An early sunset fell over the expanse of field, and they were plunged once again into a world of boiled pink. The blackened towers of Myrmilion School emerged from the grassy ocean. They slipped past the empty car park of the Saturn Hotel and after a short while, came up under the front arch of Myrmilion School.

There were only two cars - Thomi’s van, and a miniscule taupe convertible that was presumably Muka’s. Otherwise, another empty lot. Rai settled his oversized tyres comfortably across two spaces.

The row of tall gothic windows that faced the parking lot were lit and open. They were slightly too high to see into but Rai heard the tapping of silverware and echoed voices. When they went to the front door, he saw that one window had a person leaning out of it. It was Cherry, sandwich in hand.

She took a bite and worked her jaw like a mill, tracking their return.

—

Muka intercepted them in the hallway leading to his office. “You’re back. Does this mean you’ve heard from Rose already?”

Rai saw how Sao gave every inch of the office a look of awe before taking a seat. Sao had wisely pulled his coat back on before conducting the interview.

Rai looked at his shoes. He had managed to scrape off a decent amount of grime in the carousel mall parking lot. He gingerly stepped onto the carpet and dropped into one of the tall guest chairs, facing the principal’s desk. “We put in a request for information.”

Muka climbed into his chair and faced them eagerly. The red of the sun coming through the windows brought out the pink flecked color of his eyes, enlarging them. He looked like a baby.

“We haven’t heard anything yet, but I realized we were missing some info that might speed things up. It’s going to be Mainline HQ requesting info from Interstate, so the more details the better.” Rai took out his phone, and opened the note-taking app. “A lot that I should have asked the first time we spoke.”

“Yes, you really should have. Or you could have phoned - we do have working lines, and the number on our website.”

“I’ll admit we may not have taken Rose’s case seriously enough when it was just Cherry’s word,” Sao said, admiring a glass paperweight that looked like a giant blister. “But after discussion, reflecting on what you’d told us about the absentee family, the loss of contact… you clearly care about Rose as much as any parent, if not more. It was unfair, how quickly we dashed out of here. We want to do better to help before we finally leave.”

Sao smiled and Muka folded like a towel. “Of course. Silly of me not to give more while you were here. And I must admit myself - I wasn’t sure you were serious when you came around the first time.”

“Very intuitive. You got us."

Muka hopped off his chair - landing shakily - and padded over to a step stool in front of a cabinet brimming with binders. “Full name would have helped. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. Rose. Her surname was G____. I must have some sort of photo, somewhere… ah, from her application.”

It was a mugshot, as passport photos often ended up being. Blown out and leached of color. But against all that, Rose was a very professional-looking kid. Her pinkish hair (a lighter tone than Cherry’s) lay in neat little waves, and she was wearing a businesswoman blouse, with a tie of all things. Her smile was tight and pink as her hair, not a happy look, but a focused one. The application listed a Roselyn G____, parents A_____ and M___. Excellent grades and social skills, the interviewer had noted.

“Don’t suspect we see any more of the kids’ files?” Rai asked. “Cherry and Lumi mostly, they’re witnesses in a way.”

Muka started to go for the binders again, but stopped. “I’d prefer to do so only if it’s pertinent to Rose. If your department requires anything more, you can let me know. You wouldn’t perhaps have a fax number I can use to send…?”

“It’s fine. We can call the school after we go. If we don’t have news for you before that.”

With Muka’s permission, Rai snapped a copy of the picture with his phone. “On condition you do not circulate the image on public channels,” he said. “Unless absolutely necessary. Parents’ permission would be best.”

Rai bristled a little, not at Muka, at the parents whose privacy was so damn important to them they would let anyone who cared about their daughter think she was dead. Real lunatics, or real grudge-holders. Muka had reason to be cautious. “We’ll respect your wishes,” Rai said.

“And please, even if one of them does become relevant to the search, keep the rest of the children out of any sort of publication. Some of them are here specifically for the privacy of the place…”

“The picture’s for verification,” Rai said. “When we find her.”

“I do hope you will. And that she’s found safe.”

