Chapter 19 #2
I had just reached the tea vendor when a hush swept across the fair. The crowd fell silent, and then voices sounded from all around.
“Solarflies.”
“Oh, look!”
“The Solarflies are coming!”
Turning, I stretched my neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was happening.
A magical glow was moving along the top of the town: the flickering lights of the Solarflies as they flew into the square.
Entranced, I watched as they weaved in and out of the stalls, some alighting on the canvas tops, others settling under the canopies.
Laughter and music followed them as they made their way through the village, a tapestry of joy and wonder left in their wake.
When the final Solarfly alighted upon a tent, the soft glow of their illuminated bodies suddenly bloomed brighter.
Turning back to the tea vendor, I stepped closer to peer at the little sprite perched in the canopy.
It lit up as I got closer, lighting the cart so I could see the teas as clear as day.
“Oh my gosh!”
I had fully expected to see some fanciful glow bug, even though Aenan had told me they were not bugs, so was shocked to see a tiny person with transparent wings that twinkled in the light.
Her skin glowed as if she indeed had lightning in her veins.
She wore a little green dress and had delicately pointed ears.
“How cute!” I proclaimed, and a tiny voice sounded from the sprite – elegant and airy, like the tinkling of wind chimes on a gentle breeze. I had no idea what she was saying, but it was lovely to listen to.
Orick stepped up to my side. “She thanks you for the compliment, milady.”
Shocked, I looked at him. His eyes were glowing. “You understand her language?”
“Yes, milady. I speak all languages. It is my gift.”
Again with the “gift” explanation. I needed to ask Aenan if that was what he’d meant by the gods bestowing gifts.
When my tea purchases were concluded, I made my way slowly through the remaining stalls, buying some small items – a handful of hair clips; a wooden hairbrush, the vendor assuring me it would never catch in a tangle.
But when I reached the end of the square, my stomach growled, reminding me I had missed lunch.
Turning away from the queues at the food stalls, I asked Orick if there was an inn nearby where I could purchase a meal. He nodded happily and indicated a laneway nearby, and just a short walk later, I found myself seated at the Twilight Taps Tavern.
The inn was lively. Waitresses with beers in hand hurried around the central tables, stopping and talking with the patrons before rushing back to the bar to grab more drinks.
A line of customers, two deep, stood near the bar, while bartenders yelled out orders, trying to be heard over the hubbub.
Beer and spirits and wines sloshed out of glasses, the floor a sticky mess.
Luckily, Orick had managed to secure us a booth near the back wall, a small haven away from the bustling crowd. We sat under a leaded glass window, watching the inn’s spirited atmosphere. Seated across from me, Orick swept his gaze over the patrons, his posture relaxed but alert.
I looked around, amused at how similar it all appeared to the pubs back home.
Apart from the lack of electricity and all the modern conveniences, everything was much the same.
The same drunk sitting in the corner, nursing his drink.
The same rowdy men, thumping each other on the back.
And the same rouged women sitting on laps—
Okay, maybe that was not completely the same.
Catching the eye of a waitress, I lifted my chin, and she nodded at me before making her way over.
“What can I get ya?”
“What have you got?” I asked cheekily, no menu in sight.
Indicating the pictures crudely drawn on a board behind the bar, she said, “We’ve got chicken, beef, or fish. Take ye pick.”
“I’ll have the beef, please, and… a cider.”
She looked to Orick, who just shook his head.
“You won’t have a drink?” I asked.
“Not while I’m on duty, milady.”
I didn’t quite know what to say to that, so I said nothing, just continued my perusal of the patrons, my eyes travelling steadily around the enclosed space.
I’d just done another scan of the room when I became aware of someone watching me.
A slight prickling sensation brushed against my skin, and a feeling of unease fluttered in my stomach.
I scanned the crowds again, trying to pinpoint the source.
There!
On the opposite side of the room sat a male about my own age, with blond hair closely cropped to his head and a well-trimmed goatee.
He regarded me with an amused smirk. Frowning, I looked away, thankful that the waitress returned right at that time, my cider in hand.
I smiled my thanks before taking a sip of the drink, letting my eyes return to the male. But he was no longer there.
That’s strange.
I took another sip, hiding behind the glass as I searched the room again.
“Looking for me?”
