Oona seemed to feel better with every ray of sunshine she sipped with her face, hair, and body. Rosemary had managed to untie the fairy wool threads from her wrists with the beasts' grass and old charms. Oona could sit for hours, her eyes closed, in the soft light of the sun as if feeding on it. Birds and butterflies gathered around her, and flowers bloomed where she stepped. Oona was singing and dancing, raising her white arms to the sky. Sometimes she made wreaths of flowers and then braided them in her fiery hair.

Ferry watched her, hoping the sun, sky, and flowers would bring her memories back, just as they had brought a smile to her face. Oona smiled at him every time she saw him, but in her clear eyes, he could see she didn't remember him. She caressed his face with her hands and braided flowers to his temples. Then she sat down beside him on the grass, put her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes, absorbing the sunlight again. Ferry kept talking to her about everything they had been through together in Tenalach.

"Remember when you blew tickle-dust in my face? I must have sneezed for an hour. Or when we slept in napping shelters? Remember, Oona?"

But she slowly shook her head, "I'm sorry, but I don't remember ... Keep talking... You have such a warm voice ... Just like your heart."

"You called me fairy boy," Ferry continued, smiling at the memory. "You used to play in my hair as you did now. Don't you remember me, Oona?" he said in a low voice. "Don't you remember me at all?"

But she shook her head no again.

"Then what do you remember?" he asked.

"I remember my mother and I were wandering a lot long before we came here. I remember a carriage with a cover and nomads. And trains with no chairs. I remember a cold, dark place with a dying sun," she said, and Ferry watched as the clouds began to gather above them as the light in her eyes was scattering.

"Have you traveled with anyone other than your mother?" he asked.

"Yes. There was that sad boy. He came from the place with the dying sun."

Ferry suddenly turned intrigued by the strange conversation."What boy? What's his name?"

"Kian. But when he got here, he told us to call him Andrew."

Ferry felt his heart begin to pound. He looked her in the eye, "Oona, are you sure? About Andrew?"

She nodded.

"Then what happened?"

"Then he began coming to us less often. He only came when I had to ... give him my vim. Then he didn't come at all," she softly said. "My mother loved him very much. She still loves him. She cries every night because she misses him so much"

Ferry watched the clouds above her grow darker.

"Did he hurt you, Oona? Kian?"

"He didn't want to. But my mother said he had to if he wanted to find what they were looking for so they could leave this place after that. But he always cried when he had to do it ..."

Ferry clenched his fists.

"Did it hurt? When they did that to you?" he asked softly, fearing her answer.

"Not that hard," she said. "I usually fell asleep after it happened. I slept for days, and when I woke up, the wounds were already healed. But--"

And Oona began to tremble.

"But?" Ferry asked softly.

"It's just that... that man hurt me every time he came. He never got enough. He always wanted more," she said, and a tear fell down her cheek.

"What man?" Ferry asked, feeling his blood rise to his head.

"The monster," she said, and Ferry read the horror in her eyes.

The clouds above Oona collided and rain started. Ferry looked into her sad eyes, slowly took her hand, and touched her wrist which still had the marks of the magical threads that had tormented her so much.

"I'm sorry, Oona. I'm so sorry..."

"Why are you calling me Oona?" she asked, looking up at him. "My name is Anne."

Lavender, who had quietly stepped closer, and heard the conversation, caressed her hair lightly."Come on, baby," she said softly. "Rosemary will take you inside to make you some hot tea. It's over now ..."

Under her caress, Oona stopped shaking and headed home.

"Did you hear? Did you hear what they were doing to her?" Ferry shouted as Oona moved away.

"I'm afraid we can't do anything about it. It's done," Lavender replied. "Fortunately, you found her in time. If a few more days passed, she would have been dead."

The clouds above them began to dissipate.

"They broke her," Ferry said, clenching his fists. "She's broken, and I don't know how to fix her," he said, and his voice broke.

Lavender tried to smile, "You can't save everyone, darling. All you can do is be there for her. She seems to have the greatest confidence in you. But what she said is worrying."

"She talked about Lily Jones, and Andrew, and a man ... Is he also a fairy?"

"We can't know," Lavender said. "But we have to be careful. Very careful. You, especially. We all need to talk. Tonight."

Ferry nodded, "Do you want me to call Parsley and Rosemary?"

"Yes. Tell Rosemary she needs to change her appearance," Lavender said.

"Why?" Ferry asked.

"To bring him here, of course."

"Who?" Ferry wondered.

"Sage."

*

Sage arrived when darkness fell. He looked slightly irritated. Usually, on Sunday evenings, Matilda's family played cards, ate roasted chestnuts, and drank ginger beer. Ferry had once taken part in such meetings. Those were happy, careless times when everyone laughed and had a great time.

