Harbinger: A Wendy Ward Novelette by John Passarella

Author:John Passarella [Passarella, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Alethea frowned. “You weren’t hurt by the impact of the car?”

“Well, bumps and bruises. Fortunately, it was just a glancing blow,”

Wendy said. “And that was a little over seven months ago.”

“So, naturally, you thought I might be the next in line.”

“The thought crossed my mind,” Wendy said, finishing her orange juice.

“But then I remembered Morgan. Originally, I thought he was one of Wither’s posthumous minions. Had I known then what I know now, I wonder if I would have taken him up on his offer.”

“Wendy, Faerie is a wonderful place to visit or to live out the rest of your life, but you should go because you want to, not out of fear of what you leave behind.”

“Wait—you’ve been to Faerie?”

“Twice,” Alethea said, looking away from Wendy’s intense gaze. “During each World War. I’m not proud of those choices, but I… I couldn’t bear it here.

The madness…”

“But you came back.”

She nodded. “Regrets. Both times. I left for the wrong reasons. My experience was tainted. If I return, it has to be on my terms.”

“What was it like?”

“Magical,” she said. “Literally. Magic flows so effortlessly there. You and I and those few like us are welcomed there, by Faerie itself, with open arms. In comparison, the sun and the sky and the air here all seem… lacking.”

“Sounds like a great vacation spot.”

“Be warned, Wendy,” Alethea said. “From what I’ve been told, traveling between the realms has become much harder in the last hundred years. Most who cross never find their way back. The first time I crossed, I spent three years learning how to come back. And time passes inconsistently between this side and Faerie. A year spent in Faerie might equal ten years here, one day here might equal sixty there! There is no guarantee your loved ones will be alive to welcome your return. The second time I crossed, I thought I might never come back. And when I decided to return home, I couldn’t find the way for two years.”

“Hadn’t you figured that out the first time…?”

“You would think so! But when I tried to call upon that knowledge, the memories were gone. Faerie does not surrender kindred spirits easily.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“Not physically,” Alethea said. “But if you ever decide to enter Faerie, do so with the knowledge that your trip may be one way. The best time to cross, in either direction, is midsummer’s day.”

“I’m curious. Do you remember now?”

“Remember what?”

“How to return from Faerie?”

Alethea paused, glanced away for a moment, then chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. “It’s gone again. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The

~ 8 ~

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