Splendid Fall

Ch.19 A grand Show

******DISCLAIMER*****

Please do not read if you are uncomfortable reading about sexual harassment. 

I don't usually put up disclaimers but this is very important. Thank you. 

Chapter 19

With the fey gone and the chambers completely silent, Birdie found herself picking up one of the maps on Wren's desk for a closer examination. Her eyes lingered over the oceans and lands so familiar to her she could draw it with her eyes closed.

But the maps Wren had were all so wrong. She didn't know who drew them, but North America was most definitely not that close to Europe. The Atlantic was so narrow Birdie wanted to laugh. Whoever drew the maps had clearly never seen an ocean before.

As she sat in Wren's chair with her feet drawn up, Birdie savored the silence, keeping herself busy with the books she could so easily read since her grandmother and mother had taught her Roopican. She skimmed through the myths on werewolves, mermaids, vampires, and dragons. Her mind itched to correct them, but no way was she giving Wren any more new ideas.

Birdie was on her third book when her eyes stopped scanning the pages and fell on her wrists. It took her a split second to realize Wren hadn't put her cuffs back on. She slowly lowered the book onto the table and held up her hands in front of her. Turning them, she stared at her flesh as her heart began to pound. With a deep breath and a flicker of her eyes towards the door, Birdie opened her mind-link.

Hello...

Birdie's heart was beating so fast she could feel each pulse like a hammer inside of her body.

Anyone there? She tried once more.

Birdie?

Birdie's feet slid off the chair and landed on the ground in shock.

Yes! Hello, who is this? I'm Birdie. I....I'm looking for the Tyveer court.

Are you...are you really from Earth?

Birdie froze. She could not think straight with her heart pounding in her chest.

How do you know that? She asked, her eyes glued on the doors.

Lady Ebony sent words. Are you still with the collector?

No, Birdie shook her head. Who are you?

I am not going to reveal to you who I am. I do not know you. I do not trust you.

You can trust me, Bidie said.

Trust is earned. It's not given.

Please, Birdie swallowed the lump in her throat. Tell me who you are. We are connected somehow. That's why we are able to mind-link. Why else would this be possible? No one else can mind-link here. But you and I can.

Maybe because you and I are both from Earth.

Birdie felt as if she could finally breathe for the first time since she had landed in the glass sea. There was light and she was going to race towards it.

You're from Earth? She asked in disbelief. How are you here? How do we leave? I want to go home.

Darling, trust me, we all want to go home. But the most important question here is how did you get here?

Are there more of us?

Us? The woman's voice was dusted with laughter. How can you be so sure you're like us? I heard you have silver hair like them but you're a jinn...