We land softly on the top of the stone castle. There are no fires or volcanoes or screeching creatures or horrible roots up here. There are birds chirping, and the air is fragrant with jasmine, Lily-Bella's favorite shampoo scent. We're on a luminous pale surface with potted orange and lemon trees along the edge of the bailey next to the battlement. The glowing iridescent stone walls of the castle are adorned in a crisscross pattern of star jasmine vines. There is a feeling of utter peace and beauty, and I cannot imagine why anyone would want to leave this place.

Lily-Bella puts her fingers to her lips, indicating we should be quiet. Then she gestures for us to follow her. She waves her wand, and an arched wooden door appears in the castle's wall. We enter a dark room that smells like baking pies and melted chocolate and yeasty bread—my stomach grumbles.

Lily-Bella waves her wand again, and the room is bathed in a magical fairy light. Wands are so handy. I wonder if I have enough fairy in me to use one?

There are gleaming silver ovens. Marble countertops covered with the most beautiful baked goods I've ever seen: golden-crusted latticework pies with oozing red fruit, sugar-sparkled razor-thin cookies, and dozens of unicorn-topped fairy cakes arranged on a seven-tiered dessert tower.

"What is this magical place of wonder?" I whisper. Without conscious thought, my hand veers toward a cookie, but Lily-Bella slaps it away. "Hey!"

Lily-Bella shakes her head. "This is the castle's pastry kitchen. But DON'T eat anything."

"Not a problem for me," Pierce laments.

My mouth waters. "Why not?" I ask Lily-Bella. I'd already fantasized about living permanently in this very room.

Lily-Bella sighs. "Because once you eat the food in the fairy dimension, you'll never want to leave."

"But don't fairies eat it?"

"Of course, but it doesn't have the same effect on us." She pops a cookie into her mouth as if to prove her point.

I'm pretty sure I'm drooling. "Urgh! Why are there so many rules in Fairyland?"

"Fintan and Pickles are close by," says Lily-Bella, totally ignoring my question. "But I also feel the presence of others. Powerful fairies are here at the castle today. Stay close; the castle changes at its own will. Passages shift, rooms reposition themselves. If you separate from me, you may never get out of here. My wand will show us the safest route. Questions?"

"Only one," I say.

"Yes?"

"About my clothes." Everyone stares at my bare legs.

"Oh, right." Lily-Bella giggles and waves her wand.

Now I'm dressed like Lily-Bella in a long, poofy, satin gown, but mine is a lovely teal instead of pink. It doesn't seem like the best outfit for subterfuge, but I don't want to argue. At least I'm not prancing around in comical underwear! "Thanks."

"Sure. I suppose I did us all a favor," Lily-Bella says, smiling at me.

Pierce clears his throat. "Speak for yourself, Lily-Bella. I rather enjoyed her other outfit." He grins. Pierce thinks if he does that adorable dimpled-grin thing, I won't say anything about his remark.

My mouth is open, and I'm in the process of concocting an impressive retort when Lily-Bella's wand starts to vibrate, the glowing tip flashing on and off like a lighthouse.

"Let's go," she says.

We exit through a door on the opposite side of the kitchen from where we entered and walk into a hallway. Even though we're still indoors, the floor is carpeted with sweet-smelling grass sprinkled with wildflowers in dazzling colors I've never seen in the earthly realm. Ivy climbs the walls. Fairy lights dance on the ceiling, and tiny alicorns fly from flower to flower like pollinating bees. Miniature fairies, in sheer gowns, frolic on the leaves.

"Come on, they're this way," Lily-Bella says. She waves her wand, and another door appears. She opens it, and my jaw drops at what is on the other side.

It's a field, as big as the entire WMH campus, with perfectly manicured grass and a forest of pink pine trees. It's dotted with small beehive-shaped huts that look like they're made of hay. There are gurgling streams, with pink deer stopping by for a drink. Little pink bunnies, swans, polar bears, dogs, cats, horses, unicorns, ibises, and seagulls populate this strange forest. I think fairies have an unhealthy relationship with the color pink. At least the grass is normal. I hear girlish tittering.

"What's that?" I ask.

"Look," says Thunder, pointing at the stream.

A half dozen nymphs clad only in water drops and moonbeams splash in the river. They are gorgeous, and the only thing covering their breasts is their long hair, the color of pearls. They're waving at Thunder and Pierce.

