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When we reached the food stall, I took a pouch out of my shorts and gave the vendor a bit of coin. “Take as many as you want,” I told her.
She grabbed four sticks and then went to go sit at a table off to the side and bit into one of them, her eyes rolling with delight. “Oh, these are so good. Everything is so wonderful here.”
“Aye, that it is. Mermaid’s Cove is the biggest attraction on the Oasis.”
“I believe it.” Havana bit off a chunk of meat, finishing one of her sticks quite quickly. “There’s so much to do,” she said with her mouth full.
“Oh, what are these marinated in? I must have the recipe.” She groaned as she swallowed and bit off another chunk from the second stick.
“Slow down, love.”
“I’m sorry if I’m being rude,” she said with a gulp. “This is just . . . I don’t even remember the last time I had this much fun.”
“It’s all right. I just don’t want you to choke.”
“Leon,” she whispered, leaning across the table.
I reached over and wiped a smidge of sauce from her cheek. “What?” I said with a smile before licking my thumb.
Unfazed by my gesture, she continued. “Where are the pixies?”
“Pixies? Is that what you want to see?”
She nodded, biting into another piece of meat. “Are they here?”
“Aye, love,” I said with a smirk. “They’re in a different area of the cove, but we can go there if you want. It’s more secluded.”
“I would really like that.”
“Okay, finish eating and then we’ll head over.”
She viciously attacked the rest of her meat and I sat back, watching with pure enjoyment. When she was done, she wiped the sides of her mouth with her fingers and stood, placing her hands on the table. “I’m ready.”
I took her kebab sticks and threw them in a barrel meant for trash. “Let’s go.”
Now, I didn’t want to tell my uninformed guest that pixies were not as nice as the mermaids. They were sweet when they wanted to be and vicious when you annoyed them. One never knew how a pixie would act. Even I didn’t hold sway over the little creatures.
Walking side by side, we left the louder area of the cove and followed a stone path. Havana swayed our linked hands back and forth, looking around at the trees, the birds, every single thing we passed. You would think the woman had never been to the beach or in a jungle or anywhere. I still didn’t know much about her, and I sensed she was hiding something. I didn’t think she was evil and whatever her reasons for running away were her own. As long as she didn’t get in trouble or cause any issues with my crew, I had no reason to distrust her, and I quite liked being her guide.
Beautiful blue and pink orchids accompanied the sandy stone walkway as we moved to the opposite side of the cove. Here the rocks came closer together and there was a little secluded grotto. Not a waterfall per se but water trickled from some of the black rock that surrounded the cove. Birds sang nearby, the melody as sweet and uplifting as the fiddle players by the previous area.
We reached the spot with water, not as big as a lake but big enough to swim and enjoy yourself.
“This is beautiful,” Havana released my hand. “Is this where the pixies are?”
“They’re watching us, but they never come out right away. They like to know who’s in their area.”
Vines and flowers wove in and around the trees and lazy dragonflies flew across the water. A layer of rose petals floated on the pond, left by the fae working at the cove.
“Can I go in the water?” Havana asked, though she had already taken two steps down into the pond.
“Go ahead,” I said. “I’ll join you this time.”
She glanced back over her shoulder. The sun had already tinted her button nose pink. “Okay,” she said before wading out as she ran her fingers along the surface which went up to her chest. “How deep does it go?”
“A little deep farther in the middle, but not too deep.”
She trailed her fingers, dipping them in and out of the water before leaning forward. I followed her, swimming around her as we went to the deeper part of the pond.
