2. Varyx
VARYX
I felt the portal come to life, and curiosity brought me down to watch it.
I rarely bothered. What would interest me about the tourists who came to enjoy the beauty of my island?
They’d have their fun and leave, giving no more thought to this world.
To them, all that mattered was the hidden space where they could be themselves.
They neither knew nor cared about the effort required to keep it functioning.
Behind me, hidden from their view, the Void Gate pulsed with energy.
Power from the hungry nothingness beyond leaked through, washing over my wings.
Stronger than usual. There’d be a big storm coming in the next few days, unless I used the energy I gathered to reseal the Gate.
The work was unending, and I looked forward to the rare occasions when a monster fought its way in from beyond. At least then I got a fight.
The tourists saw nothing of that, nor should they. Why ruin their fun? As shallow as their concerns were, I didn’t need them panicking about a problem they couldn’t fix. Let them have their parties on the beach.
A flash of red hair caught my attention, dragging me out of my thoughts. The lone human female walking out of the silver portal mists was more than enough distraction. Her solo arrival was unusual enough, since most visitors arrived in pairs, sometimes in larger groups.
That was interesting, but what captivated me was her appearance.
Her hair, copper and gold with ember-bright strands escaping from the careless knot she’d tied it in, caught the nebula’s light and glowed like fire.
The sea breeze worried at it constantly, teasing strands loose to curl around her face and throat, hiding her features until she brushed the hair aside with an impatient gesture.
When the light touched her face, a strange sensation rippled down my spine.
Like recognition, though I’d never seen her before.
I would certainly have remembered if I had.
Freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose and the tops of her cheeks in delicate constellations I longed to chart and explore.
Her piercing green eyes shared the wide-eyed wonder common to guests of the resort, but beneath was something different.
The smile gracing her full red lips didn’t quite conceal her buried sorrow, and I wondered what tragedy she hid.
Nothing to bother me, I told myself. Pretty humans are common enough, Varyx. No reason to trouble myself about one more.
I shook my head. This human was different somehow, and I wanted to know more.
Something about the way she moved intrigued me, a smooth grace that I couldn’t place.
She wore light, practical clothing, chosen for travel rather than display, but her outfit still showed her beauty.
The thin cloth clung to her where the breeze pressed it close, letting me admire the curve of her hips and the long, clean line of her legs as she walked.
None of which compared to the intensity of her gaze. She looked around, devouring her surroundings with a hunger I rarely saw—most of her kind, faced with a new world and its wonders, focused on one sight or another lest they get overwhelmed. This one? She looked everywhere.
And then her eyes met mine.
Impossible, of course. My eyesight is far superior to any human’s, especially at this distance, and perched atop my mountain lair, I blended in too well for a human to spot.
Yet she looked straight at me, and the connection was electric.
We both froze, eyes locked, and it was as though our souls touched across the bay.
Neither of us moved, neither of us could move, and we might still be there if Marisol Tidebinder hadn’t startled her.
The wind carried their words away from me, but I judged their body language as friendly and professional.
The newcomer wasn’t a guest, then. Curious.
I tore my eyes away. I don’t have time for human nonsense, I told myself. The human is just wearing a powerful glamor, and I can’t afford the distraction while the Gate is so troubled.
Which wasn’t true, and I knew it. Any glamor powerful enough to hit me across that distance would be a masterwork, the crown jewel of some fae lord or lady. It wouldn’t appear in the hands of a random human.
My wings snapped wide as I leaped from my perch, catching the wind and lifting me. I circled, gaining height and turning my attention to the Void Gate and the energies trying to break through. I had enough to keep me occupied without borrowing trouble.
Even red-headed, curvy, human trouble.