Paranormalcy 3
by Kiersten White
Evie is immersing herself into her normal life by volunteering for activities at school. Lend comes home for winter break while Evie and Arianna are watching TV. Evie’s communicator goes off, but Raquel is not the one calling. A woman named Ann says Raquel was reassigned and Evie doesn’t report her her anymore. Evie says she will only talk to Raquel and hangs up. The woman appears at her door with a fairy. Evie tells her not to contact her again and gives her the communicator before closing the door.
Lend is sleeping on the couch when Evie wakes up. She got a message from David that Raquel wants to meet with her. Leaving her boyfriend behind, Evie makes her way out of the apartment and to the diner. She tries to convince the remaining paranormals to leave town before the IPCA finds them. they explain that they are not going anywhere. Two selkies, Kari and Donna, give her a ride most of the way to the coffee shop, but their driving is terrifying and Evie demands they stop. They let it slip that Nona and a fairy man (possibly Reth) have them watch over her. Lend calls, wondering where Evie is. She explains and promises to fill him in after her meeting.
Evie starts to get anxious waiting for Raquel. When she does finally arrive, she starts to explain, but stops when two men walk in after her. She tells Evie she is there to convince her to come back to IPCA. At Raquel’s insistence, Evie agrees to think about it. Raquel says she will be back at the end of the week. Evie fills Lend in on everything when he picks her up. THey decide that she will move back in with David. Lend points out that Evie’s fake birth certificate says that day is her birthday. He takes her out and then home. Arianna puts her in a dress and takes her to Lend. She opens her eyes to a surprise masquerade birthday party.
Enjoying the party, Evie notices a light in the woods. She goes out to find Arianna smoking and avoiding the party. The vampire sends her back inside. After everyone leaves, Lend tells Evie to wait on the porch. She sees a light in the woods and figures it is her last surprise from Lend. She follows, but it isn’t her boyfriend she meets.
There is a group of paranormals waiting for Evie, including Nona, Grnllll, a dragon, and eventually, Cresseda. They explain that they want to make her whole and have her open a gate so that they can go home. Most of the paranormals are only in their world because the fairies dragged everyone there for power. Evie refuses and walks away from them.
Lend thinks Evie made the right choice, but David and Arianna convince them to talk to Nona to get the rest of the story. Just as Nona is about to tell them what the Unseelie Queen is doing to impact them, Reth shows up panicked. He tells Nona they have been found out before he grabs Evie. He says he will do his best to keep her alive.
There is a loud explosion of light and the dark queen appears. She starts destroying the diner and hurting people. Lend gets Evie and Reth behind the counter. She realizes she will have to go with the Unseelie Queen to make it stop. Reth holds her back. Lend Kisses her before shifting into her. Reth takes the real Evie through a fairy door and makes her sleep.
Evie dreams of Vivian, who assures her that Lend is too useful for her to throw away. Vivian convinces Evie to fight and tells her to take all of the queen’s soul. When she wakes up, she asks Reth to take her to the dark queen. When he refuses, she decides to go to Raquel to find a fairy name. However, there are IPCA werewolves there to arrest her. She is tased.
Screaming and making a scene in her white cell, Evie tries to get someone to come talk to her. Her old trainer, Bud, comes along saying things have changed for the worst. Ann comes by and tells Evie that she won’t let her go save Lend, that she can cooperate or stay locked up. Evie asks to see Raquel, but Ann says she was demoted.
A werewolf brings another werewolf to Evie to ask if she is human or not. Evie refuses to answer and he leaves. Uber-vamp is in the cell next door, but Evie ignores him. She uses the pieces of souls insider her to break her ankle tracker. After she gets over the shock, she starts to flee. Ann is at the end of the hallway, but Jack tases the woman.
Evie refuses to go with Jack, so he takes her to Reth. She asks him to bring her as many IPCA fairies as possible. She promises that if they tell her their names, she will give them each three commands (1. wreck havoc on IPCA without hurting anyone. 2. Do Evie a favor in the future. 3. pick a new name). They agree and Evie has Reth take Jack down the hall so he won’t hear it. Alarms go off.
Jack helps support Evie while Reth takes them through the fairy paths and to David’s kitchen where Arianna is waiting. There is a unicorn out back that heals her. Arianna explains that Evie should let the elementals help her and then she should help them. Evie refuses, saying only Lend matters.
Evie finds Jack in the kitchen and threatens him into taking her to the fairy realms. She duct tapes their hands together and they go. Reth finds them quickly, realizing that Evie will not stop until she finds Lend or is dead. He agrees to help her. Jack decides to stay with her as well.
Reth takes them to the unseelie court, which looks like a beautiful forest. Evie realizes the butterflies are the queens spies and Reth freezes them. They hear music and Evie and Jack get caught up dancing, completely forgetting their mission.