Just as Rai was wondering if he’d come on too strong, Sao launched in with a line of his own. “Forgive me for changing the subject, but would you happen to know of a man named Lamort?”

“Where did you hear about him?”

“At the hotel.” Sao did not elaborate from who - though they all knew there were only two possible culprits. “We got talking about the strange letters, and the name came up. It seems the poison pen letters had a bad effect on him.”

“You must have heard from Guy, then.”

Rai kept his eyes down. Muka underestimated Marinell’s ability to gossip when the right person presented himself.

“Lamort was a friend of mine. Understanding, sensitive fellow, but very withdrawn. While I can laugh at my letter, as most of us could, he couldn’t live with someone hounding him about his past. He showed me his… there was nothing very specific, but the vagueness of the information let his imagination get the better of him.”

“And I heard his family was caught in the crossfire…?”

Muka smiled and touched his watch chain. “You weren’t told so much then. Lamort may not be my legal responsibility, but he is a friend, so I apologize if I’m not being overly helpful.”

“Sorry. I understand it might be a sensitive matter, especially if he had any children.”

Muka’s smile was taut, old loose skin folded around youthful dimples, papery sharp. Rai thought of Cherry and the razor edges of her book, and Sao’s cut. “His child is doing fine,” Muka said. “It’s his wife that we all had to worry about - the subject of the note. A menace and a deviant. Lamort was an urbanite originally, but she drove him all the way out here, and the letters made him think she’d found him, or someone would help her reach him. But he reasoned she was only after him - if he left, and made it known, his child would be safe. And that’s how it’s been.”

Sao simpered. “I’m so sorry - and - can relate, believe it or not. I know better than to ask his whereabouts. Are you still in touch?”

The origami smile softened. “Yes, of course. He’s doing well, he sends me updates periodically, and wishes to come back as soon as he can. And as I said, his child is fine. And the two speak regularly.”

“I have to say, you’re an excellent friend. That balance of care and caution - when I was trying to get away from my—” Sao cut away from that line of thought, laughing shakily. “Well. Let’s just say I admire your approach to life. I feel like I can spill my own story in front of you.”

“Thank you.” Muka hauled himself back onto his plush chair, narrow shoulders pressed back with pride. “I don’t want to compel you down that path at all, though. I always think back to life on the Citadel - someone was always watching, breathing down my neck. Timing when I slept, what I ate, how much I worked, even toilet breaks – no, I’d prefer people feel their secrets are safe from me. Friend or no.”

The Citadel again.

Muka folded his hands together on the desk. “To think that striving toward immortality and beauty and eternal youth wound up creating the most amoral, high-stress environment imaginable.”

“They’re supposed to be getting better,” Rai said. “The experimenting was legally obligated to stop when the Citadel allied with Central.”

“But it’s not an experiment anymore. It’s a lifestyle - a culture.” Muka folded his short arms. “The fae are becoming more radical, more jingoistic, as the population dwindles. The believers - anyone who remains - will be back to their old ways in no time. Maybe they already are.” He sighed. “But all this has little to do with your investigations, I suppose.”

“It’s interesting to hear about first hand,” Rai offered.

Muka checked his watch. “Supper will be over soon, if you’d like to speak to Thomi or the children before they prepare for bed.”

“You’ll let us do that?”

“I’d rather you didn’t delve into the gory details of Lamort or Rose with them. But they all saw you come in, and they won’t be too happy if I chase you out without letting them have a look.” Like he and Sao were pets brought in for show and tell. “And a word or two.”

Eyes flicked to watch again. Rai wondered if Muka was counting down the seconds before he could politely to kick them out.

“Florien thought very highly of you, Rai. Lumi has been talking quite a bit about the both of you too. And Cherry...” Muka’s face contorted into frown and he stuffed his watch back into his prim jacket. “Well, she’ll be happy to see you came back after all.”

—

Rai had to admit Temperance was true to its name; calm and collected - even if it was from lack of anyone around. Magic in the air, all the silent pink sunsets and empty fields. Something about that picture unraveled when he and Sao entered the Media Room.

