Things did not improve when Evie, her friends, and her parents returned to camp.
Keegan broke free from the group. He passed the fire and stopped at Maria, Mateo, and Ms. Brook. Snatching Mateo's hands, he ripped him away from Maria. He forcibly dragged him on the ground—over roots, twigs, and branches.
"Ow!" Mateo yelled. His belly screamed in agony.
"Keegan, stop!" Charlotte shouted.
"Mateo!" Maria said. She glared and hurried to Keegan. Maria shoved him right off her fiancé. "Get your hands off him!"
Keegan toppled onto his backside. He almost hit a log.
Mateo's cheeks puffed out. He reached for his lips.
"Ms. Brook, he's going to be sick," Maria said.
Ms. Brook acted quickly. She pulled another throw-up bag from her pocket and handed it to her son. "Let it all out." Her eyes moved from him to Keegan.
Charlotte started toward her husband, but Ms. Brook beat her to him.
She grabbed his shirt collar and lifted him off the ground. "If you ever touch my son again, you can say goodbye to your teeth!" she threatened. Ms. Brook pushed his chest, knocking him back onto the forest floor.
For once, Keegan looked frightened. He leaned his back against the log he almost crashed into.
Charlotte did not protest. Even she thought he deserved that. He just tried to move a seriously injured kid. That was one of the stupidest things he had ever done, and it was all because he was jealous. She got down on her knees beside him and clutched his shaking hand. "Keegan, what is going on with you?" she asked. "He's just a kid."
"I don't like him," Keegan mumbled.
King Benjamin tossed himself into the dysfunctional family before more damage could be done. "What's this all about?" he asked.
Beside him, Joey huffed.
Evie explained the situation. "Your Highness, the Green Guardian is here. We went to find her and stumbled upon an enchanted tree. She told us that Euphorbia only answers to the Fairy Dance, and Mateo, well, he knows it. We need him. The fairy is in that tree."
"You could've just said that!" Maria retorted. She again hugged Mateo close to her.
"I apologize about my husband's behavior," Charlotte said. "It's just... Can we at least try?"
Mateo patted Maria's hand. "It's my mission," he feebly explained.
Maria nervously glanced at him. "But, Mateo, you're in no condition to walk."
Mateo sure as heck tried. He pushed himself to his feet. Instantly, his head spun, and he fell to his knees. He was drenched in sweat.
Evie had to admit that he looked hot with his hair wet. Why was he so handsome? Evie fanned herself with her hand. She inhaled and exhaled several times.
Ben gestured at Joey. "Ranger Anthony can take my horse. He's always willing to carry a fallen soldier. Right, Joey?"
Joey seemed to nod. He had to escort an injured Ben for three days before John finally found a doctor. Therefore, he had no qualms about helping.
Ben sighed when the Red-Crowned himself joined the crowd. He showed him his left wing. "Hey, um, I have a broken wing, so if Joey doesn't mind—"
"Don't be a wimp," Ben interrupted. "You can walk. Besides, we may need your keen navigation skills to find the tree. Eh?" He patted John's back.
Evie chuckled a little. Oh, if only her family could get along like John and Ben.
***
John would not shut his beak the entire walk back to the tree. Evie wondered if his constant chatter was his way of hiding pain.
Mateo rode on the back of Joey. He hung over his withers and put his forehead on his long neck. Ben's cape was wrapped around him.
Joey walked carefully, making sure not to trot or trip over anything. He did not want to upset Mateo's stomach further.
John walked beside Evie and said, "So, Ben and I were almost at Pinta Mountain, right? A troll stopped us at the base. He was an ugly but cute thing. I don't understand how something can be ugly and cute at the same time. Do you?"
Evie rolled her eyes. "How important is this story again?"
John brushed his right wing across her spine. "The riddle he gave us was so complicated, I felt like my feathery head would blow up. The pain was so much that I nearly collapsed."
Mateo suddenly popped up on Joey's back. He saw something that would hopefully save his day—more berry bushes. Surely, the ones he was looking for were in there somewhere. The group had almost reached the cliff Keegan bumped into. The tree was just around the corner.
Mateo peered down at Ben, who was leading Joey, and asked, "Your Highness, do you think we can stop for a few minutes?"
Ben and the rest of the group picked up on his words, thanks to a gust of wind. Everybody paused in their tracks and glanced at him.
"What for?" Ben wanted to know. "You're riding a horse."
Mateo quickly came up with something. He rubbed his hands together and jiggled uncomfortably in Joey's saddle. He tilted his head in the direction of the woods and berry bushes.
Ben picked up on his message. He groaned. "Oh, don't be too long."
Maria stood up straight. In a nervous voice, she said, "I should go with him."
Mateo gave her a funny look. He swung his leg behind him and hopped off Joey. "What? Do you want to watch me?"
"I just don't think you should go alone," Maria admitted.
"I'll be back in a jiffy. Promise."
"But, Mateo. Your tummy..."
