Theodore turned back to the priestess Feather. “What is this illness? Are these fairies being drained of magic?”

“We fey are magic made flesh,” she said, mortified. “We would sooner survive if you tore out our blood and bones. No. This is something far simpler. They are all starving for Fates.”

“I don’t understand,” Theodore said. The duke had mentioned the term before. “What do you mean by Fates? That they’re hungry for a future?”

Feather strained to force a smile, which Theodore took to mean he was ignorant of something so basic it was embarrassing. “Let me try to explain. Are you familiar with the story of how the fey were created?”

He stopped himself from launching into a summary of the leading scientific theories. She was talking about the religious story. It took him a moment to dig through his dustier memories to remember.

“Allegedly,” he said. “Sometime before our oldest surviving historical records, humans were able to use magic the way fairies and ghasts can. …We used it to wage wars against one another, which angered the Mother of Magic. So, She came down from the sky and separated our magic from our bodies, and it transformed into all the different lifeforms which use thaumaturgical energy as the basis for their biology. According to the story, fairies and ghasts were created to punish us for our mistakes.”

Feather nodded. “We tell it differently. When the First Born misused their gifts, the Mother’s anger and mercy descended as burning rings of silver and iron. Her anger took the gift of magic from them, but Her mercy decided you were not without hope. She created us, the Second and Third Born, so that we could guide you and other forms of life as well. To ensure we did not stray from our purpose, the Mother made it so each of us had a basic need to use our magic to affect change and growth on the world. When a fairy uses her magic to enchant a human, and the enchantment affects lasting change in the direction of that human’s life, she gains Fates from the human.”

She gestured towards the sick fey lying in the flowerbeds. “We need Fates to sustain us. Magic aches to find purpose, and any fairy that cannot find an expression for her magic will grow weak and die.”

“Why can’t these fairies use their magic?” Theodore said.

“Because of the ban, you idiot!” Thistle came wading out into the flowers, shoving and punching blossoms out of his way. “These saps are dream sowers. It’s their job to plant dreams in human heads to survive, but you lot made it the law that they can only do that in certain parts of the city if they’ve got a special piece of paper.” He glared at Theodore, as if he was personally responsible for this. “Guess what happens when you ban a bunch of fairies from the one place they’re allowed to use their magic!”

This was a major regulatory oversight. “The city wouldn’t make a mistake like this without reason,” Theodore said. “The ban is in effect because of fairy attacks against humans.”

“That’s not fair!” Oboe shouted from outside the flowerbed. “Only wicked fairies use their magic to hurt people! You shouldn’t make the good ones suffer too!”

Feather turned to look at her. She shrank away at the attention, turning into a mouse to hide. This was strange behavior for Oboe. Why was she keeping her distance?

“I cannot speak in defense of all fey,” Feather said to Theodore. “The fact remains that these ones are in pain. They need humans to experience the dreams they make, or else they will perish. Let me confess the truth to you, Deputy. Members of this ring of worship volunteered to sneak past the ban to deliver dreams to humans. Most of them were caught and imprisoned. I did nothing to stop them from breaking these laws, but I promise you they meant no harm to any human.”

“Was that why you were in jail, Thistle?” Theodore said.

The short bug man glowered. “None of your business what I choose to do.”

Theodore looked at the array of afflicted fairies spread out across the flowerbed. He squeezed the ring on his finger, wondering if he was blinding himself again. The laws of the kingdom of Laien brought necessary order, but he knew first hand that they were not always fair. He knew that there was a chance that these fairies could be dangerous, that what they were telling him was a lie, but that’s not what he felt.

“If I dreamed for these fairies, will that cure them?” He said. “Can I help them?”

Feather brought a salver dish filled with a thick amber colored fluid, and bent down carefully beside a sick gnome lying in the flowers. Thistle helped to prop the creature up, holding him as he limped closer. The tiny hedgehog man moved his fingers over the liquid in arcane gestures, until a thin golden bubble rose into the air. Feather took the bubble gently in her palm.

Nervous, Theodore eyed the enchanted bubble and thought about the duke’s warning. He remembered how school children were always warned to beware the enchantments of the fey, how their gifts always came with a cost. If they were deceiving him, he could wind up in the university medical ward himself. Theodore swallowed this anxiety. The creatures here deserved more than the suspicion he’d seen. They needed help.

“A word of warning,” Feather said, stepping nearer to him. “A fairy dream is different than one a human has naturally. It is wild magic touching your mind. The sower can give it shape, but it will still act of its own will. The magic will look inside you, searching for cross roads in your life, and it will try to nudge you in a direction.”

