“Edger.” Maria and Ranger Krysta shivered when a chill passed through Mateo’s silent room.

He shuddered under his blankets. His head spun like a top. Mateo felt around for Maria’s hand. Eventually finding it, he squeezed her fingers. “Maria, I’m cold.”

“You are? Okay.” Maria removed her free hand from the rag on Mateo’s forehead. She was also a little cold. She and Krysta did not see the fae ghost standing in the room with them and Edger. Maria picked herself up from her chair. It was next to Mateo’s bed.

The poor guy was so delirious. He started to pull the mask off his face, but Maria stopped him. “No.” She put it back on. “You need this, babe.”

Mateo slipped into unconsciousness for the fourth time that morning.

Maria, disturbed, stumbled out of his room. She bit her lip, as she tried to hold back tears.

Krysta glanced at Edger. “Edger, watch over Mateo. I’m going to help her.” Maria was not in the best state of mind to gather some blankets herself.

Edger bowed his head to her. “Yes, Krysta.”

Krysta walked past him. She patted his shoulder and followed Maria to the main part of the cabin.

Edger and Faelyn approached Mateo’s bed.

Faelyn examined the sickly boy below him. “He looks so much like me. He has my black hair and tan skin.”

“And your good looks,” Edger added. “You and Abigail conceived a beautiful child, Faelyn.”

Lifting his hand, Faelyn moved it toward Mateo’s face.

Edger saw what he was trying to do, and instantly, his smile vanished. “Um, Faelyn, you won’t be able to…”

Faelyn’s hand passed right through Mateo’s cheek. He felt nothing but air.

“… touch him,” Edger finished.

Faelyn already forgot he was dead. His son would not be able to hear, see, or touch him until his metamorphosis was nearly complete. Faelyn glanced at Edger. “This isn’t fair, Edger. Mateo does not have his mom right now. The least I can do is comfort him myself.”

Edger clutched his shoulder. “I’m sorry, brother, but he’s not yet a full-fledged fairy, and he won’t be until something changes.”

“But he’s my son!” Was it normal for a ghost to become slightly dizzy from shock? Faelyn stumbled back a few feet. His wings dropped behind him. He folded them on top of one another.

Edger knew his brother needed a moment. He escorted him out of Mateo’s room and shut the door behind him. His and Faelyn’s eyes landed on Maria and Krysta.

Maria had dropped a handful of blankets. The emotional strain was too much for her to bear.

Krysta held her close.

Maria sobbed up a storm. She buried her face in Krysta’s shoulder. “I can’t lose him, Krysta. I can’t.”

“I’m doing everything I can. I promise,” Krysta whispered. “But at the end of the day, Mateo’s fate relies on Keegan.”

“Keegan? Who’s Keegan?” Faelyn exchanged looks with Edger.

He sighed deeply. “Only your niece’s father who refuses to accept Mateo into the family.”

“Wait, I have a niece?”

***

The fairies and humans received quite a surprise when they returned to Mateo’s room. He was no longer in his bed. It was empty, aside from the mask and rag, both of which rested on his pillow. It was as if the young man vanished into midair.

“What the–?” Maria shrieked. Again, she dropped the blankets. “Where is he?”

Even Krysta was confused. “He couldn’t have just walked off. Not with a 104° fever.”

Edger’s attention switched to the closed window on the other side of the room. “The window is locked, so there’s no way he could have climbed out of it.”

Maria picked up the blankets. She tossed them onto the foot of the bed. That was when she heard it… sniffing. Sniffling came from under the bed. Maria fell to her hands and knees. She gripped the bed, to support her balance, and peered under it.

There was Mateo. The frightened man lay on his front, with his hands in front of him. Tears rolled down his blue-tinged cheeks. He wheezed through them. Why was breathing so difficult nowadays?

“Oh, Mateo,” Maria soundly said.

“Is he under the bed?” Krysta wanted to know.

Maria nodded. She attempted to pull Mateo out, but he slapped her hand away.

“Just let me die,” he pleaded for the hundredth time. His head throbbed, and his chest burned. Maria noticed something crimson on his lips. While she and her friends were out, something happened. A pool of crimson nectar was in between Mateo’s hands. It stained his shirt.

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Frightened, Maria jerked her head in the direction of Krysta. “Krysta, he’s coughed up blood!”

“What?” Krysta asked. Coughing up blood did not come until the forest sickness’s victim reached Stage 3 of the illness when it started to affect the brain. Already? Why was Mateo’s health declining so rapidly?

“This is not good,” Krysta admitted. “We need to get him out.” She scooped up the mask and rag from Mateo’s pillow.

“How?” Maria whimpered. “He’s traumatized.” She hated seeing her fiancé so scared.

Edger’s eyes rolled over to Faelyn. “Faelyn, Mateo may not be able to hear you, but he can definitely feel you. I recommend getting under the bed with him.”

Faelyn considered his words. He was dead, yes, but family always knew when another member was nearby–in spirit or not. He nodded to give himself confidence.

In the meantime, Mateo clenched his fists. “I should have helped him. This is all my fault.”

“Helped him? What are you talking about?” Maria inquired.

“Ben.” Mateo coughed. A few more drops of blood flew out of his mouth. He set his head down next to the red puddle. “I don’t want to live anymore.” He could not handle any more suffering, both physically and mentally.

Maria pulled her bangs out of her face. “Babe, please stop saying that. We’re begging you… Come out so we can treat you.”

Mateo gestured no with his head. “I want my mom, Maria. Get me my mom.”

“I wish I could, but…” Maria’s choked voice switched to another round of continuous sobs. The image of Ms. Brook incubated in Paperblank’s ICU filled her head.