"I'll be fine." Mateo rubbed the sweat from his forehead. He took Ben's cape off him and tossed it over Joey's saddle. Resting his hand on his abdomen, he slipped into the woods. Only a few steps in, he fell over. Desperate, he lugged himself to the berry bushes. Continuous trees hid him from view.
Mateo crawled to each patch. He pulled bushes apart and begged, "Please, please." He didn't recognize these berries as the painkiller ones, or those, but wait! Maybe those? The last patch Mateo crawled to was his savior. He found the familiar blue-colored berries. "Oh gosh, thank you," Mateo said. He picked as many as he could and slipped them into his vest and pant pockets. Who needed a doctor when they had medicinal berries? Mateo popped a handful of them into his mouth. He excitedly waited for his fever to break and the pain to vanish. It took a few minutes.
Rustling soon came from some bushes behind him. Mateo shuddered when he heard Evie. "Mateo?" The little girl stumbled out of the plants.
Mateo thought fast. He leaped up and started to undo his belt. "Evie!" he shouted.
"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Evie quickly hid behind her hands. She tripped over a log, trying to get away. She hurried back to her family and friends. She looked like she just saw a ghost.
"What happened?" Ashlynn inquired.
"You don't want to know," Evie whimpered.
"What did that man do to you?" Keegan shouted.
Evie could not answer because Mateo's deep, Spanish-like accent invaded the evening atmosphere. "Who wants to dance?" He tap-danced out of the woods. Mateo snapped his fingers and swung his arms from side to side. "I'm ready to party. Let's get the drinks." As he expected, his fever had broken, and his belly was pain-free. Of course, it was only the side effects of the berries.
Mateo shuffled to Maria, grabbed her hand, and twirled her in a circle. "We'll dance to our heart's content at the reception, Maria." He pulled her close and kissed her.
Maria blushed. That was unexpected, but she loved it.
Mateo let her go. He waltzed to the cliff face and turned to the left. He pointed forward. "There it is! The tree!" The young man sprinted past it, eager to reach the tree before his colleagues.
Evie, her friends, and family members confusingly scratched their heads.
Joey rubbed his nose against Ben's back.
John twirled his claw around his ear and said, "I think that man's gone a little cuckoo."
Either that or..., Evie thought to herself. Dang, Mateo was not in good shape if he was relying on berries over doctors.
***
The tree still had her barrier up. Currently, it was the brightest thing in all of Crows' Den. The lantern-like lights added to the mystical atmosphere.
Maria, John, Mateo, Ms. Brook, and Ben's jaws dropped. "What a beautiful tree," Maria admitted. She smiled when Mateo approached her.
He rubbed her cheek. "She's not as beautiful as you." Mateo dropped to his knees. He lifted Maria's shirt off her belly and pecked her smooth skin. "Or you, my little Isabella."
"Babe," Maria chuckled. She knew Mateo wanted a little girl.
He dropped her shirt and got up.
Okay, Evie had to admit, seeing him happy for once was nice. Perhaps he didn't take advantage of those berries again? Maybe he naturally healed? For being a ranger, he probably had some tricks up his sleeve. Evie just didn't know. She could still tell Ms. Brook was scared for him.
The tree banged her branches on the ground. "Why are you back? I told you to leave."
Evie and Sam immediately moved up to the front of the group. Evie clenched her fists. "Your Majesty, we've brought the man who knows the Fairy Dance."
"I thought you said he was injured."
"He is. Well, I mean, we think he still is." Evie and Sam looked back at Mateo.
He ignored the tree's words since he was too focused on Maria. He picked her up and bridal-carried her around the glowing area.
She wrapped her hands around his neck. She didn't entirely know what happened to him, but she enjoyed herself. It had been a while since she and Mateo shared a romantic moment.
Maria touched Mateo's lips with her index finger. "Do you remember when we first met?" she asked.
He bumped foreheads with her. "Of course, I do. It was the best day of my life. You're all I want, Maria."
"And you're all I want, baby." She pushed her lips into his, feeling safe and secure in his arms.
Though a bit disgusted, Evie still couldn't help but smile.
Ms. Brook approached Mateo and Maria. "All right, that's enough. There are children present."
"Right. Of course." Mateo put Maria down. "What's happening again?"
His happy personality did not last for long. The berries could only do so much. They were meant for minor injuries, not critical ones.
Mateo's whole belly flickered gold. He yelled when the excruciating pain returned, as well as his fever. He collapsed onto his front (his head barely missed a rock), and his world faded into darkness.
Evie and Maria's smiles instantly vanished. "Mateo!" Maria said. Oh, after such a wonderful moment with him, too.
Evie frustratingly pulled at her hair. She felt so stupid. Of course, Mateo didn't heal himself. Of course, he tried to take advantage of those berries again. He must've found some when he went to the restroom.
The tree carefully watched the scene. She entered the realm of deep thinking. She could use only one method to prove whether or not that injured man indeed knew the Fairy Dance. A few of her branches moved up to her flickering lantern-like lights. Up close, the lights were little people. All of them had transparent white wings on their backs and pointy ears. The fae knew what they had to do.
