“Not sickness, but wasting.” Liam had come up beside me, having freed himself of his admiring throng.

“Wasting?” I recalled that Soheila had said that the fey had to return to Faerie periodically or they would fade, but she hadn’t said that the reverse was true, only that some creatures couldn’t procreate in Faerie any longer. “Is there anything that can be done for her?”

“Oh yes. Watch.”

The sick – or wasting – undine approached a group of new undines. They looked a little startled at her appearance, but in their enthusiasm and trustfulness, they welcomed her into their circle, winding their arms around her thin waist and stroking her long white hair. She smiled wanly and touched their hair and skin, as if remembering when she was young like them. I was just about to remark to Liam on how sad the scene was when I noticed that the wasting undine was changing. Her skin was brightening and her hair was turning gold. She stood straighter – she even seemed to gain an inch in height – and her arms seemed rounder. To accommodate her new looks she changed her dress to one of the clingy green and gold ones worn by the younger undines. Within minutes she was indistinguishable from the juvenile undines.

“Did she just … feed off them?” I asked, appalled.

“Yes. After a few years here in Faerie, the undines become unable to absorb the Aelvesgold. It’s kind of like a vitamin deficiency in your world. No one knows exactly why some of the creatures in Faerie have it – undines, sprites, brownies, goblins – and some do not. The newly arrived undines can still absorb the Aelvesgold and they can pass it on to the older ones. But the effect won’t last long. The older undines have to go back to the human world or they’ll die.”

“But if they go back now, they might have to leave in just a few days. The Grove wants to close the door forever.” As soon as the words were out I knew I shouldn’t have said anything. All the happy chatter and laughter stopped. The undines turned their faces to me in a synchronous wave, like a herd of cattle turning to watch an interloper crossing their field; only their eyes had none of the docility of cows. Instead I felt pinned by a hundred sharp green spears.

“What do you mean,” one of the undines asked, stepping forward out of the crowd, “close the door forever?”

I recognized that she was one of the older undines. Although her hair and skin were golden there was a waxy pallor just below the surface.

“No final decision has been made,” I said quickly. “There’s going to be a meeting to decide the matter. Perhaps they’ll decide to keep the door open. I don’t really know. In fact I’m pretty new to the whole … fairy thing.”

“But you have fey blood …” she stepped closer and sniffed at me as if smelling sour milk, “… mixed with human.” She took another step closer, but Liam inserted himself between us.