That was as far as Monkey could come with Mary Alice. If he crossed the River of Death, then the dragon would surely smell his magic and attack. His task from Selene was to lead Mary Alice there.
Oh, gosh. Mary Alice hated it. What a warm welcome it was to the dragon's den, seeing all the human and animal skeletons. She was really feeling the love.
Mary Alice refused to move from where she stood. What if she fell into the river, and it dragged her to her death?
Monkey didn't have time for that. He gave her a push with his muzzle.
"Yikes!" Mary Alice yelped. She fell forward, but landed on a rock. She was right behind a line of rocks that led to the other side of the river.
Struggling to her feet, Mary Alice glared at Monkey.
He seemed to smirk.
Mary Alice took a deep breath and then hopped to the next rock. However, she slipped and almost dropped the bucket, but she caught it at the last second.
While she crossed the river, she passed skeletons. They stared into her soul, causing her to shiver. Eventually, though, she reached the other side.
"I did it," Mary Alice mumbled. "Yes!" Lifting her hand, she waved at Monkey. "Monkey, I did it! I crossed the River of Death!"
She quickly lost her smile when she suddenly heard a grunt behind her. Mary Alice dove behind a pile of skeletons. She peered over the top, seeing that she faced the cluster of trees that led to the dragon's den. It looked as though threatening faces were in their trunks.
Above the trees, crows cawed and flew in circles.
Mary Alice had to be brave. Tracey needed the dragon's spit. She did not want to lose the man of her dreams so soon after she met him.
She peeked over her shoulder at Monkey.
He gave her a gentle nod, gesturing her forward with his horn.
Taking a deep breath, Mary Alice crawled out from the pile of bones and rose. She hugged the bucket to her chest and, without another thought, stepped into the cluster.
***
The dragon's den. Mary Alice was there. Clusters of trees sheltered an enormous, open area of the forest. What Mary Alice was looking at was a crater. Around the crater's rim were piles of bones. The slopes pointed at the heart of it. That was where Mary Alice found the dragon.
She slept in the crater, curled in a ball. While she slept, she snored and drooled. The drool was what Mary Alice needed.
Crows took off in flight, leaving just Mary Alice and the dragon (as well as a bunch of bones).
"You're kidding me, right?" she whispered. But she did not give up. She slid down the crater's side, past bones, and landed at the bottom.
The dragon shuffled. She lifted her tail, then put it back down.
Mary Alice did not move. She could not believe she was doing that.
Gently and carefully, she inched closer to the dragon. Before she knew it, she stood beside her paw.
She froze when the dragon let out a huge snort. Mary Alice tried not to scream, but it was difficult. It wasn't every day somebody went hunting for dragon spit. Why did she agree to do that again? It wasn't even the dragon who scared her; it was the sight of her razor-sharp teeth.
Hands shaking, Mary Alice held the bucket under her mouth—drip, drip, drip. Dragon drool dripped into it. That was literally the scariest thing Mary Alice had ever done. She wished everything were a dream, but something told her it wasn't.
Despite being traumatized, she managed to fill the bucket halfway full with dragon spit. Sighing, Mary Alice tucked it under her arm and gently stepped over the dragon's paw.
On her way out, she tripped over something. It looked like something was buried in the crater, something big.
Curious, Mary Alice kneeled. She set the bucket down and ran her hand over the figure, unaware that the dragon had woken.
She stood behind the young lady, not making a sound.
"What is this?" Mary Alice asked. She tried to make out the figure's form. It almost looked like… It almost looked like—!
Mary Alice stopped moving.
The dragon snorted. She unleashed a cloud of smoke that circled her.
"Don't look now, Mary Alice, but there's a dragon behind me, right?" Mary Alice asked herself. Sweat poured down her temples. Gulping, she peered over her shoulder at the dragon.
Instantly, she roared. Dragon spit sprayed over Mary Alice. The dragon sounded like a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Screaming, Mary Alice took off running. She picked up the bucket, starting to make her way up the crater.
Strangely, the dragon didn't follow her. No magical presence surrounded Mary Alice. She would be wasting her time if she chased her. Besides, she had to keep guarding whatever it was that Mary Alice saw.
Mary Alice struggled to climb the piles of bones, but barely managed to.
Down in the crater, the dragon roared again. At least she succeeded in scaring Mary Alice away.
The second she was out of the crater, she sprinted toward the cluster of trees she had come from. There it was—the River of Death.
Monkey still waited for her. Whinnying, he cantered in circles.
Mary Alice crossed the river again. Holding up the bucket, she yelled, "I've got the spit! Now let's get out of here!"
Monkey nodded. Together, he and Mary Alice sprinted through the forest, right as the dragon let out one more roar.
***
"Ah. Mary Alice. You're back," Selene said when Mary Alice and Monkey returned to the River of Life. "How was your trip to the dragon's den?"
For a second, Mary Alice said nothing. She slapped the side of her head to rid her ears of ringing. Finally, she asked, "Is it normal for a dragon to roar in your ears?"
"You're lucky to be alive," Selene explained. "Since you're not a magical being, the dragon won't target you. She'll only scare you away."
"Is that why she didn't attack me?" Mary Alice wanted to know.
"Yes."
"What's her name?"
For a second, Selene said nothing. She just examined Mary Alice from head to toe. Feeling that she could trust her, she sighed and answered, "Jyn."
***
Mary Alice, Selene, and Monkey shuffled to Tracey.
"How is he?" Mary Alice asked.
