The air was still when they came out of his sister's house. The air was always still when something out of the ordinary was to happen. In the garden, they could only hear the crackling of the logs in the fire. They were all waiting for the mysterious guest. Lavender leaned on Ferry's arm and they both headed towards the quiet group of children, grown-ups, and fairies.

The night turned chillier all of a sudden, and a milky fog fell over the cottage and the garden. The voices of the night were also silent. Somewhere, beyond the fog that surrounded them, they heard the trample of hooves. From inside the mist, a terrible creature emerged. The children gasped. Even Ferry shivered, although he had seen him before. It was a stout being, half-human, half-goat, walking firmly toward them. A long, thick cloak wrapped him, and the lower part of his body, with the hooves coming out, was covered by a shiny armor. He was wearing a bow on his shoulder, and a flute of shiny black wood at his waist. His enormous head was adorned with big horns that wriggled to the back of his head like a wreath of laurels.

"It's Mr. Pancake," the children whispered, shivering.

His yellow eyes studied each one, then stopped on Lavender. The old fairy smiled at him and the Pan ─ because that's what he was ─ came in front of her as if the others never existed. He kneeled in front of her and stayed there with his head bowed until Lavender gently touched his shoulder. He slowly raised his beastly eyes towards her and stood up.

"It's been so long, Lord Stephan," she said.

"Indeed, Milady," he answered. "Too long..."

Lavender beckoned him and they both sat by the fire under the curious gaze of the others.

"How was your journey?" she asked.

"Longer than expected, unfortunately," he said in a thundering voice. "The main door between the worlds is now kept watch and ward over by the servants of the Hallows. So I took advantage of the Midsummer when other doors to the world of humans are open and I could wind my way. But then, I had to get here by passing by the world of humans. It took me a while to hide from the peeking humans in forests, or deserted sites."

"I'm sorry," said Lavender, "but I'm happy to see you safe. You haven't changed..." she said in a low voice. "Whilst I ─ I'm surprised you could still look at me."

The Pan softly touched her hand, but then he rapidly retreated it. "I know what happened. It doesn't have to be this way," he said and his voice turned harsh. "We could go to Tír na nÓg, the land of the eternal youth. We could live there, forever young. Forever free... Think about it. Think about it, Kaylin," he said, and his voice trembled when he spoke her name.

But Lavender shook her head with a bitter smile on her lips. "I could never do that... I could never leave him," she added and her eyes turned to the grave on the top of the hill. The wooden cross upon which the moonlight scattered looked even bigger. "I only hope that when I'll close my eyes for eternity, my soul shall join his, no matter where it would be..."

The Pan's gaze darkened. But Lavender turned her gentle, still young eyes to him, "And you, my brave Lord, you have Akna to protect. The Kingdom needs you to chase away the evil."

The Pan bowed his head. "You are right, Lady Kaylin. Evil is spreading. Akna needs me. Akna needs all of us," he said, looking at Ferry with that keen look that reached to the depths of his soul.

Baldie beckoned him to come closer, "Lord Stephan, I have the great honor to present you, Prince Garrett of Akna," he said in a ceremonious tone.

The Pan took a bow in front of Ferry. "Prince Garrett, we meet at last," his strong voice resounded and the air around vibrated. "Truth be told, I know a lot about you. I've been hearing a lot of your bravery in Tenalach. As we, fairies say, the wind has ears. Your courage and devotion will be of great help in fighting the enemy. Akna puts its faith in you when the time shall come."

Ferry felt a bit intimidated in front of him. "It wasn't much," he said, "I was just helping my friends."

"A foolish act for your part," the Pan's voice thundered. "The fairies of Tenalach are reckless, unpredictable, hence dangerous. We wouldn't want to have them as enemies. A long time ago, Tenalach and Akna were twinned lands. If it hadn't been for the Moon's Tear, you wouldn't have succeeded. And the Spear of Justice showed itself to you long before you'd known how to use it. You put everyone in danger. Your sister had to sacrifice for you. She could've died!"

Ferry was bewildered. "I'm ─ I'm sorry," he muttered.

