escondida

Chapter 24

I smile as a group of kids run past me squealing and laughing.

"Mikaia," A light voice said from behind me, "I was beginning to think you wouldn't come."

"Oh, I never break a promise Melody." I smile at the elderly black haired lady that was standing behind me.

She smiles and then pulls me into a hug.

I smile back at her and then hold out the red pouch full of money towards her.

"Oh sweetie, I told you." She says with a sad smile, "I couldn't possibly take all that."

"Please Melody, I insist." I tell her as I gently take her hand, her withered skin warm in mine, and place the bag of coins into it, "You need it more than me."

Tears start to prick her eyes as she pulls me in for another hug. "Thank you Mikaia." She whispers in my ear, "You have a heart of gold my dear, and may it do you well in the future."

She pulls out of the embrace, "At least stay for lunch." She says, her eyes pleading and I smile and nod my head.

"Elenora?" A voice says from behind me and I feel a tap on my shoulder.

I turn around and see a tan boy still holding my shoulder. He couldn't have been much younger than me. He had short brown hair with deep blue eyes and they were looking at me, with so much life in them, though also as if they were screaming out to me.

But not necessarily in a bad 'help me I'm dying' way, more like a 'do you know who I am' kind of way.

I tilt my head to the side, "I'm sorry, no. I'm Mikaia." I say gently and he looks at me with a confused look.

"Oh." He says and looks slightly disappointed.

"Attikus, why don't you take Mikaia and show her around, lunch is nearly ready."

The boy nods and turns around, gesturing to me to follow him.

"There's not really much to show." He tells me as we walk through a door to the right of the king tables in the large front room. "These are the sleeping quarters for kids." He says as we walk inside.

He sighs, "And by kids, I mean anyone under thirty." He says, "Can you believe it! I'm stuck in a room with little ten year olds."

He turns to look at me, "For another four years!"

Hah. He's 26? He looks very young to be 26. Though Fae do age differently.

"You look so familiar." He tells me as he looks me up and down again. "I don't know, there's just something about you that-" He sighs again and shrugs.

Suddenly there's a loud bell sound coming from speakers in two corners of the room.

"That means food." He says with a smirk and I laugh as he rushes out of the room, me quickly on his heel.

The bell had only rung moments ago, though already there were nearly a hundred people in this small building.

Okay maybe it wasn't that small, but it looked tiny holding this many people.

I must have stopped walking for I felt a hand grab my wrist and pull me sling and I look down to see Attikus holding onto me, pulling me through the crowd.

He pulls me to a table and sits down, signalling for me to sit beside him.

I sit down and look around me.

There are so many people here. All different ages.

All couped up in this one building.

Why?