We left the next day. The snow had melted quickly and only about half was left by that morning. It was easy to break through the remainder. The kelpies helped us across the lake again. Willa and Eric were not afraid this time. David rode confidently of course. I watched him the whole time, trying to memorize him.
I could not believe he was leaving. He would be gone, and I would have to go back to the never-ending numbness.
We dismounted and I directed everyone in the direction of the gate. I let them go ahead of me. I wanted to walk the rest of the way as slowly as possible. David nudged me. He tried to smile, but for once it did not reach his eyes. He took my hand to tug me along and did not let go when I caught up.
“You could stay here.” With me, I did not add.
He did not scoff at the idea. He actually thought. Sadly, the result was the same. “I can’t.” I knew he was right. He should not stay. Even with Water’s protection, this was not his world. I could not imagine him helping me oversee the fae or waiting around while I did. That was not the life he should have.
“You could come with me,” he said.
“Who would do my job?” I asked.
He sighed. I thought he had given up, but a few minutes later, he said, “You should hire an apprentice or something. Then when you’ve trained them up, they can do it and you can come to the human world with me.
I smiled at the thought. I considered it. It would not work. No fairy would want to do this, nor could they do it so well. It was a nice thought though. “I may do that,” I said truthfully.