Theodore knew of fairy dreams, though not in this detail. Most of his books considered them a harmless nuisance, but he’d also read about humans falling ill from being exposed to too many of them. “You make it sound benign,” he said.

She tilted her head. “Normally, it is. But we have many sick fairies. If you will bear it, I need to ask you to take several dreams into your mind at once. Each one will latch on to a purpose or buried desire, and will fight to influence you. They cannot harm you …But it will not be pleasant.”

“What do you think, Oboe?” Theodore said, needing reassurance. It unnerved him that she had been so quiet.

Oboe popped back to her full size, looking uncomfortable to have any attention directed at her. “I can’t do dreams,” she said. “But a dream can hurt. Not like your body, but your head and your heart. It could be scary, ’cause you won’t have all your memories, and maybe it will be a nightmare that pushes you really hard. The worst that can happen is you get trapped in the dream, but that won’t happen unless the fairy that makes the dream is wicked.”

The gnome wheezed, seized with a coughing fit. It was enough to firm Theodore’s resolve. They had far more at stake than he did.

“If it helps, I’ll do it.”

 Oboe made a soft happy noise. Everyone looked at her, which seemed to make her nervous. “Th-thank you for doing this, Theo. You’re wonderful!”

Feather made a place for him to lie down among the flowers. It was more comfortable than it looked. She took the bubble between her fingers and pressed it against his forehead. It burst, and his vision filled with a blinding white.

The fog was growing thick. It wafted through the city streets outside the window, and made the neighborhood seem strange and unfamiliar. Theodore was shaken from his daze when he heard shouting coming from downstairs.

“Theo!” The walls shook. Father was stomping through the halls in his heavy boots somewhere below. “Where are you?!”

They had played this game for years now, but somehow Lance did not know the answer. Theodore was in the library, like he always was. He leaned back, shoving his face back in the book he had chosen. The argument was coming. There was no point in getting up when it would come to him. It didn’t matter what he did. It never did.

Lance Grayweather stormed past the door, and for a moment Theodore wondered if his father had missed him. He wasn’t that lucky. The Hero Champion came barreling back into the room in full battle armor. A mountain of a man, with amber skin and dark hair quaffed to look daring. He was everything scrawny young Theodore was not.

“There you are!” Lance said. “What are you doing here?! You were supposed to meet with the Knight Commander two hours ago!”

“Are you surprised?” Theodore did not look up from his book. “I told you I wouldn’t go. Shocking how that turned out.”

Lance buried his face in his palm to stifle a growl. “Son, we’ve talked about this! You can’t throw away an opportunity like this. Do you have any idea how much most men would give up for a chance to join the Knights of the Realm?! Think of your future!”

Theodore stared at the words on the page, unable to read them. The Order of the Realm spent its days traipsing across the countryside looking for bandits to fight and monsters to slay. “I don’t want to be a knight.”

The words stung. It was a moment before Lance opened his eyes again. “Every Grayweather is a knight.” He was straining to stay calm. “Duty and honor are in your blood, whether you like it or not. I’m not going to let you squander your potential like this!”

“I said I don’t want to be a knight!” Theodore slammed his book onto the table. “Why won’t you ever listen to me!? I’m not strong, and I don’t want to fight! I want to go to the university! I want to teach!”

He laughed. “Do you think I’m going to pay for that? Pay for you to throw away your career?!”

“I don’t need your money!” Theodore would rather lose his inheritance than cave in to his father. “I’ll work if I have to! I don’t want your help!”

Lance paced, pounding the floor like a tiger in a cage. “You’re so damn stubborn. Why are you like this? I know you have the knack, if you’d just apply yourself!”

“I’m not like you!” Theodore said. “You’re just a thug! An old killer they dressed up nice! I’d rather kill myself than be like you!”

 Everything stopped. This argument had happened so many times that Theodore had lost track of how often. It was the same every time. Father would plead, wheedle and guilt hoping to convince Theodore to somehow change who he was. Since that never worked, it escalated to screaming and cursing until a door was slammed and both would stew until they could pretend nothing had happened.

This was different. Lance Grayweather, the Hero Champion of Laien, stopped shouting and stared at his son with eyes so full of hurt that it was burned forever into Theodore’s memory. A haunting silence stretched on for what felt like hours.

Lance hung in the doorway, turning away. “I don’t have time for this.” His voice was firm, but hollow. “I have to see to a mission. We’ll talk more when I return.”

