Page 182 of Sigils & Spells

“Is what we see through the hagstone… is that how you see all the time?”

That seemed to catch her off guard. She lowered her wand and looked at me thoughtfully.

“No, not really. The hagstone is like the extreme version. It helps me too, to identify what’s magic and what isn’t. I can see where there is magic, but I don’t see it like this.”

“If someone isn’t already in this world…” Alice piped up from my side. “Is there a way they could be? Like to learn what you do?”

Ruby shook her head. “Not exactly. You can’t learn to be a witch like I am. But there are things that you can learn.”

Alice nodded, and motioned for Ruby to continue.

Ruby looked back to the hollow, and put her hands on her hips. She took a deep breath. Minho stepped up beside his girlfriend and put a hand on her shoulder.

He squeezed, and she put her hand over his, smiling up at him. “I’m okay.” she mouthed.

Ruby looked back at the three of us. “Okay. We have to be careful. Elfhame is no joke. This isn’t Tinkerbelle and Peter Pan. It’s not Narnia. We could die. There is a chance we won’t come back. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure we do but I’m just one witch.”

“Julian,” She continued. “You’re the only one I really need. Minho you don’t have to come, but I don’t think there’s any way I’ll convince you to stay.”

“No way.” Minho shook his head. “I may feel like shit, but my girl and my best friend are not going somewhere dangerous without me.”

Ruby looked at Alice, and I followed her gaze. “Alice, you’ve only known any of us for a couple hours. You don’t have to risk your life for this. ARE YOU SURE?”

Alice pursed her lips and lifted her chin. “I know. I'm sure. But I’m coming. Uncle Blaze said I needed to make some more friends. I know I won’t be of much help, but… I’m coming.”

Ruby looked at her for a long long moment before nodding. I didn’t take my eyes from Alice. She looked at me, and stared me down, determined expression unwavering. I barely knew this girl, how could I ask her to risk her life to help me? Well, I could see in those dark eyes that there was no way I could ask her not to help. I thought about if I had been in her shoes. I would have done the same. No matter how dangerous, if I discovered a way to literal fairy land, there was no way in hell I was going to walk away. She seemed to read my understanding, and I caught a hint of a smile on her face.

“Alright!” Ruby said in a voice somewhere between confidence and uncertainty. “I’m going through first. Julian, they’re looking for you, so you come through last.”

I offered a mock salute. Ruby rolled her eyes and stuck her wand back in her boot. She waved Minho over to help. He laced his fingers and made a little step for her to boost off of. She kissed him quickly and stepped on his hand, and was seemingly swallowed by the tree.

I couldn’t help but gasp. It was like in an instant she was gone. She didn’t even seem to crawl through the hole, and it wasn’t like she disappeared as she went in, she was just gone.

My heart kicked up in my chest. It suddenly felt real. Real in a way it never had until now. It was so easy to pretend I was faking it or I was dreaming, but watching Ruby vanish… it was real. We were about to go to fairyland. To Elfhame. We could die, or I could get permanently enslaved. Minho climbed up after Ruby, and vanished just like her. My breath came out shallowly now. Like I was breathing through fabric.

I pressed a hand to my chest and tried to calm my heart.

I nearly jumped again when Alice put a hand on my shoulder.

“Are you alright? She asked softly.

I shrugged. “I want to say yes, but it just hit me that… I might not come back.”

I looked down at her and met her eyes again. “Why do you do your homework in the bar, instead of in your apartment?”

She blinked. The question had clearly taken her off guard.

“Is liking fried pickles not a good enough reason?” She grinned. I almost laughed, and she let out a long breath. “It’s because my apartment is lonely. And I thrive in chaos. I like it loud and bustling. I like people.”

It was Alice’s turn to shrug, but a smile was tinging her lips.

“So, wanting more friends is worth risking your life over?”

She considered me. “Yes it is. Right now it is. I like not knowing what is going to happen next. I like waking up and figuring it out. I ran away from this magic world after almost dying, but now that I’ve found it again…” she shook her head. “I’m never walking away from all this again.”

I wanted to kiss her. What she said hit me deep in the chest, and it made the panic building in me ease. I cleared my throat.

“I’ll help you up.”

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