Ferry arrived home late. Again. He hadn't realized how quickly time had passed standing there, under the hazelnut near the tall grass. He still had a hard time believing what had happened. At dinner, he barely ate. He invented a headache and retired to his room on the roof. Lying on the hard mattress which he knew Lavender had filled with herbs and wildflowers, he watched the endless sky above him. How could he not have realized what Matilda felt for him? The signs had always been there. Maybe he had confused love with friendship. But Matilda had always been more than a friend, more than a sister, more than ... And now, it came to the big question—what did he feel for Matilda? He liked being around her, that much he knew. He liked to see her every day. Talk about anything. And kiss her.

But then there was May. He also liked to spend time with May, too, talk to her and be around her. But he didn't kiss May. Maybe if he kissed her, he would know... Now, everything seemed so confusing.

He took his jacket and went out of his room in Lavender's garden. The night air invigorated him and awakened all his senses. He took his flight, thinking of going to see May, just for a moment, on her balcony full of flowers. Maybe that would have brought him some peace of mind.But he found himself without even realizing it, in front of Matilda's house. The entire house was in the dark. He wanted to be able to at least take a look through her window. But he saw Sage sitting in the back garden, lying on the fresh grass and looking at the sky. So he moved away from Matilda's house with a heavy heart. He flew over the town, forgetting to stop over May's house.

Instead, he headed to the Haughty residence, thinking that perhaps the lake would bring him the much-desired peace of mind so he could clear his thoughts. But the lake had new worshipers. On the other side of the lake house, under the willow that kissed the water with the fresh leaves and hugged the ground with the young branches, Ben and Celia were talking. It was very late. The night was cold because spring was, as usual, as moody as a spoiled child. Ben's jacket was resting on Celia's shoulders. But he didn't seem to care, probably warmed by the fire in his heart.

Ferry remained somewhere far above the weeping willow. He didn't want to be the intruder in their story. He didn't understand what they were saying, anyway; to his surprise, Ben was the one who talked the most, and Celia did nothing but watch him and listen. Between them, there was still distance, but it was getting smaller with each passing moment. Then, the words didn't matter. Ben and Celia looked at the lake, then looked at each other. Their hands, resting on the shiny, young grass, were gently touching as if by mistake.

A gust of wind made them both startle. They looked at each other again as if for the first time. A rebel strand of the girl's hair, disturbed by the wind's gust, clung to her face. Ben gently removed it from her cheek and put it behind her ear. Then, he slowly leaned toward her. She put her hand on the back of his head just as gently, smiled, and closed her eyes. Ferry hurried to leave before their lips met. The moment of their first kiss was to be theirs and theirs alone. He felt unworthy to witness such a perfect moment.

Ferry flew over the town without any purpose. All the events of the day made him feel tired, eventually. He headed to Lavender's house when the wind brought a whistle to his ears. Ferry stood for a moment in the air, listening. He slowly descended and hid behind a poplar beside the path that led to Lavender's house. The whistle was coming from above. Ferry stared into the darkness above him. He couldn't see anyone. But he knew the song. He had heard before. In the silence that suddenly fell, the whistle echoed again, hauntingly beautiful. Then, he could feel the wind gained shape, whistling in his ear. Ferry was not thinking. He took flight and stopped only when he reached his room on the roof. He couldn't close his eyes all night.

*

The next day, early in the morning, Ferry barged into Ben's room. He was lucky Ben's parents would wake up early, even on Sundays. But Ben was still sleeping. Ferry had to shake him to wake him up. Ben probably didn't sleep last night either, from totally different reasons.

"I think we should find more reasonable hours to visit each other", muttered Ben, putting on his glasses.

"Ben, you must help me," Ferry told his friend, almost forgetting how to breathe, walking around and across the room. "I need to get Matt to talk to me again. She's upset because I didn't realize she had feelings for me when I should be upset about her because she put Finn to spy on me and May at Fires of the Hills, then she told May's secret in front of the entire class. And now, she's upset and doesn't want to see me anymore. She doesn't want to see me again, Ben, do you understand? Ever. And I can't accept that. I mean, she's my best friend. But she says she has feelings for me and that changes everything. What should I do, Ben? What should I do?" Ferry almost shouted.

"Oh, so she told you..." muttered Ben, ruffled and asleep.

"What do you mean? You knew about that?" shouted Ferry again.

"Matt is my friend too, Ferr," Ben said.

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't my business to tell you. Only she could tell you. And could you please keep your voice down? If my sisters hear you, you have no escape. You'll have to join their love counseling club. I couldn't get rid of their club when they found out about Celia."

"What should I do?" Ferry asked, sitting on the chair, exhausted.

"Well, first of all, you have to figure out what you feel for her."

