Chapter 5
Thatcher was happy with his suite of rooms. He had his own bathroom as well as a place he could set up for his computer and homework. He hated that he’d not had more time to get used to the idea, but his mom had been busy, and he knew that this was all new to her as well.
“You don’t have to take this suite. There are six others you can choose from.
” He and Sidney had been getting along better all the time, and he was loving having him around.
“There is also a room at the end of the hall that has the best views out the windows. I love that we have floor-to-ceiling windows in our bedroom.”
“I saw it. It’s really big.” He said it was all right with him, no matter which room he took. “Thanks. I’ll think about the bigger room. I want to be able to spread out with my homework when I have it.”
“Good.” When Sidney didn’t leave right away, he asked him what was going on. “Nothing. I just wanted you to feel welcome in this house and treat it like it’s your own. I know that it was short notice about moving in, so I hope that’s all right too.”
“It was short notice, but I love it. It’s a great house, and I’m loving getting to know it as much as I am you. Mom said you were going to take me to the other kingdom, and I’m looking forward to that as well.” He asked him if he had any plans right now. “No. Are you really going to take me?”
“Sure, why not. Your mom is going to go with us, I hope that’s all right?
” He said it was fantastic. She’d been telling him about it for days.
“Good. Just so you know, my grandmother is very good at getting to the bottom of things. So if you have any problems, she’s going to root them out and help you with them. ”
“Good. I don’t know that I have any problems right now, but I am looking forward to going to the other realm.
Who knew that only a few weeks ago, I didn’t have anything like I do now.
The best part is that, besides you being in our lives, is that I can talk to my mom.
You’ve no idea how good that makes me feel when I can just reach out and speak to her whenever I want. ”
“I can understand that. The first thing that she wanted to do was to talk to you. I’m glad it’s working out all right for the two of you.” He told him that she’d told him that she loved him. “I figured as much. She really does love you very much, you know that, don’t you?”
“I do. She’s the greatest mom on earth, and anywhere else you might take me.
” They both laughed, and he couldn’t wait to meet the rest of Sidney’s family.
He’d spoken to his mom a couple of times but not his dad.
He’d never known there were vampires around, and to have one as a grandfather was something that he was looking forward to more than anything else.
The other realm wasn’t difficult to get to.
A magical portal had to be set up, and then you simply walked through it.
If there was a lot going on in either realm, you sort of had to wait your turn to get through.
Only family could get through the portal, and he was glad that Sidney didn’t have any trouble bringing him and his mom through.
The first thing he saw was the color, then the flowers. There were so many of them that he couldn’t tell one flower from another. It was then that he noticed that not everything was flowers; there were little people taking care of them.
Careful where he stepped warned Sidney, as he made his way to the bouquet that was in front of him.
Getting down on his knees, still very careful where he knelt, Thatcher was welcomed to the other realm with a large group of faeries.
He knew what they were from Boom, who hung out with the others on the other side.
“Welcome to our home, Young Thatcher. You are most welcome here.” He thanked them for the flowers. “We don’t always pick them for we love the blooms, but today, in honor of you coming to see us, we wanted you to have some to take home with you.”
“They’re beautiful.” And they were too. So many colors, he couldn’t tell blues from blues. He wanted to know the names of them all, too, while he was there. Just as he was going to follow Sidney and his mom, a beautiful woman came out to sit alongside the flowers with him.
“My name is Morning. I’m Storm’s mother.” He said he was honored to meet her. “It is I who am honored, young Thatcher. We’ve never had one so young here before. The others were here as children, but it had been thousands of years since anyone set foot in these places like yourself.”
“I’ve been looking forward to coming here for some time. Since Sidney invited me. It’s all right that he brought me with him this time, isn’t it?” She laughed and told him it was more than fine. “I’ve never seen so many flowers before. They defy words to tell you how lovely they are.”
“We’ve been growing them for some time now.
