Page 202 of Sigils & Spells

But no. Titania snatched something out of the air, and I realized it was a toad.

“Did you…” my voice came out a squeak again. “Did you just turn Maeve into a toad?”

“I did.” Titania nodded pleasantly, holding the toad cupped in both hands like a child that had caught a firefly. “She was wrong. It did say she couldn’t kill you after in the contract.”

“But how did you–”

“Fae Folk physically cannot lie on purpose. It is simply not possible. But if a Fae lies on accident the fairy queen knows, and can punish them how she sees fit. I am the fairy queen.” she smiled again. “You did it Julian! I am so proud of you!”

My eyes darted around the room. The Fae Folk were watching me and their queen with intense concentration and confusion.

“You are?” I managed.

“Yes!” Titania beamed. “You freed yourself and your friends. Maeve’s enslavement is broken, and she can never harm you or your friends again.”

I opened my mouth and closed it again, feeling a little like a gaping fish. Just like when I’d first heard her voice, she sounded incredibly familiar.

She seemed to know the look and crouched down like she was talking to a small child and said with a conspiratorial smile. “Don’t you recognize me, Julian? You were just helping me make pies a few days ago.”

I stared at her blankly. Pies? When would I have been making pies with the fairy queen? What was she–

Oh.

OH.

OH MY GOD. Titania was–

“Magnolia?” If I were a cartoon character, huge question marks would have been flying out of my head as I remembered finding Magnolia in the kitchen, and her roping me into helping her knead the dough. “But you—but I—how can you be—you’re—”

“Yes!” she kept beaming and she was right. I recognized that beaming. Blaze’s apple faced wife… was the fairy queen? “Congratulations Julian!”

Titania looked around the room brightly, “Let’s celebrate the victor!”

The room had stood in horror and confusion for so many moments that the Fae Folk didn’t seem to know what to do with themselves. Slowly, they began to clap, which turned into cheers. It felt over dramatic for a game of beer pong, and I waved awkwardly.

“Ready to go home, Julian?” Titania asked. She’d moved her top hand off the toad, which now simply sat grumpily in her hand.

I nodded, suddenly exhausted. I went to get the book from my pocket. “Ruby gave me—”

“No need!” Titania interrupted. “Your friends are waiting.”

And just like she had with Maeve, she bopped me gently on top of my head and the throne room disappeared.

* * *

“This book…”I finished, trailing off. I was in a small room. It was warm. It was cozy. Disoriented, I rubbed my eyes.

I was in Ruby’s study, looking straight at my friends. Ruby, Minho and Alice sat in a handful of arm chairs under one open window. Sunlight and birdsong filtered through by my friends looked morbid. Minho’s face was red as if he hadn’t stopped crying until he dozed off. Ruby’s short pink hair was wild and her nose was buried deep in a book.

Alice sat, staring into space blankly. Staring right past me. For a moment, none of them noticed me. I stared at them. And then Alice’s unfocused eyes focused on me standing in the middle of the room and her jaw dropped.

“Julian?” she shot out of her chair and rushed me. Alice threw her arms around my neck, nearly toppling me, a stream of incoherent words spilled from her mouth as I tried to find my balance. Ruby looked up and her face lit up. She shook the werewolf and they both rushed me as well.

The three bombarded me with questions, patting me down like TSA agents to make sure I was really here, and really ok.

“You won?” Alice grinned at me.

“I did!”

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