Page 32 of Demure
Sierra’s eyes widened as she thought of something she had yet to verify. “The servants, are they human?”
He nodded. “Of course.”
“Even in...The Hills?”
He nodded a second time. “Obviously. How do you think the bloodlines started mixing in the first place? While I can admit your world is pretty liveable now, I know for a fact it was no walk in the park in the 1400s and 1500s.”
“Hm.” Sierra responded, not sure how she should feel about that. The way Aodhan had mentioned humans as ‘obviously’ being servants made her feel like he thought of them as less than the Fae.
Before she could pursue that thought further, Aodhan pushed open the door they had stopped in front of. “And this is my bedroom.”
Sierra poked her head in, cataloging the large king-size bed covered in a black bedspread. The bed itself looked to be made of white wood, which matched all the other furniture in the room, most of which was in pristine condition and looked newer than the furniture she had seen in the sitting room. While it was certainly a nice room, she also felt it lacked character. There was nothing in here that told her anything about who Aodhan was,and it looked as if he hadn’t really brought much from home when he had come here.
Aodhan walked up behind her, slipping his hand into hers and leading them to the bed. As Sierra sat stiffly next to him, the uneasy feeling she had felt in the hallway only increased.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Aodhan asked, running one of his hands up and down her arm which was covered in goosebumps.
Sierra knew he was just trying to be comforting, but his touch only increased her anxiety. Without thinking, Sierra stood up, not realizing that was her intent until she was standing in front of Aodhan, who was leaning back comfortably in her presence. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again.
“I can feel your emotions, you know.” His eyes remained trained on hers. “Now tell me what is wrong.”
“I…uhh...” Sierra knew she couldn’t talk about the odd looks she received from Kaye and Braan here, as she wasn’t sure just how good Fae hearing was, but she figured asking about his room was innocent enough. “I guess I just thought your room would tell me more about you. But…there isn’t much personality in it at all.”
Aodhan took his eyes off her face to look around the room. “You’re right. I guess when I came here, I didn’t expect to stay long, so I didn’t bring much.”
“That makes sense,” Sierra replied, but she still felt apprehensive for some reason. Even though she was only living in Dublin for a year or two, she had done way more to her space than Aodhan had.
“Come, sit.” Aodhan patted the spot on the bed next to him, and Sierra sank down into it. While she had hoped his explanation would calm her nervous stomach, it hadn’t.
Aodhan placed his hand on her knee, probably still able to feel the apprehension rolling off her. “Do you want to stay in here?”
Sierra knew what he was alluding to, but there was no way she would be in the mood for a make out session, or more, anytimesoon. Not with her stomach like this. “Uhh. Not today.” She said, trying to let him down easy.
Aodhan didn’t seem upset or disappointed as she thought he might be. Instead, he just nodded, grabbing her hand and leading her to the door. “Do you want me to walk you home?”
“Should I say goodbye to Kaye and Braan first?”
As if they had been waiting to hear their name, the two of them stepped out of a doorway a little further down the hall.
“Leaving so soon?” Braan asked, answering Sierra’s questions about how powerful Fae hearing could be.
“Yes, but I would love to come back another time.”
“Of course!” Kaye beamed as they approached. When they were close enough, she leaned in to give Sierra a hug, and Braan followed suit. “Feel free to come anytime. Even if Aodhan isn’t here. I really miss having girlfriends since I can’t really tell anyone about Braan's heritage.”
Sierra understood, and what Kaye said reminded her of something else she needed to ask Aodhan.
Aodhan and Braan said goodbye in their native language, which Sierra assumed was ancient Gaelic, and the pair made their way down the stairs. Once they were on the sidewalk and a few steps away from the house, Sierra asked her question.
“Is there a punishment if someone finds out you told me that you are Fae?”
“No,” Aodhan replied as they started the walk to her place. “There aren’t really any rules. The Fae and humans have always lived in harmony in The Hills, and even if you could find the entrance, you would need a Fae to get beyond the forest. There’s no need to worry about proverbial witch hunts.”
“You don’t think someone would hurt you if they knew?”
Aodhan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “While I am still relatively young for one of my kind, I know that sentiment about us comes and goes with the ages. If I was alive during the witch hunts a few hundred years ago, I might be more careful, but right now, feelings about us and other beings from my worldare at the best they’ve ever been.” He paused, considering her original question before continuing, “If someone really wanted to hurt me, they could try, but with my shifting ability, I would probably avoid it. Plus, in Ireland, the Irish have always been very…accepting of us. Perhaps if I traveled somewhere else, I would worry. But here, I feel quite safe.”
His answer only led to another question in Sierra’s mind. “So, are the Fae stronger than humans?”
