Page 39 of Outcast Fae
“Don’t talk to them, Patricia,” the young warlock said, the fire flashing brighter in his hand. He had a thin but muscular frame and intelligent eyes behind a face still round with a bit of baby fat. He was young, but already keen to protect those in his group.
“It’s okay,” Vaughn said, holding out a calming hand. “We’re just like you. You didn’t think you were the only group on the island, did you?” The question dripped with sarcasm. “This wouldn’t be much of a money-making business if they only took in one group at a time.”
The young girl next to the fire warlock gave Vaughn a dirty look as if she didn’t like being corrected. Of course, Vaughn had as much tact as a wild boar, so I couldn’t blame her. She had a tender, round face that reminded me of Arryn. She had orange, shoulder-length hair with short bangs. Her eyes were narrow, which I’d learned in my short time meant she might be of Asian descent, though, what did I know of humans?
The fourth human was a male with dark hair and fine features. He, too, had eyes similar to the orange-haired girl. I wondered if they were siblings, though the rest of the features and the way they were standing apart from each other, made me think otherwise. Unlike the fire warlock, this male looked like he was ready to bolt if things turned sour.
“Do you have any food?” Elon asked.
As if they would share it with us. He certainly wouldn’t—not even with his mother.
“We don’t,” the fire warlock said, causing a second ball of fire to appear on his other hand.
“Then what’s in that backpack she’s carrying?” Wally asked, gesturing toward the small girl with the orange hair.
At this, the other three stepped in front of the girl with the orange hair, letting us know that she was, indeed, carrying something of importance in her backpack. Maybe even food.
“Um, guys,” Daniella said in a squeaky voice, “whatever you’re thinking, it’s not a good idea. These people are probably the ones from the coordinates. The other group. You shouldn’t steal from them.”
The other group. We’d suspected there might be more of us out here on the island. Intrigued, I scanned their faces, but Wally pushed us aside.
“Shut up,flim,” he said, his outline getting blurry as he began to quake faster. “We won’t share with you when we get it, anyway.”
“Yeah,” Elon put in, his voice full of bravado. “Right, Vaughn?” He elbowed Vaughn, clearly deriving all his courage from the other two. Elon was nothing but an opportunistic coward.
“No one is taking their food,” Vaughn snapped, throwing a sideways glance at Elon and Wally and moving away from them with distaste. I frowned, surprised. Apparently, Vaughn was capable of decency, just not toward my kind.
“We can take them,” Wally said, thrusting his chin forward.
“Be my guest.” Vaughn glanced back with a raised eyebrow.
Realizing he would have to go at it alone, Wally grumbled and kicked at the ground with the tip of his boot. I didn’t think a Quake could take on a warlock, and it seemed I was right. Plus, we had no idea what the other ones were.
With Elon and Wally’s posturing gone, Vaughn turned back to the other group. “I take it you haven’t seen any other groups.”
“Nope,” Patricia said. “You’re the first.”
“How about anything strange?” Vaughn continued.
He didn’t want their food. He wanted information. I let go of Daniella’s hand, and after a quick pat on her shoulder, I stepped to the forefront, edging by Elon. If there were more kids on this island, maybe this group had seen them.
“Other than the werewolves?” Patricia asked sarcastically.
“Other than the werewolves,” Vaughn said.
The little orange-haired girl shook her head but stared straight in my direction as if to suggestIwas the strangest thing she’d seen on the island.
“Have you seen signs of other groups?” I asked.
One of the fireballs in the young warlock’s hand extinguished, then the other. Everyone relaxed, appearing less on edge.
“Who cares about other groups?” Elon said behind me.
Vaughn growled. “Shut up, Elon.”
“Like Patricia said, you’re the first group we’ve run into,” the fire warlock said in a voice that wavered from deep to high-pitched, a clear sign that he was just starting to go through puberty.
Gods, he was so young.