"Ferry ─ I mean Prince Garrett had no choice, Milord," Baldie dared to speak to his defense. "If it hadn't been for him, we would've all been dead."

"It was my choice to help them," Lavender added. "My sacrifice was for Akna. And I don't regret it."

The Pan seemed to placate. "What's done it's done. I hope the Moon's Tear stays safe until the time of justice shall come again. There are only three fairies to know the place where it's hidden."

Ferry was baffled. "Why can't I be one of the three?" he asked. "I should be one of them since I am the only one to use it."

"It's too dangerous for you, Prince Garret," said Lord Stephan. "It's best not to know. The servants of the Hollowers are looking for it. We were startled, it appeared. It was lost long ago in the world of humans. Where did you find it?"

"I gave it to him," a sweet, yet firm girl's voice said. And to everyone's surprise, May came out of the group of people that had been silent the whole time. She walked towards the Pan with a firm pace, then looked up at him.

"How did the stone get to you, child?" he asked her. He was so tall, that he had to lean onward to see her.

"My grandma gave it to me," she said as if talking to a friend. "She lived her life to its fullest. How it came into her possession, I do not know. But I do know it was destined to Ferry. My grandma believed in fairies. Just like I do," she said and she smiled at Ferry. "She wasn't afraid of them, just like I'm not afraid of them. She met a fairy once, a long time ago."

And she took a photo out of the pocket of her pretty dress—the photo where her grandmother was smiling at the age when dreams are big and worries are far away; besides her, there was the bright, unclear silhouette of a fairy. The Pan carefully studied it, then gave it to Baldie. They looked troubled.

"Who could have that fairy been?" asked Baldie.

"Whoever it was," Lord Stephan answered, "she knew Prince Garrett would meet you someday. She knew it would be safe in your possession. And she was also a Great Fairy. Only Great Fairies could read the future."

Everyone was baffled. But to Ferry, this was only one of the many mysteries and secrets that surrounded him. "What is my part of this story, Lord Stephan?" he asked. "Akna and its people are strangers to me. What is my mission?"

Lord Stephan beckoned everyone to come closer. They all sat around the fire on pillows, blankets, or on the soft grass.

"Your story," said the Pan in a low, hidden voice, as if telling a secret, "began a long, long time ago, in a mighty, far away land. Akna, the Land of the Moon, where the night is shining and the moonlight is as bright as daylight. Where all the winds meet and they bring cold whispers, but also twirls of warm air to help the trees and plants grow.

"In the beginning, those places were inhabited by majestic beings, kings and queens, knights, and their Court. They were called the Moonlighters, descendants of the Great Fairies of the Moon. They lived in beautiful castles build inside the mountains and surrounded by deep waters, as sweet as honey, and as clear as crystal. They were skilled into arms, but also in crafting fine arts, like tapestry sewed in golden and silver threads, paintings which came to life under their magical brushes, and mighty statues, rising to the skies and guarding their fortresses. They were beautiful beings, with the moon and the stars shining on their foreheads and their radiant hair falling on their shoulders.

"They were six or seven feet tall and had a noble appearance; their sight so penetrating, they could see through to the depths of your soul. They took great interest in the affair of men and always stood for justice and right. They married and had children, just like men. Sometimes, they married good, pure mortals and have babies with them. They could cut off the human race, but they rather didn't because they've always believed in the salvation of men.

"That land was also the home of the Amalgams, creatures like us, half men, half beasts, with a pinch of fairy dust. Our purpose in the world was then, as it is now, to serve our Masters. We lived in their castles, we served them, and we were always prepared to die for them. They are our Parents, the ones who created us and to whom we owe our very existence.

"There were many other fairies living in Akna, pixies, and dwarfs, and brownies, but none as great, as wise, as noble as the Moonlighters.

"There were signs the day you were born. Your coming to this world was a great joy for Akna and your parents, the Queen and the King. They had already lost their daughter and you were the one who would lead Akna as wisely and as kindly as they had.

