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I made my way to the play area my brother and his friends frequented. He’d been gone before I’d woken up this morning, and it upset me because Faelyn wasalwaysthere to greet me in the morning before leaving to do whatever he and Ayen did.
“Faelyn!” I called out, looking around the empty space. “Fael—”
“Kenia! Sweetheart!”
I twisted my face in mild annoyance before turning to see Ayen.
“Where’s my brother, Ayen?” I muttered, still searching. My brother was not one to play hide-and-seek, especially not with me, and not when I called for him. That I’d called for him more than twice and he still hadn’t shown himself meant he wasn’t here.
“Oh, that.” Ayen laughed nervously, casting his eyes away. “He might kind of, sort of, somehow went to a nearby tribe?”
“A nearby tribe? Why?” I crossed my arms.
His hand went up to ruffle his wavy brown hair while his vivid green eyes continued looking around. “Uh, how do I say it… he, uh, went to, ah…”
“Lie to me, Ayen, I dare you,” I warned, baring my teeth at him for a brief moment.
He pressed his lips together. “He saw a female Elf when he went a few days ago, and he went today to impress her.”
My eyes widened.
“Kenia!” Ayen slapped a hand to his mouth with a look of betrayal in his eyes.
My shock twisted to excitement with a blink, and I grinned wide. “When did this happen?”
“Three days ago, I think?” He frowned, lowering his palm from his mouth before a broad grin stretched his lips. “You should have seen his face when he saw her. His mouth was opened, and she caught himstaring.”
“He is disgusting!” A horrified laugh burst out of me. Faelyn was normally responsible and well-behaved. To think that a female had him forgetting his manners made another startled laugh escape me.
“Don’t tell him I told you all of this,” he said.
I made a motion of zipping my lips and offering him my hand to shake. He took it and we made a promise.
His father, one of our Elders, found us later and called for Ayen. I waved at the Elder, who returned my greeting with a kind smile and a nod before he and his son left.
Sighing, I made my own way back home, deciding to change my clothes and wear something prettier.
“You’re blushing again, Kenia.”
I waved my hand, biting my bottom lip to fight my smile.
This time I changed into a white chest band with red roses and green leaves. My short tight skirt matched as well as my sandals and the flower crown that I’d made this morning. It gave a lovely, fresh fragrance, like I’d rolled myself in a field of flowers under the sun all day. I pulled my long blue hair to my left shoulder, making sure my pointy ears were covered.
Dressed in white, my pale skin seemed to glow prettily. The flowers and splashes of colour accentuated my delicate, Elvish features.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were going to answer to a mate,” Keia chirped, resting on my exposed right shoulder and stroking my jaw with her beak.
I huffed, my cheeks warming.
Grabbing a small bag, I gathered some fruits from the kitchen before tying it and hanging it over my shoulder.
Leaving my home was easy. Faelyn wasn’t in the village, and father and Ayen were with our other Elders. Mother was still with the females from this morning, but they were now cooking by the big river. The aroma teased my nostrils from here and it only made me more excited. Whatever they were cooking, tonight’s dinner would be nothing short of mouthwatering.
Still, despite having no eyes on me, I used the trees and branches, chasing shadows that awakened with the sun’s departure. It would be the first time I visited the Spider so close to the evening, and the knowledge had me buzzing with something. Nerves? Unease? Giddiness?
I shook my head and inhaled a deep breath, but when I neared the portals, that feeling was back again. My heart vibrated in my chest, making my fingertips twitch.
Casting a few cautious glances around me, I paused and ensured I was truly alone before hopping from the tree and making my way to the Fairies' portal first, then quickly ducking into the Spiders’.