A body slid into the booth beside me, pressing me against the wall. He was so close, the warmth of his body seeped through my clothes. Orick stiffened, his eyes narrowing with suspicion as he stared at the male.
Piercing blue eyes trained on mine. The amused smirk from before, still in place.
I sat up straight, trying to edge away and hide my unease. “Who… Can I help you?”
“Thought I would join you, seeing as you were gazing at me with that come hither look in your eye.”
“I certainly was not. I think you’re mistaken, sir.” I pressed back further against the wall.
“Come now, I was just being friendly. You looked a little lonely is all. Why haven’t I seen you in town before?”
His change of topic threw me, and the ire I’d felt rising at his original insinuation slowly eased away. “Uh, I’m new to town,” I murmured hesitantly, watching as Orick’s shoulders relaxed a fraction. His steely eyes remained pinned to the male, though.
“You can’t have been here too long, then.
Where did you say you came from? I’m certain I would have remembered a pretty lady such as yourself, and I know all the pretty ladies in the towns hereabout.
” He winked at me, hinting at a different meaning.
His eyes bored into mine with an intensity that was slightly uncomfortable.
His questions were starting to make me nervous, and I had difficulty thinking up a plausible answer.
I had no idea what the surrounding towns were called, or even where they were.
My silence stretched a little too long, but luckily, I was saved from answering by the arrival of my waitress.
She placed my dinner in front of me and turned to the stranger.
“Can I get you anything?”
“No, he was just leaving,” Orick said, looking him in the eye. “Milady would like to eat her dinner in peace.”
With a shrug, the waitress ambled away, but our unwelcome visitor only turned to look at me once more. I felt caged in beside him and internally shrank back.
“Milady, is it?” He looked at me speculatively before an expression of confusion swept across his face. Suddenly his eyes flared, and in a breathy tone, he whispered a name. “Aelyra.”
How did he know that?
A shiver ran down my spine and I stared at him in breathless shock before a commotion at the entrance drew my eyes.
“You are not welcome here, Vaeyl!” Aenan growled from just inside the doorway.
Vaeyl?
Caelan stood behind him, and the sense of relief that poured through me at seeing him there nearly made me cry.
Orick leapt from the booth, his hand straying to the knife at his belt. The surrounding tables suddenly emptied. Fast. Patrons slid away like shadows in the night. I didn’t know what was happening, or what to do.
My gaze returned to the male sitting beside me.
He had not moved at my brother’s words, but as I watched, a malicious grin stole across his features, and the blond of his hair bled away to black.
His face contorted, until seated next to me was the male from the axe-throwing range, his now dark eyes boring into mine.
“Now, now, nephew – I was just getting to know my long-lost niece here,” he purred, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Dark Fae. He’s a Dark Fae.
I was trapped in the corner, unable to escape. Vaeyl hadn’t moved, hadn’t looked away from me, and the intensity of his gaze was piercing my soul. His scent, a dark leather smell that was not in the least bit pleasant, choked me.
But what scared me more was that I couldn’t break his hold on my gaze. Try as I might, I could not look away. Could not move. My heart beat a million miles a minute, surely so loud he could hear it.
Aenan must have stepped closer, for his voice sounded nearer. “I suggest you leave, Vaeyl,” he snarled. “I won’t ask again.”
The sound of a blade being drawn reached my ears, but I couldn’t see where it came from. Vaeyl continued staring into my eyes. Tears now flowed down my cheeks. I was unable to blink or brush them aside, so they dripped off my chin as I was held still. A prisoner in my own body.
A look I couldn’t decipher flicked across his face. “Call off your mutt, Aenan,” he commanded. “I was just leaving.”
He trailed a finger down my cheek, capturing the tears that still lingered there and bringing them to his lips. Closing his eyes, he let out a breathy moan as he savoured the taste. But it was the look of pleasure that fell across his face that had my stomach turning.
I shuddered as the connection between us broke, and I looked up to see Caelan edging closer, sword in hand.
“Until we meet again, Aelyra,” Vaeyl said.
I refused to meet his eye again, keeping mine downturned.
His voice made my skin crawl, and I huddled further into the seat as he stood.
With a graceful bow in my direction, he turned to leave, a sneer on his lips as he glanced at my brother.
When he stepped past Caelan – who was mirroring his movements, swinging closer and closer to the table – he paused.
And with a filthy glare and a tone laced with derision, he spat out a single word.
“Sìthbheire.”