Theodore’s throat tightened. This moment, this unbearable scene, had happened before. The anger and sorrow clicked in his mind like a key, and he remembered with crystal certainty that his father would never come home again after walking through that door. Lance was found dead on the trade road a week later, his body brutalized. The funeral flashed in Theodore’s mind like a prophecy. If Lance left home, if Theodore didn’t do something, he was going to die on his mission, and these would be the last words they would share with one another.

“Wait!” He reached out and grabbed his father’s wrist to stop him. It was stiff, and cold to the touch. The room went dark, as if the sun has been snuffed. Lance turned back, his eyes dead, and took Theodore by the arm with a crushing grip.

“You killed me.”

Theodore pulled away. His home warped and melted around him. The rain came pouring down, and he ran.

Oboe hung back, wanting to watch Theo but worried about Gardner Feather. Would she run her off now that Theo wasn’t awake? Oboe’s fur stood on end as the priestess walked closer. She wondered if she ought to run.

“Be at ease,” the Gardner said.

Oboe’s eyes darted around looking to see who Feather was talking to. There was no one else. Feather was talking to her. She wasn’t supposed to do that.

“What?” Oboe said.

The Gardner gestured toward Theo. “I believe you would be happier to be at your friend’s side.”

“…You’re not supposed to be nice to me,” Oboe said.

“You are right,” she said. “But, as you can see, I am very busy tending to the sick. So busy, in fact, I think it will be impossible for me to do anything about your being here. So, I hope that you will leave of your own accord after you have stolen a bit of the solace we have denied you.”

She was speaking in riddles. “You’re breaking the rules,” Oboe said.

Feather bowed. “It is written: ‘All magic, and every creature touched by it, is born with the purpose to do good.’ Remember that the Fairy Circle is not the Mother of Magic. Our people fall short of Her purpose for us every day.” With that, she walked off.

Oboe wasn’t sure what to think. It seemed she got to stay, even if it was against the rules. Feeling a little bolder, she stepped into the blessed flowerbed to sit by Theo. He stirred, restless and silent. There was nothing to do but wait.

She looked around. Her eyes met with those of one of the sick fairies, a faun like her. She froze. He was a buck, about Oboe’s age. It was foolish, but she could not stop herself from pushing her luck.

“Hi,” she said, ready to run.

The faun groaned, struggling to sit up. He had shaggy dark fur and a notched ear. For a moment he didn’t say anything. “Hello.”

“I’m Oboe. …What’s your name?”

“Zither,” he said, looking away.

“I, er…” Oboe felt like an idiot. “I don’t see many other fauns outside the Circle.”

He winced. “Yeah well… I kind of burnt some bridges there. I’m not out here by choice.”

“Oh!” Were they the same? “Me too! I’m a–“

“I know what you are,” Zither said.

Oboe’s heart sank. She reminded herself that it was a waste of time to talk to other fauns. But then, to her surprise, Zither’s face softened.

“Sorry,” he said. “I’m taking forever to die and it’s making me grouchy.”

“It’s okay.” She told herself to let it go, and bent down next to him. “Don’t worry! Theo said he’s going to help!”

Zither furrowed his brow. “That guy?” They both glanced at him dreaming among the flowers. “He can dream for us, but in a month’s time we’ll be right back where we started: withering away because the humans won’t let us near them.”

“Well, maybe Theo can fix it! He’s the Ranger Deputy. He can go talk to the humans, make them get rid of the ban. That way we can save all of you!”

He let out a snort. “Humans got us in this mess in the first place. Hateful creatures. We can’t count on them to fix this. All they care about is themselves.”

“Theo’s not like that,” Oboe said. “He’s good.”

“Really?” He said, skeptical. “So he’s perfect? Never done anything wrong? Ever?”

Oboe felt doubt creep in. Theo had captured the Tall Man even though he was innocent. The ghast could’ve been killed, and it would’ve been Theo’s fault. She shook her head. That wasn’t what happened. She had to get loud, but he listened to her, and they made it right together. If what Feather said was true, that fairies could fall short but still have a good purpose, so could humans. “He’s not perfect,” she said. “But he cares about creatures, and he cares about doing the right thing.”

“Well, just ’cause you have one good sprout doesn’t mean the rest of them aren’t weeds,” Zither said. “I’m not counting on him, but maybe I can count on you.”

Oboe caught his eyes drifting over her body. Her heart raced. She saw other fauns so rarely, and they never so much as looked at her. The dread of being alone was a dull ache she was all too familiar with. The way his gaze trailed along her hips and chest made her wonder if the past didn’t matter.