Ben grabbed his cape from Joey's saddle. He covered Mateo with it.
"Your Highness, we have to get him to the hospital," Maria said. "There is something seriously wrong with him."
"We will," Ben calmly replied. "Just give it a little more time. The others will be here soon."
"The others?" Maria felt Ben open her palm. He set Mateo's walkie-talkie-like device in it.
The fairies soared out of the tree's barrier. They danced on the air currents. Golden lights surrounded Evie, her friends, and her family.
One fairy flew to Sam. Her brown hair flowed gracefully behind her. She pointed at Euphorbia's pebble.
Sam held it out to her.
The fairy used both hands to take it out of his palm. The weight of the stone lugged her toward the ground, but she used magic to shrink it. Now, the pebble fit in her hand. She nodded at Sam to show her thanks.
Another fairy approached Evie. She picked up her blue dress and gave her a quick curtsy.
Evie smiled feebly. She offered the fairy her finger.
She landed on it. The fairy flashed her brilliant, white teeth.
A group of fairies went to Mateo, including the one who took the pebble from Sam. She stretched her hands over the young man and let it go. The pebble glowed warmly, like a ray of sunshine. It calmed Mateo down.
He stopped shivering and slept peacefully.
Amazed, Maria, Ben, and Ms. Brook watched the fae's every move.
They danced around Mateo's head, body, and legs and flapped their dresses.
A fairy fluttered over to John. Her tiny hand touched his left wing. A few of his feathers grew back. John's broken wing now felt like nothing more than a minor sprain.
He found that he could move it again and whispered, "Thank you," to the fairy.
She nodded.
A final fairy flew to Euphorbia's hiding place—the knothole. She shook her head of golden hair. The fairy dipped her head to her friend and said, "You can trust them. That injured man indeed knows the Fairy Dance and his way around nature and magical beings."
Euphorbia listened. Her big blue eyes sparkled.
Evie, her family members, and her friends stepped away from the magic barrier because it started flicking. It dropped, opening the way to the tree.
The fairies left Mateo. They soared around Evie and Sam, using magic to inch them toward the knothole.
The fairy who took the pebble returned it to Sam. It hit his hand and became its normal human world self.
The tree removed vines and branches from Euphorbia's knothole.
Sam and Evie trekked on a golden pathway. Gorgeous plants and flowers grew on either side of it, and the air grew warmer.
"Incredible," Evie said. With the fairies beside her, she looked up at the enormous tree. She had to be at least seventy-five feet tall.
Sam was behind the young girl. He also admired the scenery. The fairies gave him a small push—an urge to keep moving.
Evie reached the knothole first. She used a tree stump as a stepping stool. Evie poked her head inside the knothole. "Wow," she whispered.
The Green Guardian stared into her eyes. She blinked slowly. Up close, she was a breathtaking, magical being. Small stems grew from the soil around her.
Sam joined Evie. He grinned at the sight of his old friend.
"Is this Euphorbia?" Evie asked.
Sam nodded. "Yeah." He handed Evie the pebble. To the fairy, he softly said, "Hi, Euphorbia. It's Sam. You remember me, right?"
How could Euphorbia forget? She was stuck in time with him for sixty years. She crawled to Sam's good hand, which he had stuck into the tree. He giggled when her little fingers and knees tickled his palm. Right when she touched him, flowers blossomed from the stems she created.
Evie and Sam backed away from the tree.
Euphorbia's fairy friends hovered over them. They blew kisses at her. Like Mateo, their fairy dust helped her sleep. Euphorbia needed her rest, just like him. After all, both of them had been affected by the forest sickness.
The sound of sirens overtook the quiet forest very faintly. They drew closer until, finally, five ranger motorcycles pulled up to the tree.
The rest of the party turned their heads toward them.
Ben set his palm down on Maria's shoulder. "See? I told you."
She and Ms. Brook gratefully smiled and closed their eyes.
The rest of Evie's friends and her parents sighed with relief.
"Finally, we're saved," Emrys said.
Evie and Sam started back down the golden path. The tree stopped them before they could get too far. "Now, you must promise you will take good care of Euphorbia. After all, she's not accustomed to humans."
"We will, Your Majesty," Evie said, touching Euphorbia's tiny cheek. "Once we win against the basilisk, we will bring her home. She will see her friends again." She winked at the rest of the fae.
Each fairy waved. They got in a straight line and twirled back up toward the tree's highest branches. Their golden lights looked like a flowing tapestry. Everything felt so magical. For a second, Evie wondered if she was dreaming.
She and Sam examined the sickly Guardian in Sam's palm.
Evie clutched her friend's shoulder. "I don't know about you, Sam, but I'm getting excited."
"Oh, trust me, Evie, I am, too," Sam replied. "This is the best thing that has happened to me in sixty years."
185Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bPS2e7f61
End of Part I
Word Count So Far: 46,382
ns 15.158.61.12da2
