The Girl in the Garden

Sneak Peek-Book 2

Since Rani made the decision to reopen the school, everyday seemed to bring new changes to the manor. Every abandoned corner was cleaned, rooms that had been untouched for years were suddenly being revived. Everywhere Ben looked, he saw signs that life was moving on and if he didn't get on board it would leave him behind. So, only a couple of days after they returned Wish and Sparrow's bodies to the earth, Ben agreed to return to his lessons. Thankfully, those lessons had changed just as much as the manor had.

"This place looks different," he said to Rani as she led him through the garden. "Again...."

"Yeah, it does that." Rani agreed. "This garden is just as alive as your or me, every time you see it you'll find something new or different. Like this, for example." She swept out her arm and revealed that in a corner of the garden, tucked in close to the wall, was a large, glimmering pond. All around its edges were tall reeds that swayed in the gentle wind, and one small portion of the water's surface was covered in lily pads that were in full bloom with big pink flowers.

"A pond," Ben said, "This is the big exciting thing you had to show me?"

Rani gave him an inpatient look. "Just wait for it." She moved closer to the edge of the pond, then gathered her skirt close and found a seat on the ground. She turned back to look at him and patted the spot beside her. "Come look closer."

Ben shrugged and came to sit close to Rani. He looked down into the clear water for a while before saying, "What exactly am I looking at?"

"Watch the lily pads."

Ben stared down at the patch of green and pink floating on the pond. "I mean, they're pretty but..." He stopped and stared more closely, one of the pads was moving slowly amongst the others, and then he saw another pad drifting in a way that didn't seem to fit with their stationary neighbours. "They're alive?"

Rani smiled and dipped the tips of her fingers into the pond. The two lily pads instantly shifted their courses and came directly towards Rani's fingers. When one got close enough, Rani gently lifted it from the water and revealed the underside of it to Ben, who realized it was more than just an aquatic plant. The pad and it's big pink flower were growing out of the back of a strange little creature. It looked like a tadpole, with blue green skin and the runty beginnings of legs sprouting from it's long tail.

"Uh, that's cool," he said, "I'm not sure why I care, though?"

"You don't know what these are do you?"

"Well, you haven't told me yet, so obviously I don't."

"They're naiads, baby ones of course."

"Of course." Ben didn't even try to cover his sarcasm, "naiads, that makes perfect sense."

"You still have so much to learn," Rani laughed and gently placed the naiad back down into the pond. "Naiads are fresh water fairies."

"Still not sure why I'm excited about that."

"You're excited because I've been trying to find a way to help you learn how to use your fire magic without accidentally burning down the whole garden."

"And these little creatures are going to help?"

"Not right now," Rani said, "they're still too young to be much help but when they grow up they can use their magic to keep yours in check. If something goes wrong, they can put out the fire before it causes a problem."

Ben watched the naiads swim around the pond, one of them chasing the other as they played. "That's great, but is that the same as having a teacher who actually knows what they're doing?"

"I promise, I'm still looking for someone who fits that description, but it's not easy to find a fire fairy that we can trust. This is the best we can do for now."

There was still so much more Ben wanted to say, but he became distracted when a dozen bees began hovering around him in a tight, buzzing circle. "Um," he said, "are these new friends too?"

Rani's eyes became nervous as she looked at the bees, then progressed to angry as another dozen bees joined them. She turned towards the middle of the garden, the place where Mr. Willoughs stood tall over the rest of the garden. Ben followed her line of sight and noticed that there was a faint glow emanating from the roots of the tree.

"There are hundreds of fairy worlds, Ben. Each and every one of them can connect with the human world with a portal and most portals require a soul sacrifice to open."

"Most?" Ben asked.

"One world is close enough to this one that a sacrifice isn't required. The clans of the Wild Nations can open a portal to the physical realm if they combine their efforts. It's just rare that they agree on a reason to do so."

"So you're saying these bees aren't just bees?"

Rani led the way towards the glowing portal as more and more bees emerged from it. "These are emissaries from the Hive Queen. She must have important business here to convince every clan to work together like this."

A hand came out from the portal, and then another. Rani held Ben behind her as they watched an almost human looking figure climb up out of the ground. He was wearing a brown, tatter cloak with a hood at hung too low over his face so Ben couldn't see it. The person hoisted himself up and Ben was surprised to he had a tail like a dog.

Ben watched the stranger turn to them, then lower his hood to reveal the brown, mottled face of a wolf. The wolf man reached into his cloak and drew a blade that looked to be carved from milky white stone, encrusted with sharp looking crystal. He stepped towards them, stone sword levelled at Ben, and Rani was quick to stand her ground. Stepping between Ben and the stranger, her eyes flashed with green arcane magic. "Who are you?" She demanded.

"I am Beta, of the Silverpack," the menacing man said.

"And what does the Silverpack want? Or have you been sent here by the Hive Queen?"

"I am here on behalf of the Aviary." The man flashed his vicious wolf teeth in a threatening way. "I have been sent to place Benjamin Everett under arrest for the forceful banishment of Sparrow Herrier, first son of the Avian Flocks, from the physical realm."

"What?" Rani demanded. "But, no, he didn't—"

"He is to return with me to the Wild Nations to be put on trial," Beta said, "and if he is found guilty, executed for his crime."