“It seems like you’ve got this humans ear,” Zither said. “If you think you can talk the humans into lifting the ban, maybe you can save us.”

Letting her own eyes wander, Oboe permitted herself the guilty pleasure of taking in the buck in front of her. He had good horns, rounded but a bit battered. The fauns of the Circle were well groomed and trimmed, but Zither was scruffy and rugged. His body was nice and fit, but pot marked by scars. He would be more attractive if he took better care of himself, and maybe if his chin were stronger or his shoulders broader, but Oboe told herself she couldn’t afford to be choosey. If she had a chance at happiness then she needed to take it.

“I’ll talk to Theo,” she said. “We’ll find a way to save you.”

Water rushed down the stairwell of the university. Theodore clung to the hand rail, pushing forward and upwards through the waist high downpour to escape.

Something had happened to the university. A storm was tearing the science tower apart, flooding everything. If he could find somewhere safe, and regroup with the rest of the faculty, they could analyze whatever magic was at work and put a stop to it.

His robes were soaked through as he waded down the hall. He rounded the corner and froze. The specter was waiting for him, standing perfectly still. Father’s eyes were piercing. Theodore told himself it was just a ghast taking human form. It wanted to frighten him, to torment him. No doubt it was part of whatever was causing this disaster. Theodore backed away, determined to find another route.

The creature chased after him, marching through the water as if it was nothing. It wasn’t Lance. It couldn’t be. Theodore slipped, wrestled himself back onto his feet, and slogged as fast as his strength allowed. He glanced back, his heart pounding, the storm raging around him, and saw the monster gaining on him. There was no time to find help. Theodore ducked inside a classroom to take shelter, and pushed the doors shut. Shattering a chair against the wall, he used the wood to brace the door and then piled desks to blockade the entrance.

It did not matter. A gleaming sword stabbed. It was his father’s sword, a claymore bearing the Grayweather family crest. It sliced through the door and adjoining wall without effort, and then Lance knocked aside the desks with a fist sending them splashing into the water. That sword, the sword his father took with him before he died, killed any doubt left in Theodore’s mind. This was his father.

“Why are you here?!” Theodore said.

Lance descended into the auditorium, drawing closer.

“Why won’t you leave me alone?!” Theodore retreated as far as he could. “I’m happy here!” He grabbed a sopping wet stack of ungraded homework off the teacher’s desk. He thrust the limp papers at his father. “This is what I want! Why can’t you accept that?! Why won’t you just let me be what I want to be?!” The rain mingled with his tears.

Lance tore the homework out of Theodore’s hand. “A knight does not sniffle.” He took Theodore by the wrist and pulled him across the classroom. Theodore tried to resist, but he wasn’t strong enough. He was only a child. His father was so much bigger.

“Let go!” Little Theo said, but it was no use. His father never listened.

The floor was gone. They fell together into the dark, air rushing across them, down and down, faster and faster. Theo’s heart shrank as he knew they had gone too far and he would die.

They hit ground. Theo felt the shock of it but no pain, only a daze from which he fought to collect himself. He realized they were in the main square of the Hollows. It was empty, devoid of any life, except for one single ghast. Silas Jack, the leader of the Red Caps, stood in front of them. He watched Theo with pleading eyes.

“Son,” Lance said, and opened Theo’s shaking palm. “This is what you were born to do. Everyone is counting on you. Finish what I started.” He placed the enchanted knife back in Theo’s hand. It was bright with Flip’s magic. “Slay the monster and keep the kingdom safe.”

The blade was heavy, so heavy Theo couldn’t bear to hold onto it. He tried to let go, but he couldn’t. His body lurched forward like a marionette, the knife aimed at Silas Jack’s heart.

Silas stood rigid, his body frozen in place. His lips mouthed the same words over and over. His familiar sneer was gone, replaced with a desperate stare. Theo fought to stop, to slow down. The ghast’s voice rose as Theo drew closer.

“You promised,” he said, then faster. “You promised. You promised. You promised.”

“You feel sorry for this creature?” Lance said. “He tried to kill you! Stop him or people will die! Your country needs you to act like a knight!!”

Theo raised the knife, his arm lifted by chains wrapped tight around his wrist. He saw the same chains shackled around the arms and legs of Silas Jack.

“We need a knight too,” Silas said. “We need a Ranger Deputy.”

Theodore wheeled around and sank the knife into his father’s heart. Lance buckled, the look of betrayal clearer than the look of pain. “Theo…” He said, his last gasp before his father died one more time.