Ferry frowned, "I don't know ..." he said slowly. "I just know I can't imagine life without it ..."

Ben smiled, "I think you should talk to her. But give it time ... It's too soon now ..."

"Good idea," said Ferry, rising from the chair. "I'm going to her house now," he said and stepped out of Ben's room.

"Ferry, that's not what I said," he heard Ben shouting behind him.

But Ferry was already heading to Matilda's house. He entered the yard and knocked on the door. No one answered. Ferry knocked harder.

Then, he took off a few steps back and began shouting under her window, "Matt! Matt!"

Finally, the door opened and Matilda's mother appeared, adjusting her robe taken in a hurry, "Ferry, what is it? Did something happen?"

"I'm sorry about the early hour, Mrs. Harper, but I need to talk to Matt."

"Oh, Ferry ... Matilda told me everything. She doesn't want to talk to you ..."

"But I have to talk to her, Mrs. Harper," insisted Ferry. "Matt!" he shouted again, this time louder. "Matt, come out! I want to talk to you!"

"Ferry, keep your voice down," Matilda's mother scolded. "You're going to wake up the whole neighborhood."

"Please, ma'am... Can I talk to her? Can you let me in?"

"I'm sorry, Ferry, but you can't ..." she said, staying in the doorway.

Behind her, Sage, the wolf-man, appeared from the darkness of the corridor. "Matilda doesn't want to talk to you," he said in a serious tone that left no room for insistence. "I think you'd better go."

Ferry looked at Sage's massive stature and his wide chest. It would have been useless to try to get past him.

He turned around and left Matilda's house, throwing threatening glances behind a few times. Things were not to stay that way.

Unfortunately, he didn't get to talk to Matilda the following days, either. The girl looked really upset at him. As she had never been. She even changed her school curricula so they won't have the same classes.

Of course, Ferry was glad he could now sit next to Ben, who was no longer sitting next to Steph. Sometimes, during the breaks, they would see her around the corners, sobbing. Steph had not taken well the breakup from Ben. She didn't even talk to Ben anymore, even though the boy tried to keep his love story with Celia away from everyone's eyes and business.

But both he and Celia were betrayed by their eyes, each time they met. Celia couldn't help but smile, and Ben couldn't help but blush. After the Spring Fling, the whole school was keeping an eye on them, and Ben wasn't used to being the center of attention or the subject of gossip. 

Sometimes, when they had the impression (false, of course) that no one was watching, the two were gently touching each other as they passed by. Celia would slip love notes with sweet love poems into Ben's hand; the boy collected them all in an old photo album, and learned them by heart, then recited them to Ferry, the next day. Other times, if they ran into each other during class, Ben would gently touch Celia's hand as he passed her by, and the girl would simply glow at his touch. She had never been more beautiful and anyone could notice it.

Ferry was happy for Ben. May began to smile at him again each time they met at school, a sign that things were finally settling between them. At least, he didn't have to bear Billy's presence around her, who spent every break in Andrew's company, anyway. Things seemed to be getting back to normal. Except for one. Matilda.

That morning, Ferry decided he needed to talk to her no matter what. After the bell rang for the recreation, he hid at the edge of the girls' locker rooms, his eyes on Matilda's locker room. The girl appeared shortly after. She was barely dragging her feet and didn't seem in a mood for anything. She certainly wasn't in a mood for him, of all people, but Ferry couldn't miss the opportunity to talk to her.

"Hello, Matt," he said and smiled.

As expected, Matilda glanced at him coldly. "What do you want, Ferry?" she asked.

"I just want to talk to you ..."

"But I don't want to," she said and began to look inside the closet without minding him.

"All right," he said. "We don't have to talk. You don't have to do anything. You can walk past me, you can ignore me, you can pretend I don't exist. But at least let me see you. I just want to see you..."

Matilda's eyes turned sad, "I can't, Ferry. You don't know how hard it is for me..."

"And you think it isn't for me? he said, feeling a sharp ache in his chest. "I used to see you every day. Please, Matt ..."

Matilda looked away. Then, she shook her head, "I can't, Ferry," she whispered. "Please leave me alone..."Ferry stepped closer. He wanted to lift her chin towards him and see her eyes. But he felt a heavy hand pressing his shoulder.

"I think you heard her, Ferry," said a voice behind him.

Ferry didn't have to look back to know who he was. Danny Stevens. He took a deep breath and shook his shoulder from under Danny's grip.

"Mind your own business, Danny," he told him.

But Danny stayed. Moreover, he turned to him. Now they were staying face to face. Although Ferry was taller than him, Danny's stature was impressive. He knew that the boy could lift ten bricks with one hand. He knew he was training, lifting weights every day. The muscles on his arms and chest said so.