"But Akna was to be taken by surprise by a series of strange events. For a good while, there have been rumors circulating that forces of evil were being present in secluded, deserted places of our vast lands. I, as a leader of the Castle Dochas' guards, didn't fully believe them. We were living times of peace. We were in strong alliances with our neighbors and couldn't see any threat coming. What we didn't know was that those who were watching from the shadows were to attack in ways we never expected.

"As I was saying, there were signs the day you came to life. For you were born under the brightest Moon, one that was not seen for hundreds of springtimes. A birth that came late. So late, that the people of Akna had lost their hope they would ever meet a leader descending from the Moonlighters. The Spear Carrier was lingering in coming into this world. But the prophecies also said that the child would soon become the Lost Child of Fairies. So when he was finally born, the whole Court was alerted. And the scouts discovered an army of black horsemen at the edge of the Gray Forrest, at the border of our kingdom.

"I called for all my loyal men, with Baldie ahead, and we headed towards the Grey Forrest, watching the enemy from the shadows. Waiting.

"Soon, a black army appeared on the horizon. Black horsemen, with black spears shining in the moonlight. Heading towards us at great speed. When I was certain they were not coming in peace, I ordered the attack. Our spears clenched with theirs and, under our very eyes, the army of shadows ─ because that's what they were ─ scattered in the air. As if never there. A spell. A delusion. A diversion. It's hard to see the shadows where it's always darkness," he sighed.

"Baldie didn't waste any time", he continued, "and he took a flight to the Castle. But it was too late... The Queen and King were already dead. You survived because the Queen made the Wall Charm, surrounding you with a wall that made you invisible to the enemy's eyes. Only that the charm wasn't lasting too long. It would spread at the first wind blow."

The Pan stopped, his eyes lost in memories. No one dared to break the silence. Ferry was learning about his story. And it wasn't a happy one.

"When I got to the Castle," Baldie continued, "they were all dead. The guards, the servants, the Queen and King... Their souls were rising, one by one, becoming one with the Moon. But you were nowhere to be found. I looked everywhere. I finally found you in the trembling arms of the Healer. Rosemary."

All eyes turned to Rosemary who was staring at the hands in her lap, "They were so many," she whispered. "Dark shadows with no faces or bodies, born from the womb of nothingness. Nihils. They didn't reach there by walking the earth, nor the air. They came out from the depths of the earth, from their world of darkness and shadows. They were the Hollow Fairies. They entered through the passages of the Castle, through long-forgotten dungeons of the old rocks. They opened the door between the worlds. The long lost Door to Darkness which everyone believed just a tale only the older ones were telling children on the long, moonless nights.

"And then," she said, barely holding back the tears, "I saw that creature, whatever it was. I've seen it kill your parents, the Queen and King," she sobbed. "And as if it wasn't enough, he didn't let them go. Their souls can't turn into the light because they are prisoners of the Hollowers now..."

Rosemary's chin was trembling. She shivered as the memory was coming to life. May touched her hand gently and Rosemary smiled at her, looking like coming to her senses. Yet, Ferry couldn't feel anything. The mysteries surrounding him now scattered, one by one. Behind them, a different life, impossible to imagine, was weaved out of lost memories. He felt sorry for his parents, that much he knew. But they were strangers to him. All those beings were strangers. His own story, even after all that had happened, seemed hard to believe. Like it wasn't even his story.

"When I found you in the Queen's chamber," Rosemary continued, "the charmed was scattering because of a wind's blow coming through the window. I took you in my arms and ran. When I got out of the room, the Nihils were gone. Everything was quiet. And still, incredibly still. Only the smell of death was still there. I cried. Not of fear, but because of the powerlessness of not helping my Masters. I took shelter in the Throne's Room, holding you in my arms. You were crying, too. And I promised myself to defend you and dedicate my life to you. That's when Thyme found me..."

"I realized then you couldn't stay in the Castle any longer" Bladie continued. "Not even in Akna. We had to take you far away, where the Hollowers couldn't find you. Where their Master, with all the power, couldn't learn of. You needed protection. And so, I found your Guardians. I was proud to be one of them. Others joined me in this big mission. A gardener, a cook, and a healer. Maybe we weren't the greatest gathering. But our mission was. The fate of Akna was hanging on our shoulders.

