Extraordinary October (24 page)

I felt her frustration. We really were sisters in a way, the only two of our kind. She had gained full power and it wasn't working. She found the vial of poison. In my peripheral vision I saw her begin to take the top off. If she opened it, I was doomed. I wanted that drink. Already, just seeing it, made me desperate for it.

Walker ran to her, tried to knock the vial from her hand. She pushed him back—throwing him clear across the room. He staggered to his feet. He was going to come at her again. Far away, beyond my mind, I heard chirping and flapping and the

high voices of little birds.

“Stop her!”

“Get her!”

“October! We're here.”

The air was filled with birds, hundreds of lovely yellow and black Tanagers, led by Oberon. And with them came all kinds of flying bugs. Bees, wasps, flies, mosquitoes. I heard their clamoring little voices yelling to each other to get her, to stop her. The birds and the bugs swooped around Madame Gold, landed on her head and shoulders, flew up inside her sleeves. She swatted at them, turned around and around, got tangled in her big dress. The birds plucked at the fabric, pulled it this way and that. They pecked at her hands. The wasps stung her. The mosquitoes bit her. Through it all I could smell the poison. I could smell it and I wanted it. I watched it in her hand, open now. It tipped as she slapped at the birds and a few drops spilled. I tried to catch them, but Walker was there first. He pulled me back and we watched the drops hit the floor. They sizzled and smoked. Even as I watched the liquid burn holes in the cement, I craved it. But I could tear myself away. If I concentrated on Madame Gold, I could forget about my drink.

I watched her smack a bird, smash it into the ground, and laugh.

“I am ordinary,” I said. “But you are just plain nasty.”

“You said you'd drink it! You said. You said.” It was her childlike voice. I concentrated on that voice, on the true self I had seen. “You said you wanted to do it!”

I was absolutely sure that no matter what I did, she wouldn't keep her word. I couldn't save anybody by killing myself.

She popped the lid all the way off the bottle and I had to concentrate harder not to reach for it. More of it splashed onto the floor. The birds continued to surround her.

“Watch out!” I told them. “Don't let the poison touch you.”

She lunged at me. Walker sprinted around behind her and stepped on the bottom of her dress. She stumbled, almost fell, then whirled and tried to tip the poison onto him, but it got tangled up in her enormous sleeve and she only succeeded in spilling more of it.

With luck, I thought, she'd spill it all.

“Run, October,” Walker said. “Get out the door. I'll stop her.”

A look passed between us, just for an instant, and in that look I knew everything he was thinking: I'm sorry; I thought I could save you too; I really do love you. All true. But I couldn't think about him. I had to concentrate on her, her secret, what she really was and what she didn't want anyone to know. Like peeling an onion, I took off layer after layer. First I made her dress disappear until it seemed she was fighting in her under-wear—her little girl underwear. Then I made her hair, that glorious, luxurious red hair, go away revealing her misshapen head with the awful hair. Walker took a step away from her. I saw that Trevor had returned. And Luisa had come back too, with Jed still carrying his saucepan. They were all there to help me fight, to help me beat her, and I was glad, but I didn't need their help. They stood behind me and watched. I showed them Madame Gold's big troll feet covered in hair. And her legs, one long and skinny like a fairy, one muscular and squat like a troll. The birds pulled back. She was twisted, almost naked, and lopsided. Only her beautiful face remained, incredibly beautiful, magically beautiful, hard to resist beautiful. I was sweating I was working so hard, but I just had to do it. I closed my eyes and I took away her fake face and showed everyone the real Madame Gold.

There was silence. She spun from one of us to the other. “No. This isn't me. This isn't really me.”

Luisa stepped forward. “I think it is. I think the human saying is true, ‘Pretty is as pretty does.'”

“How could you?” Madame Gold beseeched me.

“I had to stop you. This was the only way. It doesn't matter. Maybe now we can talk.”

“Talk? To you?” She whirled in a circle until she was back to the beautiful, tall, imposing figure she hid behind. She held the open vial in her hand and I didn't care anymore. I didn't want it. She looked at Walker, then at Luisa, finally at Trevor, and they each turned away from her. She was defeated, crushed, and silent tears coursed down her perfect cheeks. It hurt me. I was the same freak. I was every bit as deformed as she was, and I wasn't anywhere near as powerful.

“Let's figure this out,” I said. “There's a job for you, I'm sure of it. Advisor. Head wizard. It'll be fun.” I finished lamely.

She shook her head. “Why you?” she asked. “Why you and not me?”

