the appraisal, and she knew he was hiding a smile. The fear returned and she lowered her head while maintaining a view of the man in her peripheral vision, thankful for the hood darkening her features.
“Forgive me, fair Maiden. You’re absolutely correct. As a gentleman, I stand corrected.”
The man gave a slight bow, and looked up into her shadowed eyes with a self-assured smile on his pierced lips. His voice was again gentle and fluid like the wind, yet bearing a rocky edge of contempt. Oaklee drew her brows together, perplexed by the Outsider’s manner of speaking.
She swallowed nervously, and chanced a look at Leaf. She was unsure of the proper protocol. Did she reply to the apology? How does one shake hands and seal forgiveness through such technology? Did she want to touch his hand? No, she decided resolutely. Anxiety overshadowed her sudden burst of confidence. Her brother stared into the portal.
With head still lowered, she glanced up and further studied the peculiar man. His dark-rimmed eyes frightened her a little. It was as if he had rubbed ash around them—a strange action, most especially for a man. His hands moved back to the table, and she noticed a silver ring on his thumb and a black ring upon a finger of the other hand. But most alarming were the black fingernails that tapped the tabletop. Were they diseased? His smile changed, and he stared at her openly, a mischievous glint in the curve of his lips as he enjoyed her inspection of him.
Oaklee blinked, snapping out of the trance, and understood she was being mocked. Her indignation took flight.
“You, sir, are trash!” Oaklee turned and walked toward the ladder.
Leaf caught her by the arm and held her in place. Hurricane Willow was now blowing, a family nickname she earned from the moments when her anger charged the atmosphere in a furious whirlwind whenever she felt the need to address a deep injustice. He tightened his grip on her arm as he turned to speak to the man in the portal. “I do not know exactly how you are a means of salvation—or even if it is true—but grant us one favor if you do possess such power. Please do not share with the Outside world that we communicated. It was an accident. We did not mean to activate the portal and summon you.”
Oaklee glanced in her brother’s direction as he let go of her arm, saddened by the pronounced dark circles under his eyes. Straight posture and an even gaze, Leaf made the picture of authority in steady command of this surreal experience, despite the grief marking his features. She timidly glanced over her shoulder for the Outsider’s reaction.
The man relaxed his posture and blinked at her slowly, and she felt her heart nervously pound in her chest. “I’ll keep your secret, but only if the Maiden says she is sorry.”
“I will not.” Oaklee glared over her shoulder as she burned with humiliation. The man lifted his eyebrow at her clipped words. “I am a Noble woman and will not fall to the whim of Outsider fancies.”
“What about me will you fall to?”
Disgusted by his question and his ego, Oaklee faced the man with narrowed eyes. In a tight voice, she said, “Rest assured, there is nothing about you I would ever fall over.”
“Pity,” he said, taunting her with another humored smile.
He slowly pushed the hair out of his right eye, and winked at her in arrogance. Oaklee groaned in frustration and placed a hand on her hip, fiercely gripping the candleholder with the other. These games of power vexed her, and she was appalled that a man would treat a young woman so cheaply and without honor. She lifted her chin and looked away toward the wall, listening to Leaf sigh heavily as he shifted on his feet.
After several moments, she gave a sideways glance, astonished to find the man’s face lit with satisfaction. He had enjoyed her insult? Did he not realize she was serious? Oaklee decided he was the one who was not sane, partially mad with some Outsider illness, hence the
“Forgive me, fair Maiden. You’re absolutely correct. As a gentleman, I stand corrected.”
The man gave a slight bow, and looked up into her shadowed eyes with a self-assured smile on his pierced lips. His voice was again gentle and fluid like the wind, yet bearing a rocky edge of contempt. Oaklee drew her brows together, perplexed by the Outsider’s manner of speaking.
She swallowed nervously, and chanced a look at Leaf. She was unsure of the proper protocol. Did she reply to the apology? How does one shake hands and seal forgiveness through such technology? Did she want to touch his hand? No, she decided resolutely. Anxiety overshadowed her sudden burst of confidence. Her brother stared into the portal.
With head still lowered, she glanced up and further studied the peculiar man. His dark-rimmed eyes frightened her a little. It was as if he had rubbed ash around them—a strange action, most especially for a man. His hands moved back to the table, and she noticed a silver ring on his thumb and a black ring upon a finger of the other hand. But most alarming were the black fingernails that tapped the tabletop. Were they diseased? His smile changed, and he stared at her openly, a mischievous glint in the curve of his lips as he enjoyed her inspection of him.
Oaklee blinked, snapping out of the trance, and understood she was being mocked. Her indignation took flight.
“You, sir, are trash!” Oaklee turned and walked toward the ladder.
Leaf caught her by the arm and held her in place. Hurricane Willow was now blowing, a family nickname she earned from the moments when her anger charged the atmosphere in a furious whirlwind whenever she felt the need to address a deep injustice. He tightened his grip on her arm as he turned to speak to the man in the portal. “I do not know exactly how you are a means of salvation—or even if it is true—but grant us one favor if you do possess such power. Please do not share with the Outside world that we communicated. It was an accident. We did not mean to activate the portal and summon you.”
Oaklee glanced in her brother’s direction as he let go of her arm, saddened by the pronounced dark circles under his eyes. Straight posture and an even gaze, Leaf made the picture of authority in steady command of this surreal experience, despite the grief marking his features. She timidly glanced over her shoulder for the Outsider’s reaction.
The man relaxed his posture and blinked at her slowly, and she felt her heart nervously pound in her chest. “I’ll keep your secret, but only if the Maiden says she is sorry.”
“I will not.” Oaklee glared over her shoulder as she burned with humiliation. The man lifted his eyebrow at her clipped words. “I am a Noble woman and will not fall to the whim of Outsider fancies.”
“What about me will you fall to?”
Disgusted by his question and his ego, Oaklee faced the man with narrowed eyes. In a tight voice, she said, “Rest assured, there is nothing about you I would ever fall over.”
“Pity,” he said, taunting her with another humored smile.
He slowly pushed the hair out of his right eye, and winked at her in arrogance. Oaklee groaned in frustration and placed a hand on her hip, fiercely gripping the candleholder with the other. These games of power vexed her, and she was appalled that a man would treat a young woman so cheaply and without honor. She lifted her chin and looked away toward the wall, listening to Leaf sigh heavily as he shifted on his feet.
After several moments, she gave a sideways glance, astonished to find the man’s face lit with satisfaction. He had enjoyed her insult? Did he not realize she was serious? Oaklee decided he was the one who was not sane, partially mad with some Outsider illness, hence the
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