Page 35 of Into The Green

"Is there anyone we can call for you?" Amy blurted out suddenly, making her mother send her a stern look.

"Oh," I said, giving her a small smile. It would be suspicious if I had been lost in the woods for days and no one in the human realm would be looking for me. "Actually, if I could call my mother, that would be great."

"Of course," Opal said a little tightly. "Amy, dear, show her to the phone."

With that, I was led to a phone where I dialed the number to my cell, praying no one in the family had any kind of super hearing and could hear my own voice on the answering machine before I left a quick message to my 'mother' apologizing for being out of touch and that I was okay, before hanging up.

When I turned, Amy was gone and Opal was staring at me. She looked for long enough for me to shuffle uncomfortably. "I'm sorry," Opal said, waving a hand. "You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago. You're her spitting image actually."

"I get that a lot," I said dismissively. "I just have one of those faces I guess," I lied through my teeth. No one had ever compared me to anyone before.

"Yes, that must be it."

I saw a woman step into the hall, gaze downcast, dressed in a stiff, uncomfortable-looking fabric. She didn't say anything, simply stood with her head bowed and waited to be acknowledged. Opal followed my line of vision. "Oh, wonderful," she said as Amy came into the hall again. "Amy, dear, lead our guest to the tea room. As I fell into step with Amy, I could hear Opal speaking to the servant, low and vicious. "Find my husband. Right now, do you understand me? It's important."

I felt my stomach twist, knowing she knew or sensed something.

I blindly followed Amy and realized that they actually had a room for tea. It was a slightly smaller room than the others with soft, feminine wallpaper and a hexagonal table in the center. No white, I realized. Not one thing, not even the table and chairs, were white. On the center of the table was a large ornate teapot and a tray full of pastries that made my stomach churn painfully. Food. God, I was so hungry.

"Have a seat," Amy said, waving a hand to a chair and moving across from it. I looked down at my sundress that had once been clean and pretty with dismay. I felt so filthy in their clean, gorgeous home. Hell, even my moccasins were tattered, leaves sticking out of the sides. Amy's gaze followed mine. "Yarrow?" she asked, sounding curious and perhaps concerned. "You're injured?"

"Oh, my feet were raw from all of that walking," I said, dismissing it.

"And you knew to use yarrow?" Opal's voice asked from the doorway, making me start.

Everything in me screamed to be careful. "I didn't even know what it was honestly." That was true enough. "My feet were just chafed so bad that I stuck leaves in my shoes to see if it would help."

"Why weren't you wearing... sneakers?" Her mouth tripped over the word as if it were foreign. "Don't hum..." she stopped herself, eyes going a little wide and I tried not to smile at her slip up. "Don't you wear shoes with rubber soles for walking?"

"I didn't plan on going so far," I said with a shrug.

Seeming satisfied, Opal nodded and took her seat to my right.

"It was actually lucky you picked yarrow," Amy said, trying to keep up conversation. "It has healing properties."

"Yeah," I said a little numbly. "I really was lucky." That I had Jasper. Oh, God. Jasper.

"Are you alright, dear? You're white as a sheet."

My head snapped up and I offered her a tired smile. "Yeah, it's just been a confusing couple of days."

"Of course," she said, reaching for the teapot and pouring four cups. "Here," she said, handing me mine before passing out the others, leaving one at the empty seat to my right. "The tea should help."

I wrapped my hands around the cup, wishing the warmth could seep into my soul which felt suddenly as cold as Opal's house. "This is a lovely room," I said instead, looking around.

"That's kind of you. This is Amy's little project," Opal said a bit disdainfully, like she hated the sight of it.

"It's very inviting," I said to Amy.

"Thank you," she said, firmly. I heard a clatter to my side and looked over to find Opal staring daggers at her daughter.

I shook my head, their weirdness becoming almost too much to handle. "Aren't you going to drink your tea, dear?" Opal asked, her voice expectant.

I felt all my muscles tighten. A memory was surfacing from when we had first entered the woods, Jasper's school- teacher and holier than thou voice scolding me about the strawberry. It hit me with force, making my head snap up to find Opal watching my cup with a sneer. He'd told me not to eat or drink anything that he himself had not given me. He'd told me that fae could not be trusted. I sneaked a look at Amy who looked sad, like I was on my way to my own execution.

"It's too hot," I supplied, my voice a little choked as I realized neither of them were drinking. The whole pot must have been spiked with something. But why would they want to poison me? Were they trying to kill me? Knock me unconscious? God, was it some sort of truth serum?

"Oh, of course, dear," Opal said, giving me her tight smile again. The front door slammed suddenly, making me start. "That must be my husband finally," Opal declared.