"Oh my gods, are you afraid of a cutie thing like this? Are you serious, Kai?" Ryusei teased, his voice filled with disbelief as he laughed harder than I had ever seen anyone laugh. The sound of his laughter was contagious, and it seemed like he couldn't quite believe what he was witnessing. His face lit up with amusement, his eyes practically sparkling with glee as he watched Kai, the usually stoic warrior, react so dramatically to a small, harmless creature.
"You, the serious guy who every outsider fears, are afraid of a ferret. My gods, a FERRET!" Ryusei's voice practically squealed with laughter, his tone rising in pitch as the absurdity of the situation seemed to hit him all at once. I could see his shoulders shaking with the force of his laughter, and I half-wondered if he might fall over from how much he was enjoying this moment. The air around us felt lighter with his contagious joy, and even though Kai's face was a study in embarrassment, I couldn't help but grin at the sheer absurdity of it all.
"Damn, you're such a baby boy, Kai," Ryusei continued, gasping for breath between laughs, clearly in no hurry to let Kai live this down. He wiped his eyes dramatically as if he were about to cry from laughter. The image of Kai, the fierce warrior who commanded respect, now cowering at the sight of a harmless ferret, was just too much for Ryusei to handle.
"Gods help me, he'll never let me forget this," Kai muttered under his breath, his voice dripping with sarcastic humor. His hands were clenched at his sides, clearly trying to maintain some semblance of composure despite his obvious discomfort. "Thanks to you, little witch," he added, shooting me a sidelong glance, his lips twitching into a smile he was desperately trying to suppress. I could tell that, despite the teasing, he wasn't actually angry—he was just embarrassed. And I found that hilariously endearing.
I couldn't hold back my laughter any longer. The irony of the situation was just too much. Here was Kai, the person everyone feared, reduced to a stuttering mess by a tiny, innocent creature. It was almost poetic in its ridiculousness, and I reveled in every second of it. "I don't know, Kai. You seem like a total baby," I teased, my voice full of playful mockery. I couldn't let him off the hook that easily.
"Tell me it's a girl!" A new voice suddenly interrupted the banter, its urgency sharp and excited. It drew our attention immediately, and we turned to see a blonde fae male entering the room. Like the other two fae, he was tall, his golden skin catching the light, and his dark eyes sparkled with an almost mischievous gleam. He was all energy, a complete contrast to the more brooding presence of Kai.
"Wow, thank the gods. And she's hot!" he practically shouted, his gaze settling on me with an open appreciation that made me raise an eyebrow in surprise. His bluntness was jarring, but somehow it felt genuine, and I couldn't help but be intrigued by his directness.
"Are all of you so sincere like this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, still a little taken aback by how openly everyone was reacting to me. It was almost disorienting, and I couldn't decide if I was uncomfortable or impressed. I was used to a more reserved atmosphere, but here, the fae didn't seem to hold anything back.
"I'm Boyd. It's a pleasure to meet you, darling," the fae introduced himself with a confident smile, stepping forward with a fluid grace that seemed to come naturally to him. His words were smooth, his tone casual but with an underlying confidence that made it clear he was used to being the center of attention.
"If I were you, I wouldn't call her that, it's a trigger," Kai warned, his voice cool but edged with a hint of warning. His eyes darkened slightly as he shot a glance at Boyd, signaling that he should think before speaking. Kai's tone held a protective edge that was hard to ignore, and I couldn't decide if I was grateful for it or annoyed.
Boyd blinked, his earlier playful demeanor faltering slightly. He raised his hands in mock surrender, his lips curving into a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry, princess, I didn't know," he said, his voice apologetic, though there was still an undercurrent of charm to it. He was clearly trying to smooth things over, but I could sense the lightheartedness in his tone wasn't going anywhere.
"Thanks for the compliment, blondie," I responded, my own smirk forming as I glanced at Boyd. Despite the tension in the air, I was enjoying the playful dynamic that had formed between us. There was something about the fae that made everything feel a little more... alive.
