Chapter 6 #2
He takes a moment to study my face, assessing if I’m lying, I assume.
I shrink back under his scrutiny, the bark of the tree digging into my back.
“Then take it from someone who is rather well acquainted with the family—they wouldn’t mind me disappearing for a bit. Some fresh air will do me good anyway.”
“You do realize we’re already outside, right?” I offer with a smirk of my own.
I can see the twitch at the corner of his lip telling me he’s holding back a smile.
Ah, so he does have a sense of humor.
“Do you work for the royal family?” I ask, curiosity loosening my tongue and taking over my actions now that my fight or flight reflex has relaxed.
I can see his jaw clench before he speaks. “In a manner of speaking. Do you always ask so many questions?” he asks with a tilt of his head.
“Only when I’m about to wander off with a strange male that I’ve never met before,” I say, lifting both my eyebrows as if to say you’re that stranger.
But he is right. I am asking a lot of questions.
But it’s also not every day you find yourself in Faerie confronted by a real, living Fae.
I’m not letting this opportunity to hear from the source pass me by.
“I suppose I shall make sure you don’t find me a ‘strange male’ as you so put it. I’ll allow you one final question before we head out.” He crosses his arms over his chest and watches me expectantly.
I barely hold back my snort.
How generous of him to allow me one more question.
I internally roll my eyes.
The problem here though is that I have so many questions rolling around in my brain. I don’t know how I’m supposed to pick only one. But I suppose there is one that keeps jumping to the forefront of my mind.
“What’s—” I stop myself. As I’ve relaxed throughout our encounter, I almost forgot I was speaking with someone of the Fae.
If Aunt Fleur’s done one smart thing while raising me, it was that she ingrained in me the rules and traditions of the Fae and how best to stay in their good graces—should I have ever encountered one.
It seems those teachings will come in handy here.
I can practically hear her voice in my head reciting the main points.
One must always be respectful to the Fae. They can have bad tempers and will avenge even the smallest of perceived slights.
It might be a little too late for that one. I’ve not been rude… but I also haven’t been the most compliant. And I also nearly maimed him when he first approached.
Never thank a Fae. They will see that as you now owing them a favor in return and you never want to owe the Fae a favor.
Lastly, never ask a Fae for their name. Name’s hold power in Faerie and power is the greatest currency one can hold.
I clear my throat and start again. “What shall I call you? I suppose you’ll be less strange if I have a name to associate you with.”
He gives me a knowing smirk, realizing I’d caught myself from making a huge mistake in asking for his name straight up. “You may call me Bastian, little human,” he practically purrs.
“That’s not my name,” I growl with a huff. My hand twitches at my side, itching to bring the blade up.
Respectful, Olivia. Be respectful.
He leans in close to my space, forcing me to retreat back into the tree. “Oh? Then what, pray tell, shall I call you, if not little human? This is what you are.” That smirk is back on his face, likely because he’s trying to get under my skin. It’s working. And even worse, he knows it.
I hesitate before I answer. I’m not telling him Olivia because that’s one step closer to my full name and I’d rather avoid that. And Livi? That feels childish. It’s the nickname I’ve grown up with.
“You can call me Liv,” I say with a lift to my chin, which might have been a mistake with how close it places both of our faces, barely a breath apart.
It’s then that I’m surrounded by his scent.
An overwhelming whiff of the evergreen trees from Winter Solstice and lemons that makes my head spin.
I really need to drink more water if the mere scent of this male is making me lightheaded.
“Liv…” Bastian says my name like he’s trying out the letters on his tongue. “It suits you,” he says with a quick glance over me. Was that a compliment? “Is it short for something?”
I give him a sly smile. “It’s possible. Is Bastian short for something?” I ask with an innocent tone to my question.
He smirks, picking up on what I’m doing. “It’s possible,” he parrots my response “Now, lead the way, Liv.”
I want to hate the way my name sounds from his lips. But I don’t. It’s almost like he’s caressing the words, they’re thick and warm like the sweet, stickiness from the honied bread rolls I devour from the market.
