done.”
I leaned even further forward . I knew what I’d seen. There must be puncture marks. Nearly two inches of fangs had disappeared into his hand , b ut Eran was right. His skin was smooth, without even a red blotch visible.
“Careful,” he said , moving his hand away from me , the snake ’ s tail twist ing in reaction and hit ting the ground with a thump . “He might wake back up.”
“ It’s a s leep?” I asked in disbelief. “ That thing’s asleep?”
“It’s not a thing , Magdalene ,” he chastised. “It’s a serpent. ”
“ Well excuse me … , ” I said , abruptly paus ing. T he name he’d used was like a trigger to my mind. “ What did you just call me?”
He glanced up from the snake to casually reply, “Your name.”
“No, you said Magdalene.”
“Isn’t that your name?” He looked confused.
“Yes…but no…”
“Well, which is it?”
“Everyone calls me Maggie , so how did you know to call me by my full name?”
“Call it a good guess,” he replied , his head bowed toward the snake. Yet, I still caught a glimpse of the knowing smile to some private joke he harbored. He began to talk again and didn’t bothe r to fill me in. “ Even if you won’t admit to it, you’re fortunate I was here after all. This particular serpent is a dangerous one. It ’ s called a Fierce Snake. The venom from a single bite can kill a hundred men.”
I glanced back at its now lethargic body and shuddered.
He seemed not to notice and continued explaining, “Thankfully, it is especially rare. In fact, it’s a long way from home. You’d more commonly find him in Taipei .”
“ Taipei ?” I repeated, awestruck by my sudden realization .
Hadn’t Sharar sai d he’d just returned from Taipei ? I tried to remember back to our conversation , but it had been so wrought with emotion I couldn’t be sure if he’d said Taipei or somewhere else in Asia Pacific. At the realization that there was no way to be sure, I decided to disregard the thought entirely .
I watched Eran for a moment and couldn’t help but declare, “ I saw that snake bite you .”
“ And yet there is no evidence of it. Is there?” h e asked. W hen I didn’t answer he persisted. “ Magdalene ? Is there?”
I ignored him and his effort to get me to concede , by changing the subject. “You don’t seem afraid.”
Eran looked up at me , amused . “No,” he replied , and left it simply at that.
“Do you…d o you know much about snakes?”
He ba lked at me in mocking shock . “Are you starting a friendl y conversation? I didn’t think you had it in you.”
I sighed. “Do you?”
After a light chuckle, he decided to answer. “ I’ve certainly had my fair share of them. Serpents have been used for centuries t o attack enemies. I’ve also seen them used in medicine, ceremonies… t hey’re an interesting species. Though , I would have to say , I’ve never had the pleasure of running across this particular one before.”
“Pleasure?” I scoffed.
“Let’s just say this serpent is more dangerous to you than it is to me.” He saw me open my mouth to argue and cut me off. “Before you contest, note that I am the one holding it.”
“Regardless- , ” I started my rebuttal, to which he responded with an annoyed sigh ; however, I never got the chance to finish.
Someone was calling my name.
“Mags ! Over here!”
I followed Felix’s voice to where he sat in his unavoidable , lime green car.
“Do you need a ride? We were worried. It’s getting late… , ” h e called out the passenger window . With a pout, he added , “ And I’m hungry!”
“Just a sec!” I called back.
“Besides , what are you doing out here all alone?” h e asked, shrugging.
I turned back toward Eran , and sure enough, he was gone. There was nothing. Not even the snake was left behind.
“Come on, Mags !” Felix called out again, eagerly shaking.
I scanned the area, doing a full sweep, and I ma de note of something
I leaned even further forward . I knew what I’d seen. There must be puncture marks. Nearly two inches of fangs had disappeared into his hand , b ut Eran was right. His skin was smooth, without even a red blotch visible.
“Careful,” he said , moving his hand away from me , the snake ’ s tail twist ing in reaction and hit ting the ground with a thump . “He might wake back up.”
“ It’s a s leep?” I asked in disbelief. “ That thing’s asleep?”
“It’s not a thing , Magdalene ,” he chastised. “It’s a serpent. ”
“ Well excuse me … , ” I said , abruptly paus ing. T he name he’d used was like a trigger to my mind. “ What did you just call me?”
He glanced up from the snake to casually reply, “Your name.”
“No, you said Magdalene.”
“Isn’t that your name?” He looked confused.
“Yes…but no…”
“Well, which is it?”
“Everyone calls me Maggie , so how did you know to call me by my full name?”
“Call it a good guess,” he replied , his head bowed toward the snake. Yet, I still caught a glimpse of the knowing smile to some private joke he harbored. He began to talk again and didn’t bothe r to fill me in. “ Even if you won’t admit to it, you’re fortunate I was here after all. This particular serpent is a dangerous one. It ’ s called a Fierce Snake. The venom from a single bite can kill a hundred men.”
I glanced back at its now lethargic body and shuddered.
He seemed not to notice and continued explaining, “Thankfully, it is especially rare. In fact, it’s a long way from home. You’d more commonly find him in Taipei .”
“ Taipei ?” I repeated, awestruck by my sudden realization .
Hadn’t Sharar sai d he’d just returned from Taipei ? I tried to remember back to our conversation , but it had been so wrought with emotion I couldn’t be sure if he’d said Taipei or somewhere else in Asia Pacific. At the realization that there was no way to be sure, I decided to disregard the thought entirely .
I watched Eran for a moment and couldn’t help but declare, “ I saw that snake bite you .”
“ And yet there is no evidence of it. Is there?” h e asked. W hen I didn’t answer he persisted. “ Magdalene ? Is there?”
I ignored him and his effort to get me to concede , by changing the subject. “You don’t seem afraid.”
Eran looked up at me , amused . “No,” he replied , and left it simply at that.
“Do you…d o you know much about snakes?”
He ba lked at me in mocking shock . “Are you starting a friendl y conversation? I didn’t think you had it in you.”
I sighed. “Do you?”
After a light chuckle, he decided to answer. “ I’ve certainly had my fair share of them. Serpents have been used for centuries t o attack enemies. I’ve also seen them used in medicine, ceremonies… t hey’re an interesting species. Though , I would have to say , I’ve never had the pleasure of running across this particular one before.”
“Pleasure?” I scoffed.
“Let’s just say this serpent is more dangerous to you than it is to me.” He saw me open my mouth to argue and cut me off. “Before you contest, note that I am the one holding it.”
“Regardless- , ” I started my rebuttal, to which he responded with an annoyed sigh ; however, I never got the chance to finish.
Someone was calling my name.
“Mags ! Over here!”
I followed Felix’s voice to where he sat in his unavoidable , lime green car.
“Do you need a ride? We were worried. It’s getting late… , ” h e called out the passenger window . With a pout, he added , “ And I’m hungry!”
“Just a sec!” I called back.
“Besides , what are you doing out here all alone?” h e asked, shrugging.
I turned back toward Eran , and sure enough, he was gone. There was nothing. Not even the snake was left behind.
“Come on, Mags !” Felix called out again, eagerly shaking.
I scanned the area, doing a full sweep, and I ma de note of something
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