Jerry weighed his options.
I waited, a heavy feeling in my stomach.
This caution from Jerry told me there were hidden depths to the captain that I hadn’t paid attention to.
Jerry was no weakling. He managed to run a business that slipped through the hostilities that were rife in our world. More, he did it in such a way as to guarantee his employees safety as long as they didn't do anything stupid as I was wont to do.
"He wants something from you," Jerry guessed.
I rubbed my thumb and forefinger together. "Any idea what that might be?"
Jerry shook his head. "Nothing I can mention here."
My shoulders slumped. I’d been hoping for something a little more helpful.
"You're kind, Aileen. You know I didn’t want you working for me. I thought you'd get yourself killed within a week. It's the only reason I agreed to his terms."
I didn't flinch from the unexpected bolt his revelation brought. I always kind of suspected the way he'd felt. Neither Jerry nor the other couriers had ever been particularly welcoming—especially in the beginning.
"But you were stubborn, and you cared. Much more so than the rest of us who've forgotten what it is to exist without guarding our hearts and emotions."
I knew what he meant. The lollipop I left for the bridge troll, the rubber duckies I gave to the naiads. The countless small things I did because I thought it would make people less likely to kill and eat me.
"You weren't like the rest of them, kid." Jerry's wry smile would have given me nightmares a few years ago. "I couldn't believe it when you started getting requested."
He nodded at my surprise. "You're still making a name for yourself; the higher paying jobs will come."
I frowned. I hadn't realized he kept such close tabs on me.
"Nothing good ever comes of suppressing ourselves. It’s the first rule any spook learns," Jerry observed. "If I were you, I would question why the person you call captain pushed you in that direction."
"What do you know about that?"
He shook his head. "He isn't who you think he is. Travis doesn't have friends. I've known him a long time and I still can't guess at his agenda."
"Then why hire me?" I asked.
"I owed him."
I didn't get to ask my next question as pressure built in the air. It burst, my ears popping and the taste of burnt ozone lingering in my mouth.
The forest faded, replaced by a vast, opulent banquet hall. The only thing that followed us was the tree in the center of the space, presiding over the festivities.
"Where are we?" I asked.
Jerry swept an elegant bow at odds with his large size, gesturing to the hall as he did so. "Welcome to the barrow, Aileen."
TWELVE
I LOOKED AROUND with undisguised amazement. I'd expected dirt walls. Maybe something underground. Yet somehow the barrow was something entirely unexpected.
Banquet tables had been set up on either side of the ancient tree, their surfaces laden with a feast. Fae lords and ladies mingled with the visitors, clad in clothes that would make a fashion designer envious.
Their less human looking counterparts watched from balconies set up above. I caught a glimpse of a furred form disappearing through one of the many doorways.
"Don't go wandering, Aileen," Jerry warned with a serious expression. "The hall is tethered to your world through the tree. The same isn't true of the rest of the barrow."
In other words, leave this room and risk getting stuck in the barrow forever—if something didn't decide to eat me.
