Stepping into Crow's Point is what I imagine stepping into a medieval marketplace feels like. Thousands of jewels and beads hang from all over the tent making the ceiling look like one massive chandelier. Wind chimes sing and whistle as the night breeze blows. I shiver, shielding as much of my arms as possible.

Perfumes and sages are bottled and collected on tables. Candles, rosemary, cinnamon sticks, and oils fill the tent with an overpowering aroma.

Lucy strolls at the other side of the tent observing a wall of daggers, some hilted with gems and others wrapped in leather from an unusual reptile. The scales look too big to be from an animal I've ever seen before.

"What are we looking for exactly?" I whisper catching up with Lucy.

"Just keep looking," she says seemingly level headed, but I can see the whisps of anxiety swirling around her.

I split up from her again, searching the tent faster. Racks of soft linen tunics and vests made of animal skin and fur fill the center of the tent. I run my hands along the rack and notice the different patches sewn inside.

Firefly, smoke, lava, ice, frost, rain...

Different elements are sewn in and tagged onto the clothing. A rack of capes shows the same thing. I whistle and Lucy looks up. I nod my head over to where I am and she puts down the dagger she had been holding and waltzes over to me.

"Did you find something?"

"I don't think so," I answer and I can see her shoulder slump. "But I found these." I unhook one of the capes and point to the tag sewn in.

"Mystical Frost"

"What does that mean?"

She takes the cape out of my hands and observes it around all sides. "I've never seen anything like it before. Well, I have never looked for it before."

"That's not all," I say parting the other clothes on the rack and reading off other tags. "This one says Smoke Infused, or how about this one, Waterfall Mist."

"That," I hear from someone behind Lucy and the same white hair from earlier this evening pops up behind her. "Is a present from the Fae."

He smirks, looking down at Lucy. No one ever looks down on Lucy, but this guy... Fae towers over her like it's nothing.

"It's a protection, really. For those who are brave enough to cross the border." He crosses his arms. "However, I'm surprised you seem to have not known about it."

"What's the supposed to mean?" Lucy snarls and her tone catches me off guard. The Fae man just seems to chuckle like eavesdropping on ladies is a regular habit.

"Oh, I see. A secret," he says stepping closer.

"What's a secret?" I ask, but no one looks at me at all. They are giving a stare down and neither one of them is giving up. Lucy's hands ball up into first clutching the fabric of the cape.

"A... secret..." he draws on. "That you are supposed to understand what it really means..." he says still looking at Lucy.

"That doesn't make any sense," I say.

"Why of course it does." Leaning on the racks he pulls another cape out. "You humans are just supposed to think of these tags as some novelty; no true meaning behind it."

"Is there?"

He leans in. "You didn't hear it from me, but yes."

I shake my head in confusion. Was it not him who walked up to us practically dropping this 'secret' like the next hot thing in the newspaper?

"So, what does it do?" I ask and out of the corner of my eye, I can see Lucy's ice-blue eyes glare at him.

"Exactly what it says." He runs his hands over the fabric and tiny whisps of yellow glow. "Firefly," he says, his voice smooth and deep. "All of these infusions help travelers journey through the Fae realms. Think of it as armor, just a little more special."

"Okay... but what exactly does it do?"

"A journey through the night and you'll want to have this firefly cape. Wear it and it will illuminate your path."

"So, it's a spell?" Lucy asks, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Of sorts," he answers and smirks again. "Magic of the elements is woven into the clothes and they act as an aid." He looks up at me. "Like I said. A gift."

"So, if it's such a secret, why tell us? Why make these clothes in the first place?" I ask and I can see the nervousness clouding around him. The subtle tap of his boots and cold sweat glistening on his forehead unveil his mask. "You're hiding something," I say. He steps back. "What is it you want?"

Lucy puts the cape back on the rack and faces him. As he steps back, she steps forward, myself following suit.

"Spit it out, stalker." She bites out the name.

"Lucy." I try to catch her attention and bring her back down but she still advances.

"Why are you following us?" she keeps stomping towards him. "What are you doing here?"

"Easy, easy," he says frantically.

"I did not come here for some ignorant fairy to ruin my night with my friend."

"Ignorant!" he jumps back shocked.

I hate to feel entertained by watching this but a small part of me is looking for the popcorn. But before I can get too entertained, I notice the drawing eyes of the customers around us.

"Uh, Lucy..."

"Listen, hot shot," he says, and Lucy stomps even louder. "I just want to talk. I saw it."

She stops dead in her tracks. "You saw it?" she questions more towards herself. "What did you see?"

His hands are raised to his head and she has him cornered at the wall of daggers she had been at earlier.

"You," he breathes and she takes a step back.

She's quiet for a moment and I come to stand next to her. Her fingertips shake at her sides. "You saw it... like... seeing..."

"The future," he answers. "Yes."

"Why not just say that?" Her hands are back in a fist but her knuckles have more color to them.

"I didn't know you would know what I was talking about. I usually don't make a habit of telling people I can see the future."

"Lucy can see the future," I chime in and I can tell they both forgot I was here.

"Lucy," he says with a slight smile.

"Tyrian," he says, bowing his head, and introducing himself.

"What do you want to talk about?" I ask him lowering my voice.

"Not here," he says stepping away from the wall. "Meet me in the forest at midnight."

And then he's gone, stalking away until he leaves the tent.

"What's his problem?" Lucy snarls.

I follow his figure as he disappears into the night until the darkness takes him. There's something about him that doesn't feel right. Something uneasy. "Do we follow?"

"Absolutely not! Are you kidding? The Fae are not to be trusted. We're not just going to follow some stranger into the woods at midnight."

***

I purse my lips as we stand waiting in the trees, rocking back and forth. "Soooo..." I say breaking the silence, and the second I open my mouth I can feel Lucy's agitation. "The Fae aren't to be trusted." She glares down at me and I shut up.

"I don't know what this guy's deal is," she says vexed.

"Tyrian. His name is Tyrian."

"Fine." Throwing her hands up she moves in front of me so I'm looking right at her. "I don't know what this 'Tyrian' wants." She puts his name in air quotes. The darkness outside has nothing on the redness of her cheeks.

"Why are you so angry?" I ask. "What if he can help us?"

"Why do you think I'm standing here? The only reason you talked me into this in the first place was because we found him in Crow's Point."

I quiet my voice, trying to bring Lucy back down to Earth. "It's just odd, isn't it? We went into Crow's Point to find an answer and Tyrian said he needed to talk with us about something. Lucy," I say stepping towards her, my arms outstretched. "He saw you. In the future. He's just like you. Don't you want to see what—"

"No," she bites abruptly. "I don't. I don't want anything to do with the Fae realm. Just because we share the same magic, does not mean we are the same.

"Lucy, I'm still not understanding why this is such a bad thing. You told me. You said that some of them were still alright. Why won't you give him the benefit of the doubt?"

Her arms cross over each other and I'd say it wasn't out of anger, but out of fear. She looks away up to the sky. High in the night sky, whisps of light float and dance. Shades of blue, purple, and green swirling around. She watches them, her face tense.

"You don't have to talk," I say to her. "But at least give him a chance." I look down at her arm where the winged tattoo has planted itself. In the night, it only looks like a shadow; a void of color. I shake my head and force myself to look away. "Give yourself a chance."

She takes a deep breath and looks to her right. "Would you stop lurking? Just come on out."

A strong figure pops down from the trees and lands with unusual grace. "There's no hiding from you, Lucy, is there?"

She doesn't respond to his shameless teasing. "Go on," her voice as dark as night. "Talk."