A World Of Treason and Tides

Chapter 11: See Any Faerie?

"All the best," Ryan said as I was about to get out of my car.

"For what?" I asked, clearly confused. I had a test at school but he did not know that.

"For your test." So he knew.

I faced him. "How did you know?"

Ryan just shrugged and smiled.

"What?" I asked again.

"Nothing." Ryan still had that all-knowing look on his face.

"So tell me how did you know. Are your kind able to read minds too?" I asked rather cautiously. If he knew what went on my mind, I would be so embarrassed that I was afraid I would even be able to talk to him.

"No, no. We can't read minds, atleast I can't." Someone honked from behind and Ryan had to move our car. I let Ryan drive me to school so that instead of focusing on the road, I could focus my mind on the formulas that I kept forgetting.

"So...you were saying?" I asked once Ryan had parked infront of the school. I usually did not like to park directly in front of the school, but that day we had no other choice.

"I was saying that yesterday, I saw you preparing till late at night, and I also know you barely had an hour sleep." That meant he did not sleep too. I did not know if it was sweet of him to try to protect me or weird of him to take care of me— we barely knew each other.

"Also, the entire way to school, you were nodding your head like you were trying to concentrate on something— maybe on those things you kept repeating last night but could not get right," Ryan raised his eyebrows as a way of teasing me, ruining that little admiration I had for him.

"Maybe, you could try concentrating on something else," I retorted and got off the car.

I had only walked a few steps when I saw everyone staring at me— no— not at me. They were gaping at something behind me. I hoped it was not Ryan they were staring at, but as I turned, I saw that it indeed was Ryan. But... I thought he was only going to drop me to school. In his black shirt and faded blue jeans, he looked almost like a bodyguard. I had stopped abruptly and had officially joined the group of gapers, when he bumped into me.

"Ow!" I said rubbing my temple. "Can't you be more careful?"

He raised his brows and said that I was the one who had stopped midway. "And you were again staring at me," he smiled casually and took my hands. "Let's go."

I slid my hand away from his. "Why are you here? You know, no one going to kidnap me. If they wanted to, they would have done that already," I said to Ryan, though I wished they would take me too, atleast that way I could be with my family. But why they had decided to leave me here, I didn't know.

But Ryan said, "Maybe, I just want to see the place you love so much." Or maybe he just wanted to make me feel uncomfortable. I was about to roll my eyes, but then suddenly I realized why Ryan was there.

"You are here to see Emma, aren't you?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Maybe," he shrugged.

"I told you we can trust her," I was really agitated. He could atleast tell me.

"I know. I just wanted to see for myself, if she will be okay with everything, once the reality of who I am fully kicks in."

I was still sceptical, but I agreed. "Fine. But I want to be there when you speak to her."

We had reached the main entrance. "Do whatever that pleases you till then," I said and went inside.

"Oh I will," Ryan yelled from behind.

***

Emma guarded me and took me to a corner, as soon as she saw me at lunch.

"What is happening?" I asked her.

"You tell me that. Everyone is talking about you and Ryan, and about how he dropped you off at school in your own car."

"Oh."

"You should have told me, girl," she paused. Then she said, "Is anything going on between you two?"

"No, Emma. Why would you think that?" I was so exasperated.

Emma looked at me for some time with a blank face. Then said in an even more dry voice, "Maybe because he is dropping you to school?"

I took her to a nearby table and sat down. Then I said, "He is staying at my house, since yesterday." When I saw her eyes go big in astonishment, I quickly added, "To ensure that I'm safe. Even now, he is here, someplace outside the building. He wants to talk to you about something."

"Oh great." I could not understand if she was being genuine or sarcastic.

"Don't be so excited. He, really, is bad news." I let out a sigh.

"A different kind of bad news," she said and winked at me, while I tried to understand what could be more different about him than the fact that he was not even a human.

***

A

fter lunch-break I had my test which had gone surprisingly well, given how I kept thinking about what Ryan was going to tell Emma. Ryan was standing just outside as we got out of the building.

"See any faerie?" I smiled at him through my pursed lips.

"Nah," he said in a way that made me smile a little. He looked at me for a few seconds before noticing Emma.

Ryan cleared his throat and said, "Emma. I assume you know that I am not a human like you all. I come from a different place than this and my world can be dangerous to humans."

He paused as if to emphasize what he just said. Then he continued, "I did not want to take any human to where I used to live, yet I have no choice but to take Venus. Emma, I cannot take you there, but merely knowing about my place— you cannot tell this to anyone as it will do more harm to your kind than mine."

Ryan looked at me, then at Emma. "Are you sure you want to go to Southampton?" he asked Emma at last.

"Absolutely. Knowing where my best friend is going, or what she is going into, is the least I can do," Emma said looking at me; while, I once again realized how lucky I was to have a best friend like her.

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Hope you liked CHAPTER 11 of "A World of Treason and Tides".

Why do you think he wants them to go to Southampton?🤔