Unknown L (Book 1)

~ Wow! Just, Wow! ~

L couldn't help but stare for a few seconds longer than necessary. She found it all fascinating. Her attention was pulled to the other side of the bus, where she spotted someone in a seat that she hadn't seen on the walk down the aisle.

A woman sat towards the middle of the bus, and a young boy stood on the seat beside her, looking around. They both appeared ordinary from the back, but when the boy turned to look behind him, his gaze met with L's. She knew why they were both on the bus.

The boy's eyes were bright yellow, almost glowing in the dim light of the bus. He had four sharp canine teeth sticking out of his mouth. He smiled widely at L, which showed them in all their white, potentially flesh ripping glory.

L didn't smile back and watched him turn to the woman with him, who seemed to be telling him off. L turned away quickly and looked out of the darkened window to the countryside beyond. The boy could have only been around three or four years old, but he didn't have the same vacant expression most toddlers did. L tried to think of what he could be, maybe a Werewolf? Or something similar? She had no idea whether Werewolves could have children.

She resisted the urge to laugh out loud at how strange her thoughts were now, not to mention her surroundings; who knew things could change so quickly. The creatures on the bus didn't seem to be bothered by her presence, though. L was curious if it was something to do with Bryce's choice of disguise or if they just had no curiosity about who she was. She was thinking about whether she might have a particular scent when movement caught her eye. She turned her head to see the tiny Fairy from further up the bus flitting towards them.

L sat up straighter in her seat and saw Bryce turn his head to look at the little figure. He didn't tense or become guarded in any way, and L blinked back surprise when she saw that he was smiling. The Fairy stopped in front of them, and L got a better look at her. She was a girl, wearing a tiny pink and white dress and little pink slip-on shoes on her feet. Which were just hanging beneath her.

She wore her auburn hair loose over her shoulders, and her head was encircled by a coronet of minuscule flowers. Her wings were fluttering too fast for L to see clearly, but they appeared to glisten with their own light. L could see that her mouth was moving, but no sound was coming out. She side glanced at Bryce, and he nodded as though he was having a conversation with her.

A few seconds later, Bryce turned to L, still smiling.

"Elisie wishes me to pass on a message. She says you are very pretty and she would like to give you a gift."

L frowned up at him in confusion. She disregarded the compliment about being pretty. Something else had struck her as odd even in this absurd situation. There were creatures out there that were after her. They could have been anyone, but this random Fairy wanted to give her a gift for no reason, yet Bryce had no objections.

He seemed to understand the look she gave him because he leaned down and spoke quietly.

"Don't worry, Fairies are generally good creatures, if a little mischievous on occasion. She just wants to give you a present, it's alright, I'll explain why later. Just trust me."

L creased her brow at that word again. Trusting wasn't something she did well. But he was the expert in this new world she'd entered, so there wasn't much she could argue about. L nodded her agreement and tentatively held out her hand.

Bryce nodded now, but it was more to the Fairy than to L this time. Elisie's smile appeared to widen remarkably, and she flitted closer to L, who stayed as still as she could. She didn't want to accidentally move and squash or hurt the little Fairy.

L watched Elisie fly to her hand and land on it. She fit onto L's palm perfectly, and L got a good look at her wings when she leaned over L's wrist. They were elegant and beautifully detailed with symmetrical patterns.