Danny stood between him and Matilda. Ferry took a deep breath before saying, "Mind your own business, Danny! I won't tell you again!"

Then, he tried to remove him from his path. But Danny pushed him. Ferry pushed him back, this time harder. Around them, the crowd began to gather.

"I can't believe you're doing this," Matilda said, frowning; then she closed the locker's door and left.

"See what you did?" Danny spat the words, then lifted Ferry from the collar of his jacket and threw him against the lockers behind him. The pain made him lose his balance for a second. But then, he could feel how that strange heat took him over and his hands began to shiver. He followed Danny who was now walking next to Matilda, trying to explain to her that Ferry had challenged him. His hand on the girl's shoulder brought the heat back to Ferry's chest, stronger this time.

He reached over and put his hand on Danny's shoulder as he had done earlier. Danny turned to him and, until Ferry realized it, punched him in the stomach. Ferry fell to the ground, feeling his entire body trembling. He heard Matilda's scream, then his gaze went wild. He rose his hand toward Danny and suddenly saw Danny he was being pushed by an invisible force and dragged along the corridor, then threw against the wall at the end of the corridor.

"Ferry, stop!" he heard Matilda's desperate cry.

His gaze turned clear, and he saw her looking at him with horror. Danny was on the ground. A few boys ran towards him, shouting something. Mr.Adams, the Biology teacher, passed him by in a run, heading for Danny who was still on the ground. With his heart racing, he stood up, and also headed for Danny, with Matilda following him. Fortunately, Danny was beginning to come to his senses. Two boys from the football team helped him stand him and supported him, accompanying him to the school's nursery.

Matilda grabbed Ferry by the sleeve of his jacket, and pulled him over, to a secluded corner of the corridor. He didn't care what was happening anymore. He was only happy she was talking to him again, even if she was scolding him.

"What was that? What is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry, Matt, but he started. I didn't want to hurt him. But he provoked me," he said, clenching his fists.

"Not that," she said, looking at him, worried. "Can't you see? You can't use your fairy powers! Not in front of a human. Not in front of everyone!" she stressed out the words, trying to keep her voice down. " What if anyone sees who you really are? It can be dangerous, Ferry."

"I know ..." he said, looking to the ground. It's just-- I don't know what's happening to me ..."

"Can't you see, Ferry?" she said, looking him dead in the eyes. "Your powers are growing. You have to learn how to control them. Or you could hurt someone. Has this happened before?" she asked.

"Yes," he said slowly.

"You need to talk to someone about this. Lavender or Parsley ... If you want, I can talk to Sage."

"No!" he said. "Please, Matt, don't tell Sage. Don't tell anyone!"

"But why?" she wondered.

Ferry frowned, "Because ... Because they'll send me to Akna if they find out. And I-- I don't want to go, Matt. Please don't tell anyone," he begged her.

Matilda slowly nodded. "But I still think you should learn to control them," she said.

"I will, Matt. I' will if you help me," he said, taking her hand and squeezing it gently.

But the girl slowly withdrew her hand. "I'm sorry, Ferry," she said, avoiding looking at him. "But I can't help you anymore ..."

"But, Matt ... You can't-- You can't break your oath," he said, feeling confident. "You made an oath, remember? That you'll always be there for me, that you'll always help me."

He saw the girl's face turning red and her eyes throwing arrows at him, "Break the oath? I can't believe you're saying that," she said, trying to keep her voice down. "How many times did May break the oath and you had no problem with that?"

"Yes, but now it's different," he protested. "You're not May."

Matilda's eyes turned wide, and her lower lip began to tremble, "I can't believe you just said that," she said slowly. Then, she turned and broke into a run, away from him and his words. His stupid words. He cursed himself for saying that.

"I'm sorry, Matt," he called after her. "I didn't mean to sound that way." He wanted to follow her, to explain that he didn't compare her to May. That there was no term of comparison between them, and that in the best way.

 But Mr. Adams, the Biology professor, cut his way, "Mr. Donovan, I'll be waiting for you in my office. I think we should talk."

Ferry followed him, with his head bowed. Around him, he heard whispers and fragments of words. He went into the office and sat on the chair. Preaching was the last thing he needed at that time. But Mr. Adams didn't preach. He sat at his desk and watched Ferry in silence, pulling out of his cigarette.

Ferry felt his head aching from the smoke that was turning thicker.

"I'm sorry for what happened earlier," he broke the silence, suddenly becoming agitated under the teacher's gaze.

"Oh, please," said Mr. Adams, "don't apologize. I know how it feels. I was young once. And I have to admit, for a girl like Miss Harper is worth fighting for. You know, Ferry, there are many people who influence our lives when we are young. Some more than others. Some are brighter, others paler, and our lives flow and are modeled after them. But there are others that sparkle. And all our life, all our existence revolves around them like a star without which, it would be cold and dark. And when that glow disappears from our life, we feel as if life has no purpose anymore. Miss Harper's one of them. Don't miss the shiness she brings to your life, Ferry," he smiled.