"Want to come for a swim, boys?" says a nymph.

Thunder walks toward them in a daze. Lily-Bella pulls him back by the collar. "Thunder. Hello? Thunder? Remember me? Your girlfriend?"

Thunder looks at Lily-Bella. For a second, he doesn't recognize her. Then he shakes his head and pulls Lily-Bella in for a hug. "Oh, wow! I don't know what came over me!"

"I do," says Lily-Bella. "Sorry, girls, these boys are taken. Go find your own!"

"Have you seen Cupid?" says another of the nymphs, this one even lovelier than the others. "He promised he'd come back, and it's been eons." She pouts.

"We haven't seen him," Lily-Bella lies. "Now, git!" She raises her wand, and the nymphs dive into the watery depths.

"Nymphs!" Lily-Bella huffs. "Guys can't resist them."

I look at Pierce, but he shrugs and plants a kiss on my lips. "There's no other girl for me," he says. Apparently, vampires are immune. Or maybe just my vampire is immune.

"Where are we?" Thunder says, cheeks flushed to match his hair, probably trying to change the topic of conversation.

"This is the throne room," says Lily-Bella.

"Where's the throne?" I ask.

"It only appears when it is needed. Right there." She points to a spot in the middle of the field.

As soon as Lily-Bella finishes speaking, two golden thrones covered in pink silk materialize from the ether. "Wow!" I say. "Did you do that?"

Lily-Bella's eyes are practically the size of fairy cakes. "This way, quick!"

We hide behind a a gigantic pink pine tree, Pierce behind me, Thunder behind Lily-Bella. Thunder reaches around her and places his massive hands reverently on the craggy pink trunk. "Sturdy," he mumbles.

I peek around the edge to see what's happening. In moments, two figures appear seated on the thrones. One is fairy princess Iridessa. The other I do not recognize. She's in a simple blue gown with a crown. She has bright red hair that looks like a flame. Oh, dear. It must be ..."

"Pickles' mom," whispers Lily-Bella.

"Pickles' mother is a princess?" I ask.

"Actually, she's the queen. Pickles is the princess. Mrs. McPhee even outranks Iridessa. You didn't know?"

I shake my head. How did I not know Pickles was royal? Because she never once acted as if she were better than anyone else. She is the purest soul I've ever known. Why should Pickles suffer like this? I am so angry with her mom; it takes all my self-control not to march over there, mash her into a little ball, and throw her over the side of the castle. So much for the castle making me feel all blissed out. Pierce gives my hand an icy squeeze and kisses my head.

The Queen snaps her fingers, and a footman in a pink tuxedo appears with a rolling tray of tea and pastries. His hand trembles as he pours from a silver teapot. "Spellman! The cream and the sugar first, then the tea!" says Mrs. ... uh ... Queen McPhee.

Fairy princess Iridessa pats Pickles' mom on the hand. "We will find them, Moira; they cannot have gone far. Headmaster Crumpet has the entire faculty searching."

Pickles' mom bangs her fist on the arm of her throne. "He'd better find them, or I'll close that ridiculous school down. What was I thinking, putting my child in such a place? I knew it was a mistake. I should not have let that Crumpet fill my head with his stupid ideas about diversity and understanding other cultures. That will be all, Spellman." The Queen waves her hand, and the footman disappears. "The new footman simply does not understand protocol. But I digress! Iridessa, I thought you were going to keep an eye on things!"

"Really, Moira. You're just upset. Once this is over, I'm sure you'll ..."

"I am more than upset. I want my daughter back. And that, that, whatever he is. Fintan. We must eliminate him." The Queen picks up a pastry and takes a dainty nibble.

What does she mean, eliminated? Thunder is digging his fingers into the pink tree bark. My heart is hammering in my chest, and my hair is sparking. Lily-Bella's eyes are wide with alarm. She waves her wand, and my hair settles down. "Thanks," I mouth. She nods her head.

"Surely you are not expecting us to kill the boy," says Iridessa.

At least someone is acting rational!

Queen Moira sips her tea, shakes her head, and sets the cup back on the tray. "Well, no. But surely he can be sent back to where he came from."

Iridessa folds her hands in her lap. "He grew up in the human foster care system. He never lived anywhere for more than three months. Every place he lived ended up burning down. He had no home to speak of until coming to West Marin Heights."