They keep dancing until Reth pulls them out. Evie is in too much pain to walk, so Reth freezes her legs, making them numb. They send Jack away and continue on the find a field of pregnant woman. They are trying to make more Empty Ones.
Evie wants to save the pregnant woman, but Reth points out that it would probably kill them. They come to a village of humans next. Evie can’t take it and they move forward. Reth promises not to let her loose herself to the dark queen and tells her to think of her real name: Neamh.
When they come to the clearing full of fairies, Evie is almost drawn in by the queen. She remembers herself when she sees Lend sleeping at her feet. Evie offers her real name in exchange for freedom. The queen denies the request. Evie notices one of her guards is one she ordered to take a new name. Evie stabs the queen with a knife Buck gave her and cashes in her favor to have the fairy attack the queen until they leave. She grabs Lend and Reth gets them to the paths.
As soon as Arianna sees them, she rushes to find David. They decide it would be best to get him to Cresseda. She says Lend will be fine and asks Reth not to use Lend’s real name. Evie realizes Reth could’ve found him immediately and took Evie through the horrors of the unseelie court to show how evil they are.
Evie is furious that Reth risked Lend’s life to show her what she already knows. David agrees to bring his son back to the house and Evie storms off. Arianna catches up and tells her to think about helping the paranormals. Later while alone, Evie promises she will help if Lend wakes up. He does for a minute and Jack is there to great him. Lend passes out when Evie gets to him.
Arianna convinces Evie to get some sleep. As soon as she leaves the room, Lend wakes up. They experiment and find that Proximity to her makes him pass out. Evie takes Arianna to find Reth to see if he can help.
Reth thinks they should take Lend to his queen for help. Evie refuses. David finds out that Raquel will be going on trial for treason against the IPCA. Evie wants to rescue her. Jack knows the center well and will have to be relied on.
Arianna helps Evie with a disguise for sneaking into the Center. Lend convinces Evie that he needs to go too because he can shift into anyone. Jack will take him and Evie will be with Reth
Evie goes to IPCA with Reth. They figure that Raquel is in the iron wing, where he can’t go and she doesn’t have access. Evie finds Bud. He tells her to get out while she can because IPCA has been getting worse with Ann. They are going after creatures they shouldn’t mess with. Evie leaves him and notices that Reth is gone. The werewolf guard that hates her for getting him put in there chases her back down the hall. She sees Lend collapse and decides to use her taser.
The werewolf is too quick for Evie. Reth comes along to help her. Jack opens Raquel’s office from the inside and they all go in dragging Lend and the werewolf with them. They don’t find anything useful and decide to check her room. Reth takes Lend. Evie and Jack start making their way (so that Reth can find the room and unlock the door) when they hear Ann’s voice.
Evie peaks around a corner to see Ann talking to an unnamed fairy she recognizes from the dark court. She and Jack listen as they talk about opening a gate to only let the unseelie fairies go home. She tells Reth and Lend about it while they search Raquel’s unit. Lend waits in a closet while Evie searches the bedroom. There are pictures of her and David looking like they were in a serious relationship. Evie finds a file containing Raquel’s notes about missing werewolves and overheard conversations. Lend points out that if the unseelie fairies leave, IPCA can keep their power using the named seelie. Evie knows she’ll have to open a gate.
Jack takes Lend back home and returns to the Center with Arianna. The vampire temporarily shuts off all IPCA communication. Evie and Reth go to Central Processing to stop Raquel’s trial. She made copies of the file and hands them out to the seven judges. Ann tries to call fairies, but Reth takes her voice. The judges read it over and demand a review of Ann’s behavior. When Reth gives her voice back, she confesses her plans and points out that they will loose power. She starts calling fairies. Evie hits all of the alarms and runs with Raquel and Reth. An unseelie fairy hurts Reth so Evie sucks most of her soul. Reth opens a door and they leave the Center.
Reth Sends Evie to help Lend, but warns her that he will need her help soon. Evie is surprised at David and Raquel’s reunion as they act like a couple again. Raquel calls for a dark fairy, Althenam, but she cannot undo the curse. Raquel sends her away with a named command not to reveal or return to their location, or to go back to IPCA ever again.
Lend convinces Evie to tell him about David and Raquel as they are off freeing as many IPCA fairies as possible. He goes to bed and Evie goes to find Reth. He isn’t doing well and convinces her to go with him to see his queen.
Reth makes Evie sleep and the light queen shows her how she and the dark queen dragged the paranormals to their world. They used human dreams to create and stay in the fairy realms to stay immortal. When a fairy looses enough immortality, they can create an Empty One. The light queen wants to go back to their world with any paranormals that choose to join them The dark queen wants to force humans back so she can continue to create. Evie knows she has to help them.
