And an excerpt, because I'm getting sick of harping on the auctions...
"Why don't you tell us what happened?" Nia asked. "I might be able to help." She seemed more sympathetic than angry now. I wondered how long Tib had been awake.
Tib's hand shook when he wiped it across his face. "I angered her enough for exile. That's all you need to know." He started to turn away, but Nia grabbed his arm.
"No." She put one hand on her sword. "I can't accept that." Her hand dipped into a small bag at her belt, and she flicked some sort of white granules--like sugar--at Tib's face. He flinched away from it. "Salt binds you to tell us the truth."
"You're making a big mistake," Tib whispered.
In reply, Nia dipped her hand into the bag again. Tib closed his eyes. A single tear crept down the side of his face.
"What is your name?" Nia asked gently.
"Tib. Tiberius." His voice barely reached my ears.
"Like the Roman Emperor?" Nia asked.
Tib's lips twitched. "Yes."
"Explain to..." Nia stared at me. "I don't think I caught your name."
"Misty." I said without thinking.
"Misty?" Now it was Nia's turn to smile. "I see."
I sat up, wincing as my muscles protested. "Lukey's only three. He didn't know any better."
Nia nodded. "Explain to Misty about the fairy gift."
"I didn't..." Tib would not look at me.
"He thought you were a genie," Nia said. "You aren't. You owe him an explanation."
"If Faerie..." Tib sighed. "As far as the Lady is concerned, Carla wished for money without giving Faerie a gift in return. So they took Lukey in payment."
"But that wasn't Carla's wish," I protested. "It was mine."
"Yes, I know. But Carla was the recipient of your wish. As far as the Lady is concerned..."
"Carla made the wish." I understood their reasoning, but I did not agree with it. "Why did you make me believe you were a genie?"
"I did not lie to you," Tib whispered. "Never once did I say I was a genie."
After a moment, I realized he was right. I'd assumed everything. And he had let me assume what I wanted without saying one word to contradict me. "You never said you weren't," I groused.
Tib had the grace to look embarrassed. "No, I did not."
Nia shook her head. "Always be wary when interacting with the Fair Folk, Misty."
"Yes. I know that now." And I wasn't sure I could ever trust Tib again.
"You were imprisoned in a bottle," Nia said, her voice soft. "Is that right?"
"Yes." Tib flinched a little, even though she had not asked him to explain. "I was... exiled." He closed his eyes again.
"Why?"
I had expected this question, but I didn't expect Tib's response. He opened his mouth to answer, and the words stuck in his throat. I watched him struggle and choke until his face turned red. He twisted away from Nia and collapsed, his hands clawing at his throat, as if to release the words.
Nia sat in stunned silence, her eyes wide. Tib thrashed on the ground, his struggles growing weaker as lack of oxygen robbed him of strength.
"Stop him!" I gasped when Tib's eyes slid shut. "Take it back!"
"I can't," Nia whispered. "Once asked, the question cannot be unspoken." When she glanced at me, I thought I saw tears in her eyes.
"Then ask him another question!" I shouted.
"Oh!" Nia pounced on him and shook him awake. "Tib, where is Lukey?"
Tib relaxed. For a moment, I thought he had stopped breathing, but he coughed weakly and opened his eyes. "In the castle." His voice cracked. "Once the forest realizes where you want to go, it will show you the way." His hand shook when he raised it to cover his eyes.
"I'm sorry," Nia said. "I didn't think... Why can't you tell us the details of your exile?"
Tib tensed, but the horrible fit did not return. "The Lady wishes it so."
"I see." Nia did not seem surprised by this. "Do you know the reason? Or did she hide it from you as well?"
Tib laughed. "She hid nothing from me. I know the reason."
"But you can't tell anyone else what it is."
He closed his eyes. "No."
copyright 2002 Jennifer St. Clair
"Why don't you tell us what happened?" Nia asked. "I might be able to help." She seemed more sympathetic than angry now. I wondered how long Tib had been awake.
Tib's hand shook when he wiped it across his face. "I angered her enough for exile. That's all you need to know." He started to turn away, but Nia grabbed his arm.
"No." She put one hand on her sword. "I can't accept that." Her hand dipped into a small bag at her belt, and she flicked some sort of white granules--like sugar--at Tib's face. He flinched away from it. "Salt binds you to tell us the truth."
"You're making a big mistake," Tib whispered.
In reply, Nia dipped her hand into the bag again. Tib closed his eyes. A single tear crept down the side of his face.
"What is your name?" Nia asked gently.
"Tib. Tiberius." His voice barely reached my ears.
"Like the Roman Emperor?" Nia asked.
Tib's lips twitched. "Yes."
"Explain to..." Nia stared at me. "I don't think I caught your name."
"Misty." I said without thinking.
"Misty?" Now it was Nia's turn to smile. "I see."
I sat up, wincing as my muscles protested. "Lukey's only three. He didn't know any better."
Nia nodded. "Explain to Misty about the fairy gift."
"I didn't..." Tib would not look at me.
"He thought you were a genie," Nia said. "You aren't. You owe him an explanation."
"If Faerie..." Tib sighed. "As far as the Lady is concerned, Carla wished for money without giving Faerie a gift in return. So they took Lukey in payment."
"But that wasn't Carla's wish," I protested. "It was mine."
"Yes, I know. But Carla was the recipient of your wish. As far as the Lady is concerned..."
"Carla made the wish." I understood their reasoning, but I did not agree with it. "Why did you make me believe you were a genie?"
"I did not lie to you," Tib whispered. "Never once did I say I was a genie."
After a moment, I realized he was right. I'd assumed everything. And he had let me assume what I wanted without saying one word to contradict me. "You never said you weren't," I groused.
Tib had the grace to look embarrassed. "No, I did not."
Nia shook her head. "Always be wary when interacting with the Fair Folk, Misty."
"Yes. I know that now." And I wasn't sure I could ever trust Tib again.
"You were imprisoned in a bottle," Nia said, her voice soft. "Is that right?"
"Yes." Tib flinched a little, even though she had not asked him to explain. "I was... exiled." He closed his eyes again.
"Why?"
I had expected this question, but I didn't expect Tib's response. He opened his mouth to answer, and the words stuck in his throat. I watched him struggle and choke until his face turned red. He twisted away from Nia and collapsed, his hands clawing at his throat, as if to release the words.
Nia sat in stunned silence, her eyes wide. Tib thrashed on the ground, his struggles growing weaker as lack of oxygen robbed him of strength.
"Stop him!" I gasped when Tib's eyes slid shut. "Take it back!"
"I can't," Nia whispered. "Once asked, the question cannot be unspoken." When she glanced at me, I thought I saw tears in her eyes.
"Then ask him another question!" I shouted.
"Oh!" Nia pounced on him and shook him awake. "Tib, where is Lukey?"
Tib relaxed. For a moment, I thought he had stopped breathing, but he coughed weakly and opened his eyes. "In the castle." His voice cracked. "Once the forest realizes where you want to go, it will show you the way." His hand shook when he raised it to cover his eyes.
"I'm sorry," Nia said. "I didn't think... Why can't you tell us the details of your exile?"
Tib tensed, but the horrible fit did not return. "The Lady wishes it so."
"I see." Nia did not seem surprised by this. "Do you know the reason? Or did she hide it from you as well?"
Tib laughed. "She hid nothing from me. I know the reason."
"But you can't tell anyone else what it is."
He closed his eyes. "No."
copyright 2002 Jennifer St. Clair
Comments