When we need an area in the other world that is in need of flowers, they know they can come here and get what they need to make it lovely again.
However, some areas in your world cannot be beautified.
The place where your mother was hurt is one of them.
” He told her that he’d not known that. “There are many such places around that the grounds are too hurt to grow flowers again. We still care for the area, but it’s not as beautiful as we’d like to make it. ”
“I think I understand. The ground gets hurt from the pain of the victim. Like my mom did in this case.” She smiled at him as she nodded.
“I wish that I could make the grounds better. It might make Mom feel better if the ground were to be full of flowers again. I guess the barn has been burnt down when all the evidence was taken from it.”
“That too hurt the ground.” She smiled at him.
“I didn’t mean to bring you down. It was my intention to take you to see some of the areas around here that we work and play in.
Before you leave, we’ll find you a faerie of your own to be with you forever.
When someday you find your own mate, she’ll have one too.
But for now, we’ll work with yours. She’ll have magic, too, that will keep you safe. ”
“Thank you.” She stood up, and he did the same. The flowers that he was given were taken into the castle—a real castle, and put into water. The magic of them would keep them alive for months now, and he’d not have to worry about them dying anytime soon. He loved that most of all.
She took him first to the nursery. There they watched over the smallest creatures he’d ever seen.
They’d been born that morning and were getting used to being out of their blooms. He watched while two more were born and had to sit down.
There was nothing that could have prepared him for the tiniest little faerie baby coming from an opening tulip.
“They only come from the freshest flowers. And they’re born on this realm only.
We wouldn’t want them born in the other realm, for there’d be no one there to nourish them.
” He watched as the bigger faeries, still not all that large to him, care for the little ones by putting them in the sunlight so that their wings could dry.
Once they opened up, they were fluttering around like they’d been doing it all their lives.
“I think you should take the one there that you saw born. That way, the two of you can grow old together. You do understand that you won’t grow old, don’t you?
I misspoke that. You’ll grow until you’re twenty-five in human years, then you’ll stay the same as you are until you decide you wish to die.
Or fade. Fading is what most people do who don’t want to die just yet. ”
“That seems a long way off for me. Even getting to twenty-five seems a long time from now. I’m only sixteen.” She said that he had plenty of time to get used to his faerie then. “I do. What should I call her?”
“They usually pick out their own names when they’re given to someone. But you can name her if you wish.” He said he’d not take that from her. “Good job. They do pick the oddest of names at times. I had one named Marlan Brando.”
“I don’t know who that is.” She laughed, telling him to look him up. That he was Superman’s father. “I’ll do that when we get back home.”
She took him to see the trolls next. They were as mean as he’d imagined them to be, but could be nice when they were around the queen. She told him that they make the best gatekeepers, as no one can get past them.
“Some of them are very smart and can be taught things like magic that will keep a household safe. You should have one at the end of your gatehouse at home. I would imagine that you’d save a great deal of time by not having to let in just anyone who wanted to talk to you about money.
” He said he’d ask Sidney. “Good idea. I love that boy. He’s been waiting for his mate for a long time.
I’m so glad that he was able to find your mom and you. He’s very happy.”
“So are mom and I. We’re moving into the big house this week. I have my own suite of rooms that I love.” She said that’s the way it should be. “Yes. Sidney has been very good to me. And my mom. He treats her with respect, and he never pushes her into anything she isn’t sure of.”
“And that’s the way it should be with mates.
He’s a good boy, as I said. Of all the Walsh youngsters, he’s been the one that I’ve kept an eye on most. Not that he’s in trouble all the time, just the opposite.
He’s never been in trouble that I know of.
” She laughed. “I hope that someday the two of you get along well enough to get into some trouble of your own.”
He got to see the oldest dragon there was in Draco. He seemed to be right at home lying in the grass with the unicorns. They, too, were beautiful and he loved being able to pet them. As he was lying next to Draco, he told him stories of his grandparents that he was sure no one else knew.