"What did he do this time?" Sage growled, glancing at Ferry.

"It's not Garrett, Sage," Parsley said, pointing to Oona. The fairy sat by the fire while Rosemary combed her long, shiny hair.

Sage was speechless, "How did Oona get here?" he eventually asked.

"Garrett found her," Parsley said. "In widow Jones' house. She was Anne the whole time."

"Brilliant," Sage said between clenched teeth. "Now everyone in town will start searching for her. Good job, Garrett!"

"What was I supposed to do, Sage?" Ferry argued. "If I hadn't taken her from that place, she would have died."

"That's not the point," Lavender said. "My concern is that there are fairies in this town. Others besides us, of which we had no idea. Mrs. Jones, Andrew, and one more, a man we know nothing about. We don't know why they're here or what they want. But they definitely have something to do with Ferry. They entered his house. They've probably always been watching him. And I don't think they'll announce Oona's missing. That means drawing even more attention to them."

"What's wrong with her?" Sage asked, looking at Oona as the girl mumbled a song.

"She was taken to the Valley of Oblivion," Lavender told him. "That's why she doesn't know who we are and who she really was before ..."

"Hmmm, so the Valley of Oblivion really has that power ..." Sage muttered. "And now what?"

"We need to take more care of Ferry now," Lavender said.

"I can take care of myself," Ferry protested.

"I know that, dear. But you have to be even more careful. Stay away from problems."

Sage smirked. "How could he do that? He's looking for them."

"That's not true!" Ferry argued.

"Is that so?" Sage grinned." Hmmm, let's see. Who went to Tenalach to save his friend? Who fights for girls at school? Who sneaks out every night and flies over a town full of people? Who's spying on them?"

Lavender knocked on the floor with her crane. "That's enough! Now we must all be even more careful than usual. That's all."

"So be it," said Sage. "I'll be a babysitter if I have to. Now, please excuse me. I have a game of cards to finish," he said, turning to leave.

"You can't leave," said Lavender. "We all have to stay together. We have to be prepared. They will discover that Oona is missing soon if they haven't already."

"Yeah, Sage, you can't leave!" Ferry reinforced Lavender's words, and an idea popped into his mind. "Besides, now that Thyme is gone, I need someone to train me. Especially with so many dangers around. And you master weapons so well."

"Ferry's right," the others agreed, "you are the most suited to train him, now that Thyme is gone."

Sage let out a short growl. "Fine," he said. Then to Ferry, "Prepare to have your butt kicked."

*

At Thyme's training ground, Ferry and Sage were preparing for a fight demonstration. Sage tied his black hair in a bun and grabbed Thyme's spear; Ferry also took his spear. Now, they were walking around without letting each other out of sight.

"I know the little game you want to play," Sage growled without taking his eyes off him. "You want to keep me away from her."

"Not as much as you want to keep me away from her," Ferry said, staring at him. "Why are you afraid of me, Sage?"

"I'm not afraid of you, Garrett," Sage spat the words. "I just don't want you around her. You... distract her."

"Distract her from what?" Ferry asked, squeezing the spear in his hands.

"From forgetting you," Sage said through gritted teeth and engaged at him. But Ferry was quick and blocked his strike, pushing him a few steps away.

Ferry grinned, "You're not the only one who trained," he said.

With a warrior cry, Sage dashed at him again. Their spears clenched and their teeth chattered. Ferry managed to push him again, but this time, Sage came at him again, with even more force.

"I know what you want to do," Ferry gasped as their spears clashed again.

"What do you think I want to do?" Sage whistled in his ear.

Ferry pushed him, "You want to make her forget," Ferry said, barely breathing. "You want to take her to the Valley of Oblivion. You want to make her forget about me forever."

Sage laughed. His laughter echoed in the deep night.

"Is that what you think?" he smirked. "I would never force her to do something she doesn't want to. I like her wild nature."

Upon hearing his words, it was Ferry's turn to engage at him. His gaze was blurry and he could no longer think clearly. But Sage was faster (or maybe more focused) because he felt the blow again, then reaped Ferry's feet with his spear. Ferry fell, hitting the ground hard. But Sage didn't loosen his attack, and Ferry felt the tip of his spear pierce his throat. Even though made of wood, the tip of the spear pushing his neck hurt. And the pain grew stronger. Sage stared at him, pushing the spear further into his neck. Ferry could barely breathe.

"Sage! Enough!" Ferry heard Lavender's firm voice. But Sage didn't loosen the blow. "I said that's enough!" Lavender shouted.

Sage finally let go.

"He's not ready," he said through clenched teeth, then threw the spear at Ferry and headed inside. That also hurt.

