The Faerie Prince

Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

I exit the faerie paths in front of the tree that conceals Ryn's home. It looks like any other tree in this part of the forest, but when I lean forward and gently blow air against the bark, gold dust rises to reveal a door knocker shaped like a mermaid. Stamping down my nerves—and telling myself I'm ridiculous for feeling nervous in the first place—I grab the mermaid's tail and knock. Then I stand there, biting my lip and twisting my hands together. And right at that moment, I remember Ryn saying something about being with a girl tonight.

Crap it. This could get embarrassing. I reach hastily for my stylus, preparing to leave as quickly as I—

"Vi?" Light spills out of the open doorway on the tree, revealing Ryn's mother Zinnia standing there. "What a nice surprise." Her grin is wide as she steps back. "Please come in. Are you looking for Ryn?"

"Uh, yes. Is he in?" Please say no.

"Yes, he's in the kitchen."

The kitchen? "Oh, so, he's alone tonight?"

"No, but I'm sure he won't mind you being here."

I highly doubt that. I step inside and follow her across the sitting room. "Sorry for just showing up," I say. I used to do it all the time when I was younger, but it doesn't feel right anymore.

"It's not a problem at all. Ryn told me you two are partners for your final assignment, so I expected to see you this weekend. It's ... nice that you two will be working together."

I raise an eyebrow. "If by 'nice' you mean 'potentially disastrous,' then yes. It will be nice."

She stops with her hand on the kitchen door, looking momentarily horrified at my honesty. But then she laughs. "Well, I didn't want to be the one to say it."

"We're all thinking it," I tell her. "Someone may as well say it out loud."

She chuckles as she pushes the door open. I follow her, steeling myself for the embarrassing situation I'm about to walk into.

The first thing I notice is the delicious aroma of honey cupcakes. The smell floats in the air, curling around me, conjuring up memories of happier times when Reed and my dad were still alive, and Ryn's father hadn't left Zinnia. Then my eyes fall on Ryn, sitting at the table playing a card game with—Calla?

The girl with the golden hair and eyes looks up, a smile spreading across her face when she sees me. She moves as though to get up, but then her smile turns shy, and she gives me a small wave instead.

I force my gaze back to Ryn. "This is why you didn't want Dale over here tonight? You don't want him to know you're babysitting your little sister?"

Ryn glances at Calla, then glares at me as though my words may have offended her. But she's busy examining the cards clutched in her hands and doesn't seem bothered.

"You lied to your friends?" Zinnia asks as she pulls a chair out for me at the table.

"No." Ryn leans back. "Dale asked if I had a girl over here tonight. I said yes. That wasn't a lie."

Zinnia rolls her eyes and heads for the oven. I place my scroll of assignment pages on the table and sit down.

"So, do you babysit often?" I ask.

Ryn lifts one shoulder in a gesture that could mean yes, no, or pretty much anything in between. "My dad and his, uh—" he glances across the room at Zinnia "—and Calla's mom are out tonight. They don't like to leave Calla alone at home." He places a card with an illustration of a vine on it down on the table.