How to Babysit a Changeling by Anthea Sharp

Author:Anthea Sharp [Sharp, Anthea]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult Urban Fantasy, Cyberpunk, Portal Fantasy, Celtic Myths, Fairy Tales, Feyland Series, Science Fantasy, litRPG
Publisher: Fiddlehead Press
Published: 2015-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

***

After consuming the better part of five pizzas, the beta team had their plan of attack. Two plans, really. The first involved sneaking into VirtuMax, and the second was how to proceed in-game once they were in Feyland.

Marny didn’t say much, just munched her olive and pepperoni slice and kept an eye on Korrigan. He seemed partial to the all-veggie pizza, which surprised her a little. Then again, she didn’t really want to know what his idea of a gourmet meal was. Worms and dirt, probably. Raw fish.

Tam was feeding his mom pieces of cheese pizza. She was still in a daze, but maybe the food would help. Marny went to join him on the side couch.

“What’s your mom’s first name?” she asked.

It was obvious to her, if not everyone else, that she’d be staying at Spark’s to look after Korrigan and Tam’s mom. But if something went wacky, she wasn’t sure the woman would answer to “Mrs. Linn.” And definitely not to “hey, Tam’s mom!”

“It’s Lara,” Tam said, a little catch in his voice.

Jennet laid her hand on his knee. “She’ll be all right.”

“Maybe.” Tam took his mom’s unresisting hand and turned it, holding her wrist to the light. “Do you see that?”

Marny squinted and leaned forward. Despite her fear she’d be looking at drug-related marks, the only thing on Lara’s skin was a pattern of silvery dots. Almost like…

“A faerie handprint?” Jennet asked.

“Yeah. My mom said a ‘shining girl’ talked to her tonight, and told her to come home. I don’t know if it was a malicious faerie, or one trying to help.” He shivered.

“Good thing you got her out of there,” Marny said. “Before—”

She made herself stop. The last thing Tam needed was a reminder that his home was now a burned-out shell.

“Okay!” Spark called, standing up and stretching her hands. “Are we ready to do this?”

Jennet glanced at her dad, who had set aside his half-eaten slice of Canadian bacon and pineapple. He nodded and stood.

“I suppose so,” he said.

Tam rose, his worried gaze focused on his mom. “Stay here with Marny,” he said. “I’ll be back in a while.”

His mom smiled at him, her expression still dreamy and unfocused. It was hard to know if she even understood what he was saying.

“Take care of her,” he said to Marny. It was more a plea than a command.

“No worries,” she said.

That was her, Marny Fanalua; babysitter to changeling creatures and zoned-out moms. Still, it was better than squeezing into a sim chair and enclosing herself in the stifling helmet. Even the thought of it made her throat scratchy with rising panic. Nope, small spaces and her didn’t get along at all.

“Ready?” Uncle Zeg asked in his calm, rumbling voice.

For a half second, Marny wanted to jump up and grab his arm, beg him not to put himself and her friends in danger. But they had to go. It was what heroes did.

The rest of the beta team nodded and started moving to the door.

“Good luck,” Marny said.

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