Come Away

Epilogue

The air is sharp in my lungs, and soft snowflakes drift around me like light dandruff falling from the sky. Sure, winter can be magical or whatever. But ever since I started seeing them, I've learned that anything beautiful is either a disguise, or it can't be trusted.

One of them is coming closer to me. I'm waiting for a bus on a deserted corner. Being alone is when I'm especially tense and anxious.

I pretend to scan the road ahead, like I'm watching for the bus that's taking forever this morning. In reality, I'm inspecting the intruder as much as I can without giving myself away.

She's beautiful. But I'm starting to realize that most Fae are. Even if their skin is sickly green, or they have sharp fangs and a tail, all of them carry a captivating glow that beckons me closer. And at the same time, their careless, often malicious actions constantly keep me on edge.

If they find out I can see them, who knows what they'll do to me.

Cináed's warning echoes through my mind like a long forgotten dream. I only wish it were a dream, or that I could forget it ever happened. It's been months since Darren and I returned from the Otherworld, and I've heard nothing of Cináed or anyone else for that matter. Now that my eyes have been opened to the world of faeries existing within the mortal realm, I can't go a day without being reminded of that past.

Blinking away the snow settling on my eyelashes, I step under the overhang as the female faery glides closer. To her, I'm just an average human who can't see through the glamour that makes her invisible. I learned quickly that if you keep to yourself and never draw attention, the Fae ignore you.

The closer she gets, the more I realize that she's not using glamour to turn herself invisible. She's using it to make herself look human. I've never seen any faery do that except for Cináed. Her confident stride and alluring smile make me squirm. I was hoping that by standing underneath the overhang, she would walk around it and leave me alone. Instead, she comes to stand right beside me.

Of all the days to be late, the bus driver had to pick today.

I focus my gaze straight ahead, clenching my hands inside my coat pockets. Do I make small talk to show that I really believe she's mortal? Or do I hold still like a mute statue and ignore how close she's standing to me?

"Hello."

The sound makes me jump. I try and hide it by turning to face her with a forced smile.

"Hi."

She's dressed in a white cloak laced with cream fur. Actually, that's what she's wearing underneath the glamour. Her "mortal" self is wearing the same thing, but as a fashionably modern coat buttoned down to her thighs. A pair of slim pants and heeled boots complete her human guise. Her irises are nearly white. They remind me of glittering crystal, or a glass of frozen water. Thick locks of white-blonde hair are braided around her pale face, and my eyes rest finally on her full, red lips. She's hiding her real pale blue lips in glamour as well. It's for the best because she already looks like she's dressed up as the Lady of Winter or something. Hiding her frozen lips helps a little.

"Waiting for the bus?" She says. Her voice is modulated and slightly husky.

A group of blue skinned, sharply jointed Fae are walking along the other side of the street. One of them pushes a passing human and shrieks in delight when he falls on the ground. I keep my eyes on the human. To anyone else, it looked like the man simply slipped in the snow. But everyone else can't see the sharp faced faery leering over the man, licking his face with a forked tongue and laughing as the man winces and holds his cheek.