Oh, poor Fintan!

"Well, he's old enough to be on his own now. Put him back in the human world and erase his memories. That should take care of the problem. And Pickles is coming home. I'm keeping her locked in our castle until she marries the prince we've chosen for her."

What, no! Pickles will die if she has to live that way! And she loves Fintan!

Thunder emits a low growl, and a chunk of tree comes off in his hand.

Iridessa gasps. "But ..."

Queen Moira glares at Iridessa.

"As you wish, Queen Moira," Iridessa says through clenched teeth.

The two fairies disappear, as do the tea, pastries, and the golden thrones. I breathe my first real breath since the royal fairies of doom appeared.

"At least it doesn't seem like they know Pickles and Fintan are here in Fairyland. We have to get to them first," Lily-Bella says.

"But I don't understand why Pickles would even bring Fintan here. It seems like the worst place in the universe to hide from her mother," I say.

Lily-Bella shakes her head. "Fairy godmothers aren't supposed to learn about this world until their 18th birthday, when they wed. The only reason Pickles knew about it was because I came here for Iridessa's wand. She probably has no idea it's a place her mother visits regularly."

"More rules!" I say.

"We're running out of time," says Lily-Bella. "Unless you want to get burnt to a crisp on the way out, we have about twenty minutes to find Pickles and Fintan and return to the human dimension. Come on."

We gather up our skirts, hold hands with our respective boyfriends, and run through the field. "There," says Lily-Bella, pointing to a hut that looks like all the others.

We dive through the entrance, and instead of being inside a grass hut, we're back in the pastry kitchen. Fintan is standing next to an oven; smoke escapes through the stove door and curls around him while he lifts a unicorn-topped fairy cake to his mouth.

Pickles' hand flies to her chest. "Waverly, Pierce, Lily-Bella, Thunder! What are you guys doing here?"

"Fintan, no!" I leap across the room and bat the cake out of Fintan's mouth a moment before he's able to take a bite.

"Hey! Why d'you do that?" Fintan reaches for another.

"Stop, Fintan," Lily-Bella warns. "If you eat that, you'll never be able to leave this realm. Ever! Please tell me you haven't eaten one yet."

"No, but is that true?" Fintan says, looking at Pickles for confirmation.

"I don't know," says Pickles. "I've never been here before."

"Well then, thanks, Waverly," says Fintan. "But, uh, can I ask you what you are all doing here?"

"We've come to get you guys," Thunder says. "We need Fintan to blow up some stuff for us."

"No! He can't go back," Pickles says, grabbing Fintan's hand. "My mom is furious and wants Fintan thrown out of school." Pickles sneezes.

I take Pickles' other hand. She looks even frailer than before, and Fintan seems exhausted. "I am glad to see you both. I was so worried."

"How did you all get here?" Pickles says.

Thunder rubs his stomach. "Cupid! He helped us with magical tacos filled with raw meat."

I grimace. "Look, Pickles, we don't have time to talk about food. We just overheard your mom and Iridessa in the throne room."

"They're here?" Pickles cries.

"Yes! They said they're going to lock you up until you are married to some prince, and they're going to send Fintan back to the human world. After ..."

"After what?" Fintan says, trying to stay calm, but smoke is rising from his ears.

Thunder shakes his great head. "After wiping your mind, dude. Sorry."

"I see," says Fintan. Red sparks fly from his fingertips. Hey, it's kind of nice not to be the only one who sparkles!

"Look, guys, we have to get you both back," I say. "We need Fintan to blow up the barn at the Halloween party and put an end to the DOT Corporation. We have so much to tell you. But we have to go now. Cupid has promised to keep you hidden in Olympus. No one will find you there."

We hear heavy footsteps coming down a nearby corridor.

"Let's go!" Lily-Bella cries. She waves her wand, and a door to the bailey outside the castle shimmers into view. We run across the bailey, past the potted orange and lemon trees, until we're at the spot where we landed after our fairy dance.

"Now what?" I say, breathing hard.

"We jump," says Lily-Bella.

I look over the edge; I think the castle is further from the ground than before. "Uh, no way!" I say. "Mermaids may heal fast, but things can still break!"

Lily-Bella laughs. "It'll be fine. There's a deep moat below us. It'll be fun."

