Page 141 of The Other Side

It had started to rain before they left the road. Zeon didn’t slow down. Osian whooped and Drum braced himself.

“You want us to look anyone up while we’re there?” Drum offered.

Zeon had never talked about themselves. They had to have run from Faeryland but as far as Drum was aware, no one knew why. Well, Mikkel probably did. He knew everything.

“No, thanks,” Zeon said.

“Want us to bring you anything back?” Osian asked.

“No, thanks.”

“I’ve been wondering if you’d like a job in the garden centre, once we have it up and running.”

Drum glanced at Osian. He’d not mentioned that but it was a good idea.

“Yes,” Zeon said to the astonishment of both of them. “I like flowers.”

“Do you name plants?” Drum asked.

“Of course.”

“Good.” Drum glanced at a horrified Osian and smiled.

Zeon helped them get everything to the gate but was clearly anxious to leave before they went through.

“Thank you!” Drum called as Zeon climbed back in the vehicle and sped off.

“I’m going to take you through first and then I’ll come back for everything,” Osian said.

Drum’s heart thumped. Osian smiled at him, wiped the rain from his face and took hold of his hand. “Remember. Don’t eat or drink anything unless it’s my mother who’s given it to you. Don’t tell anyone your full name. Don’t accept a gift unless you have given a gift first.”

“And don’t forget to have fun?”

Osian laughed and pulled him into the rock.

It was the sudden pressure that struck Drum first. Different to the other gate when they’d found Matthew and Indie. This was like diving into freezing water, cold enough to steal his breath and for a moment, it did. Then he was out of the rain and low light into a world of colour and brightness and he took a breath.

“Okay?” Osian whispered.

“Yes.”

“Look at your feet.”

Drum gasped. He bent down and picked up the coin. There was the red dot. “Wow.”

“I’m going back to get everything,” Osian told him. “Don’t move.”

Drum was still trying to figure out how the coin had ended up on this side when he wasn’t a faery, when Osian put his hand on his shoulder.

“All done.”

“No…wait…what? Your ears.” Drum stared at him. “You look different.”

“Bad different or good?”

“Just different.” Drum leaned in and kissed one of Osian’s pointed ears, then breathed into it and Osian groaned. “Oh gods. Not now.”

Drum laughed.