“Hey!”
What has he seen that I haven’t?
But even when I catch up, I don’t see anything until he walks into the rock and vanishes. I stare at where he’d just been standing then step closer. A hand reaches out and drags me through…nothing. A tingle like static goes over my skin, but I’m not stepping through rock.
An old brown pickup is parked next to the rock wall.
“What just happened?”
“I knew I felt magic, but I thought it was the kind that comes from making a house a home, but this is what I felt.”
“What isthis?”
“A glamor, mostly used for disguising things. It’s not an easy skill to master, but all he had to do was make it look like rock, it doesn’t need to move or change.”
“And anyone out here would’ve walked past.”
“All he had to do was go through the crevice to unload his supplies.”
“And all we have to do is fetch the key and get out of here.” I want to go now, but I know better. If the pickup gets a flat, we’ll need more than a bottle of water between us. If we are stalked by monsters, we’ll need weapons. We need to act like it will take us days to drive out. And then when we get out, we’ll go our separate ways and I’ll never see him again.
Or hear more about the fae and learn what I am.
“So I could learn how to do this?” I point at the gauzy film hiding us from the real world.
“Yeah, but I won’t be able to teach you. I never learned that skill.”
“Oh…” I’d hoped for an excuse to see more of him.
“Let’s load up.”
Cillian does all the heavy lifting. We put everything into the crates that had been on the shelves. Water and muesli bars, enough for both of us for three days. Glow sticks, matches, the first aid kit and extra clothing. Finally, all the weapons. The last thing he grabs is the lantern.
It's dark now, the sky littered with stars. I want to enjoy the stillness for a few breaths because I’m never coming back. Cillian stands close. I reach out and take his hand and for a few minutes we stand there. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but I’m happy to be alive and trying to figure out a way to see him again.
“We do make a good team.” I toss him a smile.
He returns it. “Ready?”
We drive out over sand and rocks, heading toward the road and his bike. When we get there, I know I won’t see him again.
I start to recognize landmarks and he slows. “Are you going to be all right to drive?”
I have no idea, but I nod. I don’t really have a choice. I have to be okay.
Then he stops, and there’s his bike illuminated in the headlight, all gleaming metal.
I came out here to kill monsters, and I did that, but it doesn’t feel like a victory.
“Thank you.” I don’t know what else to say. I lean over and kiss him. His lips meet mine and I understand what people mean when they say they feel a spark. Something within me catches alight. His fingers spear into my hair and my blood turns to fire.
He draws back. “I’m going to head to the Outer Realms Café. It’s where riders gather. I need to tell them and see if anyone is ready to return.”
His hand cups my cheek and for a moment I think he’s going to say something. But then he gets out of the truck. I slide across and watch as he tucks water and food into the back of his bike then he gets on and starts it with a roar.
He looks up and his eyes gleam golden. Not a monster but a faery. Then he turns the bike around and heads toward the road. I follow. He turns left when he hits the asphalt. I turn right toward my truck. But I watch his dust in my rear-view mirror until he’s gone.
I load the food and water into my truck, wipe down the brown one, and then stare out at the desert. The seconds tick by. I know where I want to be.
