"I've tried and failed. I'm guessing here, but what if we can't open it until we're....you know...married?"

"That's a good chance. I know we have to be virtuous to wear the ring...does that mean we'll never...eh...well..." Caleb says shyly.

"Have s.e.x? Spit it out," Amber laughs.

Oh my goodness, you didn't go there.

I did. One day, we'll want to do that..we won't be kids forever.

I know. I turned off his ability to hear my thoughts. My heart was hammering against my chest.

Grandma sits stiff as a board. "Yes, you will be able to be adults...eventually. The prophecy says you must be a virgin when you put the ring on. It talks about how young you are and later says; one day your offspring will enforce your rulings. Everything will be fine. We need to go though. I'm more equipped to protect you at the house."

"You are?" I blurt out.

She bends her head forward, peering over her reading gla.s.ses. "Oh yeah, I'm prepared."

"Alrighty, I guess we'll head to Jessie's. It will give her a chance to write her vows. You have to do that don't you?" Amber prods me.

"No, she'll repeat after me. The ceremony is specific, so we won't be veering off to the left," Thorne stops and remembers something. "Jessie, you'll need to wear something blue, and it can't be seen by anyone other than Caleb. You don't have to worry about the human superst.i.tion about not seeing your beloved before the I do's." He looks Caleb in the eye. "You do love her?" Caleb shook his head up and down. "You'd die for her right?" Caleb agreed. "You might be tested, you trust her don't you?"

"What are you getting at?"

"He's telling you there might be times that you have to trust your spouse. In Fairyland, the Queen is the ruler...unless she's dead. Typically in a royal wedding there will be tests, and you'll have to trust yourself to believe in your wife. Everything is mystical, even your castle is hidden from all fae...until you're crowned."

"We have a castle? What is it called?" I ask. "You're the one that knows the prophecy; I'm a.s.suming you know where our hidden house is. Not house...castle."

"Your kingdom is currently The Hidden City of Everlasting Light. When you're crowned, it will be The Kingdom of Everlasting Light. No one knows where it is. The fae who live there have never been seen, and the powers have been guarded so well, the elders have only speculations. I'm not kidding, when I say everything is about to change." Grandma pulled me in for a hug.

As we walked out of the single-wide mobile home, something in the air swirled around us, and I felt trouble brewing. We walked in silence to the cars, I rode with Thorne...he's my guardian after-all. Caleb and Amber rode in her Jeep. Her muddy Jeep. Hmmm

Chapter 21. Muddy.

"Tell me something, do you wonder what Amber was out doing? Her Jeep is mega-muddy, especially for someone who makes out with the car daily. Don't ask." Thorne and I'd been driving for about five minutes before I worked up the nerve to ask him.

He taps the steering-wheel and shrugs his shoulders. "Jessie, I can't worry about her right now. You should be focusing on staying out of trouble for the next five hours. I mean it, don't go out for anything. I have two fifty pound bags of salt in the trunk. When we get to the house, I want everyone to take salt and do the protection spell. Does Caleb have any aversion to climbing on the roof?"

"Why? You're not making him sleep out there are you?"

"What? Why would I make Caleb sleep outside Jessie? Remember, you're going to the chapel to get married?"

"Chapel? They have church in Fae-ville?"

"Fae-ville?"

"You know, like Who-ville. Let me guess, you aren't into Dr. Seuss. Why do you want him on the roof?"

"I need him to send up some solar flares to notify my s.p.a.ceship to land."

I choke on the mouthful of water from my now, very hot bottle of water. "Your what?" It comes out more hysterical than I expected. "You're messing with me!" He nods his head at me. "Jerk," I smacked his arm.

"Ow! You're violent for being the so-called Queen of Fairyland. You're going to be a tyrant aren't you? You'll behead random pixies that flit into your territory."

"No, I'd never do anything to hurt someone. Is there a possibility that you'll ask Amber out? Can you date her?"

"Look Jessie, I do want to take her out...right now, isn't a good time to get involved. My main concern is to guard you and Caleb. Don't go running your mouth or anything, but if the prophecy is true, I'm hanging around for a while. Unless you behead me...if you do, it won't work out for us."

"You're impossible."

"I've heard that before."

We chatted for a few more minutes about what he needs done on the roof. He wants the chimney checked and salted, as well as any other openings. We finally pull onto a street I recognize. Both of us found peace, lost in our own thoughts until we get home.

"Jess, one more thing, please don't push the Amber thing...when it's a good time, we'll see. Okay?"

Rolling my eyes, I agree. "Hey, why five hours?"

"That's when you're getting married."

"Oh yeah, silly me." I storm off to the house to grab some cups for the salt. I hope she has a way to explain why we're salting the house like a giant french fry. Hold up, did he say five hours?

