“Can I—would it be okay if I—” Kirian’s stammering is adorable. It’s the first hint of nervousness he’s shown, and it makes me like him even more. “May I feel your face?”
“Oh.” I feel like a jerk for not offering sooner. Mental note: research how to have a blind friend. “Yeah, sure.”
Our hands separate, and our footsteps slow.
My lungs freeze up as I watch his hand find my shoulder. His fingers flit to my collarbone, then they move up. First, he touches my chin and my jaw. Next, my cheeks and nose. My eyebrows. I’m glad when he feels how long and thick my eyelashes are. They’re my best asset.
He finishes his exploration by tracing my lips.
I think I could die happy right now.
A smirk quirks up on Kirian’s face. “You should probably breathe.”
Stepping back, I gulp at the air. “I don’t know why I was holding my breath. That was silly.”
“It’s because you’re in awe of my magnificence.”
I can’t tell if he’s being serious. No one can be that full of themselves, but he does have a point. I was literally so mesmerized by him, I’d forgotten I needed oxygen to live.
“For the record,” he starts, “you have very nice features. Your face is symmetrical, and your nose is close to perfection.”
Blushing, I touch my nose, feeling the straight bridge and the rounded tip. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
It’s true that, structurally, my face is great. I have full lips, a nicely shaped chin, and good cheekbones. It’s my skin that’s the problem.
“What’s that noise?” Kirian asks, turning his ear toward me.
I glance down at my palm and stop clicking the glass balls together. “My marbles?”
“No. It sounds like someone’s ringing a bell.”
“Oh. My mom.” Now that I’m paying attention, I hear the far-off tinkling. “I’m supposed to go home now.”
“So soon?” He almost sounds disappointed.
“Come to my house with me.” I grip his elbow and tug on his arm.
“I can’t.”
Frowning, I let go. “That sucks.”
“I like it here, though,” he continues, his nose wrinkling in the cutest way as he sniffs the air. “I think I’ll be back.”
“Tomorrow?”
He nods, but sudden panic strikes me. I don’t know where he lives. What if he’s homeschooled? I might never see him again, and my only chance at a friend would be gone. Sure, he’s conceited and bossy, but he hasn’t been mean.
“Promise?” I ask, not doing a very good job of hiding my desperation.
“If you give me something of yours—something that’s important to you—I have to come back.” He states it like it’s an unbendable rule, and I’m crazy enough to buy into it.
Uncurling my fist, I look at the marbles. There’s an identical blue swirl running through each one. I’ve had them for two years. I carry them at all times, and they calm me when I’m feeling stressed. I guess you could say they’re pretty important to me.
I take a deep breath before handing him one. “These two are a pair. They’re always together. I’d be devastated if I lost it.”
“I’ll return with it tomorrow. Meet me here.”
“Okay.” I start to turn away, but then I remember he can’t see where he’s going. “How are you going to get home?”
He smiles. “Magic.”
The bell is ringing louder now, and I can picture my mom getting all red in the face as she frantically waves it harder. She gets worried when I don’t come back right away.
Giving Kirian one last lingering look, I start jogging back to the dock. I’m almost there when I glance over my shoulder.
I stumble. Because he’s not standing where I left him. Not on the trail, not in the trees, not in the creek.
“Kirian?” Hopping on the balls of my feet, I roll my eyes when I say, “Your Majesty?”
No answer. Just silence, except for the sound of the rushing water.
He’s just… gone.
Kirian
The sweet smell is absent today. She isn’t here. Quinn. The girl I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.
As I stand just inside the portal, the loud commotion on the other side stops me from crossing through. I hear shouts from both men and women. They’re calling my name.
Strike my misfortune. I want to kick myself.
This is my fault. I should’ve explained who I am a little better. I get the feeling Quinn didn’t believe most of the things I said, and why would she? As a general rule, humans are oblivious to the existence of faeries.
It was pure coincidence that I crossed paths with her in the first place. I’d thought I was following the honeysuckle flowers when I went through the portal, but my nose led me to Quinn instead. Icy water was an unexpected shock, and I was disoriented from being in an unfamiliar place.
Frustrated with my inability to see, I let out a growl.
My mom says I shouldn’t be so hard on myself while I’m relearning how to navigate my surroundings. Besides, it was only my second time using a portal—not to mention, my first time since losing my sight.
The rustling of leaves is loud as someone walks nearby. Too close.
Disappointed, I back away from the wasted portal. My gateway to Earth. If I could see, there’d be a watery film between the two worlds. Like looking through distorted glass.
I roll the marble between my thumb and forefinger, remembering the way it was warm from Quinn’s body heat when she gave it to me.
I can feel its importance. A certain heaviness lingers inside the sphere, and it reminds me of the beautiful melancholy Quinn carries with her.
I didn’t think anyone could be sadder than me. But Quinn… a longing in her heart tugged at mine. There was an endearing desperation about her, and I was drawn to her transparency. Her honesty. Her compassion.
Her nervous rambling was cute, and she accepted my handicap without a hint of disdain or judgment. Just being around her made me feel normal again.
Drawing in a breath through my nose, I strain to find a stronger