The five fall-break residents of Myrmilion School sized them up, surly regulars watching outsiders stumble into their tavern.

“I told you they would come back,” Cherry said, springing from a large beanbag, pencils scattering off her lap.

“No, you wouldn’t shut up about how they were gone for good,” said a skinny and (Rai would say) unwise kid with inch-thick glasses and an overbite. “You called them stupid and fake and all kinds of bad names-”

“Shut up, Cal.”

“I’m not lying.” Cal said.

Cal might have ended the session flat on his face if not for the kid beside him, who stood up and gave Cherry a solid stare. Cal’s friend - Rai assumed they were a unit - was tall, wide and hairy - both his brows and his shaggy head. While Cal’s upper teeth jutted, the bigger kid’s jaw stuck out like a shelf. Peas in a pod - a pod safe enough that Cal felt he could pester Cherry.

“We did come back to ask a little more about Rose,” Rai said. “And a few other things.”

Lumi turned in his swivel chair, legs dangling. He was sitting at one station in a row of computers. Rai was surprised that the school had a decently modern setup. “Do you want to ask me some more questions?”

“You already talked to them,” Cherry said.

Lumi was thoughtful - and a safe distance away. “Detectives have to ask things more than once, and be tough about it, to make sure everyone has their story straight.”

“Why are you worried about that, were you lying?”

“We’re not going to corner any of you today, but I did want to see the kind of people Rose was friends with,” Rai said. He looked for Sao - and saw him loitering back in the hall. “Did any of you ever get to know much about her family situation? Where she lived, what her parents might do for work?”

A moment of consideration from the class. Cal spoke first. “She was here for less than a year, so we didn’t get to know very much.”

“She didn’t talk about it,” Cherry said. “But I know she liked being here better than being at home. All of us here right now and Rose, we were the same when it came to that stuff.”

“Okay,” Rai said, sensing danger ahead.

“Well, my parents didn’t forget about me,” Cal said. “I said I wanted to stay. I can do more reading without my little brothers and sister screaming and crying all the time.” He flashed a crooked smile at Rai.

“That’s literally what I said,” Cherry hissed. “We like it here better.” She preemptively gave Cal’s friend a brutal look before he heaved himself up again.

“Well, if you think of anything more about Rose, you can let us know,” Rai said. “We’ll be in the area for a while, so be ready for us to come back.”

Some excited murmurs from the gallery.

“Cool hands,” said Florien from his corner at the end of the row of computers. He was rubbing an old handkerchief like an amulet. “Mr. Cool Hands,” he said, as if for clarification.

“What are you talking about?” Cherry snapped.

“He has cool hands,” Florien said. When Cherry took a step toward him he leapt to his feet.

“His hands light up. It’s his aura or something. He’s a Life Fountain.” Lumi braced himself too. “I heard him talking to Muka.”

“You didn’t show me. And I saw you first.” Cherry was betrayed, and ready to make someone pay.

“That’s because I usually wear gloves when eating,” Rai said.

They all looked at him as if he had come from another planet.

Rai peeled off his gloves and clapped the empty pieces of leather together loudly. “Anyway. I’m just half Life Fountain. Like how your teacher is half faerie. I’m not immortal or anything, I just have a little bit of aura… and only in my hands. I can’t heal, except my hands. Uh–”

Sao came padding up behind him, Thomi with him. She didn’t say a word, but in a blink the kids were settled, all seated with hands on lap or desk or book.

She pulled a strand of hair back and smiled. Her eyes were so big they made the rest of her features look shrunken; her face reminded Rai of a macro photo of a butterfly. “I’m glad you’re all being on your best behavior.” And to Rai, in a low tone, “You’ve got the principal’s approval, but please don’t say anything that may disturb them. We don’t have crime like you do in the city, so… I trust you’ll keep it appropriate.”

She didn’t sound trusting in the least.

“Miss Thomi,” Sao said. “We’d like to have a word with you, if that’s alright.”

“You can all have half an hour more of play, if you can do it quietly. Is that alright?” Her tone lifted at the end of the sentence, like she was a protesting child herself.

