Merlin moved quickly through the jungle. He was so fast that Makenna was forced to jog.
"Watch your step," Merlin ordered, for a log had come into view. He stepped over it, as did Makenna. "Hang on, my young apprentice," Merlin said to Tracey. "We're almost at the cave."
Unbelievably, Tracey had woken up. However, he had a searing headache. The mark of the Octopus Man reappeared on his arm and did not disappear. "Master," Tracey whimpered. "My wings. They hurt."
"I know," Merlin comfortably spoke. "I'm going to fix you up, though. Keep in mind that I used to work in a fairy hospital when I was younger."
Tracey hated to ask his next question, but he had to confirm. "Master, are my wings broken?"
Merlin lost his words. He knew Tracey would be brokenhearted if he told him that, yes, his wings were broken, but he didn't want to tell him now.
Makenna came in for him. "You're going to be okay, Trace. Your wings are just pretty banged up. Just close your eyes and go to sleep."
"No, no," Merlin spoke, glancing at Makenna and then Tracey. "That's not how it works. You've got to stay conscious, Tracey. Don't fall asleep. Makenna, the thing with trauma victims is that you've got to try your best to keep them conscious. If they fall asleep, they could lapse into a coma." He focused on Tracey again. "You've got to stay conscious, Tracey."
Tracey was already pretty much asleep. He weakly glanced at Makenna and whimpered, "Makenna, you totally turned against me. I thought you were my friend."
"I am," Makenna fought. "Trust me."
"Secrets," Tracey calmly but weakly spoke, "are just like poison, Makenna. Remember that. You've never been honest with me. It was all a lie. Until you start telling the truth, I don't trust you or your world of humans. You lied here. My wings are broken, aren't they?"
Makenna sighed sadly. "They are, Tracey, but I promise you will fly again. We merely need to get you to Merlin's Cave."
Gina landed on Tracey's chest and cuddled up to him.
Very slowly, he lifted his hand and placed it on her. "At least I still have you, Gina. This reminds me of the day when I found you with a broken wing."
Gina seemed to chuckle. She softly dug her claws into Tracey's tunic-like shirt and told him, "Yeah. We both have something to relate to now."
Makenna feebly smiled when she saw how much the two friends loved each other. If only she had a bird friend.
It wasn't long until Tracey closed his eyes, and his head dropped to the left.
"Stay conscious!" Merlin yelled at him. "Makenna, move faster!"
Makenna, Merlin, and Gina finally reached Merlin's Cave.
Makenna's arms killed her. She had forgotten how far away the cave was from the beach. Luckily, she was able to take a break there. Since they were now in a cave, they were able to roll the stretcher and not worry about vines getting caught on its wheels.
Merlin put down the wheels and told Makenna, "Okay, you can let go now, Makenna. I've got him from here."
"Is he going to be okay?" Makenna let go of her end of the stretcher and shivered, wrapping her arms around her body. She had forgotten how cold it was there.
Makenna's eyes next landed on Tracey's broken, torn wings, and she clenched her teeth. "Oh, that looks painful," she whispered to herself. She watched as Merlin lifted his hand and waved it.
Two wool blankets appeared before him, and he said, "Here, Makenna." Merlin tossed one blanket to Makenna, and she caught it, thanking him. She landed and wrapped herself in the blanket, immediately warming up.
Merlin put the next blanket over Tracey, and Gina lay on it instead of his shirt.
"Stay with us, Tracey," Merlin said to his nearly unconscious apprentice. "You're going to be fine." With that phrase, he rolled the stretcher down the familiar, torch-lit corridor, and Makenna followed.
"They hurt," Tracey mumbled. He reached for his wings, but Merlin grabbed his hand.
"Hold on, kid." He and Makenna continued down the passageway.
They soon reached the cave's heart, and Makenna gasped at the sight of the familiar, dome-shaped room. She had forgotten how awesome it was. She tried following Merlin into another corridor, but he stopped her.
"You'll have to wait here, Makenna. I'll get you once I treat Tracey's wings and get him comfortable. I promise. Broken wings are serious. I hope you understand."
