Power of Words

Chapter 9: Why Do I Make References That Nobody Understands?

I walked back to the cafe. I had a feeling that I was being watched, the hairs on the back of my neck were prickling. But when I looked behind me, I saw nothing abnormal. I shook my head and shivered, even though it was hot enough for t-shirts and short-shorts.

I took out my phone, trying to distract myself. A text from Sherlock sat there, waiting for me. My eyes skimmed over it, but didn't really read what the message said.

I totally forgot about the message from Sherlock when I walked in to the cafe. I saw Aura nad Shimmer were back. Jesse was still missing. A pixie and a faeire, but no Greek god of sheparding. Why was Jesse gone when the girls were back? It didn't make any sense.

"Where's Jesse?" I had to get some answers. The British faerie said nothing so I continued. "He's not still..." I trailed off as Shimmer nodded. I heard a soft jingling sound and I looked at Aura.

Her little golden light was dim. The piles of pixie dust were huge, almost as tall as Aura was when she was standing. The jingling sounded distressed. There were little gaps in between as though she were gasping for breath. Crying. She jingled when she cried. It might have been cute, except... it's crying. When is distressed crying ever cute?... Unless you're a creep.

"It'll be okay, Aura." I tried to comfort her, "I'm sure he's just fine." I waited for Shimmer to join me in the comforting of our friend. She didn't. She stayed silent. "She'll be fine, right Shimmer?" I said. Still Shimmer was silent. I tried changing the topic but to no avail. Everyone's mind was still on Pan and the Faerie Council. The prickling on the back of my neck still hadn't disappeared.

"What did the Faerie Council want?" I asked after a long silence.

"They... Aura..." Shimmer stuttered. Shimmer looked nervous and frightened, "I don't know how much I should say. How much I can say.;"

"Just tell me the basics... if you can." I said. I had no idea how much she was allowed to say. There was a lot that she wasn't telling me. That I was sure of.

"All I know for sure," Shimmer said slowly, staring at Aura unblinkingly, "is that it's to do with Aura and that Jesse is involved in it too."

"So we're stuck waiting for him?" I asked.

"Yes." Shimmer agreed. A chair screeched across the floor and my head swiveled to face the sound. I sighed when I saw that it was only a middle-aged man leaving the shop. I looked around, trying to find the reason why my "I'm being watched" beeling was still present. I saw one couple sharing a strawberry milkshake, a guy in his twenties using a laptop, another couple in the corner booth that was in the midst of a snog-fest and finally, a guy in the window booth that was reading a newspaper. Window-booth man looked at me from over the top of his paper and I shivered.

But I turned back to Shimmer, who, it seemed, had finally read her 'How to be a good friend' manual and was comforting Aura. The pixie looked up at me. Her bright glow had dimmed enough so that I could actually see her properly. Her hair was dyed black, but it was fading in the roots, so I could see the real blonde colour of her hair. She had pale lips, a tiny nose--it was tiny even for her. I'm not making fun of her size, so stop thinking that! I could still see the tracks which her tears had made down her face. Her eyes were dark. I couldn't tell what colour really. I was too far away from her small face to figure it out.

The Brit glanced in my direction and a frown stretched its way onto her face.

"Something's wrong. Tell me." she demanded. I couldn't blame her for wanting to know. It would suck for all your friends to have problems like this.

"I-I feel like someone is watching me."

Shim looked around bravely. She focused on the guy in the window booth with the newspaper. Her eyes narrowed. Her lips parted to speak, but my phone interrupted her.