“Really, you don't look that bad. If you would just stop being so mean to everybody.”

“If I can't be Queen—”

She brought the vial up toward her mouth.

I dashed forward, tried to pull her arm away. She was too strong and in a single gulp she drank it all down. She screamed, a painful, sad, truly bloodcurdling scream. She fell onto the ground, writhed and squealed, shrank and disappeared under her dress. We heard sizzling and smelled something like plastic burning.

Walker and I stared at the pile of fabric. Gingerly, I pulled it up. She was dead, her odd face surprisingly peaceful in death. Eyes closed. A little smile. She was almost pretty. I really was sorry. She was the only other creature like me in the whole world. Not that we would have started a club or anything.

24.

My father fell to the ground when Madame Gold died. He didn't move and I was scared he was so connected to her that her death had killed him.

“Dad?” I put my hand on his chest. I tried to feel him breathing. I tried to will him to breathe.

His eyes fluttered and opened. “Pumpkin?” He was disoriented and sore all over, but I could see him in his eyes, my real Dad. He was himself again.

Luisa yelled from the other side of the room. “October. Over here.”

My mother was moving, waking as if truly from a sleep like death. It was all an illusion. Madame Gold couldn't kill my mother, but she could make her look dead. My father staggered to her side and they embraced. Their love was real.

Mom, Dad, Walker, Trevor, Luisa, Jed, and I emerged from the storehouse onto the cracked blacktop of the industrial park. Through the dirty windows in the other building we saw fairy workers wearing gray coveralls delivering sacks of mushrooms to the troll scientists. All of them unhappily doing Madame Gold's bidding.

Luisa ran to them and through them. “She's gone. She's dead.” She told each one. They looked at her without understanding. “Madame Gold.” They cringed at her name. “She's dead. October saved you.”

I shook my head. I had tried to save Madame Gold.

“My daughter is the one true Queen! She is Queen of the Canopy and of Trolldom!”

“Dad, please.” I wanted to hush him up. Dads can be so embarrassing.

“It's another one of her tests,” a troll called. “Don't believe her!”

“Can't you feel it?” my mother asked them. Her voice was still weak, but clear. “Look!”

She pointed up. A strip of blue was widening between the grey clouds in the sky. Long fingers of sunshine were spreading across the sky. Workers began to shake their heads, rub their eyes, and stretch as if coming out of a long, deep sleep.

“Help me,” Luisa said. Together we went around emptying the fairies' pockets of the stones that had been holding them down. Immediately a girl floated two feet off the ground. She beamed with pleasure.

“I have to check on Luisa and Green,” Walker said.

“And Enoki.”

His eyes narrowed. “She tried to—”

“We all did things we shouldn't have,” I said. “All of us.”

He dropped his head, chagrined. “They're at the hospital, I guess. This way.” He started to lead me, but I shook my head.

“I'm taking my folks home.”

“But this is your home.”

He gestured to the industrial park. It was changing as if color was slowly fading up on a black and white TV. I saw a flower bloom and others begin to sprout. The roadway turned back into grass. The buildings shone with new paint in bright colors. The muddy mushroom fields and the damaged trees would take time to recover, but I knew the fairies were up to the task. I had to go home.

“Remember? I'm ordinary.” It hurt like hell to say it, especially looking at his amazing face, but I had to. I didn't belong in his world. I didn't really fit in mine, but I was going to try.

He pushed my hair off my face and I felt the familiar tingle from his touch.

“I wanted to protect you,” he began. “I thought you'd be safe in The Pits. I thought I could release the fairies and then I could get you and your mom out. I tried to tell you in the car. If you had told me to take you back to school, I would have.”

“You knew I'd never do that.”

He hung his head. “I just wanted to keep you safe. I thought I could save the fairies and save you and have it all.”

“I know.” I had figured that was the case. What upset me the most was that he didn't think I was strong enough to fight my own battles. I didn't want a boyfriend who just wanted to ‘keep me safe.' I wanted to stand on my own two feet. “It's okay, Walker. I understand now.”

He was good and smart and if he could get over his fairy superiority complex, he would be a great guy. I smiled at him.

“You're the Queen,” he whispered. “They need you.”

I looked over at my folks. They were greeting people they knew and hugging old friends hello. My dad was six inches off the ground. Flying. My mom had a grin on her face bigger than I'd ever seen. It was obvious they had missed their friends and family and home for all these years.

