“Have you brought any other elves with you?” the Watcher asks.
I blink at the abrupt change in conversation. “To the Island?” I say. “No. I have not. Only Stella and I are here from the elven base.”
“Why didn’t you bring more?” she asks.
“Why would I?” I ask. “I’m not here to conquer, Watcher. I am here to help. Bringing an army to these shores would accomplish none of my goals.”
Silence stretches.
“I think I can trust you,” the Watcher says suddenly.
I blink. “What?”
“You don’t give off dangerous vibes,” she says, peering at me with narrowed eyes. “I have a talent there. I can tell almost on meeting someone if they are trustworthy or not.”
“If that’s true,” I say, clamping down on my irritation, “why go through the trouble of any of this discussion?”
The Watcher smiles. “I’ve been wrong before,” she says. “The more time I spend with you, the clearer I see.” She tilts her head, dark curls cascading over her shoulder.
She figures the pendant around her neck, and I narrow my eyes, studying it.
“You wield magic,” I say.
“Of course,” she says coolly. “How else can I tell a person’s character simply by looking at them?” She pins me with a hard stare. “You may come and go as you please, but you do not have my permission to take any of my people from the island without my express approval. And you are also not permitted to bring other elves to this island, without my agreement.”
I almost argue. But it won’t get us anywhere. I’m not using magic to read anyone’s character, as the Watcher puts it, but I know a stubborn woman when I see one. We’ll get nowhere.
“Very well,” I say. I tilt my chin up, looking down my nose at her. “Do you have any other requests?”
“You don’t push your royal authority on Sophia to do anything she doesn’t want to, under any circumstances.”
I stare icily back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Sophia doesn’t answer to you,” the Watcher says. “Not at all. At eighteen, she’s a Shore Watch woman now, and she remains one, even with her unique ability.”
“None of those sound unreasonable to me,” I say calmly. I push my chair back and stand. “If that is all, I shall return tomorrow, and I’ll see what I can do to help Sophia master her powers.”
“Why not now?” Sophia asks. “I’m ready to learn.” The gaia looks at me earnestly, her eyes wide. She can’t be much younger than Stella, not more than a few months, but there’s a childlike quality about her that makes her endearing.
“Humans are frail creatures,” I say. “You’ve already had a lot to take in. I don’t want you to overexert yourself.”
The women exchange glances again. Stars, I wish they’d stop doing that.
“I think this tea has been quite invigorating,” Stella says. She sounds like she finds something amusing, but I’m not sure what. “I think we can manage to work for a few hours longer, my prince.”
My prince? I eye her suspiciously, but she’s taking another sip, and I can’t read her expression.
“Let me grab my backpack! I’ll be right back.” Sophia darts out of the room before I can get another word in the conversation.
The Watcher puts her teacup down; the porcelain clinking against the saucer. “There’s something you should know about Sophia,” she says.
Stella leans forward. As humans would say, ‘all ears.’
“She has a guardian of sorts, out in the forest. A young man.”
“Bren,” I growl.
The Watcher smiles, amused. “You’ve already met him, then? I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. But be wary. He may look like a scrawny teenager, however, he’s anything but when his power manifests itself.”
“What is he?” Stella asks. “He’s not human.”
The Watcher purses her lips. “I don’t know for sure. I have some theories, but I will keep them to myself for now.”
“Why?” I press. “If he’s a potential danger to Sophia, then—”
“He’s not a danger to her,” she interrupts. I wish humans would quit doing that. “He’s her protector. It’s you, he might be a danger to.”
I can’t hold back my smirk. “I’m not afraid of a child.”
“You’d be foolish not to be wary,” she says. “He holds far more power than you realize.”
“Is he a fae?” Stella asks. Her gaze is locked on the older woman. “When I spoke to the young man, he told me he is called Bren, but it isn’t his real name.”
I eye her askance. “When did he say that?”
Stella laughs, and it sounds sheepish. “He showed up when you were scouting the area ahead.”
“Fyit,” I mutter. That boy.
“Whatever the case, watch out for him,” the Watcher says. “However, if you can prove to him you are not a threat to Sophia, then I suspect you will get little trouble from him. I don’t know if he’s fae or not, but don’t underestimate him.”
“Duly noted,” I say. I can hear hushed whispers outside of the door Sophia left open, and a couple of children peek their heads around to stare at me. “How do you stay protected?” I ask.
The Watcher blinks. “Pardon?”
“How do you keep Vashon safe?” I ask. “You had a few guards in the forest, but aside from that, and the physical walls of your keeps, I don’t see any defenses.”
The woman smiles coldly. “That is for me to know, prince.”
I arch an eyebrow but don’t press the matter. However, I shall definitely keep my eyes open. There’s something I’m not seeing, and I want to know what I’m missing.
Footsteps patter down the hall, and Sophia bursts into the room, a worn-out bag slung over her shoulders. “I’m ready,” she says. Some of her hair has tugged loose from her ponytail and curls about her ears.
“Very well.” I glance at Stella. “Shall we go?”
She shrugs. “Sure.” She finishes her animal-product-filled cupcake and stands, brushing crumbs off her jeans.
“Are you going to accompany us?” I ask the Watcher.
The older woman shakes her head. “No. I shall remain here.” She turns her attention to Sophia.
