Beyond the Firefly Field (26 page)

“There is something else that might be dangerous,” Paul warned. “I overheard some archers talking about creatures and dark ones. Then I heard an archer say that if the creatures escaped, the dark ones would hunt them down and the dragons would help.”

“You're just telling us this now?” Clayton complained, covering up his own secret knowledge.

“Well, I didn't want anyone wimping out and refusing to go to the tree,” Paul defended. “We'll have to ask them what's going on when we see them again.”

“If we want to see them again,” Phil said with doubt creeping over his face.

“See? You're already wimping out!” Paul accused.

“Am not!”

“Am too!”

“Either way you should have told us as soon as you heard this,” Clayton admonished, glad the dragons were now out in the open.

“Whatever is going on, the fairies will keep us safe,” Penny proclaimed.

“I can't wait to see the carved panels on the stairway,” Rose said quickly changing the subject. “And I really can't wait to see a churla,” she giggled.

“I love when you're holding a churla and it purggles when you pet it,” Penny sighed.

“Purggles?”

“Yes. When you pet them, they vibrate, but instead of cat purring noises, the churlas make water gurgling noises. So, purggle.”

Clayton's thoughts wandered again. He would definitely have to visit the island at the bottom of the fairy tree next summer. And he wanted to spend time with the archers and knife throwers, too. And he definitely wanted to ride a squirrel. And he wanted to make furniture. And he wanted to make balloon kites. And he wanted to explore deep inside the fairy tree. And he wanted to sneak up on the sleeping dragons, being careful not to drop his glimmer frond. He soon realized there was a long list of things he wanted to do once he got back to fairyland.

A creaking noise at the tree house door brought Clayton back to reality.

As he got up to find out what it was, he heard Brian say to Rose, “Well, you'll just have to wait until the next time we go.”

Clayton went to the door and yanked it open.

Dillon and Wayne fell into the room, but quickly regained their footing. For a moment, Clayton felt embarassed. Surely his older brother would make fun of him if he'd overheard their conversation.

“We want to go with you next time, too,” Dillon said, as Wayne nodded in agreement. Everyone just stared at them, not knowing what to do about two more kids knowing the secret.

“How long have you been out there?” Clayton asked.

“Long enough to know you really were with fairies, or at least think you were. Did you eat any mushrooms or strange flowers before you saw them?” Dillon asked as an afterthought.

“It was lame how you told us you saw fairies that first night, knowing we wouldn't believe you,” Wayne interjected with resentment in his voice.

“Well, no matter how I said what we saw, you wouldn't have believed me,” Clayton countered. “Believing in fairies would be ridiculous. You have to see them for yourself to believe what you're seeing, and even then, you're really not sure if you're nuts. Besides, you guys were more interested in cars and girls.

“We'll take you with us the next time we go to see them. Then you're just going to have to figure out how to not go crazy after you see them.”

Clayton smiled and looked around the tree house. As much as he wished he could see the fairies again, he wouldn't trade this moment for the world. All of his friends, his sister, and now his older brother Dillon were sitting in the tree house. They were all close before, but the fairies had bonded them together— wrapping them up in their fairy world. Clayton could only hope that next summer their adventure would continue
inside the fairy tree.

Upcoming Books in The Last Elfarian Series
By R. E. Munzing

Inside the Fairy Tree

Beneath the Fairy Tree

Beyond the Fairy Tree