I ate my cupcake and tried not to gloat. These two were so cute together. I wished Odette could see the light when it came to Theo. They were obviously meant to be.
We walked the twisting road until the village changed into a subdivision. Here were the cutest little cottages, surrounded by white fences and big pastures. Theo opened the gate to a white stone cottage, with a black roof covered in ivy. It almost looked like a stable more than a home.
“This is my parents’ house,” he explained. “I hope my brother’s here.”
“I live right there.” Odette pointed to a pink cottage next door, then frowned. “But… my mom doesn’t want to see me right now, so it’s fine if we don’t visit.”
Theo’s frown sank lower. I did my best to reign in my big mouth and not make a sarcastic comment. Odette’s mom was just mean.
Theo’s cottage was warm and full of light. The kitchen and living room were small and cozy, connected together in an open concept. A scented candle burned the scents of fall, and there was cider slowly cooking on the stove. Smells of cinnamon and pumpkin swarmed through the air. The furniture was white and new, with plaid blankets draped over the backs of the chairs that surrounded the kitchen table. Horseshoes hung on the walls, along with pictures of barns and paintings of alicorns. Horse bits and old saddles were worked into the decor. It had the aesthetic of an old farmhouse, with pumpkins stacked on top of a hay bale in the corner.
“My parents are fae archaeologists,” Theo explained. “They’re at a dig site today, so they’re probably not home.”
I heard loud footsteps coming from the staircase. A gigantic alicorn shifter with short-cut blond hair and muscles the size of battering rams came charging in. He looked like a football player. By his features, I knew he had to be Theo’s brother.
“Theodore!” he boomed. “How’s it going, little bro?”
“It’s fine, Gus,” Theo said tiredly. He groaned as Gus stampeded over to him and picked him up, crushing him to his chest.
Theo looked so scrawny and thin compared to his brother. They were total opposites. When Gus put Theo down, he was gasping for breath.
Gus reached out to Odette, who threw her arms out wide. “Did you miss me?” she asked.
“I always miss my little sis,” he said, giving her a side-hug that was much gentler than the one he gave Theo. Gus’ eyes sparkled when he looked at me. “You’ve gotta be Emma. Odette loves to talk about you.”
“Oh yes, I do!” Odette piped. “Very much. Emma, meet Augustus Antov. He’s my go-to source whenever I need to write an essay for my History of Malovia class.”
It seemed weird a big guy like him was into history. “So… you work at the Alicorn Hall of History?” I asked.
“I know it’s unexpected, but research is kind of my thing,” Gus explained. “Along with wooing the ladies.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “We’re not staying long. We just came to ask a question.”
“Ask away.” Gus stirred the cider on the stove. “I’m all ears.”
“We need to research the dryca, for a school project,” Odette explained. “We’ve looked in the school library, and in other places, but books aren’t going to give us what we need. Do you have any resources to get us started?”
“It’s smart that you came to the alicorn village if you’re looking for history on the dryca. There were more druids in our Faction than there were in all the others.” Gus rubbed his chin. “But if you really want to get the full druid experience, you’ll have to go to the Pool of Memory.”
“The Pool of Memory?” Theo asked. “What’s that?”
“It’s an ancient pool where the druids left their knowledge when they began dying out, to preserve it,” Gus said. “It’s a well-kept secret. Any Arcanea who dips their hand into the pool will access some wisdom of the dryca, though it’s the Pool’s decision to choose what knowledge to bestow.”
“How do you know about it?” Theo asked.
“My class took a visit to it when I was in graduate school. It’s typically a place only fae historians know about,” Gus replied. “It’s very far away though— took a whole weekend to get there and back. Not to mention dangerous. Place is crawling with monsters.”
“Could you tell us how to get there?” Odette asked.
“Sure.” Gus paused. “What do you need it for? This seems like a lot of work for one school project.”