The sky turned orange as the sun nearly says goodbye to another passed day. Agi walked tiredly up the slope and went in dustfinger's house, catching everyone discussing on the living room.
"What's going on?" Agi asked curiously.
Mo is glad that Agi is home and he excitedly made her sit beside Meggie. Dustfinger looked at her, smiling.
"I have a new plan" mo declared.
"Let's hear it" Agi dared.
Meggie and Farid watched mo breathe in calmly as he gets ready to share his greatest idea yet.
"Okay, while I was in town" mo started, "This guy keeps on talking to me while I work. He was talking about silver tongues, and then I said to myself, 'I'm a silver tongue'"
Mo began to be animated, "And not only me, but also you and Meggie. I also remembered that Meggie loves to write stories and I said; 'Hey, she can write stories and make us leave inkworld'"
Mo finally ended and looked proud while waiting if Agi would even find something wrong with his genius plan. Agi sighed and clasped her hands.
"That's not going to work" she blurted out.
The others looked puzzled because it sounded like a good idea to them.
"Why not?" mo asked, skeptical.
"When Jacques read us in" Agi started, "He turned us into his own characters. Our gifts, being silver tongues, have no help. Its like only meant as the character's talent. We need someone who is in the book, who is a silver tongue, but not a character"
Everyone is amazed with Agi's eruditeness that they didn't know what else to say.
"But, I think there's no one like that here" Farid added.
Agi looked at him and sadly nodded. Mo got to his feet and looks really determined, "I will still find a way"
Mo went to the kitchen to continue his thinking and Agi giggled. She turned to her right side and saw how glum Meggie is.
"Does that mean we can't go back?" Meggie asked.
Agi tucked Meggie's yellow locks behind her small ears and smilled, "I'm sure your dad would find a way"
"I'm worried about Aunt Elinor"
"Yeah, I'm worried about my grandpa too"
Meggie looked back at Agi when she noticed that she keeps on yawning.
"I think you better sleep now, Agi" Meggie suggested and got up from the sofa to join her father.
Agi lied down when dustfinger accompanied her, sitting on the coffee table in front of her. He gently caressed Agi's head with his left hand and watches her rest.
"You look really tired" dustfinger whispered.
Agi didn't open her eyes anymore and can feel dustfinger's gentle hand. It made her sleepier.
"It's a very tiring day" she answered.
"I wish I could give you a sleep well kiss, but, uh, Roxanne might see"
"I'll just give you a flying kiss"
Agi blew him a kiss with closed eyes and it made dustfinger smile.
That night, Agi started to dream again. At first she dreamt about adeon and dustfinger, and then it went back to her usual dream. She's on the same lake, which looks like the one in the wayless woods, standing.
"Inez…Inez"
Someone keeps on calling from the other side of the lake. It was a woman, Agi's mother perhaps. Agi followed the voice and saw a woman in a white dress with long black hair. The problem is, the woman has no face. It's completely empty, but she is calling Agi.
"Mum?" Agi called.
The faceless woman stretched her hands towards Agi to touch her delicate smooth face.
"Inez" the woman started with an angelic voice,"I'm sorry, truly I am. I love you"
The woman suddenly turned into a mold of water and burst.
When morning came, everyone turned busy again, except for Agi, who is still asleep. Dustfinger slowly went down the stairs and peeked as Roxanne leaves the house with the kids. The only ones left in the house are dustfinger and Agi. When the door finally closed, dustfinger hurried down to see sleeping beauty.
"Agi?" he whispered.
The young girl didn't respond, she's really in a deep slumber. Dustfinger locked the front and back door and spread the curtains to shut the windows. He went back to Agi, sitting beside her, and leaned closer. He's been eager about trying to kiss her again and he's taking this opportunity. When his lips are about to touch Agi's, a knock disturbed him. A little flame came out of dustfinger's hands in annoyance and bit his lip. Someone knocked again.
"Just a second!" he shouted.
He went to the door to open it and didn't expect to see the prince.
Adeon is wearing dark blue prince attire, with the crown, when he came knocking dustfinger's door along with Oberon.
"Uh, your royal highness" dustfinger greeted and bowed.
"Oh, what happened to your left arm?" adeon asked concern when he saw the cast.
"I, uh, fell, from a tree yesterday"
"I hope it's not serious. Anyways, I'm here to see Agi"
"I-I'm sorry, but she's still asleep"
"Is that so? I guess would just come back a little later"
"Pardon me, sire, but do you have some kind of feelings for Agi?"
Adeon knew that dustfinger would sooner or later bring that question up. He could see that his old friend, dustfinger, is really serious.
"Honestly, I do. From the first time I saw her" adeon anwered proudly, "And I can sense very well that you have feelings for her too"
Dustfinger is surprised that adeon knew and remorsefully nodded.
"Don't worry; dustfinger" Adeon assured, "Our friendship will be the same now that we learned that we both like Agi"
Dustfinger shyly smiled at him, "You need not to worry about me, prince. I am a married man, I'm sure he'll end up with you"
Prince adeon finally left, with Oberon asking him questions about what he heard, and Agi eventually woke up. She heard the close and when she sat up, dustfinger joined her.
"Good morning" dustfinger greeted.
"Good morning too" Agi answered, covering her mouth as she yawns.
"Listen, adeon just left. He wanted to see you, but you were still asleep. He'll come back again"
"Really?"
Agi got excited and wanted to see him already. She looked at dustfinger and noticed how burdened he is. She gently tilted dustfinger's chin and showed him her sweetest smile.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Dustfinger doesn't really know what to say. Adeon is a nice guy, but dustfinger still has his doubts.
"I'm just worried he might do anything stupid to hurt you" he said.
"I'm sure he wouldn't" Agi answered and gave him the tender kiss he's longing to taste once more.
"You're amazing; you're like a living---medicine. You make everything better!"
Agi looked at him confusingly and suppressed a laugh, "What are you saying? Let's just have breakfast"
Agi pulled dustfinger up, towards the kitchen, with their hands intertwined. Dustfinger made Agi sit while he cooks some ham and eggs. Agi took a fresh apricot from the basket on the table and nibbled on it while watching dustfinger crack some eggs.
"Do you usually cook?" Agi asked.
Dustfinger flipped the cooked side of the ham carefully, "When Roxanne was pregnant, I was always the one cooking"
That's too sweet of you. I wish I could live with someone like you"
"Prince Adeon"
Agi smiled at the idea; Adeon cooking ham and egg? Hard to imagine. But, Agi sighed in dismay, "That can't happen. Someday I'll be out of this book"
Dustfinger didn't want to think about it anymore. His life changed when mo and the others came along; they all became good friends. Dustfinger paced the slices of ham on a plate and the two sunny side-up eggs on another one. He puts it on the table and pulled a chair beside Agi.
"Don't think about the sad parts"
Like any good girl, Agi did what she's told and just ate. While eating, they talked about different things and laughed together. After breakfast, adeon came back to see Agi. He waited outside as Agi went to see dustfinger.
"I'll see you later" she said.
Dustfinger is actually thinking of following them, but he got a glimpse of adeon outside. He smiled at dustfinger.
Dustfinger smiled at Agi and mussed her black hair, "Yeah, take care and have fun"
Agi ran outside in a violet drape bodice and closed the door, leaving dustfinger all alone.