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“How do you know how to speak our language? Fae folks speak their language.”
He shrugged. “Fae folks adjust and my court just happens to be very adept at multiple languages, including yours. And I still don’t know your name.”
She looked at him like Fae folks and adjusting shouldn’t be put in the same sentence but didn’t say a word. The silence stretched on.
“Emerald. Em for short.”
Emerald.Like her eyes. The name fit. He waited for a last name, then nodded when he deduced that she wasn't going to give it yet. He studied her for a bit and felt a kinship…then, an understanding.
“You're lost too. This isn't your island and you don't know how to get out.”
Emerald tensed again, then absorbed the rest of his deduction. Her brows furrowed.
“Too?”
The next part was tricky as he wasn’t sure how much he should reveal yet—or if he should even reveal anything at all.
“I was thrown here by magic. And I don't know how to get out.”
It was the truth, but not the whole truth. She tilted her head, still wary of him. But there was curiosity there now, too, even while the string maintained its hold.
“Whose magic?” she asked.
“Just some enemies,” was his offhanded reply, swallowing the names. In his mind, they were enemies now. “You know how it is in our world.”
“When did you get thrown here?”
“I don’t know what’s with all the questions, but…” He trailed off when he noticed her expression and things clicked. “Today. Just before I saw you.”
Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned ashen. She didn’t have to confirm for him to know that she had been thrust here at the same time. Was it an aftermath of the magic that had gotten him here or did she come here on purpose? Instinct pointed at the former.
“But you want to get out?” she probed.
“Obviously. As do you,” he said slowly, seeing the answer on her face. “Now, please let me go and we can talk about this.”
More silence. Then her face slipped into a mask, one that didn’t show him any answers.
“There's nothing to talk about,” she stated. “Not when you called me baby.”
The string was released, sucked back into her fingers, and disappearing a second later. Her hand still glowed, but she tucked them at her sides. He inwardly sighed in relief, then winced.
“That's because I didn't know your name,” he argued. At her lack of response, he stepped forward. “I would like to apologize for that incident. I wasn’t myself, as you witnessed.”
There was no need to tell her that baby was a pet name for most women, back when his life wasn’t a complete mess and he didn’t know any better. The past was the past and he didn’t like dwelling on it.
“Hmm. Apology accepted. Now leave me alone.”
Before he knew it, she was turning around and walking away. Confusion had him trailing after her.
“But we work better together.”
“No, we don't.”
“But—”
“Take another step closer and you're going to know what it's like to mess with a witch.”
Her words abruptly stopped him in his tracks, along with her hands that sparked with a threat. When she was satisfied that he wouldn’t follow, she resumed walking…then, whirled back to face him again.
