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Their song made no sense. They were in the middle of singing it a second time when Purple zipped out of their circle and stopped close to my face.
“The Lady of the Wood told us, she did.” Purple smiled wide, showing me her rows of sharp teeth. “I tried to show you last time, but you ran away.”
Show me?I’d thought she was trying to drown me, pushing me into the water.
“No, Tikka!” Yellow arrowed right at her and slapped her on the head.
“Ow!” squealed Tikka. “No hitting, Zu.” Then Tikka flew over my right shoulder, sticking out her purple tongue at Zu.
“I am the elder.” Zu looked at me with haughty pride dancing in her yellow eyes. “She wasnota lady. She was a goddess.”
“Goddess of the Wood!” chirped Green.
I paused, letting that sink in, then said, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Zu, Tikka and…?” I gestured to the third.
The green-winged sprite curtsied in the air. “I am Geta. Pleasure to meet you.”
I nodded, turning my attention back to Zu. “I don’t understand your song. You’re saying that Elska, the Goddess of the Wood, came here and left you something?”
My pulse raced wildly. Vayla was right. I smiled over at Goll. He still wore that enigmatic scowl, his arms crossed like he was aggravated. This was terrific news, so I had no idea why he, Soryn, and Keffa looked somewhat disturbed and confused.
Ignoring them for now, I turned my attention back to the sprites. “What did she leave behind?” I asked excitedly.
“Words!” squealed Tikka.
Zu raised her hand to swat Tikka again, but the purple sprite was too fast for her this time. Tikka giggled as she zipped away behind Geta.
“I am the elder,” snapped Zu. “I will tell her.” Addressing me, she said, “Words. She left words.”
Laughing, which made Tikka and Geta giggle, too, I replied, “I don’t understand.”
“May I speak?” Geta asked Zu politely.
“You may,” she gave permission.
“She whispered her words to the water,” Geta told me sweetly, blinking her vibrant green eyes owlishly.
Then Tikka shoved her aside, snatching the air and squeezing her tiny fists in a triumphant pump. She squealed, “And we stole them!”
Zu shot a stream of icy wind from her palm. Tikka froze midair, wings and all, floating in a frozen pinwheel upside down, her eyes and mouth round in shock.
“Please be nice,” I begged Zu. “I am so grateful to learn your wisdom, but Tikka is only trying to be helpful.”
Tikka was floating toward the limbs of the trees when Geta touched her ankle, which seemed to melt the spell away. Tikka shook it off and flew back down to us like it happened all the time. Perhaps it did.
“She is telling you a falsehood, my lady,” said Zu. “I will not allow it. We did not steal them. We scooped the words into a jar and have kept them under our protection.”
“Will you show them to me?”
“Of course.” Zu beamed. “We kept them safe for you.”
“For me?” I asked, puzzled.
“The dark fae lady.”
Geta and Tikka started singing and dancing around my head again, “Ladies, ladies…”
While they sang, I confessed clearly, “But I am not a dark fae lady.”