"So, how was it there, golden boy?" Boyd asked, turning his attention to Kai, clearly eager to shift the focus away from the awkward moment. His posture relaxed as he leaned against the wall, adopting a casual stance that contrasted sharply with the earlier tension. It was clear he wasn't bothered by the exchange at all.
Kai's lips twitched slightly, a small sign of annoyance still visible on his face, though he took the question in stride. "She's savage, like weapons," Kai began, his voice almost fond as he described me. "Loves stew of snakes—snakes that she hunts, and had a little monster as a pet," he continued, his words flowing easily, as if he were listing off facts rather than making a statement about me.
Boyd raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by this description. "What monster?" he asked, his curiosity piqued as his eyes scanned the room, no doubt searching for the elusive creature Kai had spoken of.
His eyes landed on Bakaashi, who had been quietly watching the exchange from my side. The second Boyd saw Bakaashi, his expression morphed from curiosity to full-blown surprise. "What the heck is this?" Boyd exclaimed, his voice filled with both confusion and fascination.
"Okay, another baby boy afraid," I muttered under my breath, watching Boyd react with the same cautiousness that Kai had. The fae were clearly more intimidating in theory than in practice, especially when faced with something they weren't used to.
"I see that you're not the only one who's afraid of Bakaashi, fae boy," I said with a smug grin, finding it more than a little amusing that Boyd, with all his bravado, was just as unnerved by my creature as Kai had been.
Boyd shot me a glare but remained rooted in place, still clearly hesitant to get any closer to Bakaashi. It was a sight to behold—two of the strongest beings I had met, practically cowering at the sight of my harmless companion.
"What a cutie," a voice suddenly called out, its high-pitched excitement cutting through the tension. A girl entered the room, her eyes immediately locking onto Bakaashi. She ignored everyone else in the room, her focus entirely on the creature in my arms.
"I want one. Let me hold him, please, please, please, please!" she begged, her voice filled with an eagerness that was both endearing and a little overwhelming.
I didn't hesitate. With a smile, I placed Bakaashi into her arms, finally giving her the attention she had been craving. As she held him, she looked up at me, her expression shifting as she took in my appearance for the first time.
"Damn, I knew it was going to be a witch. And gods, you're so beautiful, girl," she said, her voice dripping with admiration as she continued to pet Bakaashi. "I'm always stunned by the witches' supernatural beauty, but you surpass their limits, girl. I think I'm in love—if you're into girls, I'm here for you, baby."
Her words were bold, flirtatious, and totally unfiltered, and for a moment, I was taken aback by the sheer audacity of her compliments. She was a little taller than me, with fiery red hair that cascaded down her back in loose waves. Her eyes were a dark, deep blue, and her skin was a flawless, porcelain white. Her lips were full and expressive, her smile warm yet undeniably playful.
"You're gorgeous too," I said, my voice soft but firm as I complimented her back. "And I'm sorry, I'm into boys. But if this changes, I'll go to you," I added with a sly wink, fully aware that the likelihood of me changing my preferences was slim, but enjoying the teasing moment all the same.
She flashed a wicked smile at the boys before turning back to me, her expression softening into something more genuine. "You guys are so lucky," she said, almost wistfully, before adding, "But, well, I'll always be here for you, girl."
"By the way, I'm Maelli," she added, her tone light but confident as she introduced herself, making no effort to hide the fact that she was completely enamored by me.
"She won't tell her name yet," Boyd teased, crossing his arms with a knowing grin as he watched me. His expression was one of amused curiosity, as if he were trying to figure out the mystery that was me.
"I think her name is Anna," he added with a smirk, obviously trying to guess my identity.
Boyd's guess only made me smile. "You're wrong too," I said, keeping the mystery intact as I watched him with amusement.
She looked thoughtful for a moment before commenting, "She looks like Ella because it's a very pretty name."
"It's really beautiful," I said. "So, there're more than two or three people?" Maelli asked, shifting her attention back to the boys.
"Three. Two females and one male," Kai clarified, ever the source of all knowledge, even if he wasn't particularly in the mood to share.
I still wasn't sure if that was a good thing or bad, but I'd just have to wait and see.