Every day is warm in the Seelie lands. At night, I sleep with my door open to keep from roasting alive. Something I could never do in our lands.
Ever offers to accompany her to the water. For some reason, this makes her frown.
“I promise not to throw you in,” he says under his breath.
A strange sentiment, but one that brings the smile back to her face. They leave me, joining Nia and the terrible Nolan at the lake’s edge. This is not a personal slight, I tell myself. I have twolegs and can join as well. Except, all those in the water seem to be in pairs. What must it be like to be not one but two?
Maybe there will be a day soon when it is my turn to find out.
4
Maddox
“Prevalent in the rivers and lakes around Rosehill City, trout are among the most beautiful fish in Seelie waters.”
— Flora and Fauna of the Seelie Lands
Wine. Grapes. Tiny cakes the size of my thumb.
None of the fare packed in this basket appeals to me. This day is not turning out how I hoped it would.
Reality can be so disappointing.
I dig to the bottom of the basket for the metal contraption the Seelie use to remove the cork from the tops of their bottles. I tasted their wine once before and found it to be a vile drink, but since I forgot my flask of potable water back in the garden, this will have to suffice.
Each time I try to pierce the cork, the damn thing falls right back out.
How angry would Ever be if I broke the top of the bottle clean off?
“Hello.” The high-pitched greeting leaves me twisting toward a Seelie fae with hair the color of fire. They are all short, but this one looks almost as small as Kerris Dawn.
“Would you like some help with that?” She kneels on our blanket without invitation and takes the useless metal from my hand. “I’m Amber.”
Why is she telling me this when I did not ask?
With a few twists, the cork is free, and she is handing back the bottle. “What’s your name?” She blinks like there is something stuck in her lashes. One time, I had a spiderweb in mine, and it was awful. Not because I fear spiders. That would be foolish when all I need is to crush them beneath my boots. However, they can catch you unawares, which is startling.
I see no spiderwebs in her eyes.
“Your name?” she asks again with a breathy laugh.
“I am Maddox Finch.”
“Nice to meet you, Maddox. My friends and I thought you looked lonely over here all by yourself and were wondering if you might like to come and sit with us?” She nods toward a blanket with a female perched on each corner. Two are wearing similar costumes to Nia’s, while the others wear floaty dresses like this Amber one.
“I already have a seat.” And there is no one taking up all the room on this blanket. Theirs would be far too crowded for me as well.
“If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” She skips back to the other females, and they all lean toward her with the giggles.
Seelie fae are always giggling.
I take a swig of Seelie wine . . .
And then spit it right back out onto the grass. Just as revolting as I remember, like vinegar and sour fruit. There is nothing to like about this drink.
There is, however, everything to like about the view, especially when Nia emerges from the quarry lake, her skin glistening as drops of water race down her slopes and valleys. A race my hands long to run.
She moves like a panther, graceful and dangerous to Unseelie hearts like mine.
