Page 40 of For the Strange and Surprising

I want to ask about the other people who were caught in the waterspout with me, but I don’t know if I should. The short answer is I don’t know if I trust him enough to bring it to his attention. The honest answer is, I’m not sure if I can handle being the only one who was dropped into a new world.

What if they’re dead?

But what if they’ve been lost in the forest for a whole week with no idea of the dangers?

I stare at Ecaeris, losing myself in the split colors of his mismatched irises. I try to list the pros and cons, but the cons are vastly outweighed.

“What is it?” he demands.

I sigh, hanging my head. I should have thought of them sooner.

“There were three other people caught in the waterspout with me. I was just wondering, if Spiran used it to bring me here, then where are they?”

He gazes at me for much too long before he frowns. His tense shoulders relax a fraction as he turns his head away from me.

“I don’t know,” the prince replies, more to himself than me.

Ecaeris motions for me to follow him, and I soon begin to recognize my surroundings. He leads me to the clinic, done with his babysitting duties for the day. Imryll waits by the door, though he walks toward us when he spots us round the corner.

“Ada?” Ecaeris calls from behind me.

I glance at him over my shoulder. “Yes?”

“I’ll ask about them.” He grimaces, as if being nice is just as difficult for him. “See if they’ve been found.”

“Thanks. Just don’t tell me if…”

“I want to know, though.” He nods, a small smile playing across his lips. “It might help me trust you a little more.”

I scoff, but grin back at him. “Believe it or not, Prince of the Mongrels, I know where I came from. I’d even wager to say I know why I was left amongst the water elementals.”

He snorts as he leaves me with Imryll, and my excursion of enlightenment continues.

13

Adelaide

Imryll doesn’t ask what Ecaeris and I were talking about as he leads me to a new garden. There’s a wooden fence bordering the area, barely holding the plants at bay. The timber is raw, untreated, and still has chunks of bark attached, but it’s a picturesque backdrop.

This garden is set up much the same way Isolde’s is, from the outside at least.

The earthy smell of fresh-cut grass has me inhaling deeply to savor the scent. Shades of green greet us as leaves of all sizes drape over the rails. They draw me in, lulling my mind into a relaxed state. With my troubles in the backseat, I focus on absorbing the peaceful atmosphere.

I don’t touch anything, but I want to. I feel compelled to learn the textures, to bury my nose in the blooms. And though I love being outdoors, sniffing flowers isn’t something I’d typically do.

The moment I spot a two-dimensional caterpillar, I start to think those reactions are Spiran’s work. Isolde’s words begin to make more sense, too. There’s intent behind the island’s manipulation, but it isn’t malicious at all.

She figured out something that I enjoy, and then she turned the volume up, making those small glimpses of happiness tangible.

“On Earth, we call that cheating,” I whisper to the insect.

“What was that?” Imryll asks, his smile welcoming.

“On Earth, we call these caterpillars, though they’re only an inch or two long.” I hold my fingers up, estimating the measurement. “Do you call them the same?”

“We do.” He scrunches his nose. “Why are they so small?”

I laugh quietly, returning his question. “Why are they so big here?”