"Yes, Merlin," Makenna said. "Don't worry, I'll wait for a thousand years if I have to." She backed away from Merlin and tightened the blanket around her.
"Thank you," Merlin said, pointing at a table that rested at the other end of the room. "There are some snacks and drinks over there if you get hungry. I'll be back soon. This time, do you actually want to say goodbye to him?"
"I do," Makenna answered. She approached Tracey's right side, and Gina watched as she lifted her hand and took Tracey's shoulder. "I'll see you soon, my friend," Makenna promised. "You'll be okay—Gina's right beside you. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I know you love your wings."
Makenna, Merlin, and Gina didn't see him, but Raeven, who had flown in after them, hung upside-down from the ceiling, spying on them. He watched as Makenna backed away from Tracey, and Merlin rolled the stretcher into an empty corridor, disappearing in the shadows. Under his breath, he mumbled, "I sure hope that fairy's learned her lesson." Raeven fixed his eyes on Makenna.
***
Makenna waited for she didn't know how long in the heart of Merlin's Cave. She grabbed a snack and drink and sank into a chair. She felt like she was in the waiting room of the ER.
While Makenna waited, she thought about Tracey, Peter Nelson, and Selene's warning. There was too much going on in her head right now, and Makenna hated it. If only she weren't a Metamorphic Fairy in the first place.
The entire time Makenna waited, Raeven hung out at the ceiling. He thought about soaring down and saying hello, but knew she would scream if he did. He concluded that it was best for him to remain where he was, although he didn't know. Makenna looked like she needed the company of somebody.
Raeven took the risk. Unwrapping his wings around him, he soared down to Makenna and landed on the arm of the chair she sat in. In bat language, he said, "Hello."
Makenna lowered her snack and slowly turned her head. Her eyes landed on Raeven, and they widened.
The bat lifted his wing and waved.
After a bit, Makenna shouted, "Bat!" and fell out of the chair. "Shoo!" She waved Raeven away. "Go away! You're disgusting! I hate you!"
Raeven cringed, and tears seemed to appear in his eyes. However, just before he flew away, Merlin was heard.
"Miss Delling, he likes you. No need to be frightened."
Makenna and Raeven jerked their heads in the direction of Merlin's voice.
He had just reappeared at the mouth of the corridor and began approaching the fairy and the bat.
"Oh snap," Raeven said in his language, backing up on the chair's arm. "He's coming! Yikes!" Quickly, he leaped off the chair and threw himself into Makenna's face. Raeven wrapped his wings around her neck and shivered. "Do something!" he shouted.
"Ahh!" Makenna screamed. "It's on me! It's on me! I'm gonna die!"
"Makenna!" shouted Merlin. "Calm down! Raeven only likes you!"
Still hugging Makenna's neck, Raeven glanced into her eyes and opened his mouth. He next spoke to her in English. "Hi, I'm Raeven. And yes, I do find you fascinating, Makenna."
"Ahh!" Makenna screamed again. She smacked Raeven off her neck and sent him sprawling to the rocky ground. "It talks! It's as creepy as Reepicheep!"
"Reepicheep?" Raeven asked, struggling to his feet. "Of course, I talk, Miss Delling. All animals here are magical. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Shut up!" Makenna bellowed. "Go away, you bat! Go away!"
Raeven whimpered, but then he said, "Fine," and prepared to fly away, but he stopped suddenly and whirled back around to Makenna. "But what if that old man does something nasty to you?" He pointed at Merlin. "What if he throws you into the Glazed Doughnut Swamp? What if he—?"
"Shoo!" Makenna barked. "I hate bats!"
"Well!" Raeven scoffed. "To each their own." Scoffing again, he opened his wings and lifted into the air.
Merlin watched as he flew, but not Makenna. She was too busy cowering on the floor of the cave. "Oh, please, Makenna," Merlin told her. "He's just a bat."
"He's not just a bat!" Makenna yelled, tightening her blanket around her. "He's a bat that talks! I knew it! I've gone insane! We're working for Disney Channel now!"
