Lucky - by Erin Latimer

A History of Fairies

“Someday I’ll take you through the entire thing,” Rook said. “But now, let me show you to the room you’ll be staying in for the night.”

            He turned, gliding for the door, and I had to take long strides to keep up with him, feeling clumsy and awkward walking beside him. As we walked down the long hallway I noticed that none of his guards were there, at least, none that I could see. But the back of my neck was still prickling, and I’d bet almost anything that they were lurking somewhere nearbye.

            “Where’s Kiran?” I repeated. “Is he on this floor?”

            “No,” Rook said, but he didn’t say anything else, just smiled reassuringly and paused at a door halfway down the hallway. He turned the knob and pushed his way in, holding the door for me to pass through.

            I stepped inside, shoes sinking into the soft red carpet. Pure shock made me stumble, and Rook’s hands on my arms were the only thing that kept me from doing a face plant. He was chuckling, murmuring something about human blood, but I ignored him. I was too entranced with the room we’d just walked into.

            The ceilings were high, just like Rook’s room, but where his had been done in green and gold, this one was wallpapered with soft pink, accented by green patterns that twisted and curled like vines. It looked like some kind of jungle in the distance. There was a massive oak fireplace on the far wall, and a four poster bed sat on a raised platform in the center of the room. There were actual stairs leading up to the bed, curling up the side of the platform. I could imagine a countess sleeping in this bedroom, somebody fabulously rich.

            “Do you like it?” Rook murmured.

            I stammered something, I think it was yes. My brain wasn’t functioning properly, like it was confused at the mere vastness of this room. I stepped forward, wobbling a little bit on my high heels, and Rook stayed glued to my side, using one hand to sort of escort me, and to make sure I didn’t fall over.

            “I can’t believe this place!”

            Stopping at the long, low dresser that sat beside the door, I ran one finger over the silver backed brush on the top, trailed my hands over the mirror. When I picked it up it was heavy, no doubt expensive.

            “You’ll stay the night?” Rook asked. I noticed he hadn’t taken his hand off my elbow, he continued to rest it there gently, but enough to remind me he was there. Enough to let me know how close he was standing.

            When I turned around it was to find his face inches from mine. The light, flickering from the gas lamps along the walls, cast his sharp features into shadows, making him look ethereal. He was beautiful as he was deadly. There was something about him that made my head spin. It wasn’t just physical attraction, it was also the fact that he was the key to all of the things I wanted to know. He was the answer to all my questions. A full blooded fairy standing right in front of me. He claimed he would tell me anything I wanted.

            “I’ll stay the night,”  I said, and was rewarded with that sharp white smile. Then I added, “Will you tell me about it? About being a fairy? How come you don’t get caught?”

            His smile was slightly mocking, not at me though, his eyes looked far away, like he was remembering. “Humans are silly creatures, devoid of any common sense. They’re perfectly content to imagine they’ve got everything under control, that they’re the dominant species. All it takes is a little magic, just a little nudge, to make them think all is right with the world. What did your gambling friends say when my girls passed by?”
            I thought of the dancing girls walking by the table, how Earnest and James had reacted to them. “They…they thought they were fake. That they were pretending to be fairies because it was popular.”