“Elyssa wanted me to tell you they went for dinner. I can show you to the dining tent if you feel up to it?” the girl asked.
Dinner? Lora looked up at the sky and realised the sun was already setting. She had basically slept away the last two days. And a whole week had passed since she had crossed over. The clock was ticking aggressively, reminding her she had to move fast.
Lora forced a grateful smile onto her face, pushing the worry away. “I’d like that, yes. Thank you…”
“Iris,” the woman said, offering her name as she walked off, leading Lora further into the heart of the camp.
Lora must have seen at least twenty questioning human faces before voices travelled towards them. She recognised Eyden’s sarcastic tone. “Remind me again whatyourbrilliant plan was, Jaspen?”
As she and Iris stepped away from the last tent blocking their view, Lora took in the half-open one before them. The fabric was pulled up on one side, letting in the last rays of sun. Although the space was big, it was almost completely taken up by a large table in the middle. The floor wasn’t like Elyssa’s room, it was left bare, the grass blooming a bright green.
Everyone grew quiet as they entered the dining area. The group was sitting around the table, empty plates in front of them. Lora’s eyes wandered from one end to the other, taking in the familiar faces of Elyssa, Jaspen, and the other man she’d seen yesterday before landing on Eyden. He returned her gaze, pulling back the empty chair next to him.
Iris offered Elyssa an awkward smile before she disappeared in the direction they came from.
“Great timing. We were just talking about you,” Jaspen said. His shoulder-length, unruly hair was bound in a tight ponytail. He got up and shook her hand. “I’m Jaspen, I run this camp. You’re welcome to stay here. We’re always keen on helping other humans.”
“Oh, thanks,” Lora answered. His words were friendly yet his firm handshake made her feel uneasy. She dropped his hand quickly and took a seat at the table. Elyssa had gotten her a full plate of food and sat it down in front of her.
Lora gave the younger girl a thankful smile as she inhaled the delicious smell and dug in. She felt Eyden’s gaze on her, but it was Jaspen who spoke up again.
“We were talking about how we need you to track the fae,” Jaspen continued, sitting at the head of the table. He pushed his empty plate to the side then gazed at his empty drink, seemingly waiting for someone to refill it.
Eyden beat her to the answer. “As I said, she can look up the location here and then I can track him going from there.”
Jaspen’s dark brown eyes bored into Eyden’s lighter ones. “I’ve already pointed out that we need to leave before the fae has reached his final destination. We need her—or at least her phone device.”
Lora dropped her fork unintentionally, the noise startling her. “Excuse me?”
Jaspen’s intense gaze settled over her. “It’ll be hard to follow this fae if we can’t take the map with us, won’t it?”
Lora gulped. She hadn’t considered this. Her phone was her lifeline, keeping her tethered to home.
Eyden leaned forward. “I told you, I’m a good tracker. I’ll find the market or wherever he’s going.” He looked to his sister as if asking for her support.
Elyssa crossed her arms and glanced between the two men. “It’s not ideal, but doable. It’ll be harder, but Lora is already giving us a better clue than we had before. We got this.”
“You must be joking. Yesterday you were ready to run after the fae and now you’re willing to risk it all? The longer it takes, the higher the chances they will already be gone—sold—once we reach the location. We need the witch back.”
“You have a witch?” Lora asked. She thought there might be a witch working at the black market; but here, with humans, that was unexpected, considering how rare they were. According to her research, the only witches in existence were bound by blood contracts to the crown. Some might call them slaves, much like humans had once been. Lora thought of Eyden’s spelled closet and stove again. Was it the work of the same witch they were talking about now, or were there more witches in hiding than Lora imagined?
“Yes, and he’s keeping this whole camp hidden. Once the spell wears off, we’re all in a shitload of trouble. He’s irreplaceable,” Jaspen said in an almost harsh tone.
“More importantly,Farrenis our friend,” Elyssa added, her voice stern. “And I’m not willing to risk anything,anyone.Don’t put words in my mouth. We’ll get all three of them back. But we can’t force Lora to go with us.”
“I still think the best course of action would be for me to go alone. Rubien, especially the market there, is no place for humans,” Eyden said. He met Elyssa’s gaze. “And it would be faster.”
Elyssa held his gaze as she replied, “Maybe so, but you’re not invincible either, Eyden. And there are three people to rescue. It’s not a one-person job. You know damn well I’m an asset.”
“As much as I dislike the idea of spending even more time in the presence of fae, I can accept that we need Eyden. But we also need Lora to track the fae. And it would help having another person with us who can pass as fae,” Jaspen said, tapping his finger against his glass.
“I agree with Jaspen,” the young man sitting to his left said. He had been quiet for so long, Lora had almost forgotten he was there. He reached for the jug of water and filled Jaspen’s glass.
Jaspen didn’t even look at him, instead he turned to Lora. “We saved you, surely you’ll repay the favour?”
She’d never felt this put on the spot. “I...”
“You can’t make demands like that,” Eyden said.
