"Your uncle did something to her, I know he did," Vix returned, eyes flashing in annoyance. "Why aren't you listening to me?"

"I'm listening. He's king of the earth court, he could have done something." James drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair.

"He could. The idea that he would is appalling." Steven made a noise of distain. "Will you allow us to see her?"

Hope danced in Jeff's eyes, eyes so much like Noli's. "Can you help her?"

Steven stood. "I'm no healer, but certainly, I'll try."

Anything for Noli.

Jeff and Vix led them up a sweeping staircase and down several hallways. Finally, he pushed open a door.

Steven brushed past them and rushed to her side. "Noli."

Darling Noli lay in bed in a ruffled nightdress, quilt up to her chin, looking so small and pale, and a withered plant in her arms. It was as if all the life, everything that made her his Noli, had been drained right out of her, leaving her as lifeless as the poor bedraggled plant.

She didn't stir when he took her hand. Her breath rasped and her face looked drawn, cheekbones protruding.

"I'm not even sure how she's lasted this long," Vix whispered from the background as she leaned into Jeff. "We can barely get her to eat or drink anything."

Steven brushed her cool forehead with his fingertips. "Noli, it's me, will you open your eyes for me, please?"

What he wanted to do was climb into the bed with her, hold her in his arms, and kiss her-but he wasn't about to do that with Jeff watching.

All Noli did was sigh. Hope flicked within him. Perhaps it was a happy sigh because she knew he'd arrived.

James joined him at her bedside and looked at the plant, brow furrowing. He put his hand on her cheek and it shimmered slightly.

"James," he hissed at his brother's blatant use of magic in public.

James sniffed, his hand continuing to glow green. "Do you want to help her or not?"

"You have magic as well?" Jeff whispered, coming up behind them.

"Yes, but ours is different from Noli's," Steven replied. The room looked like a child's room, with books on a shelf and a box of toys. A few jolly pictures hung on the wall.

Biting his lower lip, James turned to Steven. "She's very sick, V."

"Really, James?" Steven didn't hide his sarcasm as he continued to hold her lifeless hand.

Jeff joined them at Noli's increasingly crowded bedside, brow creased with worry. "Can you do something about it?"

"I ... I don't know." James bowed his head. "I'm not good at this sort of magic."

The best healers came from the water court.

Steven tried to remember everything he knew about someone becoming ill from being out of their element. "If she's out of her element, we need to get her back into it ... in the Otherworld."

"We can't bring her on the quest." James' shoulders rounded. "If we go back, give Tiana the automaton, then return ... what if it's too late? I already lost Lottie, I don't want to lose Noli."

"We're not losing Noli. I won't allow it." Steven wished there was some way to give her some of himself. "We can't bring her on the quest, but that doesn't mean we can't bring her back into the Otherworld. We'll take her to the big house and then finish the quest." Hopefully, he and James could do something. He wasn't sure that they could summon a healer to aid her, since it would mean asking his uncle or Tiana for help.

Jeff sighed. "Must you take her? I suppose I'll have to concoct a story to tell Mother as to why we permitted Noli to leave with you. After all, we can hardly tell her the truth."

That was for certain. "It's the only way I know of," Steven replied. Even then ...

"Noli said there are spies at your house. She recognized one of your uncle's men." Vix plopped down in the rocking chair in the corner, the only chair in the room. A sewing basket sat next to it.

A sinking feeling surrounded Steven at Vix's mention of spies. He'd known Tiana had spies at the big house, but he hadn't realized Uncle Brogan had. He should have. No, he couldn't go to either for a.s.sistance.

"If I do allow you to take her, who will take care of her while you're finishing your quest? You can't simply leave her alone," Jeff prodded.

Noli was an earth sprite and still had a special connection to trees like when she'd been mortal. He could communicate with trees. An idea formed in his mind, one that would eliminate the need for a healer.

"She won't be alone. I think I know someone who can heal her." This could work and hope bubbled inside him. "What if it doesn't?" Jeff's eyes narrowed as if he blamed Steven for all this.

In a way it was all his fault. Noli being one of them. His uncle targeting her.

Steven stroked Noli's hand, gazing at her too-still form. "It'll work."

It had to. Or he'd never forgive himself.

Twenty-One.

Deliverance

Worry increasing with every footfall, Steven approached the large faery tree that hid in the center of the hedge maze at his family's estate. Once, the giant, gnarled oak filled with wood faeries had been under his father's care. Now, like the big house itself, it belonged to him. The little wood faeries crept out of knotholes in the tree, watching him curiously. A pink one flew over and gestured to Noli, a worried look on her tiny face.

"She's very ill," Steven told them as they gathered, the pink one sitting on Noli. A few others perched on him. "I've come to ask the tree to heal her. James and I must finish our quest. Will you please watch over her while we're away? We shouldn't be gone for long." He hoped.

Heads bobbed as the wood faeries chattered all at once, offering to watch over and protect her. A few even retrieved tiny wooden swords. A yellow one saluted him and took up a guard stance, sword ready.

"I'd appreciate that." Steven crouched at the base of the gnarled oak, Noli still in his arms, unmoving, the pink faery perched on her shoulder. Colorful night-blooming flowers covered the tree's base. Setting her in his lap, he put his hand on the trunk and reached out to the tree's spirit. Will you take care of her for me? She's been out of her element and near death.

He chose this tree specifically for several reasons, the oak liked Noli. This tree had been on these lands as long as his family had possessed them. Hopefully, he would feel compelled to help. The old tree also possessed a great deal of magic. Healing Noli could kill a lesser tree.

I will try, young prince, the tree whispered back. I have served the House of Oak for a very long time and will do my best. The bark of the tree separated, making a Noli-sized knothole.

