came to be in my backpack when I met Birdie, but I hoped it would show up if I needed it again. I had no doubt that I
would
need it. Zally, a girl around our age who drew the map and sent messages in explosions of sparks, had told us that the geography of Aventurine changes with every dream and every dreamer.
âGood morning!â The voice was a familiar one.
The mist cleared to make a path down the middle of the clearing, and I could see Queen Patchouli on the far side. She was standing in front of what looked like two giant toadstools while a pair of fairiesbuilt a fire beside her. âCome, Kerka!â she called.
I looked down to brush dirt off my jeans. But I was no longer wearing jeans! Instead, bits of leaves and moss stuck to a long navy T-shirt with a golden bear on it, long navy shorts, white kneesocks, and cleats. It was the soccer uniform that I wore in Finlandâmaybe thatâs what I had been about to dream of before I was pulled into Aventurine! I smiled, thinking,
Iâll have to tell Birdie about this
.
Then I really smiled when I remembered another cool thing about Aventurine. There was no need to brush dirt off myselfâQueen Patchouli would give me clothes to fit whatever journey I was about to go on!
I shook leaves and dirt off the blue mountains and yellow stags that were embroidered on my backpack and slung the bag over my shoulder. As I headed across the clearing, I watched where I put my feet. Squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, and mice seemed to be having their breakfasts in the clearing. It was interesting: when Birdie and I were here, everything was covered with flowers; now there were as many small woodland animals as there were plants.
As I drew closer, I heard the buzzing of the bees that often circled Queen Patchouli. A net of morning mist swirled about her flowing emerald gown, andsprinkles of starlight shone in her long hair. A shimmer of green was reflected in her huge iridescent blue wings, which opened and closed like a butterflyâs. Long wind-chime earrings made a pure but quiet sound when she moved her head, making me think of the wind chimes at Aunt Tuulaâs.
The fairies tending the fire, like the queen, were human-sized and had large wings. One wore a blue-green gown that changed hues like water in sunlight, and the other wore a dress that looked as if it were made of yellow and orange rose petals. The rosy fairy scattered petals around the two gigantic toadstools set back from the fire. When Queen Patchouli sat on the larger toadstool, its dome sank to form-fit around her. The mist flowed up to rest on her shoulders like a shawl.
I do not have a shy bone in my body, nor do I flinch when facing the unknown ⦠usually. Aventurine, however, does not follow normal rules, and I wasnât certain how familiar or how formal I should be with the fairy queen. Birdie had been the center of her attention during my last visit. I stopped two feet back from the fire and waited while the fragrant smoke washed over me.
âSit down, Kerka.â Queen Patchouli patted the top of the smaller, spotted toadstool. âItâs quite comfy,which seems especially appropriate, since the circumstances are not.â
âThey arenât?â I asked, taken aback. âAm I not supposed to be here?â
âQuite the contrary,â Queen Patchouli said. âYour presence is essential, but weâll get to that later. There are other matters to attend to first. Sit down.â
As I settled on the mushroom, it firmed up around me, and two fairies rushed over. One pulled my backpack from my hand and flew off. A glance from Queen Patchouli silenced my protests. I knew my bag with my Kalis stick would be returned, but not having it bothered me. The other fairy brought me peach nectar in a daffodil cup and a cake made of sunflower seeds, nuts, and berries held together with honey. It was a small snack compared to the feast the fairies had served on