6
Lorcan
Iwatch as she holds the silver bullet in her hand. She’s not the first one I’ve revealed the truth to, but she’s the first one I’ve brought here. And the only one I have ever wanted to take home.
Her expression becomes pinched and I know it must be burning her skin.
“You don’t need to do this.”
“I do,” she says through gritted teeth.
“Silver burns take a long time to fade.” Mine never get a chance because I’m always shooting.
She grimaces but doesn’t let go. I want to snatch it out of her hand to keep her from hurting. But I wait. I let her do this. I need her to believe me. To want me.
I go back to filling up the cartridges with fae made black powder while I wait. After several minutes, she hisses and drops the bullet. The bullet rolls across the table toward me, but my gaze is on her palm. There’s a dark oblong burn on her skin.
Jenna stares at it too, then she touches the mark.
Standing in the borrowed bathrobe with her wet hair dripping, she looks so forlorn. I don’t know what to say. I’ve always known what I am. My biggest concern had always been whether to party or ride. I was lucky as I had a choice. Others do not.
She pulls out a chair. “Tell me about faery.”
“It’s like here, only different.” I struggle to find the words. “Brighter and filled with life. There’s magic on the air and parties every night.”
“Then why did you leave?”
“Because, like many, I wanted an adventure. The best way to have one and earn the respect of the others is to become what is known as a guardian back home. We call ourselves riders.”
“Why not let the monsters eat humans?” I try not to think about the cop. Maybe the others got to him in time. It would’ve been me if Lorcan had shown up in the park three seconds later.
“Because our worlds are tied, and we need humans.”
Humans need riders to hunt the monsters, and the riders need humans to carry fae babies. Who, if they are born on this side, then grow up to be hunted by the monsters.
“Aside from prettiness and parties. What do people do all day?”
“We work together. Hunting, farming, making weapons, then when the jobs are done we can follow whatever pursuit we want. I used to dabble in metal work. There are some great artists. We have time to live.” That’s the biggest difference between faery and the human world.
She levels her gaze at me. “How old are you?”
I don’t have an answer, not in her terms. “I’ve been in your world for two decades. Before that…time moves differently in faery.”
“You don’t look older than mid-twenties.”
“Because I’m fae. I don’t age as quickly as humans.”
“Will I age?”
“If you stay here, but it will be a little slower than those around you.” I load up two guns, hoping that it will be enough to kill the rest of the pack. I wish it were as easy as leading them back through the breach, but once they’ve found their way across, they’ll do it again and again. I put the guns in my shoulder holster and stand. As much as I’d like to stay with her, I need to hunt while it’s still dark.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to finish the job before more humans are killed.”
Jenna reaches for me. “Please don’t leave me.”
I close my eyes, torn between my duty and the raw hunger to stay. “You’ll be safe here.” I step in closer. “And I’ll be back by dawn.”
