Chapter Forty-One: Coutarine Island?

 Tracey's room was quiet, leaving Makenna slightly surprised when she entered it. She then remembered how much she loved it.

 Makenna landed gently, trying her best to ignore the cold, and stumbled toward Tracey's bed. Gina slept at the foot of it, breathing silently, and Tracey rested on his side, his eyes closed. Makenna approached him.

 Sensing her, Tracey slowly opened his eyes and smiled feebly. "Hey, Makenna."

 Makenna was nervous he would yell at her, but he didn't. He just smiled. Makenna soon sat beside him, and her wings dropped. She and Tracey met eyes, and there was silence between them.

 Finally, Makenna spoke. "I'm so sorry, Tracey. Thanks to my foolishness, your wings are broken."

 "It's okay," said Tracey. "I had a feeling that something like this would eventually happen to me." He thought back to seven years ago when he had a premonition while looking at the North Beach pool and saw himself being hammered by an enormous wave in the ocean.

 Makenna sniffed and rubbed her nose.

 "Go home, Makenna," Tracey told her. "Please. Don't worry about me. I'm home now. Besides, you have a dance to get ready for."

 "I don't think I deserve to go to that dance," Makenna softly spoke, closing her eyes. "I'm such a rotten fourteen-year-old. Besides, I don't even have a dress." She took a deep breath.

 For a moment, Tracey stared at her. He then asked, "A dress? Hmm." His eyes left Makenna and landed on the dresser beside his bed. On it rested a green and purple paintbrush since Tracey also liked to paint. He reached for it and picked it up. Tracey examined the paintbrush and inhaled. He nodded feebly and struggled to his knees. Tracey pulled the covers off him and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

 "What are you doing, Tracey?" Makenna worriedly asked.

 Tracey tried getting up, but he groaned in pain, closed his eyes, and sat back down.

 Makenna took his shoulder. "You're hurt. You've got to lie down."

 "I'm fine," mumbled Tracey. He opened his eyes and took Makenna's hand, pushing himself up. Once standing, with the paintbrush clutched tightly in his hand, he headed toward one of the walls of his room. Tracey stopped before it and studied it.

 Makenna joined him and again asked, "What are you doing?"

 "Blue's your favorite color, right, Makenna?" questioned Tracey. He rubbed his beardless chin.

 Makenna nodded. "Yeah, why? Tracey, please. You've got to lie down."

 Tracey released himself and weakly said, "Not until I make sure you're ready for the dance. Dances are fun. I don't want you to be unable to go because you don't have a dress."

 Makenna was perplexed. "What are you talking about, Tracey?"

 "Watch this." Tracey gestured for her to step away. "But step back."

 Makenna did.

 For a little longer, Tracey examined the wall. Eventually, he lifted the paintbrush, and the tip of it touched it.

 Makenna gasped when the wall burst into magic, blue sparkles.

 Tracey painted a picture of a beautiful, light blue dress. He pressed the tip of the paintbrush up to the dress's center and pulled it out of the wall.

 "Whoa!" Makenna gasped. "A magic paintbrush! How did you do that?"

 "Close your eyes, Makenna," Tracey gently ordered.

 Makenna smiled and did.

 Tracey next ordered the paintbrush to take the dress to her. Before Makenna knew it, it flung itself on top of her and glowed.

 "Tracey, what's happening?" Makenna held her hand before her to block out the shine. When the magic left, she looked down and gasped again. Her wings had gone poof. She was human again, and Makenna wore the dress as well. Its hem touched the floor of the cave, and Makenna ran her hand down its silky surface. She wore sparkly silver earrings and a silver bracelet around her wrist.

 Makenna was open-mouthed in astonishment. Tracey had created a dress for her to wear to the dance.

 With the paintbrush still in his hand, he pointed it at a mirror in the corner of his room and told Makenna, "Look at yourself in the mirror. See if you like it. I believe that would be appropriate to wear to a school dance."

 Still open-mouthed, Makenna stumbled toward the mirror.

