Page 11 of Elves and Espresso

Ignoring the clear amazement Aleixo had for the burrow I had thought up and Dewdrop had lovingly spun soft bedding for, I pushed my way in and laid down. “It’s a bit cozy, but it will do. I’ll take the first watch while you rest for an hour, and then we’ll switch for an hour. Dewdrop will be with you, as her senses are more heightened than yours.”

“You mean… You want me to…sleep with a spider here?”

“I could leave you alone for a What Now to find while I walk the perimeter if that suits you more.”

“A…What Now?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“You know what? I never thought I’d say this, but I’ll take the spider.”

Chapter Ten

The forest around us was eerie, even in the daytime. Nothing felt right as I walked around, my steps as silent as though I didn’t exist at all. Taking watch for an hour gave me time to think in a way I had been trying to avoid until now.

I knew my father was rash, but to bind me to the first man who inquired about the silver ball? Surely, he’d had more sense than that with the other two. Not only that, but Nilsorn? Of all people to want to break a binding for, Nilsorn. Not true love, not because I protested Aleixo, but because someone more powerful had come along. A sable that even my father feared.

The rustling in the leaves grew more intense and there was something in the air. The forest knew someone was here who didn’t belong. These branches knew they hid a human that was not of this world—not one that had grown to belong, but one that already belonged elsewhere. A human whose life was already marked in a different realm. How finicky was the world of Wylionis?

I arrived back at the burrow, crouching to lightly wake Aleixo. If he could see himself now…curled up with Dewdrop as though she was a small cat and he a child. The soft snores were sweet, and while Dewdrop uncurled and scuttled over to me with her adorably big eyes open, he slept on.

“Aleixo,” I said gently. “It is your watch now.”

His eyes fluttered open, and he sat up quickly. “Sorry, I suppose I was more tired than I thought.” He cast his eyes to Dewdrop and crawled out of the burrow beside me. “Hey,” he said suddenly. “You’re smiling.”

I watched him for a moment, unsure of what he meant, before realizing I was smiling. What a strange sensation. To be smiling for some sort of positive feeling, instead of sarcasm. “I am not,” I scoffed, crawling into the burrow and curling up in the bed Dewdrop had made. “Go take watch. I’ll be out in an hour.”

The hour passed quicker than I would have liked as the internal alarm jostled me out of a dead sleep. The one benefit of being an elf was remaining alert and ready, despite sleep taking over, but that was also one of the many complaints I had.

However, there was a greater surprise waiting for me outside. One I would potentially complain about in all my upcoming days.

Just coming around a bend in the path, there walked Aleixo. There was no sign of Dewdrop, and for a moment, I felt panic. Had he offended her? Had he said something that set her off? I couldn’t risk losing her. We were as close as a creature and an elf could be.

But no, it was none of those things. For when Aleixo turned, there she was, sitting atop his shoulder, clicking along excitedly. There was no way he could understand her—this wasn’t some legend where someone could communicate with animals at the drop of a hat. No one could learn the Klaroinsie tongue so quickly. It was impossible.

He was laughing, and she was communicating something about a squirrel. It was unfathomable.

“What is going on?” I asked abruptly. They both turned to look at me, and Dewdrop tapped on his shoulder, her signal to be lowered down. One could not just drop a jumping spider or allow them to leap. He kneeled and allowed her to scamper to the ground, where she then came straight to me.

“Well, we don’t exactly speak the same language, but she’s been positively delightful this entire time. Did you know she can mimic different animal sounds with her clicks? Unheard of! I was very impressed by this ability.”

I blinked at him. “Of course I knew that. I’m merely surprised that I left you for an hour and suddenly, you have bonded with a spider.”

“Yes, but she’s a very lovely spider.” He threw that annoying grin my way, and I wanted to deck him across the face.

Chapter Eleven

“Where are we even going?”

Was every start to our journey going to begin with endless questions? I had never met a more curious being. “We’re heading to the place where the realms intersect. This is where you will return home.”

It was late afternoon, and the sky would be darkening soon. We had taken a few rests in order to prepare for the travel we would do at night on the main road. The forest around us was filled with birdsong and excited chatter, but the silence was beginning to arrive in longer spurts as fog rolled in.

Great, more fog.

“Won’t the Realm Guard be there waiting for me?”

“No. As far as he is concerned, you’re just a stupid human wandering around in the wrong realm.”