17 165 Vera ~Gray~

My sister is being weird. Something about the concert, her messages just feel… weird. Somehow. Is she uncomfortable abouit seeing me? Or is she just being twig the fairy who thinks magic is the greatest thing ever? I kind of miss Twig my sister who thinks YA novels are the best thing ever.

Not that I haven't changed to. Vera the high school fashion designer wouldn't be sitting in an English rock star's garden telling the honest-to-real Peter Pan's grandchild about why musicians are a big deal. "Madder is a rock star but Annabelle is a huuuuge pop star. Not literally huge, she's a normal size person, but hugely famous. She made all these cds and every concert she sings at is all sold out."

Shimmergloom leans over to look at the pictures on my phone. "She's pretty. She be the same as Madder but more?"

"Yep. But don't say that to Madder. They sing different kinds of music so they're famous at different things. Annabelle was the winner of the Wow talent contest so if the Shadow Thief is going to come after anybody he'll definitely come after Annabelle… except twig just sent me a message that she caught the Shadow Thief and he's not doing that stuff anymore."

Shimmergloom's amber eyes go wide, 'ye be sure?"

"I… think so." I hesitate. Twig said that but didn't say who it was or how she tracked him down or anything. Which is not like my sister."

"If there be no more Shadow Thief there still be that strange woman. She came here so maybe she be coming after Annabelle too."

I hoped we'd never have to deal with that woman again, but Shimmergloom does have a point. Even if the Shadow Thief is suddenly mysteriously gone we still probably can't just enjoy a concert like nonmagical humans.

Two days ago James the butler and his son arrived, and immediately everything changed. Madder spent a lot of time on the phone with her doctor and her agent I assume, since she came downstairs a woman with a plan. Miss Nadine was saying we should get back to school but Madder wouldn't hear of it, "No, no, stay for the concert! And help my new housemates move in since I haven't managed to rehire the staff.'

And Miss and Shimmergloom and I looked at each other and I said, "Carrying boxes in exchange for a backstage pass? I'd make that deal." And Shimmergloom nodded because she agrees with me when she doesn't understand earth stuff and Miss said, "It's been ages since I've seen mi amie Annabelle." So we stayed a few more days. Helping people move, which is not a lot of fun. Madder has been off at the doctor a lot and it seems like she's getting the grownup help she needs. And tomorrow we're going to the biggest concert in London. With private seats and backstage passes because Madder and Miss Nadine are friends with Annabelle.

I've got outfits for me and Shimmergloom, cute but with layers and comfortable shoes. Rhinestone jeans, cute tops and jackets. I'm going to braid my hair with ribbons and Shimmergloom wants to do a bun with ribbons through it.

My phone chirps a message, Mom's sent a video. Oh great. Shimmergloom sees it's a family message and scoots away so as not to eavesdrop. She's weeding against since the gardener hasn't come back. It still seems weird to me to have servants but with a yard like this you'd really need one.

Mom's video is from our yard in Magix, where all four of my parents are hanging out. Because of course Mom wouldn't send me a message from just her. She's so stuck on me having some kind of relationship with my birth parents. Which I want too but it's hard and I wish she wouldn't push it. They're all lounging around a fire in the yard with bread and sausages on skewers. It looks like fun.

Mom sets the phone to hover and first Nerys flits in front of it saying, "Well I think they should bond with sylphs so they can come to the Endless Sky! Hullo, Vera! Would you like to come ride the thunderwings with us?"

It's a video so I can't answer back, but I smile. Nerys is sweet. My birth father is saying, 'It seems I don't have to be a madman all my days so I need a job. Who might hire a diplomat whose knowledge of the realms is twenty years out of date? I can use a sword. Perhaps I'll be a guard!"

Dad says, "Your royal relatives might have something to say about that, Tyndal."

My mother Amanda says, "I'd like to return to my family in Coventry—my real family, the one that raised me. But we could never live there. Queen Ravenna would never leave us be."

"Live here." Mom says. She plucks a toasted chestnut out of the fire and tosses it up to Nerys. "Magix is a nice city. Shops, parks, plenty of throneless royalty around..."

Amanda adds, "...season tickets to the Magix Ballet..."

I know what Mom's trying to do with this video. She just wants me to feel connected to my family so she recorded them just hanging out. Mom's trying to be nice but it just reminds me how different my family really is from what it's been all my life. They're having a magic bonfire and on the other side of the yard my fairy sister and her hero boyfriend are toasting sausages.

I lean closer to my phone. Twig's far enough from the camera that I can't hear what she and Tetsuo are chatting about but she looks… weird. Kind of twitchy and uncomfortable. Nobody else notices but we're twins. I can tell when my twin has a bee in her bonnet.

I close the video and sent a text message: Are you ok?

I'm fine.

Seriously what's up Twig?

See you at the concert tomorrow.

I scowl. Fine, don't tell me. But I do watch the rest of the video. It looks like everyone's having fun. I sort of want to be there, but I also don't.

That night, to no surprise at all, I find myself in the World of dreams. The forest of gray trees and violet shadows. With little star shaped flowers that glow white. A big fox-faced bat hangs from a branch in front of me and I reach forward to scratch its head. Doglike it sniffs at my hand and squeaks happily. A breeze stirs the bare branches and they whisper against each other.

I really like this place. A kind of quiet that makes me forget what it's like to have voices coming at me wanting things.

I whisper to the bat, "Want to come with me? I'm going to explore." I hold out my arm and the bat clambers on, wrapping itself around my shoulder right side up. We walk slowly between the trees. As we go downhill I start seeing threads of silvery moss hanging from the trees. There are more bats, from mouse sized to cat sized, hanging and cleaning their wings and eating the hanging moss and they look down at the bat who's decided to hitch a ride on me.

From far away a voice calls, "Vera!"

I look up. I don't want to shout in this quiet place so I whisper, "Shimmergloom? I'm here."

"Vera! Where be ye? I can't find you."

I wait, sure she'll come. And she does, slowly appearing like a pale ghost. For a moment she's the other Shimmergloom, creamy blonde like her mother and dressed in glittery white. She flicks her hands down her clothes, turning them back to black. "Mama be the one to decide how things look here." she pouts and shakes her hair back to black before hopping over to grab my free arm. "Vera, ye be here again!"

"I like coming here. It's just a dream. I met this bat."

"Ye be getting Lost, Vera. If ye ever really do be Lost, ye won't be able to get back from here!"

That doesn't sound so bad. I mean, I know it would be since all my favorite people couldn't come here too. And staying in this dream I couldn't reach my real dream of being a fashion designer in the real world.

I hold up my arm by a branch and nudge the bat until it climbs off me, stretches comfortably, and rolls itself into a nice upside-down bat bundle. Then I close my eyes to return to the real world.