You're a What!?, Siagrrl [best books to read for beginners txt] 📗

of the eyes. “And you don’t think that’s true?” My voice came out cracked and I wanted to kick myself for it. Maybe I wasn’t ready for stranger confrontation yet: – maybe – mum was right. Standing this close, I could smell the scent that lingered on her hair and clothes. A faint lavender smell with a hint of citrus, as if she’d been lying in the huge school garden just beyond the school gates.

“I think,” she said. “That for faeries to have been around for such a long time, they must be pretty cunning. Too clever,” she smiled, “to let all their secrets get out. They’d be much safer if they spread false rumours about their lives and culture…” Eve faded out for effect, letting me ponder over her words.

“What makes you think, that faeries are even still around?” I asked, proud that my voice was noticeably more normal sounding.

Eve blinked in surprise. “Why wouldn’t they be?”

“Well,” I breathed, suddenly unsure of where I was going with this conversation. “If they – I mean faeries,” I said, noticing Eve’s disapproval of the way I said they. “Were still alive – around! – I meant around . . . then after all these years of fairytales, stories and legends about faeries and the like, wouldn’t someone have had the audacity or initiative to prove these so called ‘false rumours’ to be true or not?”

Eve gave me the once over, a small smile hinting at her lips. “Well. I guess, that’s possible. But that’s something neither you, the writers’ of those books, nor anyone else will ever know – meaning you’re back to square one.”

“You’re joking, right?” No. That’s not what I wanted to know. I shook my head wanting to change the subject. “Did you really, truly, honestly tell your whole class that you were a faerie?”

Eve’s smile spread from ear to ear. “Maybe I did. You have to admit it’s more captivating than the usual introduction. Don’t you think?”

“Hmmm.” I took the book from Eve and turned to replace the book on the shelf. “I guess it is a little intriguing.”

Eve smiled again and flicked back a loose strand of hair. “If you like intriguing, then I suggest this.” Eve brought out a book from the shelf that I hadn’t noticed before; The Book of Sirona, and handed it to me. “This book has all kinds of faerie legends, tales, magic circles – and even some supposed faerie language. I wouldn’t count on it being helpful to you – at this point,” I wonder what she meant by that. “But at least it looks believable.”

“I’m not sure.” I said taking the heavy leather-bound book from Eve’s outstretched hands, which jingled melodically with all her clinking jewellery. I looked down to study the book. The rough leather was the colour of tree bark, so it didn’t look overly appealing – probably why I hadn’t noticed it (or paid any attention to it) earlier. The title was scrawled in silver, almost unreadable script at the top, giving way for a small black inked magic circle – about the size of my hand – in the middle of the cover. “It all seems kind of…” When I looked back up, Eve was gone. “. . . weird.” I finished, half whispering.
Don’t Touch My Stuff

I stayed in the library for another few hours or so, and read The Fantasy Realm – Faeries. When the final bell for the day rang, I put the book back and hurried back to my locker to grab my bag and found Claudia leaning against it, bopping her head in time to what ever music she was listening to on her iPod. “Claudia!” I called out when I saw her. She jumped almost a foot in the air in surprise. “Don’t do that! You scared the sh-”
“I scared the what?” I asked her with a raised eyebrow, daring her to swear.
“The . . . heck . . . outta me,” she corrected, taking out her earphones was blaring out the latest song by metal/rock band Eternity Night. “So . . . Alyssa said someone saw you in the library today, talking to Eve.”

I opened the locker and pulled out my bag. “Uh-huh,” I admitted bluntly. “So?”

“Um,” Claudia started fidgeting with one of her bag straps. “No reason. I was just wondering,” She paused and looked at her feet. “If she were, y’know –”

“If she really were a faerie?” I finished for her.

Sure Eve was a little weird but this was getting ridiculous. Claudia looked a little confused by my sudden irritation. “Uh, well. Yeah.”

“And what?” I spat slamming my locker shut. “You think that in the middle of the library to a complete stranger like me she’d shed her disguise, show me her wings and go, ‘ooh, guess what? I really am a faerie!’?!?”

Claudia looked as though I’d just slapped her. “W-Well no, I – I mean yeah, but –”

“What? Because she’s weird and a little different, suddenly she’s an entirely different species?” I was practically screaming at her now, but I didn’t care. Groups of students had even stopped to listen in on what we were talking about. What right did she have to judge someone she hadn’t even bothered to get to know?

“Geez! If you’re really so curious, not to mention stupid then go and just ask her yourself?” I finished pointedly.

Jerking my bag up to my shoulders I jumped back in surprise as a book fell from one of the open zips in my bag and hit the floor with a loud thwack! Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Eve standing a few doors down alone, but like the rest of the students in the hall, watching us – watching me.

The expression on her face almost unreadable, but I detected I slight hint of mischievousness in her half-smile.

Claudia immediately bent and scooped up the book. The cover was a vivid blue with a misty purple border, a small circle lock binding the heavy book together and a small abused brass plaque with black cursive, scrawled writing on the front. “Siddia,” she read aloud. Underneath it read: “Lore of Merrow, Gwyllion, Skoggra, Changeling’s & The Fair Lady. What the hell is this?”

I tore my eyes from Eve’s and focused on Claudia.
“Wh-What? I don’t know how they got in there. That’s not even mine.” I paused as I noticed a small piece of pink paper peeking out from my bag.

While Claudia was focused on trying to open the lock, I plucked the piece of paper from my bag.
In a beautiful handwritten script was one word.

Enjoy.

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Publication Date: 11-04-2011

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