Devon glanced over at Silver, a rueful smile stretching his midnight lips. “Hey, old buddy.” His voice was cavernous, deep and gravelly. It reverberated, as though emerging from a hollow in his chest, each word rising into the air, a gliding bat seeking its way into the dark world. “I told you I’d be here.”

A broad grin rose to Silver’s face, disrupting any shock or dismay at Devon’s new appearance. An ache in his soul eased, an ache he had become so accustomed to that he hadn’t noticed its presence until it was gone. He felt at home with Devon, despite his inhuman appearance, and he realized that he hadn’t felt at home in a long time. Maybe not since that day in the yard, discussing dandelions. “I don’t know why I ever doubted.”

A tart alto voice darted forward from the back seat. “This is very touching, but we’re on a mission, Devon. Watch the path.”

Silver turned his head to look back at the violet-haired woman. “Hi, I’m Silver.” He twisted in his seat, offering a handshake. “What’s your name?”

She studied him for a moment, her lips pursing, green eyes narrowing, peering through his eyes, into his core, and dismissing him as unimportant. Her response was curt and clipped and she did not reach for his hand. “Fiona.”

Silver dropped his hand, leaning his head against the side of the soft seatback. He could sense a cynical shell around her soul, and wondered where it had come from and what it was composed of. Wondered if he could dissolve it; it didn’t seem beneficial to him. Sometimes these barriers helped to keep the darkness at bay, but he could feel this one holding the shadows close. “Nice to meet you, Fiona. Where are we going?”

The sedan was still careening through the parking lot, but they were traveling in circles, spiraling closer and closer to the historic ash tree. No one responded to his question, so Silver settled in to see what would happen, turning back toward the windshield.

They drove past the coffee shop again, and then the Mexican restaurant. Then, as the car barreled past the grocery store at the end of the lot and toward the tanning salon, their circle tightened.

Devon charged right over a curb, and Silver lurched forward, steadying himself with his fingertips on the grey, pebble-textured dashboard.

Behind him, Fiona cursed. “Why are there so many obstacles?”

“The Fae haven’t been a part of this land in years,” Devon replied, through gritted teeth. “The path hasn’t been kept clear, apparently.”

He leaned forward, pushing the gas pedal to the floor, and they sped up, blasting through the middle of a flower bed. Silver watched a ruby-colored tulip blossom fly past his window. The Fae, huh? That explained a lot.

Devon twisted the wheel hard and the left side of the car lifted into the air.

Silver reached up and grasped the handle above his head as they raced straight toward the ash tree. Just before impact, he floated his eyelids closed. He was mildly surprised to notice that he felt calm; he just didn’t want to see the collision. A second later, he observed that there had been no crash and that the car was slowing down.

He kept his eyes closed, extending his other senses, a long-time habit of his that had driven a series of ex-girlfriends away.

“Why don’t you just open your eyes and then you don’t have to worry about what you’re hearing?” Melanie, his most recent lover, had

asked him, two days before she’d left.

“I’m not worried,” he’d replied. “I just want to hear it better. And feel it and smell it and taste it.”

“Taste what? You’re not eating anything!”

“Everything.”

In this moment, Silver noticed a chilled breeze, which was odd in the absence of open windows in the car. He inhaled the freshest air he’d ever tasted, finding a scent that was familiar. He searched his memory, but couldn’t place it. Perhaps it was something he had smelled in his childhood but missed in recent years. A gentle cacophony of birdsong tickled his ears. The raindrops had stopped and there was no hint of engine sound. The seat beneath him felt different too – flatter and somehow alive. And his right hand dropped, as he realized that he was no longer holding a safety handle.

The vehicle finally coasted to a halt, and Silver opened his eyes. He turned his head this way and that, taking in his surroundings. A wide smile spread across his face. The car had become an open-air carriage pulled by two pure white antelope, each with a single long pearly spiral horn rising from its forehead. The bucket seats had given way to a bench, upholstered in overlapping velvet-coated leaves that reminded Silver of his mother’s African violets.

They were alone on the road, which was wide and stretched straight forward, as far as the eye could see. It was paved with bricks of translucent rose-colored rock, fitted together tightly. To his right was a vast body of water, clear and sparkling, so big he could see no other shores. As he watched, he saw a huge tentacled creature rise briefly over the water in the distance before sinking down below the waves once more.

The other side, beyond where Devon sat with the reins in hand and a contented smile on his lips, was a forest of ash trees. Silver craned his neck to peer back in the direction they’d come from and saw that the road originated with a many-looped coil around one tree, larger than the rest. Its shape was identical to the tree they had just left in the parking lot.

“Is that the same tree?” he asked.

Fiona stared at him, her emerald eyes wide, mouth slightly agape.

He turned to Devon, who cocked his head to the side like a bird, examining his old friend for a moment before responding.

“Yes, it’s the same tree. It’s a gateway between our worlds.”

Silver nodded. He looked ahead of them. “And where are we going?”

“Are you sure he’s a human?” Fiona burst out. “Why the hell isn’t he gibbering in fear?”

“Not all humans are idiots.” Devon laughed. “Silver grew up with me. Gwenneth chose Silver for a reason. And you’re half-human yourself.”

“That’s different,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. “My mother comes from a long line of-”

Devon’s face grew stern. “Gwenneth chose him.”

“Right. Sorry.” Fiona paled. She nodded to Silver. “Sorry, Silver.”

Silver shrugged, glancing back at her once more. “You’re okay. So, where are we going? Who is Gwenneth?”

Devon pointed to a dirt path branching off the road beside them. “That way. We’re going to see my mother.”

Silver smiled. “I remember your mom. It’ll be nice to see her again.”

Fiona’s eyes widened. “‘Nice?’ You think it’ll be ‘nice’ to see-” Her mouth snapped shut as Devon shook his head in warning. “Right. I’m sure it will be nice.”

She swung a leg over the side of the carriage and jumped down, landing easily and lightly with flexed knees, despite the six-foot drop.

Devon brought his feet up to his seat, bending his own knees to his chest. Spreading his wings, he launched himself upward, floating to the ground next to Silver’s side of the carriage. He held out a hand.

Silver took Devon’s proffered support and clambered over the side, stumbling as he landed. He glanced over at Fiona to see her smirking at him. Well, she was obviously some kind of faery creature (half-faery?); of course she would be more graceful. He gave her a rueful smile, and she frowned. He wondered why she was so determined to dislike him. Oh, well. This was a fantastic adventure, and no sourpuss was going to ruin it for him.

He turned to Devon. “Shall we?”

With an ironic bow, Devon led the way down the path. Silver followed, with Fiona bringing up the rear.