 Tracey went to his bed and sat back down. He took deep breaths, and sweat trickled down his temples. Tracey flinched and peered back at his wings. At the sight of them, he whimpered, "No."

 Before long, Makenna approached him, grinning, and Tracey looked up at her. "Oh, Tracey," she said, "it's perfect. Thank you so much."

 Tracey forced a smile. "I want you to go to that dance, Makenna. I know I've become nothing but a burden to you, so I want to make it up to you. Here, why don't I pack that dress for you?" He lifted the magic paintbrush again and painted a picture of a dress box on the ground. Tracey again touched the tip of the brush to the box's center. He pulled it up and out of the floor, and Makenna's eyes widened.

 "So cool," she said in a small voice.

 The box soared over to Makenna, and she again glowed. Afterward, she no longer wore the dress. Makenna was back in her Level 2 fairy form, and the box rested in her hands. Makenna pulled up the lid and peered inside. There was her dress. Makenna closed the lid and gently set the box down on the ground, again saying, "Thank you, Tracey." She and Tracey shared a hug. When they let go, Makenna took Merlin's apprentice by the shoulders and told him, "Now you just focus on getting better, okay?"

 "Okay," Tracey whimpered. Closing his eyes, he flinched and grabbed the edge of the bed, sniffing.

 Makenna helped him lie down and pulled the covers over him. Tucking him in, she said, "You've done enough for me, my friend. It's time you took a break."

 "But my wings," whispered Tracey. "My wings. My wings."

 "Do they hurt?" Makenna asked. "Want me to get Merlin?"

 "Yes, please," Tracey answered. "Please, Makenna. Sensei is like my father."

 "All right. I'll be right back," Makenna said. "Again, thank you so much for the dress, Tracey. I'm so sorry about your wings, but I promise that something wonderful will come out of this. Gina's right there. She's here for you, and so am I. I'll get Merlin. You take it easy, okay?" Makenna picked up the box with the dress in it and hurried in the direction of Tracey's room exit. She went into the hallway and, just by luck, ran right into Merlin.

 He was coming down the hallway, Raeven beside him. "Hey, Makenna!" Merlin said, waving at her.

 "Uh, hi," Makenna stammered.

 "Miss Makenna!" shouted Raeven. He soared toward her, and Makenna yelled, diving out of the way. She landed on her front on the ground. Raeven stopped and floated in midair. "Why does she reject me?" he yelled.

 Merlin grabbed him and dragged him out of the sky. He patted Raeven on the head, and he seemed to purr. Merlin focused on Makenna, who stood, and asked, "Is there something I can help you with, my dear?"

 "Yes, sir," Makenna shakily said, shivering at the sight of Merlin patting Raeven. "It's Tracey. His wings are hurting him. He asked me to come get you."

 "I was coming anyway," Merlin admitted. "I know he's hurting, so I'm bringing him some pain medicines. Sorry about Raeven; he just wanted to come along. He wanted to see you again."

 "But he's a bat!" Makenna shouted. She retreated away from Raeven, but her back hit the cave's wall. Makenna's eyes widened. She thought being half-fairy was weird. "Merlin," she asked, "may I please go home now?"

 "You're ready?" Merlin questioned.

 Makenna nodded—"Yes"—and pressed her back against the wall. "Just get me out of here." She fixed her eyes on Raeven.

 Merlin, who still patted him, said, "All right," and released him. "Makenna, I'd rather you get teleported back home rather than flying over the ocean just because of the Octopus Man. However, I'm not sure if I can do it. It looks like you need to perform the Teleporting Spell."

 "Me?" Makenna took her back off the wall and set her dress box beside her left ankle. "Why me?"

 "You're the only one here who still has enough magic to perform a spell," Merlin answered. "It has to be you."

 While he and Makenna chit-chatted, Raeven focused on Makenna's dress box and curiously examined it. As quiet as a mouse, he sank to the ground and landed, approaching the box. He sniffed it up and down and seemed to smile.