Lavender helped Ferry to his feet. The boy massaged his neck which still held the mark of the spear's tip as a reminder of Sage's rage.

They both started for the cottage.

"Sage, what happened there? Lavender asked him as they entered the house. "You were hurting Ferry."

Sage took off his boots and sat down by the fireplace, his back on them. Oona had gone to bed in the room that belonged to Ferry's mother. Parsley and Rosemary were both huddled on a bench reading from the Fairy Book. The small space they shared didn't seem to bother them. On the contrary. They both looked up as Lavender and Ferry entered the house.

"Do you think the enemies will tickle him with the tip of their sword?" Sage growled as he stared at the fire. "Why do you all treat him gently? Because that's definitely not going to happen when he has to fight for Akna."

"He's just a boy," Lavender raised her voice, protruding in front of him. "He's almost seventeen. Boys his age spend time with friends, or roam the hills or walk with the girls they fancy. In this world and the others. They don't carry the fate of an entire nation on their shoulders."

Sage stood up. His massive stature almost covered the light of the fire coming from the hearth."Have you ever thought that maybe he's not worthy to carry our fate on his shoulders?" he shouted. "He's selfish, too curious about almost anything, impulsive, thoughtless and stupid," he added, pointing at Ferry who was standing by the door.

"I think Sage is right," Rosemary said, rising. "I don't think he's ready either. He doesn't know anything about Akna. And no matter how hard we try to prepare him, what awaits him there is so much more than he ever lived here or in Tenalach."

Parsley disagreed with her, "He's the rightful Spear Carrier. Only in his hands can the Spear do justice," he said. "We all witnessed it in Tenalach."

"Is he, though?" Sage asked. "Who says that? The ancestors? The prophecies? What if they're wrong? What if we are all wrong and we put all our hope in a boy who doesn't care about Akna or its people."

"He's not an ordinary boy, Sage," Lavender protested. "He is the direct descendant of the Great Fairies as I was. Apart from my children who we don't even know if they still live, he is the rightful heir to the throne."

"But with this attitude of yours, of everyone, to keep him away from the truth and to spare him from all harm, all you do is make him weaker," Sage shouted.

All his fairy friends began to shout and quarrel with each other, creating an uproar from which Ferry couldn't get anything, anymore.

"Stop it!" he shouted. "Stop talking like I'm not even here! I'm tired of everyone treating me like I'm a child who can't think for himself. I tried to be worthy of this mission, of this land, and of this people, I don't even know. I've tried to learn, train, and know more about it. But somehow, it's not enough ... It's never enough," he said and left the house, slamming the door behind him.

For the first time, he felt the need to leave, to be as far away from that place as possible. He wanted to be home, in his bed, with his mother caressing his forehead, telling him everything would be fine. In the moonlight, he looked at the house covered with climbing plants and wild roses that seemed to have arranged itself like a pretty girl for a night out. From the narrow up window, Oona watched him, as serene as he knew her. And Ferry knew he couldn't leave.

*

"Do you have any news about Andrew"? his mother asked him when Ferry met him at work the next day. Ferry rose from the layers of rhododendrons he was digging and looked at her. "The school's headmaster called your father to tell him that Andrew had dropped out of school," she continued. "He just left. Nobody knows where."

Ferry frowned. Andrew had been absent from school, but that had happened quite often lately. He always came back. This time, his departure worried him.

"Maybe you could talk to Billy," his mother asked. "The two looked very close. I haven't seen him around here in a long time. Billy must be missing him terribly. He was his only friend in this world..."

"Mum, we still don't know anything about this boy ... He could be dangerous."

"He's a lonely boy, Ferry. He's no one's child. We do not know what his story is, that's true. But he always seemed such a sad boy. Even in the beginning, when he created so many problems for us. No one should live their sadness alone ..."

Ferry felt a lump in his throat. "Mum ... I always wanted to ask you something ..." he hesitated.

"What is it, darling?"

"When you first confronted Andrew about the birthmark. Were you serious? Or you just wanted to see if he was lying."

His mother looked at him in a curious way. "Come. Let's take a walk," she said.

They both walked among the white hydrangea bushes behind the kitchen.

"I didn't lie. When my baby was born, he had that mark on his shoulder blade," she said.Ferry swallowed hard. "This means--"

"I knew Andrew wasn't my lost son, yes ..." she said softly.

Ferry sat slowly on one of the benches by the bushes. It was a warm day, full of the scent of fresh flowers.

"And it means something else ..." he said softly. "It means I'm not either ... And you knew I wasn't--"

But he couldn't finish his word. His chin began to shiver.His mother held his face in her hands: "I knew it," she said. "I knew it from the beginning. But that didn't stop me from loving you less."

Ferry closed his eyes and caressed his face against her hand. She tried to tidy his hair.