Tracey had not woken. Instead of having his back propped against a rock, he now rested in a pile of leaves on his side. His skin was as white as chalk, and even though he sweated up a storm, he was no longer a merman. No magic meant no transformations.
Selene answered Mary Alice's question: "He's hanging in there. However, we cannot waste any more time. We need to give him his magic back."
"Here." Mary Alice handed over the bucket of dragon spit. Glancing at Tracey again, she added, "He looks dead."
"He's not dead. Just sick," Selene said. "He's in what magical beings call 'magic shock.' It happens when a magical being has lost a lot of magic."
"Why is he no longer a merman?" was Mary Alice's next question.
"He does not have enough magic to sustain the transformation," Selene answered. "Um, do you think you and Monkey can step aside while I treat him?"
Mary Alice nodded. She and Monkey backed away from the fairy. They watched her work, curious looks on their faces.
First, Selene used a little bit of magic to create a wet cloth. She dragged it down from the sky, gently placing it on Tracey's forehead. Second, she took off his shirts so she could work on his wound.
Mary Alice blushed. Darn it! Why was Tracey so handsome? How was she even keeping herself together?
Selene stuck her hand into the bucket of dragon spit. Disgusting! But she had to do it. Selene pulled her hand out of the bucket and started to rub the remedy on Tracey's shoulder. It was still gushing out blood-like magic. Hopefully, the dragon spit would harden up and seal the wound.
Selene paused for a moment, trying to wake Tracey. She gently slapped his cheek, begging, "Come on, Tracey."
He did not move. Nor did his color improve.
Selene tried again. "It is not time for you to die, child. You have a kingdom to rule over."
Again, nothing.
Nervous, Mary Alice bit her lip. Was she too late?
Selene did not give up. She kept working with the medicine. After what felt like forever, she finally stopped the flow of magic coming from Tracey's shoulder. Just as she hoped, the spit hardened and sealed his wound. His color started to return, too.
Selene let out a breath of relief. "Thank goodness." Turning her head, her eyes landed on Mary Alice and Monkey, who sat beside the river.
Selene bandaged Tracey's shoulder, then put his green tank top back on. She tossed his white shirt over him to keep him warm. When she was sure he was comfortable, she headed toward Monkey and Mary Alice.
Mary Alice was lost in thought. What was happening to her? Was this a dream, or was it real? What was going on at the barn? How long had she and Tracey been away? She hugged her knees and stared at her reflection in the water.
Monkey napped beside her. He had his knees drawn to his chest.
Selene stopped behind Mary Alice and asked, "Mary Alice?"
Mary Alice heard her. She anxiously waited for the fairy's report.
Nodding, Selene said, "It's working. Tracey's getting better."
Mary Alice could not help herself. A smile stretched across her face. "Really? He's going to be all right?"
"Give him until morning, and he should wake," Selene explained. "Unfortunately, he will not be able to transform into a merman or a fairy until he fully recovers. Tracey needs someone to look after him for the rest of the day. He can't stay here, not with the dragon lurking."
"Wait, are you saying you want me to take him home?" asked Mary Alice.
"Just for today. I will give you everything you need to take care of him."
"Why can't you take him?"
"Because it's better if Tracey stays in the Human World vs. the Magic World while he recovers. He'll blend in better. Please, dear. I need to know if you are willing to take him under your wing."
"Are you kidding? Heck yeah!" Mary Alice was so excited. She was going to have the hottest boy ever stay at her apartment! It'll be her, him, and the dog!
"Thank you," Selene said. "Help him back onto Monkey's back."
"Hold on," said Mary Alice, "how am I supposed to explain this to Mrs. Connie?"
"I don't know. Improvise!" Selene said. "Come on, Monkey." She clapped her hands.
The sound woke Monkey. Seeing Selene, he quickly rose. He stood like any other horse. He batted his hooves on the ground to get dirt out of them.
Selene approached him and gave him a bop on the head. "Silly alicorn," she admitted.
Mary Alice took a moment to check on Tracey again. She tried what Selene failed at: waking him up. It was to no avail.
To Selene, Mary Alice asked, "Are you sure he's going to be okay?"
"Yes." Selene was leading Monkey to her and Tracey. "Trust me, dear. Tracey is Tracey. He can pull through anything."
***
Selene stayed with Mary Alice until she reached the pasture. She explained what she wanted her to do for the rest of the day. She gave her a vile that had some dragon spit in it. Tracey needed to drink a little from it every hour. It sounded gross, but it would help his magic level improve. She also gave her a fairy oxygen mask to put over his nose and mouth at night. Therefore, he could continue to regain magic while Mary Alice slept. If everything were done correctly, he would be fine by morning.
"Thank you for all your help, Selene," Mary Alice said.
"It actually wasn't me," Selene admitted. "You were the one who got the dragon spit. Without it, I'm afraid Tracey would have died. You're the true hero here."
"Aw shucks," Mary Alice embarrassingly said.
"Now, good luck," Selene continued. "Do you have the vile and mask?"
"Yes, ma'am." Mary Alice held them up.
"Then you're all set." Selene flapped her little wings and lifted into the sky. "I'll see you again, my dear!" she chanted.
Mary Alice lifted her hand and waved.
Monkey couldn't wave, so he merely watched as the wisest, oldest fairy in the world disappeared into the forest.
"All right, now it's time for the fun part," Mary Alice said in a sarcastic voice. She looked in the direction of Grove Station Farms. "Getting Tracey to my car."