The Girl from the Valley

Chapter Four - Adrian

“Aren’t you cold?” I sat next to the short, black-haired girl with emerald eyes.

She was sitting on a white stone bench that looked worn, seated between two rose bushes.

“No, I’m fine.” she whispered.

Her small frame was hunched over, her long hair sliding to her back, exposing her near naked shoulders. She was staring up at the night sky, clearly avoiding eye contact with me.

I chuckled at her obvious discomfort, ”What’s your name?”

Her body stiffened as she clutched the skirt of her deep green dress. I could see that she was trying to keep her composure.

“You first.” She replied.

I chuckled again at how hard she was trying to act calm and at how easily I made her uncomfortable.

“Adrian, now you.”

“Serena.” She responded.

“Serena…” I rolled her name around my tongue a few times. Her name matched this quiet moment, serene, “It’s nice to meet you, Serena.”

We sat quietly for a bit as I took in the view of the valley's mountain peaks reaching high up toward the stars. Penin indeed had beautiful scenery-being stationed right in the valley between two sky-seeking mountains. This night was one night I definitely would not forget.

“Where are you from?” She asked, breaking the silence.

“I’m from The Capital.” I leaned back, allowing my back to stretch. It seemed she was curious. I smiled. “Have you always lived in Penin?”

“Hmm-Hmmm.” She nodded , biting her bottom lip and although I couldn’t see her whole face, just seeing her from the side, I knew she would look sexy as hell.

My mind goes back to mere moments ago when I laid eyes on Serena for the first time. I knew right there that something was different about her that was drawing me in. Serena stated that she was human. She may look human, but so did other creatures capable of hiding their true identities and she was definitely not human. She seemed to believe it though. Could she be such a good liar that she was trying to convince me that she was human or was she truly oblivious to her actual being?

Serena was tall and slender with curves right in the perfect places, so she couldn’t be a fae. Those creatures were tall and slender as well, but they lacked any curvature and Serena was about a few inches off the average female fae height. She’s definitely not a werewolf, she didn’t reek of dogs. Maybe she was a mermaid or a siren. I would be able to believe that. She was beautiful and definitely had several onlookers, though she didn’t notice any of them nor did they try to approach her. But then again, mermaids and sirens were always radiating their magic charm and she had no magic around her at all.

What are you, Serena? I thought to myself. I could easily get the answers I want with my ability to peer into people's minds with just a touch of their skin, but that would be no fun.

We sat in silence again when the door we had both just come through burst open with a frantic looking human coming through it. He locked his brown eyes with Serena and quickly noticed I was sitting next to her. He was practically running at her like his life damn near depended on it.

He reeked of desperation and lust as his scent wafted past me to Serena. He must be her lover.

“Serena, are you okay?” The sandy-blonde-haired man gripped Serena possessively.

“I’m fine, Roan.” Serena sighed, she clearly had gone through this before.

“Where have you been?You said you would be back at the table after refilling your wine.” He pulled her up to stand beside him.

Serena gave me the stink eye and I couldn’t help but chuckle. She is pretty cute.

“Who is this?” The human noticed our little interaction and nodded toward me.

“My name is Adrian,” I responded. “And you are?”

“That’s none of your business,” he grunted.

“He’s my brother,” Serena stated.

He’s her brother? Not her spouse? I looked at them.

“Are you sure?” Serena looked like she truly believed that he was only her brother, but the human, on the other hand, looked like he was claiming to be more than just her brother.

Her ‘brother’ moved to block Serena from my sight. He was just a few inches shorter than myself, but it seemed like he was warning me not to approach her. He was standing with his back straight with an expression on his face that looked all too serious about a girl that was just his ‘sister’.

Serena moved to stand between the two of us, clearly aware of the tension, “Yes, Roan is my brother.” She turned to look at him but his brown eyes were hard locked on mine, waiting for my gaze to falter, but I’ve played this staring game more times than I could count. I was not going to be the first one to back down, especially not to a human like him. “He’s just over protective.”

I looked between the two of them again. The man was human but Serena was not. They smelled similar, so they must live with each other, but something about Serena was different than the humans, so how were they related? Something also did not make sense. I understand trying to protect your sister, but to actively show possession of her like she belonged to you? I didn’t actively stand in the way of any of my sisters' love interests unless they caused my sister harm. This human was challenging me like he would challenge anyone who would take her from him.

Then the realization clicked into my mind. This moron fell in love with his ‘sister’ and she’s completely clueless about it, believing that his protectiveness was normal for her brother to do.

I smirked at the i***t as his eyes tried not to reveal that he knew he’d been caught. Suddenly, her brother grabs her hand and yanks her toward the garden exit, “Come on, Serena.” he grunted, “We’re going home.”

This was probably not going to end well with Serena tonight as I followed them into the manor. He pushed through everyone that got in his way as he rushed out the main entrance to the manor.

I had almost followed them completely out through the gates when I slowed myself to a stop at the doorway. Why am I so concerned about some valley girl I just met? No. I thought to myself. I can’t concern myself with problems that aren’t my own and I already have plenty.

Serena is not my problem and nor should I make it my problem. I had to focus on my task here in Penin, which was to find recruits for the army's next semester, and I had already stalled long enough.

I sighed as I locked eyes with Serena as she looked at me, getting further away from view until she was completely gone.

The feel for tonight’s party was all gone now that this situation has happened. It would not have felt right to continue like nothing had happened with Serena and her brother storming off away from the crowd, so instead of drowning myself in wine like I had originally planned my last night in Penin for, I thanked Mayor Welke for the lovely celebration in honor of his daughter and walked to the outskirts of town to a small tavern where I had been lodging.. Tomorrow, I will return to the camp with new recruits.