Illusions

“I somehow think Chelsea would have survived without her shirt,” Tamani said. “Quite frankly, with the way she collects faerie souvenirs, I don’t expect to get my shirt back.”

“You don’t get it,” David shot back. “We’ve been trying to get a sample, right? This is covered in her sap!”

Tamani was speechless for a second. It was so simple, so obvious, so…

“Brilliant,” Tamani allowed grudgingly.

David just grinned.

“Mom?” Laurel’s voice was scratchy and weak, but they all heard her.

Her parents rushed to the couch and David leaned over the back of it, his face close to Laurel’s. Tamani forced himself to remain where he was, feeling even more an outsider than he had at the dance, watching Laurel spin in David’s arms.

“How did I get here?” she asked, disoriented.

“We brought you here after the accident,” David said softly.

Laurel lay back, looking a little confused. Her mom squeezed her hand and turned to Tamani. “What exactly happened?” her mom asked. “And none of this ‘we hit a deer’ stuff.”

David looked at Tamani, allowing him to make the call. But Tamani knew it didn’t matter; Laurel would tell them everything anyway. So he took a deep breath and told them the whole story, not leaving anything out.

“And she just collapsed?” Laurel’s mom asked when he finished, her hand soft on Laurel’s face. “Why?”

“I’m not sure,” Laurel answered, her words slow and deliberate. “Everything was over, and I was standing there, and then I had the most excruciating headache ever. I… I guess I blacked out.”

“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head in the wreck?”

“I don’t think so,” Laurel said. “It didn’t feel like that. For a second, it was just… pain. And a roaring sound in my head. And pressure. Then nothing.”

Her dad looked up at Tamani. “Can trolls do that?”

All Tamani could do was shrug. “I don’t know. It’s never happened before, but I seem to be running into that problem a lot lately.”

“My potion didn’t work on them,” Laurel said. “It should have worked.”

After a moment’s hesitation, David asked, “Did you make it?”

Laurel rolled her eyes. “No,” she said dryly, “I didn’t make it. One of the advanced Fall students made it. I don’t know who.”

“Still, it could have just gone wrong, right?” David pressed.

“Fall potions can always go wrong,” Laurel admitted. She paused, remembering. “Yuki, she was hurt.” She spoke slowly, like even that was effort.

“Yeah,” David said. “Klea came and got her just a couple minutes ago.”

“Klea came here?” Laurel asked, trying to sit up. Her mom helped her, placing an arm around her shoulders. Laurel’s eyes closed for a second, as if she was in danger of losing consciousness again, and Tamani took an involuntary step forward before they opened again.

“There was nothing I could do about that,” David said. “But we gave her as quick an explanation as we could and got them both out of here. She… she knows that Chelsea and I know about Yuki. I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to say.”

“It’s okay. Klea didn’t tell me not to tell you two. What about Ryan and Chelsea? Where are they?”

David hesitated. “They drove home. Or maybe to the hospital. Well, Chelsea drove Ryan. Wherever they go, his dad will probably check him for a concussion. And we’re probably going to get a lecture for not calling nine-one- one.”

Laurel shrugged. “I can handle a lecture from Ryan’s dad. It’s better than him finding out. So… Ryan doesn’t remember anything?”

“Doesn’t seem to.” David sighed. “Lucky for us, he was really disoriented.”

“And for sure he doesn’t remember the trolls?” asked Tamani.

“Not as far as I can tell,” David replied.

“Thank goodness for that. What about Yuki?” Laurel asked.

David looked at Tamani.

“I don’t know,” Tamani admitted. “She seemed pretty disoriented too. I’m not even sure she saw the trolls. But she could easily have been lying for my benefit. Either way, she’s acting like she knows nothing. At least to me.”

“But what—”

“That’s enough now,” Laurel’s mom said, laying her back down again. “You’ve got to stop thinking about everyone else and worry about yourself for a moment. Are you feeling okay?”

Laurel nodded. “Yeah, I am,” she said, and she did look better. She stifled a yawn. “I’m totally exhausted though. I mean, that was the reason we came home in the first place, right?” She laughed shallowly, and even that faded away when no one joined in.

“All right,” her mom said cheerily, “let’s get our girl to bed.”

“There’s one more thing,” Tamani said quickly.

“Not tonight,” David said.

“It might be too late tomorrow,” Tamani hissed.

“Don’t fight!” Laurel said, her tone making Tamani freeze mid-step. He muttered a quick apology and backed away from David.

“What are you guys talking about?” Laurel said weakly. The weariness in her voice made Tamani want to run over and take her in his arms and away from everything. Back to Avalon where no one, none of this, could hurt her again. For the millionth time he wondered what about this world — about this human boy — made her so determined to stay. To put herself in constant danger to protect them, when all Tamani wanted was for her to be safe. She was strong — so strong — but he had seen bigger trees than Laurel break when the wind blew hard enough.

“I got Chelsea’s shirt,” David said. “The one she wrapped Yuki’s cut with. I… I thought you could use it as a sample for your experiment.”

Laurel’s eyes widened. “Yes! David, that’s perfect!” She tried to get up, but collapsed back onto the couch. David and Tamani both stepped forward, extending a hand. David scowled at Tamani. Tamani scowled right back.

“I’m okay,” Laurel said. “I just stood up too fast. I need the sample,” she said, and Tamani could tell she was straining to keep her voice even. “I have to prepare it tonight or it’ll be too late.”

David held up the shirt. “I’ll bring it upstairs,” he said.

“I’ll help you up,” Tamani offered at the same time. A tense moment passed before Laurel’s mom stood and helped Laurel get up from the couch.

“I will take Laurel,” she said in a very gentle voice, “and Mark will bring the shirt.” David handed the shirt reluctantly to Laurel’s dad. Laurel leaned against her mom’s shoulder and avoided looking at either of them, but Laurel’s mom took David and Tamani in with a glance that reminded Tamani all too vividly of his own mother. “I think you’ve both had plenty of excitement for one night. I’ll help Laurel prepare her sample and then she needs to sleep. Everything else can wait till tomorrow. David, you’re welcome to crash on the couch if you want. I’m not sure you should go back out there tonight.” Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, “You’re welcome to stay as well, Tamani, but…”

“Thank you, but no,” Tamani said. “There is still work to be done tonight, I’m afraid.”

“I assume you can let yourself out,” Laurel’s mom said, and Tamani was almost certain there was a touch of laughter in her voice as she said it. But he just nodded and watched as Laurel and her mom slowly mounted the stairs.

“Well,” David said, turning his eyes to Tamani.

Tamani said nothing, simply turned and slipped silently out the back door. He had no patience left for David tonight.

Aaron fell into step next to Tamani the instant Tamani stepped off the back porch. “Would you like to explain what just happened?” he asked, a definite edge to his voice.