Page 19 of The Cursed Kingdom

The man’s eyes are startlingly violet, just like Lill’s, and my throat runs dry as I take in his sharp jawline and full lips.Fuck. The faeries are good-looking people.

He cocks his head to the side as I approach, his gaze darting down my frame. They linger on my backpack straps before settling on my hands. I try not to be unnerved by it, and I continue forward until we’re only a few feet apart.

The man smiles, putting me on edge.

“Hello, human.”

Chapter Seven

ABBY

HELLO, HUMAN.

I half-expected the man’s voice to sound light and airy, something otherworldly to match the rest of his complexion, but it’s deep and masculine instead—surprisingly so.

I swallow past the lump in my throat, hoping he can’t sense my nerves, and give a jerky nod.

The man’s smile grows, his full lips spreading to reveal a set of perfect, white teeth. He’s still holding his keys, and he shoves them into his pocket before clasping his hands behind his back.

I spare a glance at the door he just emerged from. It’s wooden and tall, and the very top is arched. The faeries really like their arches. It’s not a door to one of the storefronts, though, so I assume this opens to a stairwell leading to the second-story apartments.

The man turns, following my gaze, and my cheeks redden as I realize I’ve been caught staring at his door. He probably thinks I’m contemplating a break-in. I’m not entirely against it. I bet he’s got food up there, and I’m starving. There isn’t much Iwouldn’tdo for a warm meal right about now.

“You look nervous,” the faerie points out. He cocks his head to the side. “How can I help you?”

I clear my throat. “I’m looking for directions.” How good is faerie hearing? Can he hear how hard my heart is beating? I fiddle with my fingers as I continue. “I’m trying to get to the Redstall Forest.”

I’m not going to explain why, though. I don’t know nearly enough about this realm, and I don’t want to share too much information and draw any unwanted attention to myself. That’s a surefire way of getting in trouble.

The faerie raises an eyebrow, and his lips grow taut as he pushes a strand of his hair over his shoulder. His violet eyes are piercing, the color so much more vibrant than Lill’s have ever been. Hers were maybe similar to this color when we were children, but they were never quite this magnetic.

It must be a result of magic, and it takes everything I have not to gawk.

“The Redstall Forest?” he asks. “And what would a human like you be looking for there?”

What is that supposed to mean? How does he know I’d be looking for something there? Maybe it’s just a figure of speech, but maybe not. I’m reading into this too much, I’m faintly aware of that, but I can’t stop.

I do know I don’t want to look confused or frightened, though, so I plaster a broad smile on my face and let out a short laugh.

“A humanlike me?” I tease. “Should I be insulted?”

The corner of his lip twitches. “Not at all,” he drawls, “but Redstall is no place for a fragile woman like yourself. You’ll be eaten alive.”

I’m not sure if I should take that literally or not. I hope not.

The faerie shifts his weight from foot to foot, but it’s not a nervous gesture. He exudes confidence, which isn’t surprising. He has the power in this exchange, and I’m sure he knows it.

His gaze travels again to my backpack, and I tighten my grip on the straps. Do they not have backpacks here? Maybe he’s thinking about robbing me. I need everything in this bag—it’s all I have, and I’m not letting somebody take it without a fight.

I’m not above biting.

“And how do you intend to get to Redstall?” the man asks, finally looking away from my backpack. “You’ll be hard-pressed to find somebody willing to bring you there.”

Why? I shrug, not giving a verbal answer. It’s none of his business, and I just need him to point me in the right direction.

The faerie frowns. “It’s a several-hour ride from here.”

Well, fuck. His use of the wordridesuggests a horse, and I don’t have one of those. How long will it take me to travel there on foot? A full day, at least. I don’t have time for that. Lill’s depending on me. Her life depends on my ability to collect delysum and get back to her in a timely manner.

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