Lost in Between

Chapter 1 (C)

He looked at me like he was seeing me in a better light. His eyes narrowed like he was searching for what he had missed the first time. Then they perked up as though he now found them. And suddenly my chest tightened and I couldn't breathe. I doubled over, held my throat, and opened my mouth wide but to no avail. Then I remembered feeling the same pressure when I wore the bracelet for the first time, so I fumbled at my wrist. I was at it longer that I would have liked and my sight dimmed, but eventually the bracelet dropped to the ground and air rushed back into my lungs.

I glared daggers at him, but he just stared at me stupid, his eyes wide and mouth agape. I punched his calf hard and he snapped out of it. "What did you just do to me?"

"I'm sorry. Please, forgive me," he said with an unmistakable plea in his voice and sincerity in his face. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Then why did you do it?" I stood and backed away. Gods, this was a mistake. I shouldn't have broken the rule. I should have listened to Esmé. I should have just walked away.

"You penetrated my glamour so easily, and no one has ever done that before. I had to be sure if I could trust you. I had to know who you truly are behind the glamour."

I huffed and scowled at him. "What are you talking about? I'm human. I don't have glamour."

"No, the glamour's not yours. It's from the bracelet, and it hides... you." His face brightened and then fell. "A huge part of you."

"You're lyi—" But he couldn't. Sarah told me nothing of the sort when she gave me the bracelet. But he couldn't. I straightened. "What part of me?"

"It's your... your... your..." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I can' t tell you what it is. The words that come to mind are inadequate and inaccurate, which I deem untrue, which I cannot say."

I looked away and stared at nothing. Everything Esmé and Sarah did was for my own good. It was a white lie, not betrayal. I trusted them with my life while I just met this stranger.

"You know what, forget about it. I've survived long enough without the knowledge. I don't really need to know," I lied then picked up the bracelet and hesitantly put it back on.

He hung his head and said, "I'm really sorry for what I did. I would understand if you have changed your mind about helping me."

I looked at him, at his burnt skin, his dislocated shoulder, and at the cut on his forehead that was now completely healed. And I tried to walk away. But I just couldn't leave him here to suffer indefinitely or worst, die. I couldn't have that in my hands. It's something my conscience just wouldn't survive.

"Listen. I still want to help you. Surprise! But I need to know that you will not do it again or anything that might cause me harm. That you will not compel me into hurting myself or lure me into danger. Swear it to me."

He thought of it for a moment then looked me in the eye. "I will never do anthing that might or will endanger you or cause you bodily harm. I swear this to the Khrios tree."

"Oh, okay..." I said, an eyebrow raising. The holy Khrios tree. Hmm, maybe he deserved a second chance after all. "Alright. There's a creek just over there. Your wounds need to be washed and cleaned first." I eyed his shoulder. "But I don't know how to help you with that."

"I need another set of hands to push it back into place. I can instruct you how to do it, if that's alright with you."

"Alright, then." I approached him and knelt back at his side where his arm hung limp. "Tell me what to do."

He instructed me the procedure step after step, and I fumbled through them so bad I coudn't even begin to defend myself afterwards.

"There, there. Towards you."

"You mean like this?"

"Ow, ow, ow! Do it slowly."

"I don't think I can do this!"

"No, no, no. You can do it."

"But I'm making it worse!"

"You also can't stop now."

"Ugh. Why is this so hard?"

"Stop. Yes! Now push it in."

"Push? Are you sure thats—"

"Wraa! Quicker and harder."

"But I'm hurting you!"

"Just do it!"

Finally his goddamned shoulder popped back into place, and I couldn't even be proud about having done it. We stared at each other while we both caught our breaths. Then in an unspoken, mutual concenssion, we burst out laughing. He stop immediately because I imagined it made him hurt more, but I kept going. Suddenly he got up and covered my mouth with his arm, pulled me up and dragged me backwards. He pushed me against a mango tree and gestured for me to be quiet. A horse neighed from a distance somewhere behind me, and he looked over my shoulder and watched.

"What's happening?"

He stood too close to me, and I realized that he was taller than me by perhaps three inches and that his eyes were a much lighter blue than I first thought. And also, the smell. I didn't wait for his answer, and he didn't object when I turned around and peaked around the other side of the tree trunk.

On the same spot where I found Kairon, a rugged fey was mounted on a kind of horse that I had never seen before. It looked what a common horse would if instead of hair it had torqouise and purple feathers. Another of its kind, with red and orange feathers, appeared above them out of nowhere, and a much younger fay rode on its back. The second pair galloped around in the air between trees and landed next to the others. Another pair appeared, the horse with green and teal feathers and the rider a striking fae. All three fairies wore silver armors and black innergarment, both with aesthetic red accents on them.