Mina found herself smiling back and thinking how she could see Melissa and Nan being great friends. Halfway into the second song, Mrs. Colbert finally noticed the new addition to her class. She froze for a second and then recovered beautifully. She raised an eyebrow in question at Mina but continued with the rest of class. She ended early and gave the final instructions about the auditions.
“You’ve heard that our musical has been announced. This year we are doing Cinderella. Auditions will be in three weeks after school in the main auditorium. Please come prepared with a solo piece to perform. That is all.”
Since the class ended early, Mina had hoped the students would all disappear from the room, but that wasn’t the case. With the excitement of the announcement of the musical, everyone wanted to stay and talk.
Mina excused herself and squeezed out of the row, and left the girls talking excitedly about the play.
“What are you doing here?” Mrs. Colbert asked, a forced smile on her face. “Is something wrong?”
“No, not really. It’s just that a lot has happened since the other night. Jared destroyed the seam ripper, he’s not talking to me anymore, and I haven’t jumped or whatever in my sleep. I don’t know what to do.”
Mrs. Colbert took off her blue wing-tipped glasses and her glamour faded a little, making her look like the muse Constance more than ever. “Mina, listen to your heart. When the time is right, you’ll know what to do.”
“No, I don’t. I’m too close. I can’t find my way, and Jared’s not helping me.”
The students continued talking amongst themselves, and Mrs. Colbert sat on her piano bench and motioned to the music in front of her.
“Remember what I said about technology not working on the Fae world? Man-made things can’t transfer over there. We don’t know why—it just can’t. It’s a rule, a law of some sort that can’t be changed. And just like that rule, another one always seems to surface in regards to stories.”
She waved her hand over the sheet music, and the notes and lines began to merge and dance across the white paper. She began to play the piano, and the lines and notes formed a story. The more she played, the more the picture continued.
“With every tale throughout time, there are rules. A hero is given an impossible task.” A knight appeared made of the notes on the white paper, sword in hand, bowing before a king. Then the drawing changed into the knight traveling through a dangerous forest alone.
“One that he is sure to fail, but along the way help comes from the most unexpected source.” The knight helped three creatures, and they offered him a boon. “When the hero reaches an insurmountable obstacle, he forgets that he has allies who will come to help him. One by one the creatures in the story help the knight overcome his obstacles and traps, and he reaches his goal. And wins the princess’s hand in marriage.” She stopped playing, and the moving pictures turned back into plain sheet music. “Mina, we are not your only allies, and the Story, as you very well know, is not your only adversary. If the quests were easy, then the curse would have been broken long ago.”
“But how do I know that this is even a quest?”
“Because it’s the loophole of all Fae tales. Whenever you, the hero, get stuck, something or someone will magically aid you on your quest. That you can be sure to count on. The ending of the tale is still very much in your hands, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you already have the answer and you just don’t know it. Don’t forget that the Fae prince is very much a servant of the Fae book. So they all have rules to follow.”
Mina sighed in frustration. “So you’re saying a furry woodland creature is going to come and help me?”
“Mina, all Fae are attracted to you. Help will come to you if it hasn’t already.”
She was about to tell her teacher about the mysterious phoenix feather gifted to her when the second bell rang. Mina looked up to see the next class filing in and pulling out music stands and opening violin cases. Constance’s next class had arrived.
“Oh, I, uh. I’m late,” Mina said sheepishly.
Constance pulled out a pink pad of paper and quickly wrote an excused tardy on her note, and handed it to Mina. “As much as I loved having you drop in today, try not to make a habit of skipping classes. Your education is extremely important.”
“As important as my other job,” Mina hinted.
Constance frowned. “No…yes. Oh, that’s not the point. Get going.”
Mina left and headed to her next class, which was gym. Oh, why couldn’t she have skipped this period instead? Then again, it would have been a lot harder to pretend to play a stringed instrument than it was to slink into choir class. Since she had the pass, she took her sweet time heading to the gym, but came to a sudden halt when she turned the corner and saw him standing, staring at the school’s trophy case. It was Temple.
His back was stiff. He wore a long gray suit jacket trimmed with gold buttons, and gray lambskin gloves.
“A lot of trophies. Too bad they’re just pieces of plastic. Not worth anything. Unlike my prized collection.” He turned to look at her and squinted his eyes in study. “You’ve been straying from your goal, and I’ve become impatient.”