“We’ll behave,” said Cal.

“Because they’re our guests,” Florien added, sagely.

—

Thomi took them to the entrance hall, which was just down the nearby stairs - in earshot and (if Rai stood right by the steps) eyeshot of the Media Room, in case of emergency. The lobby was clearly defunct for the fall break. The curved two-tier desk was unmanned and the room was lit like a dungeon, with dimmed lamps mounted to the walls.

Thomi closed the doors to stop the draft, and draped herself over the desk. She was exhausted. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. This or the last time. I am really grateful you two are looking into Rose, so’s the principal. And Cherry. Not knowing has been eating her up.”

“She’s a big reason why we decided to look into it further,” Rai said. “Florien told us she was losing sleep over it.”

“Ah. It’s true. These kids see and hear everything. Even if this doesn't turn out as she hopes – she’ll appreciate that you two showed her such respect.”

Rai did not want Cherry’s suspicions to be true, but he seriously doubted she’d appreciate being wrong. “Disappearances are an epidemic in the Core Cities area. I spend a ton of time reviewing those cases. Even if there are a lot of them, I gotta take them seriously.”

“Do you have access to records from the Interstate area from there? Oh - I expect there won’t be much from Temperance, our police station shut down years ago. Old Hode was the last man standing. He still watches over us, though… Cherry isn’t too fond of him.”

“Central Met can get anything with enough time.” Rai thought of Muka’s hatred of being surveilled. Time to shift gears. “But like I said… There's an epidemic already. It could take a long time to look into any new cases, so Investigators like myself are supposed to go around picking up info to speed up the process. Do you mind telling us what you know about the night Rose disappeared?”

“I don’t think of it as disappearing.” Thomi frowned. “And… I feel terrible that I wasn’t there immediately to help when it happened. It was after dark, after the children had their bath. I was out to pick up some groceries. There are some late-night stores in Bower, but it’s still almost an hour to get there - and the return - and with the shopping - it was midnight when I got back.”

Hair was starting to stick to her face. She was sweating. Rai was too. With the door closed, the small space was stuffy as a sauna.

“Principal Muka was in a panic - he wasn’t shouting or flailing, he’s always appropriate, but I could tell. He was watching over Cherry, who was at the point of breakdown. She had been the one to tell him Rose fell –”

“She saw it happen?”

“She said Rose was stargazing, so she had been there or Rose told her. He knew he had to go look, but he couldn’t leave Cherry alone and she was frozen in place, she wouldn’t go back to the spot. He was the only staff on hand, and his options were limited. I said I would help Cherry to her room while he went out to check on Rose. Cherry fell asleep quickly, or maybe fainted. When Muka came back he had Rose’s broken binoculars and blood on his hands.” She closed her eyes. “Sorry, that sounds wrong. And awful. But… It was awful. He was mortified, said she was gravely hurt, and he hadn’t been able to move her. While he phoned an ambulance, I went out, hoping I might do better, but…”

“Things weren’t good.”

“No. Rose was always such a clean and proper little girl. But at the bottom of the tower she looked…” Thomi’s throat caught. “Broken. She was breathing, though, and her eyes were… moving. Luckily it wasn’t as cold as it is now.”

“And this was by one of the towers.”

“The Northern one - the one closest to the pond. I stayed with her until the ambulance came. Muka brought the men with the stretcher to the back as quietly as he could. Of course, he had to leave the building to do it. And of course, at that moment both of us were out…”

“Lumi woke up,” Sao said.

“Yes. The… the poor boy.” She seemed frustrated with that description, like she would rather cry. “I’m not sure how much he saw of Rose and her condition, but he saw something, because he was stricken. My going in with bloodied hands myself was probably no comfort.” She sank further against the desk. “We left several messages for her parents, but that was the last we heard of Rose. I’ll admit, if I were her parents, I would be livid. I wouldn’t have a thing to say to the place that left my child in that state.”

“But Cherry,” Rai began.

“Yes. Cherry. See it from her perspective: she was asleep when Rose was taken away. It was like her only friend vanished in the night. She and Lumi… are conflicted about it.”