Thorne left to take care of guardian guarding stuff, stuff. He'd been quiet while we salted the yard. Amber and I decided to watch The Princess Bride. I popped some popcorn and made us all a gla.s.s of sweet-tea. I'd found a taste for the sugary tea after I left the hospital. Grandma and Caleb went out on the back porch to have a private talk about the way of fae. Mr Gabe called to say he is on the way over to stay the night. I can't imagine what crazy story we'll tell my mom. Hey mom, did you have a long day at work? Well, I can't make it to breakfast with you, sorry...but you see, I'm a faerie. Yes, you heard right, I'm fae. Oh, I forgot to mention light shoots from my hands, my bad. I ran the scenario in my head and realized she is going to put me in therapy. I can hear mom telling the doctor I'm having hallucinations. I smack my forehead in denial.

"Scoot over Amb, snack lady coming through," I say and set the serving tray down on the coffee table. "What happened with you last night? Thorne said you disappeared. I sent you text messages, and you never replied."

"If you're going to grill me about last night, I'll go home. You're not my mom."

I look at her, trying to figure out why she's so hostile. "Amber, I'm not trying to be your mom. I was worried...forgive me for giving a c.r.a.p about your welfare. I happen to like you, even though you can be a..." I stop myself before saying something mean.

"You were going to call me a female dog. You were, I see it all over your face."

"Maybe I was, you know d.a.m.n good and well that's what you're acting like."

Amber rolls her eyes and c.o.c.ks her head back. "You do like me don't you?"

"Of course I do, why would you ask?"

She reaches in her hobo style purse and gets her wallet. Thumbing past some receipts she pulls out two folded up pieces of notebook paper.

"You swear you won't make fun of me?"

"No, I wouldn't make fun of you. Amber, what's wrong?"

"This is going to get heavy; can we go in your room, in case they come back inside the house?"

We pick up our drinks and head to my room. I love that it still smells like the cuc.u.mber-melon candle I burned earlier. We both hop up on my queen size bed. Usually, we lay on our backs and stare at the shooting star ceiling.

"Okay, here's what happened. Yes, I went to the bonfire. I had fully intended on drinking Rob's vodka and getting wasted. I've thought about nothing else for the last 365 days of my life...taking a bottle of vodka and getting trashed. Like he did...my brother Mark. He was seventeen and would have been his senior year. We were all going to the beach for one last family weekend with us all as kids. He had been known as a partier...he was good looking, and one of the best surfers on this coast. This guy Randy, he had been the one with a fake I.D. and bought all the alcohol for the parties. Randy is a p.r.i.c.k, no other word for him. I never liked him, and Mark would say I should give him a chance. I didn't think he was a very loyal friend. He was so arrogant...I mean he was an a.s.s." She smirks as she talks about him. "Randy showed up at the beach that day. He kept asking Mark if he had the vodka with him. They were talking about it was going to be my initiation into party life, to get me drunk. I told Randy to go to h.e.l.l. I told Mark he couldn't drink, we were with our parents. I mean, c.r.a.p Jess, he wouldn't have ever thought of getting drunk around our parents. I didn't see him drink, I thought he put it up...he didn't." Amber sat on the edge of the bed and bent over with her face covered by her hands. She sat there for a second trying to compose herself. "He was a freakin awesome surfer. Every surfer up and down the Atlantic coast knew my brother was the craziest and best. When you're at the beach, it's common to keep an eye out for other people in the water. He saw dad go under and not resurface. Rip currents are serious this time of year. Mark went running out to get him, but he didn't take a board with him. He'd got to dad and pulled him to sh.o.r.e, but he went back out to get dad's board and drowned. He died because of me." Her head dropped, and she couldn't hold back the tears.

I put my arm over her shoulder and my heart breaks in a million and seven pieces for her. "Amber, it isn't your fault. They were dumb boys...it isn't your fault."

"I know...I can't help it though. I've tried to tell myself it isn't, but it never works. Last night, I got a ride home to get the Jeep. I went down to the beach. I'd written him a letter, and planned to throw it out to sea. I didn't. We hated finding trash in the ocean. I could hear him in my head telling me how dumb it is to litter. I started crying on the way home and drove into a big muddy ditch. I told my parents we went to help someone pull their car out a ditch. I didn't want them to know how much I've been hurting. Jessie, I should have gone after my dad. The doctors don't know what's wrong with him, technically, there isn't anything wrong. Mom thinks he blames himself and has given up." She unfolds the paper. "I'll read it to you, I'm sorry if it's dumb."

"Never be sorry for your feelings. I'd love to hear it."

"Dear Mark, Hey bro, long time no hear. Well, you're probably wondering why I'm writing this letter. The therapist said that I'd feel better if I wrote you a letter. Look, I don't know why you drank that day. I wonder if drinking can actually hide the pain, but everything I read about it says it will only cause more problems. All year, I heard people talking about how the parties are no fun without Mark Edwards. Everyone quit talking to me because they didn't know what to say to someone like me. I've never been Miss Popularity, but it's never been like it was the last school year.

