The Faerie Key

Chapter Ten

"I hope this locksmith of yours helps us," Selcouth said when they were about to leave Fionn's baren apartment.

"She's always very helpful," Fionn winked when he said the last word.

Selcouth made sure to step on his foot while Fionn held the door opened for her.

"So violent."

The whole trip to the locksmith Fionn limped. Even though Selcouth knew he was probably acting she still felt bad. She recited one of Risa's poems, the one that is supposed to help pain disappear.

"Thinking about me?" Fionn grinned. "You just can't keep your eyes off me."

"No!"

"Methinks the lady dot protest too much."

"I don't know why women are so attracted to you." Or why I am, she thought.

"Neither do I," he shrugged. "I guess there's more to me than meets the eye." 

The way Fionn smirked at her, gave Selcouth goosebumps. She wanted to ask him why he kept flirting with her, or at least that is what it seemed like to her, but before she could they stopped in front of a gallery called, "Divine Sight."

Fionn went inside and Selcouth followed him into a black-walled space with zoomed-in pictures hanging on the walls.

"She doesn't want to be disturbed by anyone but especially not you. She's still mad," a purpled hair man stood in front of Fionn.

"Drishti isn't one to hold a grudge."

"That's true but I made an exception for you," a lyrical voice came from the back.

Selcouth gasped when she caught sight of Drishti. She looked like a model, tall, confident, and absolutely beautiful. Her eyes were round and she had dark black hair that swung as she walked and the camera she carried around her neck shined like a diamond.

"I said I'm sorry about bringing the medusa here, I didn't know she was one of them. I have trouble refusing fair maidens."

"She was no fair maiden. And you tried to use me to get--wait who have we here?" Drishti walked over to Selcouth. "You're not his type."

She sniffed Selcouth, "Yup, too innocent. Mind if I take a picture?"

The shutter clicked several times before Selcouth gained her voice.

"Please stop," she turned away from the camera.

"And she's polite. Where did you find her? A nunnery?"

"I'm not a nun."

"And she isn't polite," Fionn added as he limped toward Drishti.

Selcouth gave an exasperated sigh. "Listen, you don't need me to tag along while you visit one of your-- whatever it is that they are to you. I only came with you because you said we were going to see the locksmith."

She stomped toward the door and stopped to face Drishti, "I don't mean to be rude, you have a nice gallery, one that Lenny would be jealous of but I need to find a locksmith."

"Lenny, huh?" Fionn muttered.

"If you're looking for a locksmith then you came to the right place. I unlock things," Drishti smiled at Fionn, who now had a scowl.

"How?" Selcouth had on hand on the doorknob.

Drishti lifted up her camera and then waved to the photos hanging all around them, "sometimes with my camera and other times with my other tools."

Selcouth noticed that the pictures weren't just zoomed in, but there was something else. The photo of a lavender bud caught her attention. She could its uniqueness.

It reminded her of something Risa had said after the incident at the beauty pageant.

"Not only is each plant different from each other, but even the buds, flowers, and the leaves are distinct. There is a microcosm of uniqueness. And you, my star, shine distinctly from others."

Selcouth had been too young to understand but she saw the meaning now.

"It's one of my favorites too because it connects me to someone special, I'll give it to you as an apology for before," Drishti took Selcouth's hand and squeezed it.

"Before we get any more sidetracked, show her the key," Fionn's tone was curt.

  Instead of arguing with him, like she wanted to, she took out the box and opened it.

Drishti took a deep breath. "You're in over your heads. This shouldn't be here, it belongs in the light."

"Risa sent it to her before she--"

"Why would Risa do that?" Drishti avoided the key.

"I don't know," Fionn said. "But we need your help finding the door."

"A key without a door would be useless," Drishti nodded.

Selcouth felt like an outsider. They were discussing a world she wasn't a part of.

"Fine," Drishti snapped several photos before vanishing to the back.

"Fionn, you bring us nothing but trouble," the purple-haired guy muttered as he brought them to a room filled with knick-knacks and old furniture.

"She's also a collector," Fionn answered Selcouth's unspoken question.

"You keep interesting company."

"Aye."

"What's she doing now?"

"Developing the film and hopefully unlocking some of the key's secrets."

"I hope so." It seemed like Risa had gone to a lot of trouble to get the key to her, the least she could do was find the door.