Hidden through time

9. Her hometown

Written 2015 by VeGirl ©

Since Ty totally refused to book a flight to Leeds, we took on the more time consuming task of driving back. Charles had left the rental car even if all his things had been removed from our room. In some odd way, I was relieved to not having to face him just yet. The man I had lived with for fifty years had lost his appeal and I felt a need to scowl myself for urging something else; someone else.

I avoided looking at the alluring Ty, but noticed that he watched me as I hurriedly packed everything in my suitcase. He seemed contemplative as if he had made an error when he interfered, but surely he would help me get back to my husband. He was courteous enough to carry my bags and load them into the car and I was grateful.

"Do you wanna drive? Is it some silly male ritual kind of thing that prohibits us from taking a simple flight home?"

The shudder that went through him was lost to me; all I noticed was the momentarily closed eyelids. As the green eyes fixed on me, I wanted to be nowhere but there, in his gaze. "It is not, I assure you. Flying just seems so... unnatural."

A bubbling laugh erupted from me and I handed him the keys. "I assume you have a licence?" I beamed at him as he opened the door for me to step in on the passenger side.

"More or less," he murmured to himself after closing the door after me.

I noticed that he was actually a quite capable driver; he even seemed to be able to read the other's actions to prevent the slightest hint of accident approaching. So it had been a control-thing after all, I decided. "What's with the clothes?" I aimed it to be a casual question, but it sounded accusatory.

He looked down at the black jeans and white shirt he had on. "Is it not appropriate?"

My eyes swept over his body and I couldn't help but to appreciate the sight. "Yes, it's... fine." I decided though the superlatives flocked in my mind. "But you had green clothes before you snapped us back." It had been dark green cargo pants and a matching hoodie. My first impression of him had been that he perhaps was hunting or that there was some kind of costume play around. As soon as my attention reached his splendid face, all else had been lost and the attraction had been instant and overwhelming.

He casted another glance downwards before his eyes flickered towards me and then settled back on the traffic. A smile lurked at the corners of his mouth and I felt a current humming within me. My question had mainly sprung from his instant changing while snapping his fingers in the woods, but that seemed like something from a fairytale right now, so I simply let it drop. There were too much to get a grip on and while thoughts still swirled in my brain, I refrained from airing them.

"You asked me about the one I lost..." His soft words were what broke the silence miles further. "The one Murniel took..."

Finally I understood what he was talking about and paid attention harder.

"I was... I was supposed to guard the gate and stumbled upon a woman like I stumbled upon you," he started in a resigned tone of voice. "I had just managed to persuade her; and I know how to persuade a woman," he added and my heart did a double beat just there. "I was just about to lead her off into the woodland when Murniel reappeared and the blasted woman simply turned and ran towards her."

My eyes widened because I knew how strong that pull was. "So... she died?" I don't know why I asked that question; I didn't want to know.

He simply gave me a serious look. "You don't want to mess with a siren."

Everything I had been told was spinning around in my head. He spoke of things that were impossible to be true. Sirens? Humans and non-humans.