answer. Or
wouldn’t
answer.
“Philippa, I’m really sorry,” she said, turning to me. “Look, do you trust me?”
“Of course I trust you,” I said, reaching out for her hand. “Always. No one comes close to you.”
“Really?” Daisy smiled. “What about Charlotte?”
I shook my head.
“Or your new friend?”
“Robyn?” I said, laughing. “I’ve only just met her. No, you’re my best friend, and if you say you need to do something, then I know you have a good reason for it.”
“I have,” she said seriously. “I really have. I’m sorry; I just can’t tell you more. But I’ll tell you everything I can, as soon as I can, OK?”
“It’s fine,” I said. “Like I said, I trust you.”
“Good. I just have to do this, and then I promise I’ll come back and we’ll do something nice together — whether they say I can or not! OK?”
“OK,” I said with a smile.
She started to leave.
“Will you come back at night, or can we actually spend a day together?” I asked.
“It depends on whether they let me see you or if I have to sneak out again, like last night. It’s really hard to get away during the day,” she said. “It’s different from my last assignment. We have to stay in our form that we take from nature during the day.”
“Daisy, at least tell me that. Tell me what you are, what you transform from.”
Daisy looked around one last time. She even checked outside the window and behind the curtains before replying. Then she leaned close and indicated to me to do the same.
“OK, I’ll tell you,” she said. “I’m a butterfly.”
“A butterfly!” Daisy was a butterfly! That was so cool! “Wow! Do you get to fly around all over the place?”
Daisy stared at me. “Philippa, I do that anyway. I’m a fairy!” Then she burst out laughing. After a moment of wondering how I could have been so stupid, I started laughing, too. At first, just a giggle slithered out, but the more I thought about it, the funnier it seemed. I kept seeing her face creased up with laughter, and it made me laugh even more. Soon we were both rolling on the floor laughing like lunatics, hands clapped over our mouths so we wouldn’t make too much noise and wake my parents, tears rolling down our cheeks.
“You’re a butterfly,” I kept saying. “You can fly!” And we’d both burst out laughing again.
Then I had a thought. I stopped laughing. “You’re a butterfly,” I said slowly, thinking about her as a butterfly, picturing her — I could see her now.
Daisy was looking at me, tears of laughter in her eyes as she waited for the punch line. When it didn’t come, she said, “I can fly!”
But I didn’t laugh this time. I sat up. “What color are your wings?” I asked.
“What do you mean? You’ve seen them. They’re —”
“No, I mean as a butterfly.” I shut my eyes and tried to remember. It had been so distinctive, I’d never seen one like it before or since. “Have they got dark purple edges? And — what was it? Pink circles, I think?”
Daisy stared at me, her mouth open. Then she nodded silently.
“I knew it!” I said, jumping up. “You made us come here! You came to my house and landed on the map. You did, didn’t you?”
Daisy stared at me in silence a bit longer. When she spoke, her voice was a hoarse whisper. “Philippa,” she said. “It was a top-level mission. I’ll get in such trouble if anyone finds out that you know.”
“What would they do?”
“I don’t know — but I’ve heard some horror stories lately.”
“Like what?”
“Like about butterflies having their wings cut off!”
“Really? That’s awful! Why would anyone do that?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s probably just rumors. But a fairy can’t live without its wings.”
“What happens?”
Daisy shrugged. “I don’t know. Some say you’re left to wither and die. Others say you get turned into a human, but at the same age that you are as a fairy — which is
wouldn’t
answer.
“Philippa, I’m really sorry,” she said, turning to me. “Look, do you trust me?”
“Of course I trust you,” I said, reaching out for her hand. “Always. No one comes close to you.”
“Really?” Daisy smiled. “What about Charlotte?”
I shook my head.
“Or your new friend?”
“Robyn?” I said, laughing. “I’ve only just met her. No, you’re my best friend, and if you say you need to do something, then I know you have a good reason for it.”
“I have,” she said seriously. “I really have. I’m sorry; I just can’t tell you more. But I’ll tell you everything I can, as soon as I can, OK?”
“It’s fine,” I said. “Like I said, I trust you.”
“Good. I just have to do this, and then I promise I’ll come back and we’ll do something nice together — whether they say I can or not! OK?”
“OK,” I said with a smile.
She started to leave.
“Will you come back at night, or can we actually spend a day together?” I asked.
“It depends on whether they let me see you or if I have to sneak out again, like last night. It’s really hard to get away during the day,” she said. “It’s different from my last assignment. We have to stay in our form that we take from nature during the day.”
“Daisy, at least tell me that. Tell me what you are, what you transform from.”
Daisy looked around one last time. She even checked outside the window and behind the curtains before replying. Then she leaned close and indicated to me to do the same.
“OK, I’ll tell you,” she said. “I’m a butterfly.”
“A butterfly!” Daisy was a butterfly! That was so cool! “Wow! Do you get to fly around all over the place?”
Daisy stared at me. “Philippa, I do that anyway. I’m a fairy!” Then she burst out laughing. After a moment of wondering how I could have been so stupid, I started laughing, too. At first, just a giggle slithered out, but the more I thought about it, the funnier it seemed. I kept seeing her face creased up with laughter, and it made me laugh even more. Soon we were both rolling on the floor laughing like lunatics, hands clapped over our mouths so we wouldn’t make too much noise and wake my parents, tears rolling down our cheeks.
“You’re a butterfly,” I kept saying. “You can fly!” And we’d both burst out laughing again.
Then I had a thought. I stopped laughing. “You’re a butterfly,” I said slowly, thinking about her as a butterfly, picturing her — I could see her now.
Daisy was looking at me, tears of laughter in her eyes as she waited for the punch line. When it didn’t come, she said, “I can fly!”
But I didn’t laugh this time. I sat up. “What color are your wings?” I asked.
“What do you mean? You’ve seen them. They’re —”
“No, I mean as a butterfly.” I shut my eyes and tried to remember. It had been so distinctive, I’d never seen one like it before or since. “Have they got dark purple edges? And — what was it? Pink circles, I think?”
Daisy stared at me, her mouth open. Then she nodded silently.
“I knew it!” I said, jumping up. “You made us come here! You came to my house and landed on the map. You did, didn’t you?”
Daisy stared at me in silence a bit longer. When she spoke, her voice was a hoarse whisper. “Philippa,” she said. “It was a top-level mission. I’ll get in such trouble if anyone finds out that you know.”
“What would they do?”
“I don’t know — but I’ve heard some horror stories lately.”
“Like what?”
“Like about butterflies having their wings cut off!”
“Really? That’s awful! Why would anyone do that?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “It’s probably just rumors. But a fairy can’t live without its wings.”
“What happens?”
Daisy shrugged. “I don’t know. Some say you’re left to wither and die. Others say you get turned into a human, but at the same age that you are as a fairy — which is
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