Faelyn stayed calm. He got down on the floor and dragged himself under the bed. He settled in next to Mateo, like a dog cuddling up to its human friend. He knew he couldn’t hear him, but he went ahead and said, “I’m here, son.”

Edger and Krysta joined Maria. They did not want to force Mateo out. That would cause him to grow more fearful than he already was. They had to be patient with him.

Faelyn’s presence chilled Mateo, but it also relaxed him a little. He felt like someone was next to him–somebody who cared. Only, he could not make sense of what it was. His head hurt too much.

Maria gave it another go. She plopped down on her belly and clasped Mateo’s hand. He did not fight her that time. Like Ms. Brook in Seranet’s hospital, his fiancée freed him from his prison–the new Alcatraz. She sat up and hugged him to her shoulder. Maria used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe the blood from his lips.

Faelyn crawled out from the bed. Standing, he smacked his palms together. If only he could help his son more.

Krysta kneeled to Mateo and Maria. She put the mask back over her injured colleague’s nose and mouth. She then caught the collar of his bloodied shirt. “Edger, do you have any extra shirts?” With the help of Maria, she gently pulled off Mateo’s original one.

For being a decently skinny man, he had some muscle on him–his biceps, chest, and abs. His chest had very little hair. No wonder all the girls went for him.

Maria tossed a blanket over Mateo’s back and shoulders.

Edger received his shirt from Krysta. “Don’t worry, Krysta. I’ll get him a new shirt.” He left quietly, but he winked at Faelyn on his way out.

He sat at the foot of Mateo’s bed. He was happy to know he wasn’t the only man who had very little chest hair. It was incredible how similar he and his son were.

Mateo, again starting to slip into unconsciousness, ran his hand down Maria’s neck, chest, and sternum. He stopped on her belly and stuck his palm under her shirt. He patted her soft skin–the skin of a tummy that wasn’t diseased.

A fresh tear rolled down his cheek. “Tell Isabella that I love her,” he said.

From his bed, Faelyn’s eyes widened. Wait, was his son already a dad? He didn’t waste any time, did he, unless it was an accident?

Maria pulled Mateo’s hand out from her shirt. She kissed it. “How many times do we have to tell you? You’re not going to die. We’re going to get through this together, babe. Our family is going to be beautiful.”

Well, that confirmed it for Faelyn, but it was okay. Mateo and that girl looked like they loved each other. He could even say they were married.

Krysta and Maria helped Mateo back into his bed.

Maria reached into the back pocket of her shorts. She pulled out something familiar–the printed results of the ultrasound from before. She pecked the image of her child and then set the photo down on Mateo’s dresser. She propped it up against a small, wooden treasure chest with a golden lock. Mateo needed his child, but the ultrasound was currently the best thing Maria had.

Krysta glanced from both it to her. “Oh, that’s a good idea, Maria.”

Maria smiled feebly, but then she let out a huge yawn.

“Why don’t you get some sleep?” Krysta added. “You look exhausted.”

Maria was. Then again, she did pull an all-nighter.

“I’ll look after him,” Krysta explained.

Mateo, though, refused to let go of Maria’s hand. “Maria, don’t leave me.”

“She needs to sleep, kid,” Krysta said. She freed Maria’s hand from Mateo’s.

She kissed his sweaty brow. “I’ll be back later, babe. I promise. Krysta is going to take care of you. Once you wake up a little more, I want you to check out the gift I left on your dresser.”

“Tell Isabella that I love her,” Mateo repeated.

Faelyn hopped off his bed. He scooted out of the room but ran into Edger. The chief carried a new white shirt under his arm.

“Where are you going, Faelyn?” he asked.

Faelyn glared. His voice sounded determined. “To find this Keegan and knock some sense into him.”

“But you’re dead!” Edger argued.

“That may be so, but I’m going to teach him to never abuse the heir of Seranet,” Faelyn admitted. “You never had a son, Edger. Mateo is the past, present, and future of our world. We cannot lose him. Keegan needs to understand this. I also want to meet my niece.”

“But you’re dead!” That was really all Edger could say. “Please, Big Brother, I understand how you feel, but…”

“Then I’ll first find Euphorbia,” Faelyn finished for him. He refused to give up. He was not going to let his son die, all because of one stubborn human. If he was going to help him, then this was the best thing to do.

Faelyn pushed past Edger and opened his wings. Fairy dust bounced off them. He leaped into the sky and flew outside. It was time for him to start his role in the family. Edger had done his, but Faelyn died before he could achieve his. With a plan in mind, he rocketed into the bright blue sky above Seranet, leaving his brother and son behind.

***

Sam found Evie cornered by the basilisk near Euphorbia’s shrine. He was coming upon the place where he woke up from his sixty-year-long slumber.

The serpent hovered over the little girl, hissing and spitting like a cat who refused to accept another cat into the household.

Evie tripped trying to get away from it. She scraped her knee on the rough forest floor, leaving behind a small bloodstain.

Just before the basilisk could chomp, Sam leaped in front of her. He held his arms out to his sides, not saying a word.

At the sight of him, the basilisk halted its assault.

Euphorbia appeared next to it.

Evie clutched her knee. She stared at the boy protecting her. He befriended the basilisk? But how? It was the one who injured him in the first place. “Sam, how-how are you doing that?” she wanted to know.

Sam remained silent and serious. He and the basilisk stared at one another for so long; Evie thought they had both been petrified. Then, to her surprise, the basilisk lowered its head. It pressed its forehead against Sam’s torso and shut its eyes.

Euphorbia grinned. She knew Sam was special. She felt it the day she met him. He was far from ordinary.