The Woods

Chapter Five

"What do you know of the Fae?" Casper asked, lounging in the chair opposite me. It was the first day of lessons and he already seemed bored, not even bothering to look up at me as I entered the room and sat in a chair on the opposite side of the large desk. He was too busy examining his nails.

The room we were in looked like a study, with a bookshelf covering one wall, its shelves overflowing with books and loose papers. The mahogany desk that divided Casper and I was old and worn from use, a stack of books and paper set to the side.

"I didn't even know your kind existed," I replied. "We were taught that dangerous things lurked in the Woods; beautiful things to draw you in before killing you."

"Well, they got the beauty part right," he chuckled. "I'm glad my input was taken into consideration when they wrote the rhymes."

I blinked, realisation hitting me. The Reaping had been taking place for centuries. "How old are you, exactly?" His grin widened.

"The Fae are immortal, though the same can't be said about the faeries. I'm over two thousand years old." I let out a choked sound, my eyes wide. He seemed amused at my reaction and pointed to his face, adding, "I look amazing for my age, don't I?" I ignored the comment, rather glancing at the books laid out in front of me.

"What are these?" I asked warily. The books were old, looking as if they would fall apart with a single touch. I focused my attention on the faded titles, the words a jumbled mess.

"History books. You'll need to read them to know more about the Fae." My stomach dropped and I silently nibbled at my lip. He truly knew nothing about humans, especially those who grew up with little money.

"I can't read these." My voice was barely a whisper at the confession. He frowned, perhaps not getting the meaning.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't read these," I repeated. "I'm illiterate. Hardly anyone from the village knows how to read and write. Father knew a little, but he only ever taught me the basics."

"I see," he said quietly. "It's a necessary skill, so I suppose I could teach you as part of the lessons. For now, however, I'll simply describe the contents of the books. Let us begin with the twelve Houses. The Houses form the base of the Fae and the Above. In order of highest to lowest in status, it goes as the Fox House, Wolf House, Crow House, Lion House, Monkey House, Cat House, Rabbit House, and then the Stag House."

As he spoke, I silently counted. "But that's only eight," I frowned.

"In the rebellion, four of the Houses were slaughtered. The Bear House, Stallion House, Squirrel House and Insect House."

I silently nodded, not sure whether to ask more about them. If he was alive at the time of the creation of the Reaping, it was likely he lived through the Rebellion. Or, at least, part of it. How many friends had he lost? Even if it were over a millennium ago, being immortal would mean it would feel like mere years.

"Pay attention," Casper snapped. I blinked, realising he had continued speaking as my mind drifted. I nodded, indicating for him to continue. "As you learned last night, having a higher status means you have more power. And along with that comes certain . . . perks. But I won't be covering that."

"Why?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. He glared pointedly and I let out a huff as he continued.

"The only way to lose status is through major crimes against the Crown, including regicide and treason. Losing status is a shameful thing, so it happens rarely." He picked up a book, flicking through it lazily. If it weren't for his eyes darting across the pages, I wouldn't be able to tell he was actually reading. "Do you have any questions?"