 "What are the words to the Teleporting Spell?" Makenna asked Merlin. She picked up her dress box and checked the area. It was strange. Raeven seemed to have vanished, but did Makenna care?

 "Do you want to say goodbye to Tracey first?" Merlin asked her.

 "I already did," Makenna lied, waving her hand. "Come on, sir, chop, chop! What are the words to the Teleporting Spell?"

 "Whammy, zammy, kazami," Merlin answered.

 "Whammy, zammy, kazami?" Makenna inquired. Right after she spoke, a bright flash of light appeared before her, and Makenna gasped. She hugged her dress box close to her chest and glowed up. "Ahh!"

 "That's it, Makenna!" Merlin cheered. "You just performed the Teleporting Spell!"

 In a bright blast of blue light, Makenna vanished, and it was dead silent.

 Only Merlin was left behind in the corridor. "Whoa, impressive," he admitted. "What do you think, Raeven? Raeven?" Raeven didn't answer. Merlin searched the area. "Raeven!" he called. "Oh no!" He slapped his hands to his temples. "He didn't! Ugh! Makenna's not going to be happy!" Merlin dropped his hands and sighed. "Oh well, at least it's quiet now. This will make things much easier. Yeah." Nodding, Merlin ran his fingers through his long beard and headed toward Tracey's room.

 Merlin soon found himself standing in the doorway of his pupil's room. He took a deep breath and reached up, taking off his hat. He stumbled toward Tracey's bed, but like Makenna, he was starting to slow down.

 Merlin stopped at Tracey's bed, and his eyes landed on Gina, fast asleep. Chuckling feebly, Merlin reached over and picked her up.

 Gina didn't stir. She was out like a light.

 Merlin held her in his arms and started stroking her. He sat on his apprentice's bed and peered into his face.

 Barely conscious, Tracey half opened his eyes and met Merlin's, softly saying, "Master."

 "It's me, Tracey," Merlin told him. "You're here. You're home, and you're safe. I need to give you some medicine that will help with the pain and help you fall asleep. First things first, my young apprentice, can you try not to lie on your wings?"

 Tracey nodded but didn't say a word. He closed his eyes and turned onto his side.

 Gently setting Gina back down on the bed, Merlin picked up a cup of water resting on Tracey's nightstand and attempted to help him take some medicine and drugs that would help with the pain, but because he had lost his appetite, he refused. "Tracey, please," Merlin begged. "You've got to take these medicines to help with the pain." He attempted to give Tracey the medicine again, but he again refused.

 He moaned and brought the back of his hand to his forehead.

 Merlin finally just gave up. "All right, that's it," he said, backing away from Tracey's bed. "If you're going to refuse to take the medicine, Tracey, then I'm going to call the Coutarine Fairy Hospital."

 "No!" Tracey begged. "I don't need a hospital!" He hated hospitals, even if they were on Coutarine Island. "I'm fine, Merlin," Tracey added. "I don't need to go to the Coutarine Fairy Hospital." He tried to get up again to prove to Merlin that he was all right, but a searing pain engulfed every inch of his broken wings. He started to fall, but Merlin caught him and dragged him back into bed. He again tried to give him the medicine, but Tracey still refused to take it.

 After that third attempt, Merlin said, "I understand, son. A lot is going on in your mind now, between your wings and Makenna betraying you. We'll try again later. I'll keep the medicine by your bed, though. However, if you don't feel better tomorrow and still refuse, then I will have to call the hospital." He set the cup of water and pills down on Tracey's nightstand. Merlin placed his hand on his forehead. "Hm, maybe that's why you're refusing. You have a fever. Stay here, kid, and I'm going to get a towel for your forehead. Keep in mind that Gina is right here. I'll be right back. I promise." Merlin took his hand away from his apprentice's forehead and sighed sadly, leaving the room.

 Tracey and Gina were left behind, and the mark of the Octopus Man had not vanished from Tracey's arm. It looked like he had a tattoo. He tightly clenched his teeth and reached back to his wings.