Steven kissed Noli, heart torn at leaving her alone. "I love you so much, darling. I'll return soon."

He placed her inside the knothole, hoping she'd be comfortable, and watched as the bark closed around her, sealing her inside the tree. You'd never know she lay inside, which meant she was safe both from his uncle and his mother. Hopefully, the tree would be able to heal her. He put his hand on the bark. Thank you, he told the tree. Noli means everything to me.

We'll try our best to aid you, young prince, the tree replied.

The wood faeries all replied that they'd protect her. A few more had joined the miniature guard at the tree's base, marching around, or sitting on the star blooms.

Steven bowed in thanks and sent up a silent prayer. Please heal her, he prayed, still crouched in the dirt. Noli means everything to me. I need her to be well.

And whole. One thing at a time.

A gentle breeze, soft as Noli's kisses, whispered through the trees as if answering his plea. His fingers brushed the bark one last time, heart wrenching at the thought that even this might not be enough.

He kissed his hand then pressed it to the bark of the tree. "I love you, Noli."

With a body-shuddering sigh, he stood and made his way back through the hedge maze and across the gardens to his rambling family estate.

James waited for him in the library, which had become the hub of the big house during James and Charlotte's occupancy. The comfortable room had always been Steven's favorite, filled with books, well-loved furnishings, a window seat with view of one of the gardens, and memories. The still-wrapped automaton occupied one of the comfortable chairs. Supper sat on the low table.

"Is she going to be all right?" James handed Steven a plate from his place on the settee.

"I hope so." He didn't feel like eating.

"I put Noli's things in her room," James added, heaping his own plate with food.

Noli's room had been Elise's room. His family had lived here once when not busy at the earth court palace. That was back when they'd been a family. When his parents had loved each other, and them, and his mother had been content to be queen of the earth court.

Steven sat next to James and helped himself to some tea. Charlotte had wanted to live here, not at the high palace. Not that he blamed her. James and Charlotte had been content to occupy this wing, the nursery wing where they'd lived as children. A small staff helped make this corner feel like home again.

It felt strange to be here without Charlotte. Without Noli. He kept expecting to hear Charlotte giggling or spy Noli reading a book in the tree outside the window.

"She'll be fine." James shot him a hopeful smile.

"I hope so." Holding his cup of tea in his hands, he gazed out the window, not that he could see that particular tree from here. "I suppose we should take Hilde to the queen and be done with this?"

"I think so." James looked at him, fork paused halfway to his mouth. "Then what?"

"We help Noli get better. We work on a way to make her whole again and for us to be together." Absently, he grabbed a firm, fuzzy fruit from the bowl on the table. "Noli also seems to think her father may be in the Otherworld. If he is, he's long gone, but I've been promising to make some inquiries."

"I'm glad you said we." James shoveled supper into his mouth.

"We make a good team." Even if his brother infuriated him sometimes. He took a bite of succulent fruit, its flesh dissolving in his mouth like spun sugar. James made a noisy yawn, stretching his arms for emphasis. "I have a feeling we should wait until morning to deliver this."

The long and tiresome day pressed on him. "True." He gazed at the automaton perched in the chair. "I hope this is good enough."

If it wasn't, he didn't know what they'd do. But with Noli ill, there wasn't time to even consider the thought.

Steven plodded into the library, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, fully dressed. Morning light streamed in through the window. Nightmares about Noli had kept him awake. If she never recovered, his uncle would pay.

His eyes fell on the chair where Hilde the automaton sat. It lay empty. His heart skipped a beat, then two. James had moved her. Yes, that was it. No reason to panic.

He searched the library with his eyes. No Hilde. Still, no need to panic.

Running out of the library, he threw open the door to James' childhood bedroom, which had been redecorated. The toys were gone, but his weapon collection remained. Touches of Charlotte lurked everywhere, from the flowered dressing screen in the corner to the cosmetics scattered across the dresser. "James, wake up." Steven shoved his brother.

"Go away," James muttered, rolling over so his back was to him.

"Did you move the automaton?" Steven prayed to the Bright Lady he answered yes. Hilde didn't look to be in here, either.

"She's in the library, now let me sleep." He pulled the blankets over his head.

Horror swirled around Steven's limbs, rooting him to the floor. "Wait. You didn't move the automaton?"

"Why would I do that? Now, go away." The blanket m.u.f.fled James' voice.

Steven threw back the covers. "The automaton is missing."

James sat straight up. "What?"

"She's not in the library. Are you certain you didn't move her?" Steven's heart thumped a tattoo of terror.

"Flying figs, no." James leapt out of bed and left without even throwing on a robe or slippers. Heathen.

Steven followed him into the library.

James stared at the empty chair, mouth gaping. "I didn't move it, honest."

"We have to get it back." There was no time to go look for something else, not that he even knew where to start. Defeat pressed on him. They'd been so close.

"Where do we start? It's not as if we can ask the chair?" James plopped down in the chair and put his head in his hands.

Who had a grudge against him? Who'd broken into the big house before? Who had no morals or scruples? Who loved Noli and probably knew all about his quest?

Steven rubbed his chin. "Do you have any idea where we can find Kevighn Silver?"

"Kevighn?" James looked up, face contorted in confusion.

"Can you think of anyone else?" Steven certainly couldn't. "Get dressed, we need to get that automaton back."

Noli floated in a strange dreamlike state. She wasn't exactly sure what was happening. Wherever she was, Miss Gregory and Queen Tiana weren't there-neither were any pink croquet mallets or purple cannonb.a.l.l.s. All around her was ... nothing. Yet at the same time it was everything. Where was she?

You're here, a voice replied, familiar, yet, at the same time, unidentifiable.

Where was that? Was she in a dream?

You're just here. It's everywhere and nowhere. But it's safe, and soon you'll be well.