“We’ll wait here,” Caom said cheerfully as I slid past Idony and grabbed my clothes from the sofa, carrying them into the bedroom.
I dressed quickly, flushing a little as I pulled the leather trousers up over nothing. I wasn’t used to not wearing underwear, and I made sure the lacing was done up tightly so no hint of my dick or pubic hair peeked through. Caom would have a field day if I accidentally flashed him.
Luckily the shirt covered my groin anyway. I didn’t bother tucking it in. As I sat on the end of the bed to pull on socks and my boots, I glanced over at the window. In the daylight, I could see the thatched roofs of the little village. The Carlin’s court rose up into the sky like shards of ice, winking in the sun.
Caom and Idony were in the living room when I stepped out of the bedroom, the former lounging on the sofa with an apple while the latter inspected the bookcase.
“What’s this leather from?” I asked curiously, glancing down at my dark brown trousers.
“Mushroom leather,” Caom told me. “Nice, no?”
I shrugged, crossing the room to get my cup from the kitchen.
Idony huffed. “Look at the back of your shirt. Mortals are suchanimals.”
Caom sat forwards while I peered over my shoulder at the grass stains on my back. He made a little noise in this throat.
“You tried to leave then.” He gave me a small, sad smile. “Are you hurt?”
I cleared my throat, shaking my head. “Hurt at the time.”
“Yes, I can imagine.” He let out a hard breath and smiled up at me. “Well. At least you’re getting settled otherwise. Did you decide what you want to do today?”
My stomach tightened with trepidation at the idea of wandering round the village, even with Caom and the scowling Idony. What if we ran into one of the Carlin’s creepy sons? Or that man in the hat with his giant death dog?
“I… I think I just want to stay here,” I said.
Now that my head was clearing, the hangover fleeing, I wanted to read more of those books. I remembered one of the titles from yesterday.Rudimentary Charms to Draw in the Plain Ones.Did ‘Plain Ones’ mean humans? Mortals? It made sense, as the Folk called themselves the Fair Folk. Maybe there would be something in that book that told me how to leave Folk land and cross back over to the mortal world.
Caom’s face had fallen, but he tried to hide it. “Oh. Alright. Do you want us to stay with you?”
“No, it’s okay.” I smiled at him because I didn’t want to be rude, and his face lit up. I realised it was probably the first time he’d seen me smile. “I’m still feeling tired. And kind of… dazed. I think I just need to rest.”
Idony scoffed, muttering, “Weak mortals.”
Caom ignored her, standing up from the sofa. “Of course. Relax today. We can explore tomorrow. And you’ll see plenty at the Carlin’s celebration for you in a few days.”
He stepped closer and grasped my shoulder. “I’m glad you’re settling in, Ash. Truly, you will grow to love it here. It’s wonderful. And when you shed your mortal skin, you will enjoy it to its fullest.”
I didn’t comment, shooting him a small smile. Idony barely looked at me as she flounced out of the cottage, Caom giving me a small wave before I shut the door behind them.
Letting out a long breath, I made my way into the kitchen to grab theNovice Drachmsmithbook that Idony had left on the table. I stopped dead when I saw the blackbird sitting on the outside window ledge on the other side of the glass. Its head cocked when it spotted me.
I stared back.
Was it the same one as yesterday? Was it a spy for the Carlin, seeing what I was up to?
Had it told her that I’d tried to escape yesterday?
After a few moments, the blackbird flew off. Unsettled, I grabbed the book and went back into the living room, carefully pulling thePlain Onesbook from the shelf before sitting on the sofa.
It didn’t tell me anything about how to leave Folk land. It just contained recipes for spiced honey cakes, fruit pies and candied nuts. It listed the instruments that drew in mortals best with their sweet music. It talked about the most fragrant flowers to tempt them with their scents. The best steps to draw them into a never-ending dance until their feet bled and they collapsed.
All of it made me feel ill. Had the Folk been doing these things to humans for centuries? Millennia?
I set the book aside, shoulders slumping in despondence. The wound on my neck still felt cold, and I could feel the scab when I traced my fingertips over it.
My eyes slid to theNovice Drachmsmithbook. I’d only gotten halfway through it yesterday, but I remembered there was a chapter near the end on healing potions. What if there was a potion to heal the cut? Could it remove whatever the Carlin had done to keep me here?