I had an idea. I ran over and climbed up a stack of wooden crates. I looked out at what had been the parking lot and was now turning into a lush, green meadow. The fairies and trolls were smiling as they peeled off their coveralls and returned to their multi-colors. I clapped my hands. No one paid any attention. I shouted hello, but they were too busy talking to each other. Finally I thought as hard as I could, Hey! Up here! Every face turned to me.

“Hi,” I said. “Hello.” I wasn't sure where to begin, so I just launched right in. “I am October Fetterhoff, daughter of Princess Russula the Troll and Prince Neomarica the Fairy. I am the rightful heir to both the troll and fairy thrones.” There was applause, even a little cheering. They were cheering me. I have to admit that was kind of cool and for a moment I was tempted not to go on. But just for a moment. I took a deep breath. “I have lived my entire life in the human world and frankly, that's my home.” Boos and groans. “No, seriously. If I belong anywhere, it's there. But you need a ruler. All of you, trolls and fairies both. So.” I paused dramatically. “I think it's time you guys got over this rivalry, this competition, this war between trolls and fairies. From where I sit, it's ridiculous. You're dying out. You need each other. Solidarity! Unite!” I was trying hard for another cheer—it always worked in the movies—but my audience was grumbling. They'd been adversaries for years; one speech from me wasn't going to change their minds, but it was way past time something did. I looked over at my parents and continued, “Therefore, I, as your rightful Queen of both lands, do hereby pass the crown to this fairy, Neomarica, and this troll, Russula, as King and Queen in my place. They shall rule both kingdoms together as one.”

My parents looked up at me in shock. They started to protest, as I knew they would, but I held up my hand. It was the perfect solution; they were trained for this.

“Long live the Queen and King,” I shouted, “Of Trolldom and the Fairy Canopy. One from each land. Working together for the good of all.”

Silence. It was a tough crowd. Fairies looked at trolls suspiciously and vice versa. “Come on,” I said. “Try something new.”

I got a smattering of grudging applause. My parents weren't going to have an easy time of it. I was really glad it was their problem, not mine. I jumped down from my perch and my parents pushed through the crowd to hug me.

“Why did you do this?” my mother asked.

“Tell me it's not a good idea.”

My dad kissed my cheek. “It'll be your turn one day,” he said.

I shook my head. “This is not my thing. I don't know what my thing is, but ruling a couple of kingdoms of the wee folk is definitely not it.” The trolls were beginning to chant “Russula” and the fairies “Neomarica,” each group trying to out shout the other. “They're calling for you,” I told my folks. “Go on.”

My mom and dad climbed up on the pile of crates and waved. Very refined, very regal, with their hands cupped like a debutante's in the Rose Bowl parade. Then my dad shouted, “Trolls are the best,” and kissed my mom while his feet left the ground. Everybody laughed and it broke the tension. I knew they'd do a good job.

Walker was at my side. He took my hand and I felt the energy flow between us. He made me feel peaceful and he made me feel so good. He led me to a quiet spot out of the madness.

“Look,” he said. “Look what you've done.”

All around us the industrial park was flowering. I saw fairies flying overhead. I saw trolls scampering through the underbrush. There were birds and rabbits. A breeze blew carrying the scent of fresh mown grass and flowers and fertile, clean dirt. It was like a child's picture book about fairyland.

“It's back,” Walker said. “Thanks to you.”

I smiled. “It even smells good.”

“October, I'm sorry.”

“You didn't mean to hurt me.”

“When I said to you—”

I cut him off. “Don't.” I didn't want him to say it was all just part of his plan. I wanted to remember the things he had said and the kisses we shared as the most romantic moment of my life. So far.

He gave me a sad, little smile. “Please, please don't go. I don't care if you're a queen. Just stay with me.”

He was so unbelievably handsome. He opened his arms and I wanted to curl up against his chest and let him take care of everything. It would be so easy. I'd never have to think or worry about anything ever again. My whole body leaned toward him, but I knew I didn't want to be taken care of. I wanted to live my life the way I wanted, mistakes and all. I wasn't done being a normal, boring human.

“I guess I'll be here for holidays,” I said. “With my folks. And if you need me—you know, to save your ass again—you can text me.”

He reached in his pocket and pulled out the original necklace. “Take it,” he said. “So I'll always know where you are.” He dropped it into my palm. It was warm and smooth, just like him.

“We have a connection,” I said. “Remember? I don't need a necklace to know where you are.” He leaned forward to kiss me and I pushed him away. “If we start with that, I know I'll never leave.”

I walked away from him and I didn't look back. The sun was shining and the sky was a brilliant, wonderful blue—exactly the color of his eyes.