Waking was like falling into freezing water. Theodore sat up in the flowerbed, gasping for breath as if drowning. Oboe jumped to his side, helping him to his feet.

“Are you okay??” She said, concerned. “You’re crying!”

Theodore gathered himself enough to wipe his red hot face. “I’m fine!” He said, and staggered away from her. His body felt sore and empty. He needed a moment to gather himself.

“Then he can go on?” Said the faun in the flowers. “Put him back down, Oboe. There are more of us who need him to dream!”

“No, Zither! That is enough!” Feather said, striding between them. “We’ve given him three, and now his aura is dark and heavy. Any more will poison him.”

Theodore remembered the dream he had that morning and wondered if he was already poisoned. He was grateful the priestess was not pushing him to take on more.

“What about the rest of us?” Zither said, pointing towards the other half dozen fairies still ashen and Fate-starved. “Are we supposed to just die?”

“Stop your belly-aching, brat.” Thistle said. “We treated the worst off first. You’re young. You’ll be fine to sit here until we find a way to help you.”

Zither lurched to sit up. “You were doing a fine job of that locked in the dungeon. One volunteer human doesn’t change the fact that given enough time we’re going to drop dead!”

“We aren’t going to let that happen,” Oboe said. She offered Theodore his glasses back. “Right?”

Shaking off the weariness that had overcome him, Theodore put his spectacles back on and straightened his posture. “This isn’t a long-term solution. I need to bring this matter to the attention of city officials.” He consulted his notes, and grimaced. “There’s another problem, however. I understand now why fairies are sneaking past the ban, but it doesn’t explain the epidemic in the city.”

“What epidemic?” Feather said.

“A bunch of humans are sick because they haven’t got enough magic in their bodies,” Oboe said. “They think we’re stealing it from him.”

Thistle burst out laughing. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard! Which is saying something, ’cause I’m old and deal with humans a lot. You creatures are always blaming us for things that are your own damn fault.”

“What do you mean?” Theodore said.

“You build a big city out of iron and wonder why you aren’t getting enough magic.” Thistle crossed his arms. “You’re dampening the ambient magic in the air with all your machines, and you aren’t letting creatures like us touch you with our magic. OF COURSE you’re getting sick! You’re starving yourselves and don’t even realize it!”

Theodore recalled how Dr. Stillwell claimed the number of cases exploded after the ban was expanded. If this was the cause of the sickness, it made sense. “There’s a problem with this theory. The ban started because the duke in control of the district was attacked by a fairy. He was the first documented case of the illness.”

“We shouldn’t all have to suffer because some idiot did something stupid,” Zither said. “You need to help us. It’s your job, right?”

Oboe pulled on Theodore’s sleeve. “We should tell that doctor why people are getting sick. That way we can help everyone.”

“I don’t know that I can prove that, though,” he said.

“You have to try!” She said. “You know they aren’t responsible for this, but other humans won’t listen to creatures like us! They need you to speak for them!”

Theodore looked at the affected fairies again, knowing that city had let them fall through the cracks. He always believed that laws and government regulation were supposed to be there for the benefit of everyone, but the governor had proven to him that this wasn’t always the case. He looked at the handful of fairies who were in better shape now, and knew they needed more than one bad dream to get them by. They needed their city to recognize their needs.

“I’ll do everything I can to help,” Theodore said.

Theo dropped the sweet potato into Oboe’s hands. It was wrapped in old newspaper and still so hot she had to bounce it palm to palm. The street vendor snuffed the flame of his grill and closed up shop. The day was fading and they were the last of the customers. Off the bridge and in the distance, workers in the shipyard hurried to tie up sails and unload cargo before the sun set.

“Thank you!” Oboe said. Excited, she unwrapped her sweet potato and took a big bite. She burnt her tongue and had to puff with the morsel in her mouth before she could swallow. After going so long without a meal, it tasted amazing.

“I’m sorry you had to pay for me,” she said. “I’ve caused so much trouble today.”

Theo sat down next to her on the bench. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, waiting for his food to cool. Oboe wondered whether it really was okay. He’d been quiet ever since he woke up from the fairy dream. Something was bothering him, but it didn’t seem like he wanted to talk about it. He was like a bottle you couldn’t see through. She finished her own potato, while he stared off watching the sailors work.

“Hey,” she said. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you hungry?”

Theo stared at his wrapped food. “…Yeah,” he said. “Starving, actually.”

“It’s gonna get cold if you don’t eat it.” She gave him a gentle poke. “You’re supposed to eat it while it’s hot. That’s the rules.”