I tuck the blade back into my boot but keep my hand at the ready to reach for it as I turn to head off in the direction I came from, back towards the pool. I can feel him still standing by the tree. I stop when I’m a few feet ahead and look back at him. “Well, aren’t you coming?”
“Oh, yes, I was just taking in the view first,” he says with a wink before catching up to me in a few quick strides.
I roll my eyes and start walking again. “I bet that line works on all the women. Err, females?”
He glances at me out of the corner of his eye. “Did it work on you?”
I scoff. “Not in the slightest,” I say, staring straight ahead.
“For some reason, I don’t entirely believe you.” He turns his head to face me and I can see that he’s smirking at me. I can feel heat rising to the tips of my rounded ears and I’ve never been more grateful that I adjusted my hair to cover them.
“Is that all you do with your face? Smirk?” I snap at him. Guess we can throw being respectful entirely out the window at this point.
“Only when I find my company thoroughly amusing.”
“Well, I’m glad I could offer you some amusement on this entirely boring evening,” I say dryly.
“It actually was quite boring until you stumbled into the celebrations. So, I should truly thank you for livening up my evening.”
I miss a step at his words, but manage to keep my footing, pressing forward. “There’s absolutely no need to do that.”
“I said should, not that I would.” He gives me a feline smile and I’m beginning to question if this male is more animal than anything else. “Tell me more about yourself, Liv.”
I don’t really know what inspires me to answer him.
Maybe I’m trying to make the time pass faster.
Or maybe I want to tell him about myself.
Let him get to know me. No that’s not it.
It’s definitely the former. “I mean, there’s not much to tell.
My parents passed when I was a baby. I live in a small village with my aunt and help out around the cottage.
That’s basically my entire life summed up.
” Which, thinking about it, is kind of sad.
My whole life can be summed up as an orphan, living with her aunt in a small village.
There’s nothing bold and exciting to aspire to.
“In fact, the most interesting thing to happen in my two decades of life is falling through the portal,” I say with a frown.
I’m not sure what made me voice the realization, but for some unknown reason, I feel comfortable enough with Bastian to say it.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, you tumbling through that portal has been the most interesting part of the last two decades of my life as well.”
I stutter to a stop and look at him. Unsure if he’s mocking me or being genuine. He stops a few paces ahead when he realizes I’ve paused and looks at me with a questioning look.
“You can't be serious. I know I’ve not seen a lot of Faerie—”
“Alinea,” he interrupts.
“What?”
“Faerie. The realm. It has a name. And it’s Alinea,” he says cooly.
“Oh… Well—as I was saying—I know I’ve not seen much of Alinea, but it just seems like… I don’t know, like there’s always something happening. Something to do. Somewhere to go. You even have the dynamics of the court nearby. Surely all of that is at least a little entertaining, no?”
He watches me for a long moment, considering his words, before he answers, his expression hardening. “Life in the courts isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.” Then he turns and stomps off in the direction of the portal.
Did I say something wrong? Why did he suddenly shut down on me?
I quicken my pace to catch up with him and we walk in silence the rest of the way to the clearing, until we’re standing in front of the small pool of water.
“This is where you came though?” he asks, skepticism heavy in his tone.
We both stand staring at the pool. I look around the clearing once more, making sure this is in fact the same one I tumbled into.
I take one more glance around, trying to be certain, even though I already know. “I’m almost certain this is it.”
His brows furrow in response to my answer.
“Is–Is something wrong?” I ask, cautiously. I twist the ring on my finger again, out of habit.
“Yes,” he says, and I immediately stiffen.
“Well, I don’t know. Maybe?” He huffs out a breath, running a hand through his hair, pulling it away from his face and fully revealing his pointed Fae ears to me.
I knew he had them, obviously. I had seen the tips peeking through his disheveled hair, but it’s a stark reminder of what he really is when I have it thrust into my view like that.
“This isn’t a portal that I’m familiar with and I know of all the portals on Unseelie land. ”
That’s not at all concerning. “What exactly does that mean?” I press.