Darkling Green. Kim Thompson

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СКАЧАТЬ twirled about. All was quiet at the moment save for the thin sounds of fairy fiddling and the scrape of skate blades on ice. The music and skaters swept to a dramatic finish, and the audience erupted in applause. Then followed an awkward moment as the judges couldn’t agree on a winner. There was an argument over whether the best leap of the competition — Honeycup’s jaw-dropping 3,240-degree rotation in midair, nine complete turns — had been aided by wing flaps, and whether or not that should be allowed. The spectators chimed in with their opinions, and finally Honeycup’s jump was allowed and she received her gold medal.

      Next was a thrilling mouse-sled race along a sharply curving course cut through the woods. The tiny animals threw themselves into the race with abandon; behind them the sleds bounced and crashed along, the fairies hanging on for dear life. At every corner, a fairy or two was flung right off, to the delight of the crowd. Every mouse completed the race, but the only fairy still on board at the finish line was plucky little Bergamot, so she was declared the winner.

      A target had been painted on the stable wall for the Sharp Things Target Shoot. This event was, of course, Tengu’s brainchild. The object was to hurl any sharp object at the target from the other side of the yard. Tengu, Robert, Baz, and four of the dwarves competed, though they were too impatient to properly wait their turn, so there was a steady, terrifying volley of darts, knives, forks, axes, ninja stars, swords, picks, arrows, and corkscrews flying across the yard in the general direction of the stable. All spectators fled the scene, preferring to watch from the safety of the kitchen window. When the competitors ran out of things to throw, the stable wall was such a scarred mess that no clear winner could be determined, despite much grumbling from those involved.

      Willa moved with the others back to the pool for the bobsled race. She saw Horace gazing up at the sky and looked up to see the clouds bubbling and breaking up, slipping away at great speeds to reveal clear blue sky.

      “That’s weird,” muttered Willa, taking her place poolside.

      Eight bobsleds, carved from smooth driftwood and each holding three fairies in walnut shell helmets, lined the pool’s edge, at the top of the snowdrift that sloped down to the bottom of the pool.

      Sarah flew around searching for a good vantage point, finally settling onto Willa’s shoulder. Willa eyed the racers with concern.

      “Are they all going at once? I thought bobsleds usually went one at a time.”

      “Oh, this way is quicker,” said Sarah. “And more exciting.”

      “What happens when they hit the ice at the bottom? Has anyone tested this course?” Willa asked nervously.

      “I have no idea!” Sarah grinned.

      When all the teams were in place, Mab, wrapped luxuriously in a robe that looked suspiciously like dryer lint, stepped up to call the start.

      “On your mark, get set, GO!” Thrusting her finger into the sky, Mab shot a spray of sparks that snapped and popped overhead as the bobsleds plummeted down the icy slope. An excited cheer went up. A sudden warm breeze tickled around Willa’s ears and neck, and as she watched, the ice surface at the bottom of the run glistened and shone, melting instantly. The carefully groomed slope began to run with water, and the bobsledders found themselves riding a river. Every time they banked for a turn, a spray of water went up. It was looking more like a water skiing competition than a bobsled race, and they hit the bottom with a huge splash. The bobsleds sank immediately, and sputtering fairies staggered out of the water, throwing off their helmets in disgust.

      The crowd hushed and looked around in surprise. Snowbanks were shrinking away. Great clumps of snow fell from the trees, splattering onto the ground, and there was a sudden chitter of birdsong. Above them the last wisps of cloud slipped out of sight, leaving nothing but bright blue sky. Squinting in the sunshine, Willa turned questioningly to Belle, who shrugged. Horace, too, was speechless.

      Sarah let out a gasp. Willa turned to see two large brown hares sitting at the corner of the house. They were identical to the one she had seen before, and they wore the same golden sun pendants.

      The air grew warmer still. Everyone stared as the hares stepped aside to make way for four more hares carrying two long poles that supported a fairy-sized carriage, ornately carved in gold. They were followed by a dozen fairies walking behind. The Eldritch fairies, all females, were very woodsy, with garments roughly fashioned from leaves, twigs, and moss. This group, on the other hand, was made up entirely of male fairies, all in glittering medieval dress, and dripping with jewels.

      The rabbits set the carriage on the ground, and they and the fairies all bowed low as a curtain drew aside and a glittering figure stepped out of the carriage.

      It was a fairy. His long golden hair flowed in the warm breeze as he revealed his noble profile. He was brilliantly attired in yellow silk, with precious gems sparkling at his throat, and he held a fresh green fiddlehead staff. He seemed to glow from within. The noble figure stepped forward, leaving green, grassy footprints in the snow. He paused at the edge of the pool.

      “Hello, Mab,” he cooed.

      All heads turned from the golden apparition to the other end of the pool, to Mab in her dryer lint cloak. She was scowling.

      “Hello … Oberon,” she hissed.

      “I love your outfit,” he crooned. “It brings out the grey in your hair.”

      Mab flung a fireball at him, but with a scooping motion Oberon countered it with a column of water from the melted puddle below. As the fireball hit it, both fire and water arched back and around. The shape of a heart hung in the air, half fire and half water. There was a smattering of applause as it slowly disintegrated and fell away.

      With a loving look, Oberon held out his arms. “Dearest Mab!”

      Silence. Willa held her breath, as did everyone else. Mab looked back coldly, not answering.

      Willa heard Sarah whisper in her ear, “Isn’t he dreamy?”

      “Who is he?” Willa asked.

      “Just the King of the Fairies, that’s all,” sighed Sarah. “Mab’s husband!”

      Chapter Six

      The course of true love never did run smooth

      “I didn’t know Mab was married!” Willa exclaimed. “She never mentioned him before!”

      Belle made a face. “Can’t say as I blame her for not talking about that bubblehead.”

      They were sitting on the front porch. Tengu sat on the steps, his head in his hands as he watched the snow disappear. The sun beat down, and streams of water sparkled in the street. Willa took off her coat. “Where has he been?”

      Belle let out a sudden laugh. “He’s been everywhere … looking for her!”

      “She ran away?”

      “She decided to live elsewhere and left no forwarding address.”

      Willa gave Belle a sidelong glance before continuing. “I’m guessing they had a fight.” An easy assumption to make, judging by Mab’s reaction, and the fact that she refused to come out of her wasp nest to talk to him, no matter how lovey-dovey he acted. “He’s still trying to talk her into coming out. Do you know why she’s mad at him?”

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