"I never could tame this wonderful hair of yours," she smiled. She then sat next to him, and her eyes wandered through memories. "I never understood what happened that day, when you showed up. It was beyond my comprehension. Maybe there were fairies that no one in this town wants to talk about, but of which everyone seems to know something. I knew the few minutes I left my child alone had changed everything. And that there was nothing I could do. But there was one thing I knew-- that I would love that little, ruffled creature that spat and bit, and clung to me so desperately for the rest of my life."

"Thank you, Mum," he said.

She kissed him on the forehead before leaving, "Come home, sweetheart," she softly said.

"I will, Mum. Soon. I promise."

*

In the evening, when the people working at the mansion retreated, Ferry pretended to be heading for Lavender's house. Instead, he hid in cluster pf the plane trees near the guest rooms. On the second-floor terrace, Billy was watching the night as he had for weeks. Ferry thought that if Andrew or whatever his name was still in town, he would still want to see Billy, even if from the shadows. As he did with Matilda. As would anyone who had disappeared from someone's life, but still could not let go.

And he was right. When it got dark, a shadow crept past the walls of the mansion. He stood under the balcony where Billy watched the night, lost in thought. Ferry couldn't see his face, but he knew it was Andrew. He could only wait without losing sight of him. Andrew remained under the terrace. Even if he couldn't see Billy, knowing him there was probably enough. When Billy finally decided to go to sleep, Andrew left his place under the terrace. Ferry followed him closely.Andrew left the mansion, heading for the Shepherd's Forest. He walked slowly, leaning on a stick. He was covered with a thick cloak that kept his face out of sight. It was easy for Ferry to follow. As they approached the forest, he called his name.

Andrew stopped but did not turn to him.

"What do you want, Ferry?" he asked. His voice was weak, almost a whisper.

"I heard you left school," he said. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's fine," he laughed bitterly. "Only rainbows and unicorns."

Ferry tried to get closer, but Andrew moved further away.

"What are you after, Andrew?" Ferry asked. "Why did you come to this town? We both know you're not the lost son of the Donovans."

"That's none of your business, Ferry," he said, still with his back to him. "Mind your own. It's better for everyone."

Then he walked slowly towards the forest.

"Kian!" Ferry called him. A flock of night birds flew to the stars at his name resounding in the night. Andrew stopped. This time he turned to the Ferry.

"I know who you are," Ferry said, coming closer to him. "I know what you did to Oona. You and Mrs. Jones or whatever her name is. I know you're not from this world. And you will pay for this."

The figure in front of him watched him in silence. Ferry took a few steps back to see him. The boy in front of him was no longer like the one he had once been. Under the hood of his cloak, his face looked bony, almost skeletal. His eyes gleamed, white, clogged in their sockets. The hair covering his forehead was white, but not like Ferry's shiny hair; it looked like wild hemp, rough and tangled. His lips were black.

"Believe me, Ferry, you don't know half of what you think you know," the voice of the fantasm in front of him hissed. "If you really knew, you would go as far as possible from this place and never come back. Before it's too late. Whatever I did ... I had no choice. But I know I'll pay for it ..."

"What do you mean?" Ferry asked, feeling shivers down his spine. "If it's so dangerous, why don't you leave?"

"For the same reason as you. Because everything I love is here," he said, then headed for the forest, dragging his feet. The night around him turned darker.

*

At school, it was time for the final exams. Ferry was trying to concentrate and forget about everything that had happened lately. Next to him, Ben wrote and wrote, without stopping. From time to time, both Celia and Steph turned him. One looked at him fondly and longingly. The other threw arrows with her eyes in his direction. But Ben didn't mind them, filling page after page.

When the class was almost over, the classroom door opened and Mr. Adams, the biology teacher, stepped in. He looked pale and agitated.

"Can you allow Ben to leave for a few minutes," he said to the literature teacher, catching his breath.

Ben stopped writing and looked up at him. He dropped the pen from his hand and the pen fell on the floor with a loud noise, splashing it with heavy drops of ink. Ben got up and walked slowly to the door as if walking in a dream.

After a few minutes, the door opened again and Ben entered the classroom. His eyes were empty. Celia couldn't stop a gasp at his sight. Ben walked over to his desk and began to gather his things in slow motion.

"Mr. Knight," the teacher asked, "did something happen?"

"I'm sorry," Ben said in a faint voice. "I have to go..."

"Ben, what happened?" Celia almost yelled, getting up from her desk. "Tell me, please," she begged.

Ben looked at her and when he met her eyes, he awoke from his numbness and began to shiver. "It's Bianca ... My sister ... She's gone missing."

The hard times are here. Prepare! I want you to know your theories on this one. They are fascinating :)