Page 20 of The Cursed Kingdom

The faerie stares at me, and I have the feeling he’s trying to read me just as much as I’m trying to read him. Can he tell something is off about me? Is it peculiar that I don’t know where the Redstall Forest is? I’m sure I’m not the first person he’s ever encountered with a lousy sense of direction.

I lick my lips, faintly aware that I’m beginning to sweat.

This isn’t as easy as I thought it would be.

The man shrugs. “There’s a break in the wall at Farbay, but there are rumors that the princes are preparing to travel to the gods’ realm, and they’ll be doing that through the portal in the forest. If the rumors are true, it will be next to impossible to sneak in undetected.”

I suck my cheeks into my mouth. That sentence makes no sense to me, but it raises several concerns. What is this wall he speaks of, and why would I need tosneakinto the forest? Is this some sort of sacred forest where humans aren’t allowed? Is that why he wanted to know what a human wants to do there?

Also, there’s a portal in the forest? Can I use it to return home?

Despite my attempts to remain calm, I fear my panicked confusion must show. The faerie furrows his brows, looking almost confused by my confusion.

“Where are you from?” he asks.

I twist my hands around my backpack straps.

“I’m from the human realm, as I’m sure you can tell,” I say, trying to keep the conversation light as I gesture to myself. “My family came here when I was young, and we settled in a small town down south.”

“Down south?”

“Yes.” I clear my throat. “It’s a small town. You’ve never heard of it.”

The faerie’s lips curl into another smile, and I know I’ve been caught in a lie. I can see it in the victorious glint in his eye, and I mentally curse. I’m fucking this all up.

The man glances at his hands, drawing attention to them. He’s wearing gloves, ones I haven’t noticed before. They’re flesh-colored and look to be made of leather, and they end low on his wrists. They’re discreet, and I wouldn’t have noticed them had he not looked at his hands.

“You’re a poor liar,” he says.

I’m becoming painfully aware of that. I remain silent, waiting for him to continue speaking. I won’t dig myself into a deeper grave by trying to explain myself. I haven’t done anything wrong, and I don’t have to answer to this man.

“You’re not wearing gloves,” he points out.

I drop my arms and clasp my hands behind my back, hiding them from his view. I would’ve packed a pair had I known it was part of their culture, and I mentally curse Lill for what feels like the hundredth time today. I wouldn't be this unprepared if shehad been more forthcoming with information about the faerie realm.

What a bitch.

The faerie holds eye contact with me as he removes his gloves, revealing pale, well-manicured hands. What’s he doing?

Does he need his hands free to cast a magical spell on me? The magic swirling in the air between us doesn’t react to his exposed skin, so I don’t think he’s doing anything with it, but I’m very quickly learning this world isn’t anything like I thought it would be.

It’s not the most comforting realization to make.

The man tucks his gloves into the same pocket he put his keys in earlier.

“Do you not wear gloves because you’re open to being touched?” he asks.

I recoil, the reaction involuntary. What the fuck are my lack of gloves signaling to the people here? If I don’t get myself murdered or thrown into jail, I’m going to fucking kill Lill.

My palms are sweaty, and I nervously glance around the street. There’s nobody around to see us, not one faerie to be found in any direction. I should never have approached this man.

He clearly has some sort of agenda. If he tries anything, I’ll scream.

I’ll be damned if I go down without a fight. I’ll kick and scream and bite, and if he tries to rape me, I’ll shit my pants. I doubt he’ll want to deal with that mess.

There’s a utility knife in my bag, and if I make it out of this interaction alive, Iwillbe shoving it into the waistband of my leggings. I should have done that before stepping foot into this town, but there’s no way I’ll be able to grab it now.

It’s buried at the bottom of my bag, underneath my sweatshirt and my food.

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