The Fae walks ahead of me, constantly looking back with a grin on his face. I smile at him hesitantly, holding my hands in front of me as we traipse through the brush. He doesn't strike up a conversation, nor does he give me his name. I don't give him mine either, heeding Kailan's advice from the first night, when we made our bargain.
Cat Boy bounds over the fallen trees effortlessly, not checking if I need any assistance. I scramble over and through fallen trees, get snagged on thorns, and tear my skirt several times. Cat Boy gets farther ahead of me, clearly in a hurry to get to the party.
Music drifts on the breeze, a series of chords and strings played in a cheery manner. A grin breaks on my face, my feelings lifting immediately. The music is sweet and lulling, a welcome change after the ominous walk through darkness. Ahead, the forest seems to light up, the ground glowing.
"Don't worry, lost human," Cat Boy purrs. "You will be welcome by all. We love humans at our parties."
I smile at him, anxiety spiking. Kailan is in there, he must be. I hope, and fear, he is. How many colonies of faeries are there? Do they live in colonies? Oh, how I wish Mother hadn't been so evasive on the Fae. Calling them Fair Folk and speaking of them as if they were a riddle.
Does anyone in town know about them? I wring my hands together. If Mother had warned me outright, I might've spoken to the townsfolk more often, gathered more information. Then I wouldn't be in this mess I currently am living in.
Cat Boy rests his hand against a thick tree. As I watch, a knot opens up, creating a doorway. Light pools from inside, revealing a stairway of roots leading down into the depths of the earth. Suddenly, fear slices down my spine and I want to go back home. What was I thinking, coming to a faery party? I know nothing about them, don't know what to look out for as warning signs.
"Come along. It'll be great fun." He offers me his hand. "Only a moment longer."
I refuse his hand, stepping through the door. Taking the wrangled stairs carefully, I hear the knot close again, the bark groaning and snapping as it shifts. The Fae follows me, his steps significantly quieter than mine. About halfway down, he pushes past me to join the fray. Already, I see several feet below, in the room at the bottom of the stairs.
"Who have you brought with you, Gaelish?" a female voice asks.
Cat Boy looks back at me with a sadistic grin. "A willing pet. She was most eager to join our party."
I step into the grand room, the mass of creatures astounding. They range from horned devils to fawns, winged beings with pointed ears and small dwarf-like gnomes, no bigger than the chicks we have on the farm. Humanoid Fae are plentiful but there's always something that reminds me they aren't human. Overly large eyes, razor teeth, elongated limbs, or horns. There aren't many Fair Folk like Cat Boy, assumely Gaelish, but there are a few more catlike Fae.
The female voice that spoke to him sounds vaguely familiar. Keen eyes catch my gaze and an audible gasp escapes my lips. It's the faery I gave the two dozen eggs to, to deliver a message to Kailan.
She sneers at me. "Well, look at what we have here."
Gaelish looks between the two of us. "Ah, so you're acquainted. How fun." His tone betrays his boredom.
"Did you enjoy the eggs?" I ask her.
"Why are you here? Did Kailan ignore your request?"
"She knows Kailan?" A hint of fear coats his tone.
"She had a message for him," the Fae explains as if I'm not standing right here. "Sounded pitiful, like a spurned lover."
Gaelish guffaws, drawing the attention of half the room. I feel more than twenty pairs of eyes settling on me curiously. I'm not Fae, but I don't see any other humans here. Hadn't Gaelish said humans are welcome?
"Pretty girl." A hand grabs my hair, pulling on a sizable lock. "But her dress is torn. That's no way to arrive at a party."
I whirl around, the culprit looking like a child, with a cherub face, round blue eyes, and pointed ears.
"She's a clumsy thing," Gaelish dismisses. Turning back to me, he says, "You must be famished after your long walk. Go, have your fill at the table."
"I'm not hungry," I inform him cordially.
"But of course you are. Sable, show her. Her eggs were delicious, if she is the one who gave them to you."
"Am I to be errand girl for humans now?" the female grumbles. Her dark eyes settle on me, glaring coldly. "Such a lowly creature. The table of food is over there, against the south wall."
"I'll take you," the Fae who grabbed my hair offers, smiling. "And get you a more suitable dress."
"The food isn't necessary, but I appreciate your offer. As for the dress, I'll continue to wear my own." I smile at him in return. Just then, I catch a glimpse of long silver hair and a lean back. Curled horns, similar to a ram, stick out from the side of his head. Kailan didn't have horns when I met him, but I imagine he glamoured himself to look human. Breaking away from Gaelish and Sable, I weave through the crowd. "Kailan!"
He turns, eyes immediately finding my face. They aren't silver as I first saw them, but a deep red, nearly scarlet. I falter. His face is the same, I know it's him, but his differences now are startling.
He rushes to my side, putting his mouth against my ear. "You shouldn't be here. Get out of here. Now."