"But there was no time to lose. They were looking for you. Rosemary wrapped you in the linen your mother sewed, put you in a basket of jasmine wicker and we headed towards the Door between the Worlds. We went to the world of humans. Where, until the time would have come, you were safe.

"After a long, dangerous journey, we finally arrived in the small town where someone our own kind was living. Your sister. Only that she was shattered back then. She had lost her children and their loss had made her separate from us and the whole world... "

" ─ and I've always regretted that decision," Lavender interrupted him, her eyes to the ground.

" ─ so we had to find you a new home," Baldie continued. "After a short discussion, we decided we should replace a human child with you. The way fairies do with their sick baby-fairies. Only you weren't sick. You were more vigorous than any child I've ever seen, human or fae. And just as loud. So as we were flying above the town on a plain day, we accidentally saw a yard that looked like no other, in a town where all the yards looked the same."

"It wasn't an accident," the Pan's thundering voice interrupted Baldie. "There are no accidents in this world or beyond. All the people we meet, all the happenings we go through, all the places we go to... They all have a purpose."

Baldie nodded, then continued, "A curious little spot, that yard. It wasn't any smaller or bigger than the others. Yet, the wind blew more gently through the sheets of the purest, brightest white I've ever seen, fluttering like the sails of a boat. The smells of good food were floating in the air. Beneath the shelter of my invisibility, I cast a glance through the open window. I heard a baby whining. And I could see the mother putting him in his crib and going down the stairs to the kitchen. But the baby couldn't sleep. He could see me, for little children could actually see fairies. So when the mother came into the room again to see what made the baby giggle, Parsley stole the whole sugar can which she'd taken out to make a pie."

"I tried to eat it," Izzy rushed to answer, "but it was too much. So I buried the rest of it near the house's wall in the backyard."

"That's why there's always an anthill in the back of my house," Ferry jumped off his seat. "My father had tried to crush them for years."

The girls giggled.

"Then, Rosemary threw the jasmine basket in the yard and flew with Prince Garrett to the baby's room on the first floor, while Sage watched. We had to switch the babies' clothes in a big hurry..." Baldie continued.

"And the clothes of human babies are so odd, with sleeves and little pants, and tiny caps. I put the clothes upside down and I flew off the window with the woman's baby who was sleeping because of a speck of sleeping dust I blew over him. Just in time for the lady of the house to come back from her neighbor with a cup of sugar."

Ferry has been thinking a thousand times about what happened to the Donovans' child. He felt it was now the time to know. "Where did you take him?" he asked Rosemary.

But the Pan answered in Rosemary's place, "He's been taken to one of those shelters for babies. Then we lost his trace..."

"We had no other choice," Baldie added, understanding Ferry's worry. "We had to switch you with that human baby. Peter and Eileen Donovan had seen you as their son ever since..."

"Yet, you were careless," the Pan mumbled in his beard. "You left traces behind you. The sugar, the jasmine basket, the clothes... Fortunately, they blended with the world of humans. Else, they would've given you away."

"Then, we turned invisible and waited," Baldie continued. "Smashing woman, that human mother of yours," he said to Ferry. "She didn't give up. Sleep, hunger, and tiredness didn't exist to her. She resisted all your cries, yells, scratches, bites, and caprices. Even when she was at her last shift, she didn't give up. We've watched her for quite a while until we were convinced we found your best home, although the man of the house was rather absent. He was gone most of the time and when he was home, he would usually sleep.

"The lady of the house saw all your peculiarities. So she decided to hide you from the eyes of her own kind. And that suited us well. You could've lived in your fortress of white sheets until the time to go back to Akna would've come. We didn't have to guard you anymore, that fiery defender you had in your mother. Only that... it didn't last long," he sighed.

"Indeed, that day changed everything," said Lord Stephan. "That was the day when your human mother decided to send you to school. And so, to show you to the world..."

Well, what do you think? Anxiously waiting for your thoughts :) One more chapter and this book is done. Thank you for this incredible journey!