“In conflict with each other.”

“They’ll have counseling, a better support system. We’re just not equipped for this during the school breaks. There just aren’t enough of us to drive one student out to Garland and leave all the rest. Muka’s holding up as best he can. He’s actually not too shaken by blood, believe it or not. Faeries from the Citadel often aren’t. The medical conditions inflicted by their own condition… they get used to it. He and my father–” She stopped.

“So you’re fae on your dad’s side?” Rai asked. “Is he - er - does he live around here?”

“He visits.”

A rush of relief. “Long lived for a fae. That’s good to hear..”

“Yes. He’s in good health for his age but… you know with fae it’s only a matter of time before their bodies wither. I do love him but it’s become awkward, to be seen, having a parent like that. I’ve been taller than him since I was ten.”

Relief was fading fast. “My family’s kind of the same,” Rai stammered. “My mom looks almost ten years younger than me. Though some people say I look ten years older than I really am.”

She stared at him. It was hard to gauge her mood. Maybe visible eyebrows would have helped. The whites of her butterfly eyes were practically invisible, just two waterlogged brown globs.

“It’s the eyebags, right?” Rai thought his hands were moving too much and pressed them into his pockets. “Mine are really bad. But actually they’re not from the lack of sleep. They’re uh, like birthmarks.”

Brushing sweat from his forehead, Sao unbuttoned his coat. Thomi’s eyes flew to him and bulged even further out of her head. The carousel horse was on full display.

“The sweater’s new,” Sao said. “And there’s been something I just cannot get off my mind. Would you happen to know who the mayor is?”

Thomi blinked, hard. Presumably to stop her eyes from finally popping out. “Er - there is no mayor.”

“So I’ve heard - that it’s more of an honorary title than an official one. And yet, Muka and the hotel managers said that the mayor covered our costs from last night’s stay. Since we’re back in town, I was hoping we could thank him.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary. I mean, you can let Muka know.”

“I was wondering if he was secretly the mayor myself…”

Thomi looked from Sao, to his sweater, and let loose some rattling laugher. Sao smiled, wider, and Rai got the same feeling he did when Cherry pushed her sleeves up.

“Though I don’t think he has the free time to be sending ridiculous letters,” Sao said.

Thomi’s laugh cut abruptly. “I should think not. He got one himself.”

“A good cover, sending one to yourself, and making it seem like not such a big deal. And send a few more innocuous ones out too, to let everyone’s guard down. So when the threats do escalate, whoever is targeted would feel particularly singled out…”

“Well, it’s not him. Though I do think he undersells the threat of them. Even if they’re mostly harmless, it’s not good for someone to know so much. Watching from the shadows and just being allowed to get away with it. Muka should know.”

Sao seemed surprised. “Pardon my asking, but did you get one yourself?”

“Of course. It was one of the stupidest. I can get it for you now - or you can ask Muka about it. Or Guy. Since he knows so many people, I asked him if he suspected anyone. But he’s too good natured.” She sighed. “‘Seducer’. That’s what it called me. ‘Invading harlot’, I guess because I studied elsewhere and moved back. I wish it were even close to true. I haven’t gone on a date, or even met anyone new but the students.”

“What a drab accusation. But knowing this is actually quite helpful,” Sao said. “Muka’s letter was silly, but a fact. Yours appears to be slander. Not even fulfilling the purpose of a poisoned pen. This is a writer who will go off the rails out of jealousy or some other bitterness towards an attractive young woman.”

Thomi blushed under her sheets of hair. She’d held Sao off a while, but she wasn’t impervious.

Another person under his spell. But Sao was done questioning. Rai cleared his throat. “Thomi, is it alright if I check something on one of your computers?” There was one right on the lower level of the reception desk. “If you have an internet connection. It’s been impossible to get reception out here.”

“Oh. Of course, but…” Why was she looking at Sao’s sweater for advice? “There’s a fairly strong firewall in place. Muka cares strongly for the privacy of the children, he doesn’t want to risk any pictures or names or other sensitive details leaking out. Our IT manager is back in Garland for the break so… you may not find it to your liking.”

