Sometime later, Killian makes a turn and the movement jolts me from my nap.

“How far was this airport?” I ask groggily.

“Wow! You must have been really exhausted!” Mor exclaims leaning over her seat.We are already in Faery. You didn’t even stir while I moved you,” she adds before settling back into her seat.

“Sleeping is my superpower and I have perfected it,” I reply looking outside only to realize that it was almost dawn.

Wide awake now, I take in my surroundings, not that there was much at first, just trees— lots of trees— gigantic ones.

“Hold up, you guys even have paved roads? And street lights?”

“And a lot more than that,” Killian says speaking for the first time since we left home.

There is pride in his voice. I also notice he’s also a lot less tense. Mor is humming happily in her seat. Their energy is infectious and I bounce around in my seat finally excited about the whole move, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

We crest a hill and I’m stunned by the view before me.

“Wow.”

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” the new and improved BH asks.

“No, you guys are beautiful, this…this is breathtaking, it’s like the Meet the Robinsons universe had a baby with the Wakanda universe plus a lot more trees.”

Even Blue is up and taking notice, the twinkling lights from the slowly waking up city only add to the appeal, making it even more ethereal.

“We were stuck in the medieval times for a time but with new leadership, we progressed, surpassing human technology and development while still maintaining our culture and nature,” Killian explains.

That’s more words than I’ve ever heard from him, he must really like the place. Not that i could blame him, busy as I was gawking at the sprawling city. I could see how well modern and medieval blended and it was a sight to behold.

“Woah! Please tell me that’s the school,” I say pointing at an enormous castle on top of a hill. The rising sun cast its rays on the turquoise stone, making it glimmer with an amber glow.

“No,” Mor says with a laugh. no doubt at my enthusiasm, “That’s the royal residence, the school is behind the hill, you’ll see.”

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I stared at the castle some more, then we turned and I noticed that the hill it was on was floating.

“What in the voodoo shit is that?”

“Believe it or not, that’s just nature, science.” Killian answers.

“That’s so cool.”

“Oh, my word you should see your face,” Mor says with a laugh.

I know I have a goofy expression but I don’t care, this place rocked, though we all know what they say about beautiful things.

We went around the hill, and my jaw dropped, literally.

“That is one monster tree if we can call it that.” I exclaim finally finding words to put across my astonishment.

“That is the Mother of Faery, she is the source of everything in here, she is the heart of this place.” Mor supplies.

The tree stretched to the clouds, and her trunk could possibly be a few hundred feet wide, in short, she was huge.

“If she falls or is struck by lightning, you guys are fucked.”

“Fucked,” repeats Blue with a giggle, “Bad word mama, you said a bad word.”

I wince.

Ignore that and it will be like it never happened Mahi.

“Good thing that will never happen.” interrupts Killian and it takes me a moment to catch up.

I was so distracted by mother tree, I didn’t even notice the structures in all colours of the rainbow and possibly more scattered around the tree.

“Why so many colours?” I ask from where I am, leaning on Mor’s seat staring out of the wind shield.

“Each colour signifies a certain house or dorm then the grey buildings are the lecture halls and the administration buildings,” she answers.

As we neared the school, Killian slows down and we finally stop in front of a glimmering barrier that had not been visible before.

“OK, so we have to go through the ward individually so that the school can assess you, fair warning, evil and anyone who means harm is burnt to a crisp,” Mor says after we step out of the car.

Blue flies towards Mor and wraps himself around her neck.

“Nice show of trust boy, now I don’t really want to go through,” I grumble.

“But you have to.” Mr. Sunshine sasses.

“Yeah, Yeah, I know…Shut it!” I grumble.

Killian goes first and his black soul doesn’t get fried so it must be safe enough, at least that’s what I think as I follow up after him.

I step through the glimmering ward a tad reluctantly but nothing would have prepared me for what happens next.

One minute I was on the ground feeling victorious and the next I am hurtling through the air landing on my ass at the front steps of the administration building.

“What in the actual fuck! Was that supposed to happen? Like an initiation—”

I’m cut off as a force pulls me from the ground and leaves me hanging in the air…upside down.

“Oh, very funny, thank the fates I despise skirts and dresses or I would be flashing the whole of Faery by now!”

“Will you calm down, you’re making it worse,” Mor says once she catches her breath, even Killian is clutching his stomach, I didn’t even know the fucker could laugh.

“Don’t tell me to calm down, I am hanging upside down several feet from the ground!”

The enormity of my situation hits me the moment I say it out loud.

“Oh! My God, I’m hanging several feet in the air, Oh! please tree mother I don’t wanna die like this.”

At this point, Mor and Killian are on the ground in pieces, at least Blue looked as panicked as I felt.

“What is happening to me? Get me down from here you assholes!”

I’m hurtled a few more feet upwards.

“OK got it, no cursing out your people, never again please let me down.”

I’m lowered a few feet, “Fuck yeah it’s working. Thanks for nothing, idiots.”

I realise my mistake as soon as the words leave my mouth.

I let out a screech as I’m yanked through the air again.