Things have changed bro. Last year, I met a new guy at school named Caleb. At first I thought he was hot, until I realized he doesn't surf. He was polite, and we hung out a few times - but we're just friends. This summer, Caleb met this girl, her name is Jessie. He brought her over to the house after he told her she's a Light Tamer (like you and me). He'd told me they were bound when they were kids, it happened on a beach one summer when she almost drowned. It made me think of you. Her name's Jessie, and she's very pretty. She has these green eyes that light up when she smiles. I feel a connection with her, I've never had with a girl. No, not in a lesbo way. She's a near drowning survivor, and I'm a drowning survivor, we click like friends should. I have a friend Mark, a real friend. We're finding out some crazy c.r.a.p about this whole Light Tamer sickness. I wish I could introduce you, I think you'd be friends too.

I miss you Mark, more than words will ever express. I never thought I'd laugh again, but I do and I can. We never heard from Randy again, I told you he isn't a friend. Well, I gotta go. Could you watch over me and maybe give me a sign, a little sign that you're okay? We all miss you so much. I hope you're hanging ten, and every day is a great day for the beach. I love you."

She looks up at me, and we're both crying. I've never felt someone's pain through their words until now.

Jessie are you okay? I hear Caleb in my head.

Yeah, we'll be out in a minute. I love you.

Okay...you're not crying because we're getting married are you?

No, she told me about her brother.

Oh, okay.

"Jessie, will you live in the fairy world all the time? I feel like I just found you, and now you're going to bail on me."

I stood. "C'mere, you need a hug."

We hug, I pull away but still have my hands on her shoulders. She is so short, she literally has to look up at me. I silently pray for her soul to heal, as I do, my hands begin to glow. I see light flow all around her. The knock on the door pulls me out of the moment.

"Come in," I say.

"What happened? The pain in my heart has dulled," Amber looks up at me with her big doe eyes. "Thank you for not taking the pain all the way away. It reminds me how vital it is to follow your dreams and not make lousy choices."

"That was intense, I don't know what happened, it just....well, it just happened."

With him in the room, his energy pulls me to him. When we're alone, we gravitate to each other. His face full of concern for Amber looks to me for guidance. Like a magnet to metal, he crosses the room and throws his arms around both of us.

"Stop, ya'll are suffocating the Amber," she says as she tries to pull away from his grip. "This is so unfair, I'm at chest level here...you're not going to like it if I decide to bite your b.o.o.b!"

I jump back before she makes good on her promise. "You wouldn't dare."

"I would, and I'd hold my phone out and take a pic for you."

Caleb is laughing, and the room fills with love. Relief washes over me for Amber. Never in a gazillion years, would I want to lose her to the darkness.

Chapter 22. Something Old.

"Wake-up beautiful, we're leaving soon," Caleb's voice whispers in my ear.

I roll over to my back, pulling the covers partially off Amber. She pulls on the blanket until she has enough to cover her face. He is standing over me, his face only a foot away. Fear runs through me as I realize I have morning breath. I try holding it so he can't smell my icky stench. I fake yawn so I can cover my mouth with my hand.

"Hi you," I say and realize something monumental is about to happen. "How much time do I have?"

"Thirty minutes, you slept with those in your hair?" He points to my old fashioned curlers.

"Ah.... Go! Go in the other room. Don't look at me," I scramble to get the sheet up over my head.

Caleb laughs and walks out, not before saying, "You look cute."

"Ugh! Away!" I threaten.

"Dudette, you're so d.a.m.n loud. I need sleep," Amber complains. She hops out of bed and runs to the bathroom. "I call dibs on the shower."

"That's cool, I'm in need of a pot of coffee."

"Someone say coffee?" Says the familiar voice.

"Daddy! How did you know to come here?" I throw my arms around his neck trying not to knock the coffee. "I haven't heard from you in over a week. Does mom know you're here?"

He hands me a travel mug full of coffee. This is one thing I miss about him, our morning coffee. "Yes, mom knows I'm here in New Bern. Your grandma and I told her everything last night. She is miffed and scared. Mrs. Ward will take us to the ceremony."

"Just like that," I snap my fingers, "You're OK with me getting married? I don't turn sixteen until Friday. Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

"Sweetheart, this is right. I can feel the power when I'm with the two of you. Incredible amounts of power. You'll have the power to give me back my light. You can heal me."

"What! I can heal you? How?"

"You're the Queen of all Tamers, it's one of your abilities."

"Can I do it now?" I ask excitedly.

He shakes his head no. "It will need to be done in Fairyland."

"That's amazing, I better go get ready. I'll see you in a while," I say and reach up to kiss him.

Before bed, I packed a duffel bag with things I thought I would need. I brought a sundress and a change of clothes. Grandma told us that we will be home in time for school on Monday. Talk about secrets, I'm a never ending supply of them.