“Why not?” she asks. “You can’t say you don’t believe in—” “Darling.” Her name is a growl and my heart is racing in my ears. “If you say it, I’m dead.” “What?” The question is another trill of laughter. “That can’t be true.” “Well, it is.” I am reminded of my mother suddenly. The cut of her wings, the glow of her skin. “If you say those words, a fairy dies. It’s as simple as that. So promise me you won’t say it.”