"Accept creatures for who they are, Makenna," Merlin calmly stated. "I don't think you've learned that yet. I came to talk to you about Tracey, but if you're too freaked out about bats, then I don't see the point. Bats are everywhere in this cave. It's a cave."
"No, no, Merlin!" Makenna quickly spoke. She stood and tried to remain calm. "I want to know about Tracey. Well? How is he?"
Merlin opened his mouth and started, "Well, he, he—"
"Is wonderful," interrupted Raeven. He hovered upside-down beside Merlin. "Beautiful, handsome… punctual!"
"Shush, Raeven!" Merlin snapped. "This is serious! My apprentice has broken his wings!"
Raeven gasped. "Broken his wings?" He immediately began freaking out. "Oh no, so the rumors are true! Oh, that poor kid! He loves his wings! They're his most prized possession! They're—"
Merlin lifted his hand and grabbed Raeven's muzzle, stopping him from babbling on. "Silence, Raeven, silence."
Makenna shook. Seriously, how could a bat talk? It was a bat! What if Gina talked, too?
"Don't worry, Makenna," Merlin said when he saw her blue face. He released Raven's muzzle, and he massaged it. "Tracey's going to be fine. His magic level should be back at base level tomorrow. I give you my word. However, he is still under a curse. You were right. The Octopus Man has cursed him. For the time being, as long as you ensure he doesn't get too close to water, he'll be fine."
"Cursed him?" Raeven shouted. "Oh, this is terrible! Not only does Merlin's apprentice have broken wings, but he's cursed! That's even worse than being spelled!" He flew in circles, but Merlin ignored him and remained focused on Makenna.
"What about his wings?" she shakily asked. "Will he ever fly again?"
Merlin lost his train of thought, and the silence continued for a minute.
"Uh oh," said Raeven, who hovered. "He's gone mute. Awkward silence. What can that mean? Hmm."
Again, Merlin ignored him, but in a soft voice, he told Makenna, "Here's the thing, Makenna. The structure of the Metamorphic Fairy wings and Apprentice Fairy wings is different. Since you're half-human, your wings are like arms and legs. If they break, they heal. However, Tracey is a pure magical being. His wings are more fragile than yours."
Makenna gulped. Tears burned in the corners of her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she asked Merlin, "So, you're saying that no, he'll never be able to fly again?"
Merlin went mute again.
"The tension," was Raeven's following words. "The tension is building. It's sending chills up my spine."
After a bit, Merlin slowly nodded at Makenna. "Yes," he explained. "From this point on, Tracey is a crippled fairy. Unless he somehow earns a new transformation, his wings are dead. They will never heal. That's just how pure fairy wings, not half fairy and half human wings, work."
"But he loves his wings!" Makenna yelled. "There has to be something we can do!"
"We can do nothing," whispered Merlin. "I'm sorry, Makenna. All we can do is teach Tracey how to walk. He's never going to fly again. You can see him now if you want to. He's in his room, and Gina is keeping him company. You should then start heading home. I know you have a dance to get ready for."
"But what if I don't want to?" Makenna asked.
"You have to go home, Makenna," Merlin said. "Your family is worried. You understand, right? Don't worry, Tracey's safe here."
After another moment of silence, Makenna sighed. "Okay, Merlin." Dropping her blanket, she flapped her wings and lifted into the air. "I'll go see him. He's never going to forgive me, though."
"Don't worry, he will." There was certainty in Merlin's voice. "Tracey is Tracey, Makenna. He never stays mad for long. Trust me, I've raised him since he was a baby."
"Thank you, Merlin," Makenna said. She managed to give a feeble smile. "I sure hope you're right. Well, see you later." With a flap of her large, now paler wings, she soared into the corridor and disappeared in a blast of fairy dust.
Raeven tried flying after her, but Merlin said, "Na hah, hah," and clutched his foot. "You're staying here, Raeven."
Raeven blinked, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he studied the corridor Makenna disappeared into and attempted to find his place in hers and Tracey's mission.