Fort Morgan by Claudia Hall Christian Page A

told will help,” Alex said.
    She walked over to the girlfriends with her
hand in her pocket. After a moment of digging around, she held up a
USB drive.
    “ Is
that . . .?” Sandy reached her hand out for
it.
    “ Your mother’s symphony,”
Alex said.
    “ Why . . .?” Perses started.
    Alex shrugged. As if on cue, a huge serpent
appeared. The serpent was dark olive green with a blue and red
tartan pattern down his side. His snout was snaggled with sharp
teeth and his eyes gleamed blue with red rims. Alex’s team
responded to his appearance by lighting flame throwers.
    “ There is no need for
that,” the serpent said. “I come in peace. I come to
negotiate.”
    “ Negotiate?” Alex asked at
the same time Fin said, “What is our guarantee?”
    Both used to being in charge, Alex and Fin
stepped forward together. Alex glanced at him and he at her.
Neither one was willing to give the other control in this
situation. The serpent chuckled at their impasse.
    “ We have no quarrel with
the fairy world, Prince Finegal,” the serpent said. “Quite the
opposite.”
    “ The fairy world has a
quarrel with you,” Fin said.
    He raised his hands over his head and the
fairy cavalry appeared. The serpent chuckled.
    “ Have you spoken with your
queen?” the serpent asked. “Your queen has indulged you long
enough. It is time for you to take your place in the court
and . . .”
    The fairy cavalry shifted and King Manannán
stepped out. He nodded to Alex in greeting.
    “ You see,” the serpent
said. “This is no longer your army to lead.”
    King Manannán looked at Fin.
    “ Your father is here to
take you home,” the serpent said.
    King Manannán glanced at Alex. For a moment,
their eyes locked. Alex tipped her head to the side and nodded.
When King Manannán stepped forward to Fin, Alex opened both of her
hands behind her back. Her team focused their entire attention onto
the transaction.
    King Manannán nodded to Fin in a solicitous
way. As if to calm his angry child, King Manannán patted Fin’s
shoulder.
    “ We’ve never had trouble
with the serpents.” King Manannán seemed to be speaking to
Fin.
    “ But sir!” Abi moved
forward.
    “ Silence!” King Manannán
pointed to Abi.
    “ They’re holding your son,
Keenan, in their amber prison of despair!” Abi said.
    “ You will not question me,
General.” King Manannán’s voice was hard and dismissive.
    Abi was so surprised her mouth fell open.
Stung, Abi changed into her tiny fairy corps size and flew to
Tanesha’s shoulder. Her actions indicated to everyone that Abi was
afraid the king had planned to turn Tanesha over to the
serpents.
    “ The serpent is correct,”
King Manannán said. “It’s time for you to stop your nonsense
attachment to these humans.”
    “ Without these humans , you would still
be wandering under the Irish Sea,” Jill said.
    “ That was his choice and
his choice alone,” King Manannán said.
    “ Jacob is as lost as you
were!” Jill said. “All because he tried to help your
son.”
    King Manannán whipped around to Jill. He
raised his hand to throw an enchantment at her but Perses stepped
in the way.
    “ You will not, little
fairy king,” Perses said.
    King Manannán swallowed hard and stepped
back.
    “ Let your elders take care
of this,” Perses said.
    Perses inclined his head in Hera’s
direction, and she stepped forward to the serpent.
    “ Hera,” the serpent said.
“Back again?”
    “ I brought what you asked
for,” Hera said. She gestured to Heather.
    Heather shook her head at the goddess. Hera
turned to look her full in the face.
    “ Her father gave her his
power when he went on vacation,” Hera said.
    The serpent’s mouth turned up in a terrible
grin. When Heather didn’t protest, her friends knew that this was
some kind of trick.
    “ No!” Katy
yelled.
    “ This is your chance to
destroy all of the love in the world,” Hera said.
“ And to take over
the fairy world.”
    Hera’s voice was