Emerald

"--Colt, you're coming with me!" I call to him through the crowd.

"What? Where?" he and Jasper look up startled. Jasper is blushing and I don't even want to know what they were talking about.

"We're making negotiations with their leader, come on," I get closer and grab his arm to pull him after me. He complies giving Jasper a quick apology with his eyes.

The two pixies who met us in the tunnel, Johanna and Dunkin, lead Colt and I out of the crowd and down a hallway. We go up a flight of stairs and down another hallway. The walk is mostly in silence but it's not particularly uncomfortable.

Colt is clearly still thinking about Jasper and the two pixies are keeping a professional quiet as we walk.

We finally reach the door and Johanna gives it a loud knock.

"Enter," the muffled voice inside calls. Johanna opens the door and leads the way inside. The walls of the room are lined with books and scrolls. In the middle of the room there is a desk with two chairs in front and two pixies on the other side. The one standing is much younger than the seated pixie, and is dressed in more streetwise clothes than the other pixies here. They are both smiling in pleasant greeting, until Colt enters the room behind me and the standing pixie stops smiling. Colt stiffens.

"Please, have a seat," the seated pixie, either oblivious or apathetic towards the boy's reaction, says cordially. I take the chair across from him but Colt remains standing. "My name is Demetrius I am the leader of this Comune, and this is Jason. He is visiting as a representative from another Comune. And you are Emerald, leader of your Magical Person Drove, right?"

"Yes, and this is Colt, my second," I nod and gesture to Colt who is staring down the other pixie, I shoot him a glare but he ignores me.

"Yes, we know Colt," Demetrius says with a laugh, "nice to see you again, Colt."

"I wish I could say the same," Colt says dryly, breaking eye contact with Jason to great the other pixie. I hit his arm closest to me and Demetrius laughs.

"It's alright, we understand Jason and Colt had a falling out a few years ago. This behavior is only natural."

"Falling out?" I ask and Colt instantly looks uncomfortable.

"Can we not talk about this," he says hurriedly. He really doesn't want me to know about this pixie, Jason. Now I really want to know...

"Of course, there are more important matters to discuss," Demetrius becomes more serious, but from what I've observed a pixie's serious is still pretty light hatred. "So what exactly brings you to our comune?"

"We were running from a pair of vampires," I explain.

"Yes, we know that much, but what brought you to this area?" Demetrius pushes, I'm surprised he knows that much already but I go on.

"They were chasing us because of the human in our midst, so we thought it best to move south and leave vampire territory all together." Demetrius nods slowly, thinking while I talk.

"So your plan was to out run vampires?" he asks and Jason snickers. Demetrius holds up a hand to silence Jason, "did you ever consider stopping to fight them?"

"We did kill one of them, and I think that's what got the remaining two to start following us." Jason looks a little surprised to hear we killed one but Demetrius' expression doesn't change.

"Why not kill the last two?" Demetrius asks, this is starting to feel like a test, like he is evaluating us, I can only hope I'm doing well.

"Vampires are people too, they deserve mercy as much as anyone else," I reply, being as honest as possible.

"Even if they're trying to kill you?" Demetrius challenges.

"There are exceptions obviously, but yeah. If we don't have to resort to killing, I won't."

He smiles at me, a wide friendly smile that has a way of melting your unease. "That's good to hear."

I exchanged a confused look with Colt and Demetrius goes on, "you said you're moving south out of vampire territory, yes?" I nod, still confused, "we can supply you with some transportation to help speed up the trip if you'd like."

"Yes, of course, that's so kind of you," I say shocked by his kindness.

"One condition," of course, "would you be so kind as to drop Jason back off in Somerset for us?"

"What!?" both Jason and Colt exclaim in unison.

"We would be more than happy to," I agree immediately, "where in Somerset, exactly?"

"I can give you the coordinates of his comune and you can drop him off at your closest convenience, ten or so miles should be close enough." Demetrius is still smiling and it's contagious so I start smiling too.

"No, this is ridiculous! There's still work to be done here and besides, I can go home myself," Jason presets, but even I can tell he's grasping at straws.

"You know what is ridiculous Jason? You flying up here to get away from your problems on the pretence of business. There is absolutely no reason for you to still be here," Demetrius snaps at him.

"He really doesn't have to ride with us, he has his own two legs. He could hitch hike or fly for God's sake," Colt protests and Demetrius shakes his head.

"You already agreed to take him, and it's not like it's out of the way, you'll be passing by it anyway." Demetrius replies and the boys grow quiet, run out of arguments. "In the meantime the six of you can stay here until tomorrow, you should rest and eat, enjoy yourselves."

"Thank you," I nod, accepting his kindness. I get to my feet and so does he, we shake hands.

"All magical beings are allowed here," he smiles welcomingly, "if you ever find yourself in the north again know you have an ally here."

"We will," I promise and give a slightly awkward bow as Colt and I leave the room. I take a breath, relaxing once the door closes. I hadn't realized how tense I'd got until I was out. Colt shifts at my side, arms crossed.

I glance over at him and he's scowling at the wall. I give his arm a smack.

"Hey!" he looks at me surprised and offended.

"What was that in there?" I demand trying to keep my voice down because they can probably hear through the door. "You could have blow the whole deal! I brought you with me because I thought you could be the most diplomatic, maybe I should bring Mollie next time, she wouldn't have made a scene!"

"I'm sorry," he sighs, not putting up any fight because he knows I'm right, "I was caught off guard, it won't happen again."

"It better not," I reply and start walking back down the hall, "now let's go find the others."