She didn’t sound sure, and took a while to locate the power button. There was something satisfying about her apprehension; in a land of magic, who needed computers?

“It’s fine,” Rai said. “I won’t be looking at any shady sites.”

Thomi tapped out the login information and left to supervise the children for their evening rituals.

Rai sat down and opened a browser. Thomi had a better grasp of the firewall than he thought. Just about everything that could possibly be of any use was blocked. Videos, images, games and the large majority of news. The most common search engines, the most popular social sites.

“Incredible. What’s the point?” With some struggle, Rai found his way to a site that offered math flashcards and not much else. “Did your school have tech locked down like this?”

Sao stood with his back against a glass cabinet filled with framed children’s art. “I don’t know. My school didn’t have computers, as far as I was aware.”

“I guess we’re going to have to drop by the hotel.”

Sao smiled. “I’ve been looking forward to that.”

Rai closed out all his tabs. “I noticed. You didn’t ask her about Lamort.”

Sao turned to admire the warped watercolors behind the glass. Or so Rai couldn’t see his face. “Pushing my luck. I don’t think she likes me very much. You’re much more relatable to her. It’s good that you’re here.”

“I don’t know. I seem to piss her off when I try to talk about variant stuff. Her dad, and my mom…” Rai wasn’t sure where he was going with that.

“She’s guarded, for sure. But we can learn things from an outburst, as opposed to when someone says nothing at all.” Re-buttoning his coat, Sao inspected his reflection and turned back, himself again. No more screaming carousel horse. “And it may just be a feeling, but I don’t think she was telling the truth about her letter.”

—

There was a distant crash, and a door slamming. Shrieks. Having fallen for this once already at the hotel, Rai did not jump immediately into action.

“An exciting bathtime,” Sao said.

Rai dragged himself from the reception chair. It was a comfy seat, made of real leather, and reminded him of his chair in his home office. His seat had a better view, though. And a functional internet connection. “We shouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”

They took a stroll up the steps and down the hall. Another thump and shriek made Rai groan.

“Cherry,” Sao said.

It was her, of course.

In beige pajamas, she was engaged in a sort of grappling match with Cal’s large friend, only member of the group capable of stopping her. Cal himself was shielding Lumi, who was crouched on the floor nursing a sore cheek.

“Tal, I’m going to kill you!” Cherry roared.

“Your name is Tal?” Rai asked the large boy.

Thomi came running from the steaming shower hall, in a strange arrangement. She was holding one end of Florien’s handkerchief while Florien himself grasped the opposite side. “Cherry, please, not this again.”

“She slapped him for no reason!” Cal shrieked, glasses fogged.

“Well, no, Lumi was talking about Rose again,” Tal said in a deep, level voice. “And also she didn’t slap him, she punched him.”

“Cherry, to your room, please,” Thomi said. “Tal, put her down. Cherry, you can go on your own, right? I’ll come talk to you soon.”

“We can take her,” Sao said. “Come along.”

Cherry wasn’t as soft as Thomi. She, very evidently, did not like Sao much.

Rai held out his hand. Against the steamy gloom of the hall, the blue of his skin looked unnatural, neon just didn’t look good against hardwood and old stone. If she thought the gesture was cheesy, it would at least get her attention.

Red eyed and sniffling, she took his hand.

—

Her room had high ceilings and the walls were composed of the same layering of wood, paint, and stone as Muka’s office. It was also extremely neat. A single, overstuffed plush cat was tucked into the corner of her bed behind two pillows that looked like they have never been used before. Her desk was completely clear. The only thing that looked like it belonged to a kid was the Faerietale Omnibus, lying like a shipwreck on the perfect rectangle of folded blanket at the foot of the bed. Cherry crashed down next to it, towel falling from her wild hair, darkened to a bloody red with water from her bath.

Sao looked like he was going to say something comforting, but it was not the time. Rai dropped into the chair by the desk, opposite her bed, straddling the backrest. “Good, we can talk with you privately. Let’s get to it, there’s not a ton of time.”

