most notably on the Emerald Isle. It has been many ages since those days. So long, I’m afraid, that your people have long since come to think of us as myth. Those who remember us call us fae,” Seana said.
“Fae.” The word sounded ridiculous coming out of my mouth. “Like…faeries?”
She bristled. Her disapproval seemed to ripple around the room in a wave through the others. “Yes, if strictly speaking, but there are many connotations with that word that we would rather avoid. We much prefer the term ‘fae,’ please.”
“Oh, sorry. I guess that makes sense. I mean, who in their right mind would want to be associated with Tinker Bell, right? And I don’t see any wings or a bag of magic pixie dust on any of you.” My mouth was getting ahead of my brain again. The nervous giggle that escaped me probably wasn’t helping my cause much.
Seana’s smile seemed a tad bit forced, which I assumed meant my jokes were not going over well. “Ah, yes. I’m afraid your modern culture has some skewed perceptions of us. We have been relegated to bedtime stories and cartoons. Too few remember the old myths these days, which are much closer to the truth.”
“And that… ‘troll’? He was also fae?” Good lord, those words sounded crazy rolling off my tongue.
She nodded. “Fae is what one might call our entire species, much as you are human. Trolls, shape-shifters, elves, merfolk, ogres, Aos Sí —we are all faekind. Such races had interbred with our own over the centuries, giving many of us mixed heritages, again much like modern-day humanity. Some of us may pass for what you would think of as human, even without a glamour, while others… Well, they cannot walk among humanity without it.”
“Sure, sure.” My eyes darted around the room. Not a single smirk or knowing wink among them. They were all damn near expressionless; as serious as the brain tumor I was so wishing I had.
Have you ever had that sudden, sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize someone you formerly thought was messing with you… wasn’t? Or, maybe you even just had hoped that they were deluded and grasping at straws? You know; that gut churning, I just ate too much fast food kind of feeling that hits you when it becomes crystal clear that they really believe what they’re saying. No matter how sad or wrong or just plain bat-crap crazy it sounds to you, they believe every single word that has come out of their mouths. Of course, that means you only have two choices: to be the dream-smasher who breaks the cold hard reality to them, or to be the poor sap who keeps a big fake-ass smile on your face while nodding agreeably and looking for the nearest exit before shit gets ugly.
This situation had obviously just become the latter.
Chapter Four
Saviors or not, the whole situation was too weird for me. I was only partially aware of my death-grip on the back of the couch as I berated myself for having failed to panic earlier, when it might have done me some good. (Obviously, I had never been good at making the correct life decisions.) As they watched me digest Seana’s little speech about their freaky mythical nature, I wondered just how much of a chance I stood if I were to turn tail and tear-ass down the hall. Could I reach my phone before one of them tackled me? Who would I even call if I did? Would 911 send someone to the rescue of a girl being held hostage by fairies?
“She doesn’t believe you.” Mairi’s breathy little voice was maddeningly calm. Her eyes bore into me. There was something hypnotic about that shifting gaze. It was almost inhuman in its detachment. I felt naked. “She is frightened of us.”
Goddamn, she gave me the shivers. Faeries or crazies, there was definitely something beyond weird about these people. I blurted out, “Can you read my mind?”
Mairi cocked her head to the side, the corners of her mouth upturning in the tiniest of smiles. “I read emotions, not thoughts. My gift
“Fae.” The word sounded ridiculous coming out of my mouth. “Like…faeries?”
She bristled. Her disapproval seemed to ripple around the room in a wave through the others. “Yes, if strictly speaking, but there are many connotations with that word that we would rather avoid. We much prefer the term ‘fae,’ please.”
“Oh, sorry. I guess that makes sense. I mean, who in their right mind would want to be associated with Tinker Bell, right? And I don’t see any wings or a bag of magic pixie dust on any of you.” My mouth was getting ahead of my brain again. The nervous giggle that escaped me probably wasn’t helping my cause much.
Seana’s smile seemed a tad bit forced, which I assumed meant my jokes were not going over well. “Ah, yes. I’m afraid your modern culture has some skewed perceptions of us. We have been relegated to bedtime stories and cartoons. Too few remember the old myths these days, which are much closer to the truth.”
“And that… ‘troll’? He was also fae?” Good lord, those words sounded crazy rolling off my tongue.
She nodded. “Fae is what one might call our entire species, much as you are human. Trolls, shape-shifters, elves, merfolk, ogres, Aos Sí —we are all faekind. Such races had interbred with our own over the centuries, giving many of us mixed heritages, again much like modern-day humanity. Some of us may pass for what you would think of as human, even without a glamour, while others… Well, they cannot walk among humanity without it.”
“Sure, sure.” My eyes darted around the room. Not a single smirk or knowing wink among them. They were all damn near expressionless; as serious as the brain tumor I was so wishing I had.
Have you ever had that sudden, sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize someone you formerly thought was messing with you… wasn’t? Or, maybe you even just had hoped that they were deluded and grasping at straws? You know; that gut churning, I just ate too much fast food kind of feeling that hits you when it becomes crystal clear that they really believe what they’re saying. No matter how sad or wrong or just plain bat-crap crazy it sounds to you, they believe every single word that has come out of their mouths. Of course, that means you only have two choices: to be the dream-smasher who breaks the cold hard reality to them, or to be the poor sap who keeps a big fake-ass smile on your face while nodding agreeably and looking for the nearest exit before shit gets ugly.
This situation had obviously just become the latter.
Chapter Four
Saviors or not, the whole situation was too weird for me. I was only partially aware of my death-grip on the back of the couch as I berated myself for having failed to panic earlier, when it might have done me some good. (Obviously, I had never been good at making the correct life decisions.) As they watched me digest Seana’s little speech about their freaky mythical nature, I wondered just how much of a chance I stood if I were to turn tail and tear-ass down the hall. Could I reach my phone before one of them tackled me? Who would I even call if I did? Would 911 send someone to the rescue of a girl being held hostage by fairies?
“She doesn’t believe you.” Mairi’s breathy little voice was maddeningly calm. Her eyes bore into me. There was something hypnotic about that shifting gaze. It was almost inhuman in its detachment. I felt naked. “She is frightened of us.”
Goddamn, she gave me the shivers. Faeries or crazies, there was definitely something beyond weird about these people. I blurted out, “Can you read my mind?”
Mairi cocked her head to the side, the corners of her mouth upturning in the tiniest of smiles. “I read emotions, not thoughts. My gift
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