Beyond the Iron Gate (The Faery Meadow Book 1)

Elaine peered into the window of the bar and found Silvia inside with her back turned to the window. Lorcan stood in front of her with frown. Silvia leaned toward him whispering something in his ear. She could tell whatever she told him made him laugh. Elaine couldn’t read their lips though and didn’t know what they were saying. They were far from the window she was looking in through and all the way on the other side of the bar.

A crippling feeling started to infest inside of her as she watched them. She tilted her head intrigued while watching their lively conversation. She didn’t think Lorcan ever showed such interest in what she had to say. She probably was boring coming from the human realm. A cold breeze blew against her and she stepped back away from the window.

Thunder rumbled above her and she looked up at the dark clouded sky. A heavy rain started pelting the ground steadily around and she thought the last thing she needed right now was to be soaking wet. She knew if she went into the bar Lorcan would be angry. She assumed there must be a small shop or something she could wait out the storm in.

In rushed thinking, she lifted her cloak off the ground and tried to avoid puddles as she skipped around them. A rather large puddle got in her way though. Clumsily, she fell down into it. The freezing water sloshed against her shoes and legs causing them to get soaked. The bottom of her cloak blended in with the murky water as she became completely wet.

She jumped up with shaky legs. Soon enough, she found herself in front of a shop door and quickly pushed the stained glass door open without a second thought.

Upon entering the small shop, the smell of incense burned her nose and she pulled her damp hair out of her face. She tried her best to dry off her shoes on an old wool rug by the front door. The room was tiny with a white wooden desk and a few old rotting chairs.

The walls were covered in iron weapons ranging from swords to hammers. On a few small tables were pieces of iron symbols and she thought they could be decorations of some kind.

“Hello?”

“How do you do?” a deep voice spoke from behind her causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

She turned facing them. “H-h-hi, sorry. I was just looking to avoid the rain, I’m not really a c-customer I g-guess,” Elaine replied through chattering teeth.

She was soaking wet and cold to the bone. She thought she must look like a drowned rat to him.

He was a big faery, but she didn’t think he looked like the other mers. She took note of his large muscles. There was no doubt in her mind that he was the maker of all the weapons on the wall. She thought he was some kind of ironsmith type fae. His bluish-black hair looked like it was recently buzzed cut.

His eyes were shockingly pale and he seems to be looking past her. She wondered if he was blind. His skin was very light and he wore a white shirt that was stained in what she believed to be sweat. His pants looked like jeans, but they are black and ripped. He wore brown boots and Elaine thought he was taller than her by at least a head.

Overall, he was much more intimidating than Lorcan appeared to her.

One of his large hands landed on her shoulder and a wide smile grew on his face. His pale eyes were distant, but then something glinted in them, but quickly disappeared when he slowly pulled his hand back.

His face was serious and his voice deep, “Interesting.”

Elaine watched him walk over to the front to shut it.

“I’ll be on my way, I can tell you’re busy.”

“I may be blind, but I am not so blind to know you are in no condition to go back outside, especially alone. I take it someone was with you?” he asked while blocking her path to the door.

His tone of concern made her reconsider leaving. Something about him made her uneasy though and it wasn’t just because of his appearance or that he was blind. His presence felt almost...dark. It made Elaine think of the annoying voice who contacted her just the other day, but this man’s voice was different.

She answered in a quiet voice. “Yes, someone was with me.”

The faery man leaned down to her eye level. The smell of iron and spice wafted around her. She bit her lip while holding her breath. She wished Lorcan would come into the shop right now so she wouldn’t have to be alone with this person and shop that just gave her a bad vibe.

She wanted to run out the door, but the man’s foggy eyes held her captive -- so did his heavy hand that landed on her shoulder again.

“Then why are you alone?” he deadpanned.