Cherry wiped her eyes and sat up straight. “You wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes. I want to confirm what we heard from you and the others. Rose really never said anything about her family, all you could tell was that she wasn’t too fond of being with them.”

“Yeah. Yeah, um… Rose didn’t tell everyone everything, like what her parents did or where they used to live, but not wanting to live with them… she did actually say that. She said, ‘they never let me see kids my age’ and ‘you’re more interesting than anyone at home’.”

“It’s good that you remember these things.” Rai drummed his fingers on the chair. “How long have you been at Myrmilion, Cherry?”

“I… about four years.”

"So you would know if something was amiss.”

She smiled, bit her lip, then smiled again, bitterly. “Lumi’s been here longer. He lived in Temperance for years, though he didn’t go Myrmilion until a year ago. He was homeschooled, probably.”

“I see. And how about the other three?”

“Flor… one year after me. Flor didn’t go to school for a while, I think. Cal and Tal came together a little bit after. Tal got kicked out of his old school for fighting, but he has a crush on Cal so he’s boring now, because he’s trying to impress a nerd. Rose was just here for one year.”

“Sounds like you’ve been pretty observant.” She sat up even straighter when he said that. Rai went on. “How did you learn about the threatening letters? Soon after you came here, or?”

“Fourth grade - uh, that was like my second year. But maybe more happened before that.” She screwed her face up in concentration. “I heard Muka and Miss Thomi talking about them one day. From outside his door. I wasn’t trying to overhear, but that time, I just happened to be there. And then I realized he didn’t really care if anyone sat outside his office. You can hear everything from there - and see a lot too, the glass has a weird pattern, but you can see who’s inside no problem.”

Rai thought about Thomi’s claim that children saw, heard everything. Obviously they would, if you put so little effort into hiding. “Do you know what both of their letters said?”

“Kinda. Muka’s was about his wig. And Miss Thomi’s was about being a slut.”

“She said it called her a ‘seducer’. There’s kind of a difference - never mind, it’s just wording.” Rai folded his glowing fingers over the bridge of the chair. “But thanks for the intel. Do you know anyone else who got a letter? Any really bad ones?”

“Oh. There was this person called Lamort.”

“Did you know him?”

“No. But I’ve heard people talk about him. I think I heard Muka talking to him in person on the phone once or twice. His letter, uh, I don’t really know what it said, he probably took it with him when he moved away. He’s Muka’s friend so he’s probably an old guy like Hode.” She sniffed loudly, to show what she thought of Hode. “Mean and stupid. He abandoned a kid and ran away. I heard that from Guy.”

Over by the doorway, Sao cocked his head.

“He left a kid and never came back. But… Guy said that Muka’s taking care of her. Or him. Muka being your dad or grandpa would be fun, he lets you get away with everything. So he… or she is luckier than me.”

Rai heard echoes of his old self in that. “Getting away with everything isn’t fun for long.”

“It’s better than being caught by people who hate you. My mom and dad don’t like me anymore because of that. At least Lamort or whoever that is picks up the phone when Muka calls. All my mom and dad care about is my sister because they didn’t see the things she did. They were too busy watching me and waiting for me to do bad.”

“Whether they like it or not, they’ve gotta come back some time.” Rai hesitated. “Legally."

“But I don’t want them either.”

They sat for a while, everything still except for a fan, spinning overhead. The boys were laughing about something in a different room, Cal’s high pitched shriek and Tal’s booming cries merged into a truly unnerving chorus.

“By the way, your stories are pretty good,” Rai said.

“How do you know about that?” Cherry asked.

“I’m something like a detective.”

Until then Sao had seemed content, almost proud, to let Rai blather on unobserved. But now he was curious too, edging into the room.

“So which ones did you like?” Cherry asked.

“The latest one. A chemical that only half fills an apple… that made me think. You know, I went to a food convention once and there were oranges that had segments in alternating colors. Dark red and light orange. Like a pinwheel.” Rai looked up. “Or fan blades. If farmers can grow fruits with like 8 different colored segments, I’m sure they can grow an apple half red and half white. I’m talking about the color, not the poison. I need to do more research for that.”

