“No,” she bit, turning her chin up at her.
“That’s good, then. You probably would have died trying anyway.” Then her smile and cheerfulness fell to give Reia a dark look. “But we saw he was helping you, and I thought that was rather odd.”
“What do you mean you saw us?”
“We’ve been watching you,” Jabez interjected, grabbing Reia’s attention.
He waved his hands in the air and a ball that looked as though it was made out of liquid silver began to swirl as he conjured it. Once it was the size of her torso, rolling like waves in a sphere, he threw his hands forward and it flattened into a disc.
An image appeared on it of their home. Their little log cabin surrounded by a clearing and gloomy forest – the view from above like a bird’s eye view.
“We always watch when he obtains a new offering.” Jabez gave a fang-filled grin of humour. “It’s entertaining to see how it will die. One gets eaten by him. Another will get eaten by a Demon running. Some are taken by me when they survive just a little too long.”
Reia’s jaw fell. “You’ve been taking them?”
Orpheus had told her that some were taken, but he’d never told her by who.
“Yes. It’s fun to watch him suffer. Some don’t even make it to the cabin at all.”
“What he’s saying,” the woman said, stepping forward to clasp Reia’s hand by force. “Is that we know what you’ve been through.”
She yanked it away, her touch making her skin crawl because of what she’d just learned. Shit… We were watched?
He raised his hand to cup his jaw while looking at the image of the house, while the woman’s brows twitched to frown at Reia’s sudden, harsh action.
“Can’t see in the house, though. Those pesky charms of his keep everything out, even my magic.” Jabez waved his hand and the image turned into something dark moving swiftly through the forest. “Good. Looks like he’s already on his way. I wasn’t sure if he would since he hadn’t come for any of the others I’ve taken.”
He slapped his hands together and the silver disc of liquid vanished. Then he turned to them with a dull expression on his handsome, yet alien-like, face.
Reia had a hard time looking past his horns, his long-pointed ears, and the striking black marks on the outside of him. The amount of muscle on him said he bore not a single ounce of fat, and he looked so remarkably strong she was sure he could snap her like a twig.
“What are you?” Reia rasped.
He was freely able to use magic. He’d freaking teleported her here! What else could he do?
His eyes crinkled with humour, his head lowering as he smirked. “A little bit of that, a little bit of this.”
At her twisted face, her nose bunching up on one side, he threw his head back and bellowed out a deep laugh that echoed in the hollow, stone room.
The woman sighed, giving him a look of irritation like she was bored of his antics.
“Don’t mind him. The Demon in him makes him a jerk.”
“Yes, but the Elf in me makes me aware of how easy it is to get what I want when I’m cunning. I was hoping to play with her. It’s fun to tease the humans. You’re ruining my fun.”
An elf? But I didn’t think they were real. Reia’s brows drew together in concentration as she tried to think back on the book the Witch Owl had given her. It had spoken of Elves, but she hadn’t read too deeply on the passage of them. She’s disregarded it as rubbish.
A being that is similar to a human, but not human. Pointed ears, mostly dark skin with white hair, and can use magic. Usually slim and athletic.
The woman waved her hand at him.
“I’ll entertain you as much as you like later. After I get what I want.”
“Always after you get what you want,” he grumbled. “It better be good this time. I’m delivering the Mavka to you just like you demanded.”
Reia tried to remain alert and listen to their conversation, but she couldn’t help wondering what else was real if Elves were. She eyed him carefully. If he didn’t have those ears, I probably wouldn’t have believed him. Does that mean there are half-humanoid horses roaming around like freaks?
“You’re enjoying this either way, Jabez.” She tilted her head forward with her hands on her hips, looking up at him through her brows disapprovingly. “Don’t play coy.”
His lips curled knowingly.
He waved his hand dismissively at them.
“Whatever. I’m going to my servants to see if they brought me anything good to eat. You know me. Using my Elven magic makes me hungry.”