The troll gave a big sigh.
Hellcats! Theo squirmed. “What’s your name?”
“Are you a trickster?” the troll responded. “I don’t like tricksters.”
“I’m not a trickster,” Theo replied.
“Then why do you want to know my name?” the troll questioned.
“It’s polite to know who we are talking to back in my realm,” Theo offered. “I’m Theo.”
The troll shook his head. “You should not give your name to someone you do not know, Theo. That’s bad. Very bad.”
Theo wanted to smile. The troll sounded so much like Garrett. “It’s not my full name. Just what my friends call me.”
“Friends?” the troll repeated. “Are you offering me friendship, Theo?”
Oh! Theo wanted to bounce. Could it be as simple as that? Just offering to be the troll’s friend could get him across? He had to wonder if there was any downside to this offer.
“Careful, friend Theo,” Garrett warned.
Theo nodded. He didn’t plan to stay around the fae for long. Theo also knew that he couldn’t break a promise to a fae creature without suffering consequences. The wording had to be perfect.
“I am offering friendship in exchange for safe passage across your bridge,” Theo said.
The troll smiled, showing off cracked black teeth, but he looked so happy. “I do not have many friends.”
That was sad. Theo had always wanted more friends. It was just so hard to make friends. And if this troll felt half the loneliness that Theo did, then Theo meant the offer to be friends. “I’m your friend. And this is Garrett.”
“Hello, gargoyle,” the troll said.
“Hello,” Garrett replied.
“Where are you going?” the troll asked.
“We are trying to get to the light side of the realm. I need to be able to contact my mates. They are back in the human realm,” Theo explained.
The troll made a sad sound as he frowned. “You are far away from the light side.”
“I know,” Theo agreed. “That’s why we need…want to cross your bridge.”
“You can pass, my friend,” the troll told him.
Theo dipped his head. It was on the tip of his tongue to say thank you but Theo knew that wasn’t right either. Wait! He knew what to say! “May you be blessed.”
The troll grinned again. “You may call me Bo.”
“Bo.” Theo placed a hand over his heart. “We will cross the bridge now.”
“What about the dryad that watches us?” Bo asked.
Theo turned to Steve. “Are you coming?”
“Is it safe?” Steve called back.
“Bo has offered us safe passage,” Theo replied.
Steve hurried over although he seemed to keep Theo between himself and the troll. For someone who lived in this realm, Steve wasn’t very helpful.
