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bird watching me through the pine needles. So I stared at it for a moment. Are you Fae?
    You-can-d’it, You-can-d’it, the bird responded. Justice let out a yawning growl and snorted in agreement. Too bad I don’t speak Blue Jay or Poodle . It was too bad. If they could answer me, tell me definitively, I wouldn’t have to go into the cave.
    I wasn’t really thirsty, but I took a long sip of cold water anyway, letting it wash over my tongue and slide down my throat. I had to focus. Breathing did that for me, like the steady rhythm I slid into while swimming. After I screwed the cap back on the bottle, I reached under my coat and pulled out the thin gold chain that hung around my neck. On it, a blue and white stone dangled in the morning light. Peace of mind, calmness, deep breaths .
    As I studied the stone, it reminded me of Chloe’s store. “Maggie, have you found what you’re looking for?” Chloe had asked.
    “I don’t really know what I’m looking for, Mrs. Fontaine. I just thought it would be interesting to learn more about Fae mythology and the cardinal elements.”
    “It’s Chloe, please. Those are interesting subjects.”
    “Do you believe?” I asked, carefully studying her face.
    “In the Fae? Well, yes, I suppose so … at least I’m open to the possibility.”
    “I don’t know, there are so many stories and no two are alike. If I did believe, I wouldn’t know exactly what to believe, and that’s just about the Fae. I’ve seen several different versions describing the elements, too. The experts can’t even agree on how the elements are arranged or how many of them there are.”
    She smiled at me and nodded. “I know. I’ve run across several versions of the cardinal elements, and I’ve read dozens of different stories about the Fae. There are Native American legends about similar beings, but most don’t involve humanoids. Those stories tend to anthropomorphize animals. Most of the folklore on European fairies, which is the basis for the majority of most contemporary literature, was originally passed from one generation to the next in oral histories. Because of time, and narrow-minded people, many of the stories have been lost. The few early texts that did exist were systematically destroyed by religious zealots.
    “For decades, people have been trying to relearn the old ways—to piece together disparate stories from the fragments that remain. I doubt we’ll ever know the truth, but that doesn’t make it any less interesting to search for, does it? I’m not an expert on the Fae, but I’ve met dozens of people who claim to know a thing or two about them firsthand—including your aunt,” she explained.
    Little did she know.
    “Much of the local folklore involves your family’s land, in fact. Beyond that, Maggie, there are hundreds of local legends based on the mystical properties of the water and the land in Eureka Springs. The Osage tribe believed this place was sacred. In fact, Eureka was founded on the belief that the springs on this mountain can heal eyesight and cure arthritis. Whether you believe the legends or not, if you dig deeply enough into any of them, there is a Fae component. Maybe you should ask May.”
    Before we left, Chloe handed me a gold necklace with a pendant. It was a polished blue stone with some slight white veining.
    “It’s beautiful,” I said.
    “Consider it a welcome gift. It’s called Sodalite. Wear it, and it will bring you peace of mind.”
    Determined to stop stalling, to finally get the Earth trial over with, I hoped more than ever that Chloe was right. Dropping the chain back inside my shirt, the stone came to rest above my heart. With an exhale, I said, “Let’s do this.”

THREE
    EARTH

    Crouched on the bluff edge above the entrance to the cave, I looked over to see where the opening was. Why is it that when you’re looking down, the distance always seems so much greater than when you’re looking up? I exhaled and tried to work up my