Mustering up the effort, he managed to unwrap the sweet potato. Something still wasn’t right. He was hesitating. Oboe knew she would only make things worse by talking, but she was worried. She wanted to help.

“Are you okay?” She said.

“Not really,” he said.

It was more than she expected. He always said things were fine, that she shouldn’t worry. She scooted closer.

“Because of the dream?” She said.

“Yeah,” he said. “That’s part of it.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

He looked at her.

“You don’t have to!” Oboe said, wondering how many mistakes she was making. “But… maybe talking about it would make you feel better.”

He opened his mouth. “I was…” He stopped, and took a big breath like he was about to do something scary. “I was dreaming about my father.”

Oboe tried not think about how long it had been since she’d seen her dad. “That sounds like a good dream.”

“It wasn’t,” he said. “He and I never got along.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know.” Theo leaned forward, his face tense. “We argued all the time. Always about the same thing, all the way up to the day he died. He was always trying to make me into a knight.”

Oboe blinked. “But you are a knight.” Then, she thought about it. “Oh. You told me you wanted to work at the university. He didn’t want you to do that?”

Theo chuckled. “The only thing he cared about was making me fit the family legacy. Every day he forced me to train, to fight, to learn how to kill. I hated it.”

“Did you tell him that?” She said.

“I tried,” Theo said. “He never listened. All that mattered was that I become a knight like him.”

It was hard for Oboe to relate. She would’ve liked to have a purpose given to her like that, but it sounded like Theo had found one already. “It’s not what you wanted.”

“Not at all,” he said. To her surprise, an actual smile crossed his lips. “He threw the biggest fit when I told him I planned to attend the University. Do you know he withheld my inheritance to change my mind? One of his better tricks. Not that it worked. I was done letting him pressure me.”

“Why didn’t you want to be a knight?” Oboe said.

“They’re awful,” Theo said. “Muscle-headed brutes paid to kill and maim. Nothing more.”

Oboe squeezed her empty money pouch, feeling the toy soldier inside. That’s why he didn’t like her gift. “That’s not true. My tutors taught me about the treaties when I was little. The Knights of Laien are sworn to come help us if things get bad. That’s why we’re friends with the humans.”

Theo tightened his lips. “You make them sound like heroes. I don’t think real knights are like that.”

“I think you are,” Oboe said. “You didn’t want to stay in the Whirlwood, but we needed you so you did anyway. You came to the rescue just like knights are supposed to.” She clutched her pouch tighter. “Maybe some knights are bad. Like how some creatures are wicked. But that means the ones like you are wonderful.”

He looked stunned. “That’s… kind of you.” He didn’t know what else to say, so he looked down at his sweet potato instead. “Thank you. For that, and for listening. I never talked about this with anyone before. It feels nice.”

Oboe felt warm inside, happy that she’d helped.

Theo ate his cold potato. He seemed to enjoy it anyway. “We’d better get going. If we’re going to save the day, we’d better talk to Stillwell before it gets dark.”

She smiled, and they crossed the bridge together.

Theodore descended the stairs of the medical tower, rehearsing his arguments in his head. He found Dr. Stillwell in a dim room sharp with the scent of cinnamon and frankincense. He was leaning over a table, a talisman pressed to his brow. The doctor was holding a hierogram, the symbol of the Mother of Magic, his lips trembling in soundless prayer. Theodore was startled to walk in on this private moment, having never imagining Stillwell as a man of faith, but worse was the shock when he saw why.

 Below Stillwell, a body was laid out on an exam table and covered with a clean white sheet. Theodore stiffened as he realized what he was looking at. It was a corpse.

“Good evening,” Stillwell said. He slipped the hierogram back under his robes. His eyes were sunken and tired. Today had not been kind to him. “You’re back sooner than I thought you’d be. Tell me you’ve found something.”

Theodore could not help but stare at the shrouded body. The air was heavy, spiced to mask the smell of morbid reality.

“What happened?” Theodore said.

“Cardiovascular failure,” the doctor said, staring into space. “Without a thaumaturgic grounding, his body went into shock. By the time we got the machines on him again, it was too late.”

 The moment hung like a wet towel.

“I misjudged his constitution,” Stillwell said. “He was young. I thought he could hold out longer. I thought we had time to tend to the others.” He wiped his hands on a wash cloth and tossed the rag to the floor. “Now I’ve another damned body on my conscience.”

“I’m sorry,” Theodore said. Deeper words than that were hard to find.

Stillwell sighed. “So am I. For the sake of the others upstairs, I hope you’ve had better luck than we have.”

