacked you is probably what’s killing the birds in the woods.” Airily crossed her arms.

“You need to tell us,” Poppa said.

“Tell what?” Witter dropped into the box carrying a
plastic jar of water. Unbalanced by the water, he wobbled on landing.

“Burn is going to tell us what attacked her.” Poppa’s tone left no room for argument. “Before she makes me call in a favor.”

The crow sniffed and thrust out her chin. “Of course, I’ll tell you. We’re all in danger.”

“We are?” Witter cried.

“Not immediately.” Burn rolled her eyes. “But, yes.”

“Spill it,” Poppa said.

Burn drank her water, and Witter filled the silence with little whimpering noises. Not for the first time, Airily wished her baby brother had some backbone.

“I was at home getting dinner ready,” Burn said at last.

Airily had only been to Burn’s house a few times, but it was like Owlby’s in that it was one thing on the outside and something else on the inside. On the outside, it was a crow’s nest made of sticks and scraps. Inside, it looked like a huge junkyard. To hear Burn tell it, everyone wanted to rob her blind, and she didn’t like to have fairies over.

“I was stirring a pot of squirrel stew when I felt the
magical boundaries of my house being invaded. Not
something mundane fae, like you, would understand,” Burn said.

“Just get on with it,” Poppa said.

“I was barely aware the wards were down when it came at me from nowhere.”

“What came at you?” Fluppence asked.

“It-it must’ve been a fairy. It was cloaked in shadow, but it had the body and reflexes of a cat.” Burn sounded as fearful as Airily had ever heard her.

“The cat fae slashed at me with sharp claws. I just wasn’t fast enough.” Burn wrapped her arms around herself. “It cut up my wings. It nearly got me, but I managed to slip out a secret back door. My mother always said to have an escape route.”

“Why’d you come here and not Owlby’s?” Poppa asked.

“It was a gamble, but I came here because you live in a House. Old fae, from the Fair Lands, are super sensitive to iron. I was hoping it couldn't come into a modern house, too much metal. But I don't know. I was wounded and needed close shelter.” Burn shook her head. “The cat fae—I think it has to be old—felt magical. Like in the old times before the gates to the Fair Lands closed.”

“The Fair Lands?” Poppa looked doubtful. “That’s not possible.”

“The gates closed ages ago,” Airily said. Everyone knew that.

“You’re all so young.” Burn snorted. “The Fair Land's gates are closed from their side to keep us out.”

“I never knew that,” Poppa said. “I don’t think Grandpa knew either.”

“Mostly, it doesn’t matter,” Burn said. “We can’t go there, and they don’t want to come here.”

“Then why is it attacking us?” Witter asked.

Burn shrugged.

“Up until now it only killed regular birds, didn’t it?”
Fluppence asked.

They all stared at Burn, but before she answered, her skin paled again. With a loud sigh, she fainted.

Airily made a frustrated noise in her throat. “Burn, you aren’t fooling anyone.” She poked Black Burn’s arm, but the old crow didn’t move.

“Don’t worry, I think she’s just tired,” Poppa said.

“Or faking,” Airily muttered.

“Should you get the boy?” Fluppence asked.

Poppa put his ear to Burn's chest, listening to her
heartbeat. Then he straightened and shook his head.

“We should let her rest for now. She should be fine in a day or two,” he said. “In the meantime, we need help. Only strong magic will defend us from an elder fae.”

“Owlby,” Airily said.

“And some of the others,” Poppa agreed with a nod.
“Tomorrow I’ll go see some of the woodland fae. Owlby for sure, and Grandpa Coyote. Maybe the foxes. They’ll want to know about the intruder if they don’t already.”

“I should go with you,” Airily said. “The woods are
dangerous.”

“That’s why you’re staying home,” Poppa snapped, his voice hard. “You need to take care of your siblings and get more information out of Burn when she wakes up.”

“But–”

“No buts, Airily. I wasn’t joking about sending you to Twilla’s.”

Airily pursed her lips. They only had Poppa left; he couldn’t just leave them.

“I’ll be fine,” Poppa said. He tried to put his arm around her shoulders.

She pulled away, too angry to be consoled.

“That fae probably doesn’t even know we exist,” Poppa said. “We’re much easier pickings than Burn.”

It was a small comfort, but Airily wasn’t sure Poppa
believed it himself.