Rather than standing there arguing with me like a good fairy, Lily-Bella dives off the battlement. A second later, we hear a splash. "Come on," she beckons in a tiny, faraway voice.

"But I'll turn into a mermaid," I mumble. The footsteps are getting closer. More than footsteps—they sound like metal boots striking against stone. Why does Pierce look all amused at my plight?

The threat of approaching boots and Pierce's lordly grin are enough of a motivation that I squeeze my eyes closed and dive. I scream, and it's super impressive—maybe even more piercing and blood-curdling than the shrieks from the fire spirits. As I tumble through the air, something that feels like octopus tentacles wraps tight around my torso, and instead of falling, I'm rising. My eyes fly open. "Pierce!"

"Did you really think I wouldn't fly you down?"

Before I can thank him, I point toward the battlement where a legion of armored and booted guards are poised, pointing back at us, wands at the ready. "Look out!"

Pierce plummets. I scream again, right in his ear. Which may have been stupid, because I need him to concentrate on flying, but sometimes screaming happens. You can't control it. Just before we hit the moat, he lifts me, and we fly gently to the ground. The others stumble and trip as they hustle out of the moat, water dripping from soggy clothes.

I'm valiantly helping Fintan out of the water when we hear bellowing from above. "Stop! Pickles! You stop right now!" Queen Moira is leaning over the edge of the battlement in front of her army. "Zap away!" says the Queen. "Seize them!"

We race to get as far out of zapping range as possible, and I guess we succeeded because behind us comes a staccato of splashes. I glance over my shoulder to see hundreds of fairy guards diving into the moat. "Faster!" I say.

Luckily, we're in the part of the fairy dimension now where magic doesn't work. If it did, I'm pretty sure we'd all be fairy dust right now. Our pursuers will have to catch up to kill us. But we're young and supernatural. I hope this is enough!

The air is more putrid as we get further from the palace. I look back again, and unfortunately, the fairy army is in excellent shape. No matter how fast we run, we are about to be overtaken. Pickles trips over a root. Fintan stops to help her. The army, Queen Moira at the lead, is almost upon us. Coming from the other direction, preceded by ear-splitting screams, is a colony of fire spirits heading our way. We're trapped!

"Pickles," Fintan blurts out.

She clutches onto him, burying her head in the crook of his neck. "What?"

He puts his hands on her shoulders and looks into her eyes. "This will not work. Your family will never let us be together. It's making you sick, and now they're going to lock you up! I cannot allow this to happen. It's over. I'm sorry."

"Fintan, no! We'll find a way," Pickles begs, tears cascading down her cheeks.

"Don't you see? We can't run forever. Goodbye, Pickles," Fintan says, marching away from us, with his hands over his head, sparks flying from his fingertips. He's surrendering to the Queen and her army.

I'm holding Pickles, and now we're both crying. But even as we're standing there in the midst of fairy hell, I can feel her body getting stronger. She no longer has the fairy flu. Her eyes are bright green, glistening with tears.

"Take him to the dungeon," Queen Moira orders.

Pickles straightens her spine and walks away from me, toward the queen. "Mother, no! He broke up with me. Let him go."

"Not until we wipe his mind. Can't have him remembering you, my daughter. Trying to come back for you."

Just as a guard is about to grab Fintan, there is a trembling roar, and the fire spirits turn around and fly away at top speed. The army scatters. Queen Moira is yelling at them to return to their formation, but they are tripping over themselves trying to get away. Then the whole fairy world rumbles. A burst of fire shoots across the landscape from the east, and the smell of brimstone is as thick and tangible as a forest fire. Queen Moira grabs Fintan.

"We better go now," Lily-Bella says, scanning the eastern sky. "There may be too many for us to fight, and we have minutes before the tacos wear off."

"Too many what?" I say as six dark shadows swirl on the ground. I look up. Above us are six dragons, the size of barns, circling the queen and Fintan like vultures.

"Run!" says Lily-Bella.

"No!" says Pickles. "What about Fintan?"

The dragons dive at the queen and Fintan. One of them scoops Fintan up with her claw and tosses him onto her back.

"Fintan!" Pickles screams his name. He looks at her calmly, as if he isn't scared of the colossal beast. The six dragons soar away, leaving Queen Moira futilely shaking her fist in the air in fury. We've run out of time, and there's clearly nothing we can do for Fintan. We grab Pickles and race toward the fiery doorway out of Fairyland.