It took a moment for Theodore to put himself back on track. “…I believe I’ve found the cause of the epidemic.”

“Already?” He perked up, eyes focusing again. “You weeded out the fey responsible for this?”

“Not exactly. I believe there is a misunderstanding. Fairies are not the cause of this condition. The fairy ban is.”

Stillwell narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“You had it backwards,” Theodore said. “Fairies aren’t the reason people are suffering from a deficit of magic. They’re suffering because we aren’t allowing fairies to interact with them.”

“That’s ridiculous. What about the attacks?” He said.

“Dream sowers lost their licensed territory because of the ban,” Theodore said. “Now they’re starving. Those creatures are trying to deliver enchanted dreams to stay alive. We’re all suffering because of the ban. There isn’t enough ambient magic in the city. We need those enchantments to stay healthy.”

The doctor moved across the room, putting the table and the body between them. “And you are basing this… theory on what, precisely?”

This is what Theodore dreaded. “I investigated the convicted fey and spoke with the community in the Whirlwood. There was no malicious intent. They just want to help their own people.”

“Let me get this straight,” Stillwell said. “You asked the convicts why they did it, and they proclaimed their innocence. So, you believed them.”

“I have character witnesses,” Theodore said, hot with discomfort. “I believe them.”

Stillwell squeezed his forehead, world weary again. “Mother’s mercy. I can’t believe someone in your position could be so naïve. Do you know nothing about fairy biology? They are driven by instinct to take advantage of us, and therefore we’ve no choice but to doubt their motives. They are parasites!”

Theodore’s temper flared. The fairies were more than that. Oboe was more than that. “Ghasts and fairies are creatures of magic. If they cast a spell on one of us, that should expose us to purified magic. Enough to cure those people upstairs.”

“Are you suggesting we bring fairies in to enchant human beings?” Stillwell clenched a fist. “Out of the question! They could cast curses, transform bodies, or worse! It’s too dangerous!”

“But it will work!” Theodore said.

“We don’t know that,” Stillwell said.

“But the explanation makes sense. You said yourself that the number of cases exploded after districts were added to the ban.”

 The doctor waved at the corpse between them. “People’s lives are on the line. I’m not going to have you gamble on conjecture!”

Theodore banged a hand on the table. “This is the University! This is the seat where we advance our understanding of the world through hypothesis and experimentation! If we aren’t willing to at least investigate this idea, we are already risking people’s lives! I know that I’m right, but if you won’t trust me then that means there is only one answer! We need to test this idea to disprove it!”

The two of them glared at one another, until Stillwell’s eyes drifted toward the body again.

“I don’t like it, but you are correct. We’re short on ideas and treatment options. There’s a chance this could work. I owe it to my patients to find out.” He turned away. “I’ll ask for a volunteer. Bring in a subject of your own. If the data bears out your theory, then maybe we have an answer for our dilemma.”

Relief washed over Theodore. The doctor had given up ground. All Theodore needed was show him the truth.

“You’re limping!” Oboe said. “Let me help you!”

Zither pulled away from her. “I’m not dead yet,” he said. “I can walk on my own.”

“You’re both too slow!” Thistle shouted from farther up the valley trail. “Hurry up before the humans change their mind!”

Oboe dawdled just enough to stay close to Zither as he hobbled along. As grumpy as he was, Oboe tried not to take it personally. He was weak, and angry about it. Pretty soon they’d get him to the city, and Theo’s plan would save him. He’d have a long happy life after that.

“We have a long way to the capital,” Oboe said. “It’s okay to count on other creatures.”

Ignoring her, Zither tried to push on by himself uphill. He stopped halfway, out of breath and clutching his chest. “…Alright. Fine.”

He leaned on her, arm around her shoulders. His fur had a smoky scent. Oboe felt a rush to be this close to another faun, but tried to stay calm. Just because she picked Zither as the fairy to help in Theo’s experiment didn’t mean he would want anything to do with her after this. That was okay. Still, there was a part of her that hoped. It would be so nice to have someone other than Thistle to spend time with.

“What’ll you do once you’re better?” Oboe said.

“One dream isn’t going to do much,” Zither said. “I need Fates to live. If the humans here keep on like this, maybe it’s time I packed up and moved somewhere else.”

“You don’t have to go!” Oboe said, worried. “We’re doing this so the humans will lift the ban. You’re gonna get your license back!”

“It’s not going to make any difference,” he said. “The humans don’t care about us. They’ll find a way to get what they want and then forget about us. That’s how it is.”

