A Garden of Flowers and Bones [Lloyd Garmadon x Reader]

Chapter 5: An Iron Ring

"Can't I??" Dwyn looked back at her, pleadingly, "It doesn't have to be now, but it gets lonely here when you're not around. Uumm... I won't bother you when you're, uuum, at work..."

"I wasn't not bringin- I... it's not because I think you're gunna bother me, Winnie..."

Green eyes flashed in the back of Y/N's mind and she swallowed at the predatory way those woodland irises shifted into slits in the glow from the canopy between long lashes. It just wasn't safe right now. Not safe enough to ferry Dwyn through the woods. She tried to pretend like that was the only reason, letting out a sigh and electing to abandon her previous sentence.

"Of course, I'll bring you in at some point, alright? Just not now with all the... Fey activity... y'know. It's not because you're a bother, sweetheart. I'm just scared for you."

At least Dwyn understood. She gave a small, slightly disappointed nod, but it was a good enough excuse to placate her with... anyway, it's not as if the problem could last forever. Over the past four days, Y/N had been seamlessly following the path with no such encounters. No poking for giant hands or grabbing of the face. If she didn't feel like she was being watched at every point... if the birds didn't suddenly go quiet every once in a while... if she didn't hear rustling in the bushes as she walked by, then perhaps she'd be more inclined to think it was over.

However, there was a sense of unease that followed her everywhere, and it only disappeared when she passed a certain threshold. She felt even less safe with the barrier weakening. If that Fae followed her home, then they'd surely be in a lot of trouble.

"Anyway, you can stop with lines for now. I wanna test your memory skills," Y/N grinned, grabbing a familiar book from nearby on the dining table.

It was a higher level book than the children's books she sat around and read with Dwyn, but they weren't going to read this book. They were going to go through some of the words and recall the meanings.

Dwyn's pencil clacked against the tabletop and she shuffled in her seat to face Y/N a bit more.

"Okay... but only go up to level three today. I haven't practiced with the higher ones."

"Why not?" Y/N paused in turning a page.

"Because I wanted to just know the easier ones off by heart so I can stop doing them."

Y/N laughed and gave a thoughtful nod.

"Alright, level three it is, then. 'Usually'?"

"It means, like, something that happens normally."

"Good job. 'Employer'?"

"Someone who gives you work."

"Great! How about..." She flicked a few pages towards the middle of the book, "'Ridiculous'?"

"Silly."

"'Tenacity'?"

"To be tenacious," At Y/N's unimpressed look, Dwyn giggled and clarified: "Uuummm, determination!"

"Very good! 'Callous'?"

"Um... doesn't that mean, like... um, what's it called when something isn't soft anymore...?"

"You almost got it," Y/N encouraged, watching intently as Dwyn rapped on the side of her head with her knuckles like a door.

Eventually, she seemed to sit up a bit straighter and her hand dropped to her lap.

"Umm... hardened? With your mind or your skin when you walk too much."

"That's right! Well done!" Y/N ruffled the girl's hair and continued, "What about 'haste' or 'hastily'?"