Half Magic | Book 2

Forty One: The Elven Children

She nodded. "And you're one of us, but you're traveling with the enemy. And for that matter, somehow you're an unaccounted for elven child. How is that?"

I took another look at her. A real look, with no weapon between us. It's true I couldn't deny our similarities. Now that I saw her body, just like mine, it was no wonder Schula and Mama Flori could never put any meat on my bones, no matter how they tried. All the elven children here were built like me, lean and willowy.

But we had a few differences as well. Where my hair was a mass of brown chaos, hers fell in straight locks down to her shoulders. It was also a much lighter brown than mine, reminding me of drying clay at the potter's house. And her eyes were something I had never seen before. One was gray like mine, and the other was brown. 

"What are you staring at?" she snapped.

I raised an eyebrow. "Just returning the favor. I've never met another half elf before."

If she was surprised by that, she didn't show it. "I'm no half elf, but thanks for another piece of the puzzle. If you're a half elf, that gives me five possible fathers for you."

I bit the inside of my cheek, angry with myself for giving that away. There was no use dwelling on it though, and I pressed back for some answers of my own. "So, what were you doing here?"

Liana shrugged. "Trying to figure out why the Captain would hide you and sweep you through the city while parading the fae monsters. Unless, revealing them was less of a problem than reveling you."

Now that was an interesting point. And her goals were clear enough, but her motives were not. 

"So are you here to find out all my secrets then tell them all over town?" I asked.

She took another bite from her apple and shook her head slowly. "I like to know things. An informed leader is a strong leader."

"Leader of what?" I asked.

Liana shrugged. "My own patrol someday. Hopefully someday soon, since I'm the most promising scout in the keep. But no, half elf. I'm not going to spill your secrets unless you put Eidelhein in danger."

"I'm not here for that," I said softly. I was here for quite the opposite, reminding myself that we would decide how to breach the subject with Kalor and Teyber tonight.

"So what are you here for?" she asked.

I sighed and looked at the forest around us. For all I knew, she wasn't the only one who could sneak up on me here. In the Wyldes, even the soft fae steps were detectable unless someone particularly skilled was trying to hide themselves. I could see that wouldn't be the case here, with descendants of elves. 

"I don't think I have an answer for you. I came here looking for something, and I think I just found it." She didn't need to know more than that. 

"You seem harmless enough," Liana said, taking another bite. "But keep in line. The more you poke around outside the keep, the more chances I have to figure you out."

"You make it sound like a threat," I said flatly.

She shrugged. "Only if it needs to be."

I had no doubt she was skilled. Skilled with her spear, skilled with her stealth, skilled in the trees around the plateau. But I had skills too, and she didn't seem to know the first thing about me. If she really tried anything, I think she'd be in for a rude awakening. 

A small smile crept on my lips. "Then, I suppose you'll just have to hope I'm as harmless as you think I am."

She frowned, her eyebrows creasing together as she took another bite.