His hoof slipped in some loose dirt. Oboe caught him before he fell.

“That’s not true,” she said, putting him back on his feet. “Theo is a human, and he set this up for us.”

Zither scoffed. “It’s just his job. He’s not our friend.”

Oboe slowed to a stop, and wondered how true that was. She forced herself to keep moving.

“You gotta look out for yourself in this world,” Zither said. “Counting on other creatures is just going to get you killed.”

“I don’t like that,” Oboe said, righting him on her shoulder. “If we can help each other, we should try. That would make things would be better.”

“Wanting something doesn’t make it true,” he said. “This is how things are in this world. You have to take whatever you can get.”

The trees thinned and the walls of the capital loomed high over them on the rim of the valley. There was a long way left to go to get there, and it seemed so much less friendly now. She didn’t like Zither’s attitude. She wished he were nicer, like Theo, but maybe he was right. Maybe she needed to take what she could get to be happy.

They caught up with Thistle at the gate. “More of you?” The guard said, sword half drawn. “Visas, or clear off!” They were so much kinder when Theo was with her.

“Show them the permit, kid,” Thistle said. 

Oboe unfolded her visa and the exemption paperwork Theo prepared for Zither. The knight snatched the documents and scowled when he saw they were valid. He made them wait while he went to speak to a superior to make double sure. Watchmen scanned them with adder stones before finally signaling for the gate to open.

“Official business, huh,” the guard said. “Don’t cause any trouble.”

“We won’t,” Oboe said.

The watchman grunted and let them through.

Theodore hefted the canister of thaumatic fuel into the exam room, grunting and huffing. It weighed as much as a stone slab and the handle dug into his hands. He only managed to get half way across the room before he had to set it down again and catch his breath.

Things had been hectic all morning. Even though Dr. Stillwell gave his permission for the experiment to take place, the University was too overwhelmed with patients to set up the equipment. So, Theodore got up before sunrise to make sure it got done. He sent Oboe to fetch an ailing fairy from the Whirlwood sanctuary while he caught the first trolley bound toward the university. He wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

There was a lot of heavy lifting, moving machinery around, but half his time was spent pouring over technical manuals to puzzle out how everything connected. It was the most fun he’d had in weeks.

He dragged the canister up to the console and attached the fuel line. Double checking the diagram, he took the rune rod and tapped the canister twice. It lit up, and the entire rig sprang to life with a soft hum. The diagnostic crystals shivered, hanging over the examination bed like a chandelier. With this, they would be able to track the magic aura of the test subject in real time.

“Impressive,” Stillwell said, entering from the hall while Theodore was running tests. “I had my doubts when you said you’d have it ready. And you’ve no formal training? I wish half our students had your aptitude.”

Theodore’s smile was feeble. “My assistant should be here soon with the dream sower. Did you find a volunteer?”

“Yes, he did, damn it.”

Duke Ambergrail was wheeled into the room by a student. Theodore gaped. This was the last person he expected.

“You think you can fix me, do you?” He said. “This had better work, or I’ll make sure the Governor has you sacked.”

“Y-your lordship.” Theodore cleared his throat. “It’s a… pleasure to see you again. Were you… informed about the nature of this experiment?”

“The duke is aware that he will be exposed to fairy magic,” Stillwell said. “I’ll be frank. He is desperate for an alternative form of treatment. Our ambient magic diffusers are losing their effectiveness on him. My prognosis, given the rate of his decline, is that he has less than a month to live.”

Felix Ambergrail stabbed the floor with a walking cane. “I’m your test rat, Deputy, but don’t think for a moment that means I’m a fool. The only reason I’m indulging this test of yours is the off chance it might keep me alive. We’ll do this, but I’m still a duke, and we’re doing this on my terms.”

His lordship was no less charming than the first time Theodore met with him. “Meaning what? “

“I sent my bodyguard to keep an eye on your conspirators,” the duke said. “If Mort suspects anything, he’ll chop them apart. I need this to work, but I’d sooner die than fall prey to a trick of the fey.”

As frustrating as it was to be stuck working with this man, Theodore realized this was an opportunity. If he could prove to the duke that the fairies were the key to ending the epidemic, it would be that much easier to have the ban undone.

“Do whatever makes you feel is necessary,” Theodore said. “I promise that you will not be in any danger. All that will happen is that you will be given a fairy dream and, If the experiment is a success, you should begin to recover once you wake up. Maybe then you’ll see that fairies are not a threat to us.”

“We shall see,” Felix said. “Have a seat. Your pets should be here shortly.”