Three

I watched as he swallowed, looking at me. No that was not right, he has not be able to tear his gaze off mine since he turned around.  

“Is everything alright?” The girl asked and I watched as he seem to snap into the present. He still stared at me but with a frown now, like he was awaiting that I acknowledge something and I was ignoring it on purpose.

Something charged was in the air, I felt it since I came here but I was not well versed enough in this world to understand anything. 

“Yeah, everything is fine.” He replied as he tore his gaze away from mine. “How can I help you Trixie?” He asked.

Trixie, my guide jaw dropped at him. “Cirdan, is this some kind of new torture technique. You don’t need to. Me being in her presence and watching her take the test was enough torture.”

“You are assigned to her?” Cirdan asked and she nodded. 

“Yeah, you did, thirty minutes ago, remember? What’s wrong, you are acting forgetful.” Trixie replied but Cirdan shook his head. 

“Nothing, just some issues.” He stole a glance at me and his frown went in place. “Why are you not complaining about being insulted with being paired to someone like her?” He asked me. 

“Why will I be insulted?” I asked with a shrugged. “She is good company, I don’t understand why you need to change her though, she seems like she is good at her job.” 

Apparently, my answer was shocking because Cirdan actually looked taken back by my answer and he turned to look at Trixie who nodded. 

“Yeah, she schooled at one of those backwards pacifists schools who thought it would be okay to tell all their students that we are all creatures of Faery and had equal rights. Blah” Trixie replied. 

“And what is wrong with that?” I asked carefully. 

“It makes people like me think that I can be compared with people like you. That is a recipe for disaster and it leads to death of my kind easily.” Trixie explained, not like her explanation did anything good though because I was still confused. I would need to explain my situation to someone so that I would get the explanation dumbed down enough so I could understand. 

“In any case, she might not understand but people she would move with and her parents would understand and I rather not have them feel like a slight has been committed so I apologize for my wrong pairing, I was not trying to get on your nerves or anything of sort, I just hope that you can forgive me.” He stated and when I nodded, he smiled. 

“Trixie, can you please excuse us and go back to what you are doing, I will take her to someone more of class.” He said. Trixie nodded and moved away, while Cirdan moved through the door way, very careful not to brush against me. I did not understand his movement at all. When he was a little distance from me, he smiled back at me. “Please follow me but keep your distance, I don’t like being touched and it is a personal preference for me.” He announced. 

I nodded as he gave me a chin jerk then he continued to move forward while I followed behind him. As soon as we got out of the office, people started pointing at me and whispering. 

“For this reaction to me received you must be pretty high at the stairs, what number?” He asked, trying to make small conversation, although I got the vibes from him that he wanted to be anywhere but close to me. 

“Thirty Two.” I answered, he paused and I almost slammed at him but I corrected myself quickly. 

“Wow, you were so close to me.” He answered underneath his breathe, with a shake of his head, he continued. “Congratulations, you made your way to the Elites of this school in one swoop.” He answered. “What’s your name?”

“Iris, yours?” I asked even though I heard Trixie say it. 

“Cirdan.” He answered, then he waved me forward and continued walking. 

“Do you have anything against Seelie court?” He asked. 

“Nah, just their queen.” I replied. “The judgement is still out for members of her court.” I answered and Cirdan chuckled. 

“Wise girl but anyway, your guide will be Finn, he is a goofball but he is friends with everybody so that is a good trait for your guide, especially when you meet shifters.” Cirdan explained as he knocked on a door. Then opened it. It was a class and everybody in it except the teacher turned to look at the door, girls started tittering and I rolled my eyes. Maybe Dad was right about no much difference between high schools. After all, all girls started tittering in front of a handsome boy. If I was not feeling out of my depth, maybe I would have flirted with him too. 

“Please, I would need to borrow Finn, duty calls.” Cirdan said and a boy with red hair, lanky stature and an extremely handsome face stood up and started arranging his back pack while Cirdan closed the door and rested beside it. 

“I am usually not this forward but can I have your number?” I blurted out but immediately covered my mouth, shocked at the words I just spat out, my eyes widened at the preposition I just made to a guy. 

“Is that all you want to have?” He asked with a smile. 

I nodded and then his smile died. “I know you feel this attraction between us, what else am I supposed to ask for?” I replied, my hands still over my mouth like it would prevent me from saying something else I would regret. 

Cirdan, stared at me for a while with his intense green eyes that bore holes into my heart. Great, now I am waxing poetry and I am horrible at it too. This was not natural and I knew I could not ask my father, he would think that I am just having a crush but this was more than that.

“You really don’t know, do you?” He asked and when my eyebrows came down in confusion, he shook his head at me. 

The door opened and Finn walked out. “When you discover what is going on, you know where to find me.” Cirdan answered, he introduced me to Finn and then he left without another word. 

Leaving me confused which seemed to be the order of the day.