The Wrong Side of Magic by Janette Rallison Page A

common sense. Everybody takes it for granted, and few people use it.”
    Hudson thought this over. “We should ask where the royal scepter is, too. We could use it to free the princess.”
    Charlotte shook her head. “We only have one gold coin. And besides, wherever Princess Nomira hid the scepter, she most likely used its magic to ensure that only she could retrieve it. Once we free her, she’ll know how to find it, and she can use it to defeat King Vaygran.”
    Now Hudson regarded the sprawling city walls and hoped he could locate the magic bee in the darkness. Charlotte had already told him he couldn’t use his flashlight. It would brand him as a stranger from the Land of Banishment, and people would ask why he was there. She had no confidence in his ability to come up with a believable alibi.
    Charlotte opened her backpack and gave Hudson the silver coin he needed for the guard and the gold coin to lay by a statue. She also took out a small bottle. “Shake it when you need some light. It’s full of hope.”
    He took the bottle. “I’d feel better if this were full of matches.”
    â€œMatches burn out after a few seconds. Hope lasts longer.”
    He turned the bottle one way and then the other. “It looks empty. Does that mean we’re hopeless?”
    â€œI hope not.”
    While he slipped the bottle into his jacket pocket, Charlotte went through her backpack again, this time taking out the silver bell and two marbles. “These are muselings for the ferry.” She handed him a cloudy red one. “Use this one to return back here.”
    Charlotte rang the bell softly, and it made a sound like an airy laugh that tumbled through the night air. In a quiet voice, she called, “We need a ferry to cross the river!”
    Or at least he thought that’s what she said. He didn’t see a boat on the riverbank anywhere. Instead, something small and glowing zipped past him. It flew over to Charlotte and hovered in front of her face.
    Hudson gawked at the thing, not quite sure he was seeing right. The image didn’t change. A girl who was smaller than his hand floated in the air, her bright white wings fluttering. She had dark blue hair that hung past her shoulders, and her dress looked like it was made from a filmy fishtail. Charlotte had called a fairy, not a ferry .
    A tiny pad of paper and a pen no thicker than a piece of yarn appeared in the fairy’s hands. “One passenger or two?”
    â€œOne,” Charlotte said. “And he’ll be returning tonight.”
    The fairy marked something on her paper. “First class or economy?”
    â€œI can pay one museling each way,” Charlotte said.
    â€œEconomy.” The fairy made another mark on her paper. When she finished, she slid her pen behind her ear, ripped off the paper, and dropped it into Charlotte’s outstretched hand. The pad of paper disappeared from the fairy’s hand, replaced by a wand. She flicked it at the marble in Charlotte’s palm, and the museling rose up like a soap bubble, shrinking as it flew over to the fairy. When the museling hovered in front of her, the fairy grabbed it and popped it into her mouth. She smiled and glowed brighter.
    Still smiling, the fairy zipped over to Hudson. “Welcome to Fairy Riverside Travel,” she chimed. “We hope you have a safe trip and enjoy your time in the city of Grammaria. Remember to watch for predators, mischief, and magic. When you’re ready for your return trip, just ring the bell for assistance.”
    Charlotte handed Hudson the bell, and he put it in his pocket. “What was that about predators?”
    Instead of answering, the fairy waved her wand at him. His vision went foggy for a moment, and he felt himself shrinking, falling. Alarmed, Hudson let out a yell. Instead of his voice, a high-pitched noise came from his throat. He flung his arms out wide to catch himself and found he had