I fell back onto the soft pillows. I am so not in Kansas anymore.

The vines parted and a pretty red-haired girl appeared. She wore a pale green shift with a fine silver gauze overlay and her delicate face had an almost ethereal quality to it. At first glance I guessed her to be around ten years old, but as she approached the bed I saw that she was closer to my age, maybe a little older.

“Welcome back, little sister,” she said in a soft musical voice that was oddly familiar.

“Where am I?” My throat was dry and my voice raspy.

She moved her hand and out of nowhere she seemed to pull a glass of what looked like water. Pressing the glass into my hands she said, “Drink.”

I took the glass and put it to my lips, too parched to question what it was or how it had appeared from thin air. When I took my first drink I discovered the clearest, most refreshing water I had ever tasted. With my second drink, flavors exploded across my tongue like the smell of grass and flowers and rain and sunshine. It reminded me of standing in a meadow after a spring shower. I drank it all then looked forlornly at the glass, wishing for more. Like magic, the glass filled again and I drank that down too before my thirst was quenched.

“Am I sick?”

She smiled sweetly and her emerald green eyes sparkled. “You were very ill. I am delighted to see you have recovered.”

I studied her face. I’d never seen her before, that much I knew. So why did I feel like we’d met before? “Do I know you?”

Her laugh was airy, musical and something stirred at the edge of my memory. “We have met once but I have been watching you for many years now.”

“Who are you?”

The air around her began to shimmer and a small breeze tossed the leaves covering the walls. Before my eyes the girl faded and morphed into a small spinning column of air. “I told you we would meet again,” said a whispery voice I would know anywhere.

My hand flew to my mouth. “Aine?”

The air shifted and the smiling girl stood before me again. “It is good to see you again, Sara.”

“I don’t understand. Why are you here and why have you been watching me?”

She laid her pale slender hand over mine where it lay on the comforter. “We always watch over our own.”

Their own? I shook my head, thinking I knew exactly how Alice had felt down in the rabbit hole. “I’m not a sylph. I’m Mohiri.”

“You are correct. You are not of the air and you did inherit your mother’s demon side.” Aine nimbly hopped up to sit cross-legged on the bed beside me. “But you inherited something from your father as well. I know you have always wanted to know where you got your power to heal. That comes from your great, great, great, great grandmother.”

“Are you saying that my dad wasn’t human?” I refused to believe that. Nate was very human and my dad had been too.

“Oh, he was human. Your ancestor’s gifts can pass only to females of her line.” Aine’s eyes danced. “Do you know you are her first female descendant? As you can imagine, we were very excited when you were born.”

I struggled to keep up with her. “What are you saying?”

“Forgive me. In my eagerness I have confused you. Let me explain.” She took one of my hands in her smaller one and I felt a peaceful calm flow into me. My power surged in response and a soft gasp escaped me when I sensed energy coming from Aine that was so similar to my own. It was like finding a piece of myself that I did not know was missing.

“Your great, great, great, great grandmother was named Sahine and she was of the water and one of my dearest sisters. One day Sahine fell in love with a human male and she chose to leave this life for a mortal one. It happens sometimes.” Aine smiled wistfully. “We were sad when she left us but she was so happy for the rest of her days. I was glad for her.”

I rubbed my eyes and felt my forehead to see if I was feverish. But my face was cool to the touch. Maybe I’m drugged. What else could explain the things I was hearing?

“So I’m like a mermaid or something? Because if you tell me I’m going to start growing a tail, I am going to freaking lose it.” I moved my feet under the covers to make sure they were still there.

Aine gave another tinkling laugh. “You are undine. And I don’t think our cousins would appreciate your sentiment.”

“Undine?” I tried to remember what I knew about undines. Water elementals, always female with beautiful singing voices. Obviously not all of their talents were passed on. All elementals could heal, which explained my power. Undines were supposedly born without souls and marrying a human was one way to get a soul. I felt a moment of fear. I was already half demon. Did this mean I had no soul either?

Aine’s brow furrowed. “I thought you would be happy but you look troubled.”

“Do I… do I have a soul?”

“Only those born in the water are full undine and have no soul. You were not born to the water are so you are not full undine.”

I had a soul – that was something at least. But what did this make me? God, a month ago I was just another human, or so I thought. Now I was what – one third human?

An ache started behind my eyes. This was too much to process. One minute I’m falling off a cliff and the next I’m in a strange room with a sylph telling me I’m part elemental. If this was someone’s idea of the afterlife, it was pretty messed up.

Aine slid off the bed. “I am sorry. You are weak from your illness and I am upsetting you.” She touched my forehead with her cool palm. “Go to sleep. I will be here when you wake up.”