things worse.”
I scowled back. “How exactly did I do that?”
“Because now the Fae know you know about them. They know where you are, sitting in this big empty field like a rabbit ready for the stewpot.”
I did
not
like that analogy. “Are you cannibals?” I squeaked.
“I eat honey and flowers,” she returned, disgusted. “I used to eat the finest braised pork …” She trailed off, sighing a little.
“But you didn’t eat
people
.”
“Don’t be daft.”
“Are you talking to yourself?” Devin interrupted me. I hadn’t heard him coming, and the sudden sound of his voice, after a conversation about cannibalism, made me shriek and leap into the air. I would have fallen right into the pond if he hadn’t grabbed me. He was laughing so hard, I still nearly went in.
“No more caffeine for you,” he said. He waved his hand in front of his face when the smoke drifted our way. Isadora floated right past his nose and he didn’t even blink. “What, it’s not hot enough for you?” He shook his head. “Do I even want to know what you’re doing?”
I stared at him. Isadora did a somersault.
“Did you not see that?” I asked. Maybe the smoke was making his eyes blurry.
“See what?”
Isadora spun in place like a ballerina, cackling.
“You seriously don’t see her?”
“Who?” He looked around. “Eloise?”
“Not exactly.” I sat down hard, feeling dejected. My fire hadn’t worked. Devin couldn’t see Isadora. Eloise was still trapped under some Fae hilltop. “Isadora,” I explained glumly. “She looks like a flower fairy from a book of nursery rhymes.”
Isadora, in her delicate flower petal skirt, gave me the finger.
“Jo.” Devin crouched beside me. “I’m starting to worry about you. Maybe you have sunstroke.” He put his hand on my forehead. “We should find some shade.”
“Isadora is Fae,” I insisted. She perched on the top of his head and danced a jig.
He blinked. “Um … what?”
“You heard me.”
“Okay, this is weird, even for you.” He fished a bottle of water out of his bag. “Drink this.” He put his thumb on the inside of my wrist, feeling my pulse. “Feels okay. Where’s Eloise?”
“That is definitely a good question. I wish I knew the answer.”
He frowned. “What’s going on? Do I need to get you to a doctor or something?”
“Eloise is kind of missing.”
“Jo.”
“Yeah?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“It’s about Eloise’s aunt Antonia, like we thought.”
“Gambling debt?” He raised his eyebrows so high his eyes bugged out.
“Worse. And I told Eloise’s mom, and she didn’t seem all that surprised. She told me to stay out of it.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Pretty much,” I agreed. “So I called you. Because the Fae took Eloise.”
Devin exhaled slowly. “Look, it’s like a hundred and fifty degrees in the shade, so whatever practical joke you and Eloise have cooked up will have to wait.” He wiped more sweat off his face. “If I decide to talk to either of you again.”
He walked away. He was remembering the time Eloise and I had dressed up in Lord of the Rings hobbit costumes and crawled in through his window in the middle of the night. He’d thrown a plastic ax at us. Then his mother came in, and we weren’t allowed in his house for a year.
But this time I wasn’t kidding. I scowled at Isadora. “Well, thanks a lot. Why can’t he see you?”
“I’m not your pet, human.”
“Well, that’s just great.” Only I would get the Fae with attitude. “How did you do that anyway?”
“I can choose to be seen, unless the mortal in question has been Touched, as you have. Then it’s trickier. Not impossible, mind, just takes more effort.”
She’d mentioned that before. “Touched? Touched by who?”
“How should I know? A person, a stray bit of magic; it’s of a piece.” She danced away from the smoke. “You should put that out,” she advised.
“And earlier today? Why’d you
I scowled back. “How exactly did I do that?”
“Because now the Fae know you know about them. They know where you are, sitting in this big empty field like a rabbit ready for the stewpot.”
I did
not
like that analogy. “Are you cannibals?” I squeaked.
“I eat honey and flowers,” she returned, disgusted. “I used to eat the finest braised pork …” She trailed off, sighing a little.
“But you didn’t eat
people
.”
“Don’t be daft.”
“Are you talking to yourself?” Devin interrupted me. I hadn’t heard him coming, and the sudden sound of his voice, after a conversation about cannibalism, made me shriek and leap into the air. I would have fallen right into the pond if he hadn’t grabbed me. He was laughing so hard, I still nearly went in.
“No more caffeine for you,” he said. He waved his hand in front of his face when the smoke drifted our way. Isadora floated right past his nose and he didn’t even blink. “What, it’s not hot enough for you?” He shook his head. “Do I even want to know what you’re doing?”
I stared at him. Isadora did a somersault.
“Did you not see that?” I asked. Maybe the smoke was making his eyes blurry.
“See what?”
Isadora spun in place like a ballerina, cackling.
“You seriously don’t see her?”
“Who?” He looked around. “Eloise?”
“Not exactly.” I sat down hard, feeling dejected. My fire hadn’t worked. Devin couldn’t see Isadora. Eloise was still trapped under some Fae hilltop. “Isadora,” I explained glumly. “She looks like a flower fairy from a book of nursery rhymes.”
Isadora, in her delicate flower petal skirt, gave me the finger.
“Jo.” Devin crouched beside me. “I’m starting to worry about you. Maybe you have sunstroke.” He put his hand on my forehead. “We should find some shade.”
“Isadora is Fae,” I insisted. She perched on the top of his head and danced a jig.
He blinked. “Um … what?”
“You heard me.”
“Okay, this is weird, even for you.” He fished a bottle of water out of his bag. “Drink this.” He put his thumb on the inside of my wrist, feeling my pulse. “Feels okay. Where’s Eloise?”
“That is definitely a good question. I wish I knew the answer.”
He frowned. “What’s going on? Do I need to get you to a doctor or something?”
“Eloise is kind of missing.”
“Jo.”
“Yeah?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“It’s about Eloise’s aunt Antonia, like we thought.”
“Gambling debt?” He raised his eyebrows so high his eyes bugged out.
“Worse. And I told Eloise’s mom, and she didn’t seem all that surprised. She told me to stay out of it.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Pretty much,” I agreed. “So I called you. Because the Fae took Eloise.”
Devin exhaled slowly. “Look, it’s like a hundred and fifty degrees in the shade, so whatever practical joke you and Eloise have cooked up will have to wait.” He wiped more sweat off his face. “If I decide to talk to either of you again.”
He walked away. He was remembering the time Eloise and I had dressed up in Lord of the Rings hobbit costumes and crawled in through his window in the middle of the night. He’d thrown a plastic ax at us. Then his mother came in, and we weren’t allowed in his house for a year.
But this time I wasn’t kidding. I scowled at Isadora. “Well, thanks a lot. Why can’t he see you?”
“I’m not your pet, human.”
“Well, that’s just great.” Only I would get the Fae with attitude. “How did you do that anyway?”
“I can choose to be seen, unless the mortal in question has been Touched, as you have. Then it’s trickier. Not impossible, mind, just takes more effort.”
She’d mentioned that before. “Touched? Touched by who?”
“How should I know? A person, a stray bit of magic; it’s of a piece.” She danced away from the smoke. “You should put that out,” she advised.
“And earlier today? Why’d you
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