Avery nodded her head and turned her attention back to the town in front of her eyes.
So we were back to grumpy, reactive Savine. Great.
Something was wrong with Savine, but he wasn’t about to open up to her here. Plus, everything about this cozy town was distractingAvery. Including the many Bayberries that they passed along the road. Their unkempt hair with pieces of nature thrust in, homespun clothing and bare feet seemed to be a cultural choice, and not just Hyacinth’s fashion sense. Their path took them nearer to the lake, and they stopped at a home along the water. It was larger than other homes in the area and was marked with a living fence of raspberry bushes, teeming with ripe berries. The stone path that led to the front door was tidy, and the porch teemed with baskets of petunias. Their heady scent wafted into Avery’s nose.
Savine knocked on an ornately carved door showing an image of a bearded man and a small fae woman. A young woman with long red hair decorated with flowers opened the door. The woman appeared no older than Avery, but she was getting used to that. It meant nothing, really. She was a few inches taller than Avery and wore a green dress with fluttery sleeves and a low neckline. The dress, like Avery’s, stopped around her calves. “Savine! Welcome! This must be Avery. I’m Susan,” the woman smiled cheerfully. “Come in. I’m sure you are famished from your journey.”
They walked into a foyer with a small walnut table. On it was a painting of a family of five. There were two elderly looking people, who appeared to be in their eighties, two men who were in their forties, and Susan. She was the baby of the family, and Avery remembered Susan was adopted.
Susan led Savine and Avery to a sitting room. The carpet had a bright floral design, but the couch and chairs were made of cream linen. Avery still hadn’t gotten used to seeing human details in this world. This sitting room looked like something that could be in any country home in America, yet she was sitting down with the folk.
Across from Avery stood an ancient couple. Their faces were creased in deep wrinkles. They both wore their long hair loose downtheir backs. The woman was shorter than Avery, and the man stood eye to eye with her. If Avery saw these two in the human world, she would assume they were in their late eighties. Nothing about their appearance was overwhelmingly fae. Rather, they looked more human than fae.
“Welcome, my dear. I’m Pomona, but you can call me Po,” the woman said as she placed her hands on Avery’s shoulders.
“We’re happy you joined us in our home. I’m Riggins,” the elderly man said, as he touched Avery’s shoulders.
“I’m honored to meet you both,” Avery said.
After greeting Avery, they both welcomed Savine into their home and invited them to sit. Susan joined them in the room, bringing out a small tea set.
“Thank you all for your hospitality,” Avery spoke as she sipped her tea. It was minty and refreshing. Just the thing for an afternoon in the late summer.
“Avery, we’re honored to have you here. Not only because a friend of Savine’s is a friend of ours, but because we stand against the injustices that have happened to humans for thousands of years here on Aeritis,” Po said without hesitation.
Riggins nodded and took his daughter’s hand in his. “Yes. We want you to feel safe here. The Bayberries would never harm a human. Our own ancestry dates back to when fae and human soulmates sought a place where they could live without prejudice and cruelty.”
Avery saw Savine’s color blanch from his face. “Fae were once soulmates with humans?”
“Yes, Savine,” Riggins responded. “I thought you understood Bayberries were a mix of witch, human, and fae?”
“Of course, every fae knows that. What I didn’t know was that soulmates crossed species.” Avery couldn’t help but see Savine’s eyeflicker in her direction, ever so briefly. His essence made the tiniest of shifts under his linen sleeves.
Po smiled as she shifted her gaze from Savine to Avery. “We nearly lost this knowledge in history, but we have a vast collection of historical documents on the times dating back to before The Cleaving. The information is corroborated in more than one document. Faes with witch or magic-free human mates. Sometimes, I wonder if the fae who live their entire lives without finding their mate are separated from their true soulmates by the splintering of our two realms. Perhaps these repercussions have carried on for thousands of years?”
Avery spoke up, thinking about human relationships and their understanding of soulmates. “Some humans claim to be with their soulmates. It’s never sounded as intense as what I’ve witnessed between Kyla and Garnel, or Raikin and Jay. Maybe there is some truth to your thought?”
Riggins nodded before he spoke. “That could be. We have gotten off topic, though. Po and I grow tired, and I would like to reassure you we are delighted to have another human in the house!”
“Another human?” Avery asked. She furrowed her brows as she looked around the room. Susan, who had sat so quietly, gave Avery a mischievous smile before she sparked with light and revealed her human features.
“We humans must be very cautious here. The fae can prey on us without our realization. I prefer to keep up a disguise to fit in,” Susan said.
Avery’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open.How in the hell was there another human here?It was a surprise for Savine, too. His jaw looked like it could hit the ground.
Avery stammered out, “Did you say ‘we humans?’”
Susan tucked her wild red hair behind her ears, revealing rounded ears, and smiled at Avery with a crooked smile. “I’ve never met another human here. When I heard you were coming, I was delighted to meet you. Only my immediate family and Hyacinth know what I really am. I’ve kept my identity hidden under a glamour for decades.”
Avery stared at Susan in disbelief. She wasn’t the only human in Aeritis after all.
“I have shocked you. Can I share my story with you?”
Avery nodded in agreement and took a sip of tea to calm her nerves. Her hands shook as she put her teacup down.
Riggins interrupted, before Susan could speak again, “Before you begin, my dear, I would like to invite Savine out to the gardens, if he does not object. He stated in a letter that arrived this afternoon that he has matters of immediate importance to discuss with us. I would like to have the news out before supper. I have no desire to spoil my appetite with pressing matters.” Riggins and Po both stood creakily. How strange it must be to live so many years in that late stage of life.
Savine glanced at Avery before he spoke. “I knew there was some reason that they wanted you to meet Susan. I was not expecting this, though. Are you comfortable being left alone?”