“8 different pieces… she could have brought 3 friends and…” Cherry counted her fingers. “...poisoned 4 people. More than half of Snow’s friends could have been taken down with her.”

Sao opened his mouth, but thought better of it. Her math was right, in any case.

“The poison could be bred into the fruit,” Rai said. “Apple seeds contain cyanide. Just a little, though, but it’s a starting point. Garland has all these vegetable growing competitions, right? People can make food do all kinds of weird things.”

“Cyanide,” Cherry repeated, drawing out each syllable like an incantation.

“There’s a real fruit out there which switches your taste buds when you eat it. Makes sour things taste sweet - so you could eat a lemon without choking. And there’s a tick that can give you a disease that makes you allergic to meat.”

“There’s ticks around here in the grass. That’s why it’s important to keep clean. Faerie stuff happened around Temperance, right? Maybe they made magic ticks.” She rocked in place, eyes on faraway possibilities. “Or maybe the old faeries injected tick disease into each other, to stop themselves from eating meat, that’s why they’re vegetarians.”

That was startlingly plausible. Rai wrangled with that before responding, diplomatically as he could, “The ticks aren’t magical… and vegetarianism was voluntary, for their experiment. Faeries can eat meat, it’s just cultural not to… if the Founders did anything like that, they aren’t doing it anymore. Those experiments stopped.”

“I know. No more human experimenting, they say.” The book flipped open with a thump, and Cherry began digging through the pages. “I’m gonna make some notes.”

Cherry was scribbling away when Thomi came in, her wave of hair trailing behind her as a silky cape. “Oh, Cherry, you look busy. You all talked about something inspiring?”

“He knows a lot of stuff,” she waggled her pencil in Rai’s direction. “Did you know there’s a flea that can give you a meat allergy?”

“Tick,” Rai said.

“He likes my stories. I told you, and Rose told you, there is a market. Some people just don’t like them because they’re faerietales and they think faeries are only about makeup and science… but if I keep trying, the right person will see.”

Thomi smiled. “Cherry’s usually secretive about her work. You’re lucky to have gotten a sneak peek.”

Cherry fumbled her pen and Rai recalled the website where he’d found the stories posted. A hub of independent writers - plenty of it steamy and fantastical - the comments section steaming in their own way - it probably wasn’t on good terms with the school firewall.

“Literally a sneak,” Rai said. “You might have heard Cherry got into a scuffle with Guy at the hotel. She dropped the book and I may have skimmed a few parts before handing it back.”

Cherry gave him an artificial glare. The ends of her mouth twitched. Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned the hotel. “You! So that’s how the cover got all the muddy handprints.”

—

Cherry insisted on following them out. All three adults were immediately apprehensive but Cherry happily turned her pockets out for a security check. No bladed implements. Still she was only allowed down to the entrance hall to see them off. In her moon-colored pajamas, she glowed in the dark.

Thomi too, her sheet of hair blowing in the chilly wind, catching light like a prism.

Rai looked back a little too long. Or just long enough - and Cherry made a break from Thomi’s side and ran up to him. Book outstretched, she nailed him right in the gut. He doubled over, spluttering. Sao fled to the passenger side, putting the car between him and Cherry.

A small fist came up and Rai tightened his jaw for impact, but the fingers loosened before landing somewhere near his neck.

“I guess you’re okay, since you’re helping. I heard you need a picture. This one’s better.”

The little hand shoved what it was holding into his jacket, then reached up and patted him on the back of the neck, as if he were the child and her the wise adult. Before he could say anything, Cherry was sprinting back toward the school where Thomi stood waiting, stunned but smiling, the curve of her mouth bigger and warmer than Rai ever remembered seeing before.

Rai held his breath for the moment Cherry made contact and sent her flying, but Cherry slowed to a jog and twirled on her heel once she reached the step. Her grin dwarfed Thomi’s.

His thank-you gift burning against his chest, he waved goodbye, for now.