Through the Fairy Ring

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Brother Wilford shrugged. "I imagine Pixies are buried near where they live. No one's ever said specifically."

That would be Devil's Tower, then, and we'd just gone full circle. Queen Amena would make an antidote, which must include Pixie dust, if I got the Pixies into the Realm. But I couldn't get them into the Realm, and so I would get no help. I was pretty sure she wouldn't show me the burial sites, either.

"Are the Pixies anywhere else nearby, besides Devil's Tower?"

"Not that I know of."

A rapping came from the house window. Brother Wilford acknowledged he'd heard by raising a hand. "It's time for prayers." He struggled to his feet. "I don't think I was much help."

I pushed the disappointment off my face and smiled at him. "No, you were helpful. Now we know about the Pixie dust. We just need to figure out how to get some."

Arden pointed at the side gate to the meditation garden. "Can we leave that way? The car should be on the other side."

Brother Wilford nodded. "Have a good afternoon. And good luck."

Luck seemed to be the thing we didn't have. On the other side of the fence, Arden pulled me to a stop. "We need to decide where we're going before we get into the car."

"I don't think it's worth it to look for Pixie dust. Or even Pixie graves. How could we get access to either without a Pixie's help?"

"So you want to go back to the Realm? Just give up?"

"No, I don't want to give up, but I don't see how we can get Pixie dust. Time is running out."

"If we're going back by portal, we have to go to Devil's Tower anyway. While we're there, we can look around. Maybe we won't find anything, but I won't give you up to Edlark without trying every possibility."

I cradled his cheek in my hand. "Of course not. I'm just a little discouraged. Let's go see what we can find out. Hey! Drostan should be there. Maybe he'd help us."

I didn't really think so, but I was trying to be positive. Arden was right. If we didn't try every avenue to save the kids, I would potentially sacrifice my future with Arden needlessly.

After repeated reassurances we would be fine, June and David dropped us off in the parking lot of Devil's Tower National Park. Arden, Frederick, and I approached the Pixie dwellings from the opposite direction than when I'd come before.

"This is it. I'm sure this time."

Arden lifted a sarcastic eyebrow.

"Oh, come on. I've only been sure three times before."

"Exactly."

Frederick trotted across the grass and up to the concealed doorway. He looked back at me and Arden, cocking his head as if to ask why we weren't coming. I glanced around to make sure we were alone, and then called out. "Hello! We're here to see Queen Amena, if she's available."

Birds twittered high above us as we waited for a response, but no door opened, no Pixies came out.

A few more moments of silence passed. Then Arden said, "Something has to be wrong."

"Drostan probably told the Queen I'd failed with Edlark and so she doesn't want to see me anymore."

"Being rude to me wouldn't help her cause, though. This doesn't feel right at all." Arden frowned. "I might know another way in. When I last visited Amena, we entered through a different door."

I followed him off the path, scanning the nearby surroundings for park staff. I didn't want to break the stay-on-the-path rule, but we had to. Why wasn't anything black and white anymore? All the gray moral dilemmas were exhausting. "What do we do if a park ranger stops us?"