3

Waiting

A strong, lemony scent fizzed and sparked beneath Daisy’s nose. When she opened her eyes, she saw her dad kneeling beside her.

‘Take a sip,’ he said.

Fuzzy-headed, Daisy did as she was told. She could see the fairy wren over Efa’s shoulder, its wing now bandaged with leaves.

‘Try not to look,’ said Efa. He helped Daisy to her feet, leading her away from the healing grove. The elixir had done its job well. With each step Daisy felt stronger and less queasy.

‘No more healing,’ said Efa firmly. ‘I think we can safely assume that it’s not your Calling. Take it easy. And do something fun. I’ll see you at home tonight.’ He gave Daisy a quick hug, then headed back to the grove.

Vu was sitting on a branch, watching her anxiously.

‘That probably wasn’t the best way to earn a free afternoon,’ said Daisy, trying to lighten the mood. ‘Oh, well. What shall we do with it, Vu?’

Lifting the stiff, green elytra that protected his flying wings, Vu prepared to take off. With a buzzing sound, his wings began to flutter. He lifted into the air, flying the short distance between them to hover near Daisy’s nose.

‘Show off!’ Daisy grinned. ‘You won’t be able to gloat for much longer. Soon, I’ll have wings, too.’

‘You’ve started the Fairy Quest,’ an excited voice called from behind her.

Daisy spun around. It was her sister, Maggie, with Nelli. Nelli was a bright-red ladybird and Maggie’s best friend. She huffed happily, zooming over to play aerial chase with Vu.

‘You always sneak up on me,’ Daisy accused Maggie.

Although they were sisters, the two fairies could not be more different. Maggie was only four years older than Daisy, and she was already a lot more mature. Their parents always told the story of how, on the day of Maggie’s birth, a nearby magpie had burst into song. Opening her eyes, the newborn Maggie had smiled and music had been her Calling ever since. Already knowing the purpose of her life, Maggie had never needed daydreams.

Daisy batted Maggie playfully on the shoulder and received a cuff to the head in return. ‘Watch out, I just fainted you know.’

‘Sure you did,’ said Maggie, not believing a word. ‘So, have you started your Fairy Quest?’

‘Oh, no, not yet . . .’ said Daisy dejectedly, dropping her gaze to the ground to try and hide her disappointment.

Maggie put an arm around Daisy’s shoulder. ‘C’mon, possum face, don’t frown. I know the waiting is the worst part, but it’ll happen soon.’

‘Easy for you to say,’ said Daisy, ‘with your fancy red dragonfly wings that it feels like you’ve had forever. I’m not even sure that the waiting is the worst part. I really want my wings, but I don’t know how I feel about the Fairy Quest. Sometimes, I can’t wait. Other times, my tummy’s filled with butterflies. If I just knew what to expect, maybe I wouldn’t feel so nervous.’

‘If it makes you feel any better, I felt the same way, too,’ said Maggie. ‘But then, one day, I sat down and thought about how all the fairies I knew had wings. And how every one of them must have completed the Fairy Quest to get them. It made me realise that, if they could do it, I could, too. I still didn’t feel prepared, but I did feel more confident.’

‘Prepared,’ said Daisy, the seed of an idea beginning to grow in her mind. ‘Thanks, Maggie,’ she said, giving her a loud kiss on the cheek. ‘You’ve actually been helpful for once.’ Pulling away from Maggie’s hug, Daisy ran into the gum-tree grove, heading for home. ‘Come on, Vu! No time for playing,’ she called to the little beetle. ‘We’ve got preparing to do.’