Splendid Fall

Ch.16 New World Past Life

Chapter 16

"How did you get here?" Wren asked as he sat across from Birdie on the chair.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Birdie said stubbornly.

Wren's navy blue gaze slowly lowered as he nodded. His eyes took notice of the way Birdie clutched her hands together and dug her thumbnail into her palm.

"You thought the rain would be warm," he said.

"So?"

"The rain is warm on Earth."

Birdie wanted to argue his point. January rain was most definitely not warm on Earth. But she knew he was baiting her. He was to observant for his own good. Wren knew Birdie was impulsive and a smart ass. He would do anything to rattle her up and get her to start talking.

"I wouldn't know," Birdie smiled.

"Your hands are too soft, your skin is pale, you're not afraid to talk back to a high blood fey."

"Do people not work on Earth, is there no sun on Earth, are the people of Earth dumb and mute?"

"You used the word, Birdie," Wren was amused by how far she was willing to go to keep up her lies. "You said Earth."

"I heard it somewhere," Birdie shrugged.

"Impossible."

"The word possible is in the word impossible."

"Stop lying to me!" Wren's hand came thundering down on the table beside him. The loud sound caused Birdie to flinch and gasp in shock as she shut her eyes close and gripped the fabric of her dress.

"I'm not lying to you," Birdie said through her teeth with her eyes still closed.

"Birdie," Wren sighed and leaned forward.

Slowly, as the fey took her hands, Birdie opened her eyes to see what he was up to. She wanted to pull away from him, but the way he gripped her wrists made it impossible.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Wren said.

"I don't believe you," Birdie replied.

"You don't trust me."

"You have not given me any reason to," Birdie tugged at her arms once more. "You bought me. You keep me in brass cuffs, you threaten to harm the only two people that have shown me any kind of kindness here, and you order me around like your servant. Not to mention Julian keeps laying his hands on me like I'm his punching bag."

Wren watched the girl struggle as her bitter words hung in the space between them. He could see the hurt and the pain behind Birdie's eyes as she tried to overpower it with her stubbornness and pull away.

Wren didn't even know why he was still holding on to her. She clearly did not want to be touched. But for the first time he had found some kind of link to the only thing he had left of his father. And he sure as hell wasn't going to lose it.

Birdie dug her heels into the floor in an attempt to use it as leverage to push away from Wren. She couldn't read the look in his eyes as he stared at her, watching her struggle without really seeing her.

And then, with a click and a small hiss, the brass cuffs around Birdie's wrists unlocked.

Birdie grew still as Wren slowly removed one cuff after the other. She felt her heart start to pound in her chest as her blood ran past her ears.

The fey placed the brass cuffs on the table while holding Birdie's wrists together in one hand. He could feel her watching him as he turned back to face her and began to trace the angry red marks around her skin.