Ferry was becoming flustered. "Does that mean I won't be punished?" he asked.

Mr. Adams turned serious, "No, not this time. You're a good boy, Ferry. I know you are. But don't let it happen again."

Ferry got up to leave, but the teacher stopped him on his way, "That move that lifted Danny into the air and threw him to the ground, where did you learn it?" he asked, looking at his reaction.

Ferry was feeling more and more agitated, "There was no move," he said, avoiding his look. "You must have imagined it."

Then, he got out of the office as fast as he could.

At work, Ferry was absent-minded and moody all day long. He planted the climbing roses instead of anemones, and the anemones instead of daisies.

Ol' Joseph shook his head every time. "What's wrong with you, boy?" he asked. Problems with your sweetheart?" he laughed and kept on mocking him the whole day. Ferry didn't answer him, working fast, and waiting for the day to end.

When the day finally came to an end, Ferry made it home, with the husky voice and laughter of Ol' Joseph in his ears. Even though the sun was about to set, it was still bright and warm. Ferry let the slow wind caress his face, play with his hair and chase away his thoughts. He closed my eyes and took a few steps. He was already starting to feel better. But that didn't last long. From somewhere from afar, that haunting whistle came to his ears again. The same song, carried by the wind to him, getting closer and closer. Ferry opened his eyes and looked everywhere. No one. Then, he could hear it again, so close. It was coming from above him. Ferry looked up but only saw the sky beginning to darken. His heart was pounding in his ears. He was scared. The most frightening thing was not to see where the danger was coming from. He broke into a run and stopped only when he reached Lavender's cottage. He tried hard to catch his breath when he stepped in. He saw Lavender standing by the fire and knitting. She raised her eyes to him and saw his agitation.

"What is it, Ferry?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said, barely breathing.

But he knew he couldn't lie to Lavender.

"Come on, sit next to me," she said softly. "Your mum and Parsley are preparing dinner. Let's talk a bit until then."

Ferry came closer and sat on the colorful carpet in front of the fire. His thoughts fluttered in his head. The shadows were playing on his face and his eyes were watching the flames dancing in the fireplace.

"Talk to me," Lavender said softly, caressing his hair.

Ferry sighed, "Where should I start from?"

Lavender smiled, "Start with what troubles you the most ..."

"Matilda ... She doesn't want to see me anymore. And I can't bear the thought."

Lavender continued to knit with a smile in the corner of her mouth. Sometimes, Ferry felt that he didn't have to tell her anything about was troubling him. It was enough to look him in the eye and she knew.

"Give her time," she said. "If she cares for you as I think, she'll want to see you again. What else is troubling you?"

Ferry sighed again, "There's this song I keep hearing. Sometimes I feel like I'm losing my mind."

This time, Lavender put the knitting in her lap, "What song?" she asked, frowning.

Ferry whistled the song that made him so anxious. But on his lips, the song sounded calm and soothing. So different from what he had heard.

"Where did you hear this song?" Lavender asked, suddenly turning flustered.

"Many places," said Ferry. "Mrs. Jones sang it ... Anne, her girl, sang it ... And now I heard it again, this time whistled by someone I couldn't see. Am I going mad?" he asked, looking up at her.Lavender slowly shook her head, "No ..." she said and her eyes looked away, into a past that Ferry couldn't see. "I have also felt someone lurking around my house lately. A fairy. A powerful one. I wish I had puffer powder to scatter it into the air so I could see that being."

Ferry felt chills down his spine. "What song is this?" he asked.

Lavender didn't answer. Instead, she began to sing in the alluring, mysterious language of the fairies, that song that shook Ferry to the core. He felt his thoughts fly to distant places he had never seen, yet so familiar.

"This song is called Se ya noeh. It means Until my time shall come. Its story is old, so old, that time itself does not remember its beginnings. But the words have stayed and continue to stay even now, over the realm of the Unseen."

"What does it mean?"

"It depends ... If it is sung by a good soul, it means hope and belief that good things will happen to the one with a kind heart, if they strongly believe."

"But what if it's sung by someone with a soul not so ... kind?"

Lavender sighed. Her eyes were lost again in the darkness of time. "Then it means something else," she said in a low voice that came from deep within. "It means a dark soul seeks to leave pain and suffering on every path it walks. It means that the time of vengeance is coming, and that hard times are foreshadowed on the horizon. It means bad omen."

Thank you for reading this new chapter! It was fun to write. What do you think? And please, don't forget to vote! Votes matter, too :)