“Human realm? That's not possible.” A tight voice behind me said. I spun around and there stood a tall man, with a lean build and neatly styled white-blond hair. His blue eyes were cold as he sneered at me. He crossed his arms, impressing me with how he managed to not create a single crease in his perfectly pressed white shirt.
He was handsome in a way that you hated him. He knew he looked good; he knew he smelled divine with his fresh minty scent, and he knew he was powerful.
What a dick.
He walked further into the clearing, watching me closely, assessing me.
The closer he got, the more details I could see, like the slightly smudged under eyes, the tight pull of his lips,the five o'clock shadow along his jaw even though it was still before noon. This man was tired.
“Cole,” Rí rumbled, inclining his head.
“Rí,” the man, Cole, nodded back.
I rolled my eyes and sighed.
“If you guys are done, I'd like some answers now.”
“As would I. How are you here?” Cole sneered at me once more. I didn't like this man.
“That's why you're here asshat,” I sneered back.
He went to take a step towards me but Rí’s tan hand on his chest stopped him. I found how quickly Rí moved in front of me quite impressive.
“I called ye’ for a reason. We need this discreet.”
“And you thought I would play along in your secrets because..” This man was going to be a problem, I just knew it. Why the hell did Rí think this man was going to help us?
His low rumbling growl caused Cole to step back further. His lip curled at him before he said, “tell me what I need to know.”
“Amaya appeared in the Dead village. She was passed out in the human realm. She was...beaten” Rí’s voice lowered another notch, his jaw ticked as he took a slow breath and continued. “She has no idea how, no power has emerged, no animal. Only her eyes. They were brown. Now they are changing. More and more as the day draws on.”
At the mention of my eyes the sneering man snapped his head to me and stared at me in shock.
“Thats not possible.”
Obviously was if I was stood there.
“We need to know for sure, and we need to know how she got here.”
Cole looked irritated yet intrigued. He walked towards a pile of fallen petals before pulling a glass vial with orange looking liquid out and poured it onto the pile. Steam rose as he started to mutter to himself quietly.
Why was Cole muttering to himself over a pile of steaming petals? Rí didn't seem bothered.
I edged closer to try and listen to what he was saying. He spoke fast, low and quiet and all I picked up was focus. I edged closer still.
“I said focus!” He snapped at me, his blue eyes annoyed as he glared at me leaning over his pile.
“On what!” I snapped back.
“Focus on your breathing, on yourself. Focus on how you felt when you appeared in the Dead Village.”
Well someone could have told me I was supposed to be doing something. I glared at Rí who shrugged and slid some of my hair from my shoulder.
I moved back and breathed deeply. Slowly.
Okay Amaya. Focus.
How did I feel when I woke up in the shack?
