Free Darlings by Ashley Swisher Page A

Art and Koli do a drive by your parents every once in a
while to be sure they are safe.” 
    “Thank you.” Gwen added. “How are we safe
here? Can’t they sniff us out?” 
    “Nope see those greenish sparkling rocks?” He
motioned to the landscape rocks Gwen was admiring on the way
in. 
    “Yes? So?” 
    “They are enchanted. Ashton and Tina worked
together to come up with one hell of a protection hex. It would
take a small army to get into the cabin. It deadens our scents and
makes the cabin virtually invisible to anyone from Everland. Once
inside these lines, we practically don’t exist.” 
    Pete began walking to the large front porch.
Gwen followed obediently behind stopping before climbing the
stairs. “So what now?” She wanted to burst into tears
again. 
    “Well…now we have to drink Gwen. I’s been
almost a year since I’ve been back to drink from the lagoon, and
you have to drink soon too. The mother stone is running out. It
needs our blood.”
    “What happens if I don’t?” 
    “You’ll die Gwen. Our immortality only lasts
if we drink.” Pete looked so serious. “Everland will cease to exist
without the mother stones magic. Everyone will die.” 
    “So the entire fate of Everland is up to us?
Me. I see.” She couldn’t wrap her mind around what Pete was telling
her.
    “Yes.” He walked back down the stairs and
locked eyes with her. “You and I are the only hope for our
world.” 
    “Your world Pete. This is my world. This is
the only world that exists to me. Everything I’ve ever known is
here. My family, my friends are all here. Keeping my family safe is
the only thing that matters to me.” 
    “You don’t think you have family in Everland
Gwen? What about your aunts and uncles? Cousins? You still have
family in Everland. There’s not as many of us left, but enough
worth fighting for. Not to mention all of the others who call
Everland home.” His tone lowered and the cocky boyish twinkle in
his eye disappeared. “If Everland ceases to exist, the entire
universe will be out of balance. Middle world could fall as well as
the others.” 
    “Others?” Gwen asked. She found herself oddly
close to Pete. He was so passionate. Just then the front door
opened. Koli appeared. “Hey guys you, whoa. Sorry am I interrupting
something?” 
    Pete stepped back. “No, we were just coming
inside.” He brushed past Koli. 
    Koli looked behind him ensuring Pete was
indeed inside. “On his soap box again?” Koli quietly
asked. 
    “Yah. I guess.” Gwen said. 
    “Oh he gets like that. A little overboard
with the Everland will vanish stuff. Though, it really is true
Gwen.” 
    She nodded. 
    “Come on in we’re making lunch. Tina’s
special,” he offered. 
    “Great, so mine’s sure to be poisoned.” Gwen
sighed. 
    Koli very seriously added. “No, she knows she
needs you around.” He hesitated. “You were being sarcastic weren’t
you?” 
    “Yah I was! You mean otherwise poisoning my
lunch would be a possibility?” Gwen asked shocked. 
    “Well, she doesn’t like you much.” He
shrugged.
    “Really? I never noticed.” 
    “Really? How couldn’t you?” 
    Gwen stared blankly at Koli. 
    “Right. More sarcasm. Sorry.” Koli flinched
and squinted his eyes. 
    “Why doesn’t she like me? I’ve never met the
girl! Not long enough to do anything to her anyway.” 
    “Tina’s always had a thing for Pete,” he
whispered. “And fairies can be ornery little things, especially
when they’re jealous.” 
    Tina appeared behind Koli. “Especially when
they catch someone talking about them,” she whispered snidely in
his ear hovering off the ground. 
    Koli laughed nervously and walked quickly
into the house. 
    “Well come on in, princess,” she bowed and
raised her hand as if presenting the door. The fairy rolled her
eyes and walked ahead of Gwen. The entrance to the cabin was
extravagant. The floors were covered with marble leading up to a
large double