The Reborn

C H A P T E R F I F T E E N

"Where are we even going?" I ask Adonis as I follow him through the forrest.

"You'll see!" He said as he kept his pace quick.

I try to keep up with his long strides but I get my foot stuck in a bush I didn't see.

"One... second," I say to him as I try to literally throw my body away from the bush.

He turns back with a serious expression but when he sees me stuck in the bush a small smile breaks across his face, "How do you manage to get yourself in these situations?"

"It's a gift I guess," I say and finally pull my foot from the branches. "Is that a smile I saw? Adonis actually smiled?!"

"Don't get used to it sweetheart," he says and keeps walking.

"I don't think I ever could considering you never do it," I laugh and I hear a small chuckle from him.

We eventually outside a little bar. It looks more like a house but I can hear from the bustling on people it's definitely a pub.

"The Flying Goose?" I read the name of the place. "Do you come here a lot?"

"No but I've been here a few times. You'll like it I promise," he tells me and leads me insides.

The people have a certain aura to them that is so inviting. Everyone seems content and people joke together.

I smile, I feel like I've been here before. I look to Adonis and he's already looking at me but quickly looks away.

"Have we- have I been here before?" I ask him.

"I don't know, you tell me," he says ominously and raises his eyebrow at me before walking to a table.

I sit down across from him, "What are they?" I ask referring to the different creatures.

"Elves, fauns, and even some centaurs. Beautiful aren't they?" Adonis says.

He never pegged me as someone who appreciated such differences; actually found them beautiful. Everyone here was beautiful and I find myself smiling that I get to experience them.

Adonis orders us some kind of Shepard's Pie that didn't look very appetizing but the minute I put it in my mouth I couldn't help but moan, "This is amazing, oh my gods," I tell him.

We eat in a comfortable silence. I admire everyone here dancing and playing music with such content.

An elderly lady walks up to us and to my surprise Adonis actually gets up and gives her a hug.

"My love! How are you doing sweet boy!" She says to him with a heartwarming smile.

She looks over to me and does a double take, "Is this- it can't be," her shocked expression makes me worried that I did something but Adonis interrupts her train of words.

"No," he says over her and the music. "This is my friend from the outskirts who's come to our land for the first time."

"I see," a mischievous smile plays across her lips. "And what would your name be?"

"Athanasia," I tell her and reach out my hand to shake hers but she pulls me into a hug anyways.

"What a beautiful name, very nice to meet you Athanasia," she tells me before leaving but not before she shots Adonis a sly look that I didn't miss.

We sit back down and continue to eat until out of nowhere a beautiful faun walks over to me and reaches out his hand, "Come dance you beautiful human."

I take his hand and follow behind him. I look back and see Adonis with a smile scattered across his face.

I find myself dancing to this folk music made up of fiddles, accordions, pipes, and other instruments. I eventually figure out the steps thanks to my new friend Siamier, the faun.

Everyone is so kind to me and although Adonis and I are some of the few human's in here they treat me just as kindly.

I see Adonis eyeing me with a smile and I don't know if it's the alcohol talking or something else but I run over to him and grab his hand.

"Come dance with us," I say with a smile still moving my body to the music.

"I don't dance," he tells me his face growing serious.

"Oh ok," I say my smile dropping. "We can just leave," I say with disappointment in my voice.

He notices my mood drop and rolls his eyes, "One dance, only one because I don't want to hear you bitch for the rest of the night."

"Yay! You won't regret it!" I smile again and quickly kiss his cheek without thinking before pulling him into the crowd.

Siamier grabs both of our hands and pulls us back into the line of dancers. Adonis tries to keep a serious expression but he eventually gives up and I can see he can't help but smile. The elves and fauns twirl me about and I find myself surrounded by their company.

Everyone dances together as a group and I know at this point even Adonis is enjoying himself.

After dancing to multiple songs I notice him getting stuck is the middle of a group of fauns and I can't help but laugh seeing his head bobbing out of the crowd.

I grab his hand and pull him out of the crowd not being able to stop myself from laughing uncontrollably hard and I find him laughing equally as hard with me.

We tumble out of the bar, "I swear that elf was about to kiss you!" I tell Adonis between breaths.

"Yeah thanks for that! He kept on trying to jump up onto the table to get eye-level with me!" He says but I can tell he found it just as funny as I did.

"Everyone there was amazing, they were so kind," I admit as he walk along the path home.

"Yeah to you, they loved you! Humans and magical beings don't really get along here anymore after Grigoris's policies were put into affect," Adonis says.

"What policies? And wow," I push him a little bit. He looks at me quizzically, "What if they didn't like me! You really just threw me in there."

He chuckles, "I knew they'd love you and I wasn't wrong! Besides you had fun."

"I mean you're not wrong," I look up at him still smiling. "I had a blast, thank you Adonis."

"Anytime Athanasia."