Page 42 of The Water Witch (Fairwick Chronicles 2)

“Me too,” he said, handing me his empty glass and plate. “I’d better get back to it…unless the noise is bothering your…writing…or researching…uh…or other college professor stuff.”

I laughed. I could only imagine what my work might seem like to a handyman. For a moment I envied him. It would be nice if all my problems could be fixed with a hammer and a handful of nails…then I realized how foolish that was. The problem I had right now could be solved with a couple of words. “No, I need to go by my dean’s office. And you’d betterget back to work.” I looked up at the clear blue sky. “Who knows how long it will stay like this?”

I walked across campus to Liz’s office determined in my resolve to confess my membership in the Grove and tell her everything I’d learned from Jen Davies. It felt good finally knowing what to do about at least one thing…as good as it felt to be walking in the sunshine after last night’s rain. All the storms on the horizon were still rumbling but I felt a power of my own growing. Maybe it was anger at the Grove for conspiring to hurt my town, or maybe last night’s transformationhadreleased some power. Just thinking about running through the woods with Duncan made my fingers prickle with energy and my skin itch to change again.

By the time I walked up the two flights of stairs to Liz’s office I was setting off sparks. When I touched her doorknob gold cinders sizzled in the air. Some protection spell? I wondered. But if it was, it wasn’t strong enough to withstand my new power. I walked in without knocking.

And was immediately sorry I had. Liz Book was on the couch in a close embrace with a woman. I was embarrassed enough when I thought it was Diana, but when the two women sprung apart I saw that the second woman was Soheila—and that Liz’s face was wet with tears.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, alarmed at the sight of the usually composed Elizabeth Book crying. “Has something happened?”

“Liz was upset over some bad news in my family…” Soheila began, but Liz put a hand on her arm and shook her head.

“There’s no reason not to tell Callie—she’ll find out soonenough. I’m upset because Diana has told me that if the door is closing forever she will go back to Faerie.” Liz’s voice wobbled at the end and Soheila handed her a tissue. I sank down into a chair.

“Diana would go back to Faerieforever? But why? If it’s because she’s afraid of living without Aelvesgold, we might have a solution for that.” I was going to tell her what Duncan Laird had said about some creatures producing their own Aelvesgold but Liz was shaking her head.

“It’s notjustthat. Diana has a responsibility to her people, the fairy deer. She is their guardian. She has guarded them in this world against the growing dangers here—hunting, pollution, the clearing of the forests—but the deer folk have decided that if the door is closing they will go back to Faerie. Diana feels it’s her responsibility to go with them…” Her voice trailed off as she was overcome with emotion. I patted her arm and exchanged a look with Soheila.

“I’m so sorry, Liz. But maybe she won’t have to make that choice.”

“Have you found a way to keep the door open?” she asked eagerly, drying her eyes and sitting up straighter. “Duncan Laird was here earlier. He said you have great promise. If you can keep the door open, Diana won’t have to choose between this world and Faerie.”

The hopeful smile on Liz’s face was heartbreaking—and reminded me of what I’d come to do.

“I’ll try my best, Liz, but there’s something else I have to tell you.”

I took a deep breath and looked straight at Liz, who was regarding me with an expectant half smile. “I’ve been hiding something from you…A few months ago, I went to the Grove to ask my grandmother for a way to break the Ballard curse. I’d found out that one of our ancestors had cursedthem. She told me that I was the only one who could remove the curse, but only if I joined the Grove. So I did. I joined them and promised to inform them of any situations at Fairwick that posed a threat to humans. Adelaide promised me that no harm would come to anyone as a result of the information I gave them…but I see now that it was probably foolhardy to believe her.”

The smile on Liz’s face had slowly faded as I spoke, replaced by a stony expression—the one that students dreaded when they had committed an infraction. “And have you reported anything to them since you became a member?”

“No,” I told her honestly. “I haven’t seen anything that constituted a threat to humans. I guess Lorelei would have been the first thing…Did Duncan Laird tell you that we saw her last night in the woods?”

“Yes,” Liz said. “Are you going to inform the Grove about her? I would have to say that she poses a threat to humans.”

“I’m afraid they’ll learn about Lorelei whether I tell them or not. I met with Jen Davies this morning. She was sent by the Grove to monitor activity in the woods. She already suspected there’s an undine on the loose, and I couldn’t deny it.”

Soheila sighed and tucked her hands into the sleeves of her burnt umber cardigan as if she were freezing.

“But I did at least get some information in return.” Relieved to move on from my own guilty secret, I told Liz and Soheila that the Grove had apparently made a decision to close the door after forming an alliance with the Seraphim Club in London. The women exchanged an anxious look.

“The Seraphim goes back to the sixteenth century,” Soheila said, shivering. “They’re powerful wizards and even more anti-fey than the Grove. Their members looted the temples of my country and drove out our old gods. They decorated their club with the spoils of their pillaging.”

“They are marauders of the worst kind!” Liz exclaimed, her cheeks flaming pink. “Common thieves and tomb raiders!”

“Perhaps that’s how they found an alternative source of Aelvesgold,” I said.

All the color drained from Liz’s face. “An alternative source of Aelvesgold? That’s impossible. The only source of Aelvesgold is Faerie. And this is the last door.”

“Duncan told me that there are creatures who can produce their own Aelvesgold,” I said.

“Therearestories about creatures of that sort,” Soheila said, turning to Liz. “Do you think …?”

“Those stories have never been proven,” Liz replied, her eyes wide.

“What stories?” I demanded. “What are you two talking about?”

“Elves,” Soheila replied in a hushed voice, looking anxiously around the room. I recalled Liam’s cryptic reference to elves when we were in Faerie.

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