Evie gives the light queen her conditions for opening a gate. She agrees to all of them except helping Lend, because she doesn’t know what is wrong with him. Reth takes her away and continues to tell her that she will change. She will want to go with the fairies and be with him. Evie explains that Lend loves her whether she changes or not. She realizes he cursed her boyfriend. Reth wanted to keep her motivated. He agrees to lift the curse to seal her contract with the light queen.
There are police and a SWAT team at David’s house. Evie sneaks in to find out what is going on. When the officers escorting Lend see him pass out and go invisible, Evie gives up secrecy. She is being arrested for terrorism. She explains how ridiculous that is and knows Ann and IPCA are behind the intrusion. Arianna calls for the dragon, which shocks all of their guests. Raquel comes along to explain everything. Evie calls out for Reth, but only Jack appears. He agrees to help the people the fairies hurt since he can travel to the Fairy Realms, even after the fairies are gone.
When Reth finally appears, he removes the curse from Lend. As he walks away, he collapses. Evie goes to him and asks what is wrong. He admits that he is dying.
Back by the pond, Evie sees the paranormals that have gathered to go back. Some have chosen to stay and she wonders what Lend’s choice will be. David says they have a problem.
David points out the issues they have with opening the gate right away. He and Raquel will go to the last IPCA center that will holds paranormals. Lend and Evie will go with Reth to get the humans out of the fairy realms, including Evie’s friend Carlee. Jack makes them an omelet as they plan and joke around.
As they continue to plot in the kitchen, Evie realizes that bread might give the humans in the fairy realms enough of a shock to bring them back to themselves. Jack confirms that they can take it through the paths. Lend goes to buy bread. Evie goes to get Reth. Charlotte and a group of werewolves arrive to help David and Raquel.
Reth goes to help the dancers while Evie, Lend, and Jack have the villagers eat bread. As Jack explains the situation, Evie goes to find Carlee. When she does, her name brings her back. Evie sends her to help Jack and goes with Reth to the pregnant women. Evie gives them bread, but it doesn’t work on them.
The fairies have been bringing human food for the pregnant girls. There is no way for them to recover. Reth points out that they have no love for their babies. Lend assures Evie that the situation is not her fault. She asks if he’s staying and he tells her that he is. Jack has gotten the humans to safety and wonders what comes next.
Lend and Carlee watch over the fairy land refugees while Evie and Jack go to check on progress in their own world. Raquel tells her that the containment facility willingly gave up the paranormals. Arianna informs her that the gathering is complete and she only has until dawn to open the gate before the two worlds are permanently separated. Reth comes and takes Evie to Vivian, who is now awake.
Vivian’s own soul started growing when Evie started loving her. Eventually, it was enough for her to wake up. She points out that Evie’s soul has also grown. She promises not to kill anyone and then takes her to Jack. He agrees to watch over and transport the humans, hoping the fairy realms won’t disappear when they do. Reth and Evie go to talk to the dark queen.
The rest of the seelie fairies follow Evie and Reth to the dark queen. Evie explains this is their only chance to go home. ALl of the unseelie join them except their queen. The light queen begs, but when her sister refuses, she gives her a named command not to move. She explains that Evie will need both of their souls to create the gate. Evie cannot take the choice away from the dark queen. Vivian arrives with Jack and takes the unseelie queen’s soul.
Vivian explains that she did it to save Evie, but can’t handle the light queen soul as well. Evie takes the other fairy queen and is overwhelmed. Reth tells her to say her name and she gains more control. She gives her dad permission to go to the mortal realm only for the purpose of going through the gate and commands him to stay away from carbonation. Reth takes the Empty Ones while Jack goes to take the rest of the humans to the mortal realm.
They join everyone in the clearing. Ann comes along to stop them, but she has no backup. Raquel tells her IPCA is done. She and David have started an international group of regional centers to help educate leftover paranormals. Vivian calls Evie over because she is starting to get tempted by the souls around her. Reth is barely hanging on. When Jack and Carlee arrive, they are ready to start. Evie sends the humans away. Reth stops her before she opens the gate in the sky, explaining it is a different eternity (death). She uses the souls in her to find their home and points it out to Vivian. They open the gate.
The paranormals make their way through the gate. Lend says goodbye to his mom. Arianna goes through and transforms. Reth waited for Evie so they could go through together. She tells him that she is staying. He considers pulling her through, but she realizes this and threatens to drain him. He kisses her before going through. Vivian points out that the gate didn’t close after everyone went through.
The girls realize that the gate needs to be closed from the other side, but neither of them have any souls left to do it. Evie plans to go through and use her own soul, hoping Reth can help her there. Lend agrees to go with her and allow her to use part of his soul. Vivian decides for them both. She takes part of Lend’s soul (making him mortal) and goes through. The gate closes. Evie and Lend are left to decide what to do with the rest of their lives.