Heir of the Underground

Chapter 2: Aurelia (continued)

A man dressed in all black stepped before Aurelia, blocking her view of the refreshment table. His gaze was pointed elsewhere, looking over her, and gazing around at the rest of the room as if oblivious to her presence.

Despite this, she froze in place. It was clear that he wasn't actively looking to speak with her, and yet, she couldn't help but stop in place when he crossed paths with her. There was a strange familiarity to him, one that was strong enough to warrant her scrutiny. Confused, Aurelia looked him up and down, and wracked her brain for an answer regarding his identity.

The man was tall, at least a foot taller than her, and he had a very lean, elongated, and almost bony build. His rubied hair was cut short, but still messy and ruffled like bird's feathers, and his skin was ghostly white, possessing a sort of lifelessness. It was as if there was no blood running through his veins, like all color had been drained from him completely, which gave him a strange coldness.

Yet, his eyes were warm and entrancing, a smoky violet in color, and they shone with a ferocity like no other. Even with everything else about him seeming so inhuman and unsettling, his eyes drew Aurelia in.

That's when it hit her—when she realized where she had seen the man before.

She had seen him in the hallway. He was the man who had seemingly changed forms right before her very eyes. He was the man—no, Fey—who she had noticed but Laurent had not.

The instant the truth dawned on her, Aurelia tore her eyes away from him. If he was a Fey as she suspected, then she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.

She held her breath and turned. Perhaps she could find another way through the crowd, one which did not require her to be anywhere near him. Fey were dangerous, and she didn't want to take any chances.

But before she could sneak away, she heard the Fey clear his throat. And when she glanced back over her shoulder to stare at him, his eyes met hers, and she was immediately captured.

She couldn't look away, and she didn't want to either. There was something oddly comforting about his gaze, and she didn't know whether to be delighted by it or completely repulsed.

After what felt like an eternity of silence and staring, the Fey spoke. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." There was genuineness to his words, a genuineness that seemed misdirected and unearned. And his greeting shocked Aurelia to the core.

Finally meet you?

She considered turning and sprinting away anyway, but her feet wouldn't budge, and she still couldn't look away from him. So, she mustered up a response.

"I think you're mistaken," she muttered, confusion laced in every word. "I don't know who you are."

"No," the Fey remarked, "but I'm sure you know what I am."

A strange excitement danced in his violet eyes, and Aurelia didn't quite know what to make of it, nor did she know how to respond to his previous comment. She did know what he was, but she didn't know if he truly knew that now or if he was merely bluffing. And if he was bluffing, then she could deny it and get away.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Aurelia attempted to straighten her posture, to lift her chin just the slightest bit higher, and to squint her eyes intimidatingly. "Now would you please move out of my way? I have somewhere that I urgently need to be."

She took a step forward, hoping that the Fey would naturally move to the side, yet he did not. Instead, he stood his ground, and raised a brow at her. "I know that you're looking through my glamour. You see me for who I truly am. Meanwhile, everyone else merely sees an average human man, entirely inconspicuous."