Rule Number One: Don't Make Deals With the Fey

I yawned as the credist rolled by on the t.v. With my roomates gone, the house was nicely quiet. I was free to enjoy an eight hour marathon of my favorite movies without anyone judging my movie choices. I relished in my own solidarity. I was glad I chose I something funny to end the night with- Monty Python’s The Holy Grail. It was eleven thirty by the time it endeds; time to hit the hay. I gathered my blanket around me and headed for my room after shutting everything off.
My hand searched for the doorknob in the dark, and after a tediously long minute of groping the door, and I finally found it. It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the brightness of the room. When they did, I saw a tall fearie reclining on my bed, reading my Tennyson poetry book. Judging by his dark jeans and a t-shirt, (very out of place for a fearie) it was a male.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. I tried to keep the shock and panic out of my voice, but it still found it’s way in there.
“I rather like The Mermaid. It’s a beautiful poem.” He said without looking away from the page. “The kracken however. . . I find it a bit dark.”
“The Kracken is great. You don’t know what your talking about, “ I shut the door behind me. “What are you doing here?” I asked again. “My roomates are going to be here soon. Probably. In the morning.”
The Fearie shut my book, and placed it on my bedside table. He shifted on the bed, raising himself so he was sitting.
“Judging by the way you have so rudely addressed me, I believe you don’t know who I am.”
“Well?”
“I’m a messenger for Lord Sebastien. He has an offer for you.”
“Lord Sebastien? Who is that?”
The fearie raised an eyebrow. “ King of the Natural Fey.”
“Right.” My face must have betrayed my confusion. “There are a lot of courts. . .uh. . .?”
“You may call me Sedgewick. “
“Okay, Sedgewick. I’m sorry but there are a lot of fey courts, and I’d rather not get mixed up in all that.” I started towards the door, but stopped short when he spoke.
“You are the mortal with The Sight, are you not?” Sedgewick ran a pale hand through his dark hair. I realized that it was blood red at the tips.
If they knew you had the sight, they killed you, blinded you, or recruited you. Since I wasn’t dead already, I guessed that he was here to recruit me.
“Yes. Yeah, I am. What does your lord want, if not to kill me?” I made a show of walking over to my dresser, taking off my blanket, and tried to nonchalantly put on my bracelets. They were made of Iron, poison to fearies.
“He wants to employ you for your services as one with the Sight. One of his knights has died. We believe he was murdered by another court, only we do not know which one. You could distinguish between feys of different courts. Which wolf is hiding among our sheep.”
“Because I can see through their glamour. Okay.”
Sedgewick rose from the bed, walking towards me, stopping about a foot away. I crossed my arms, trying to act cool. I wasn’t scared, now that I knew he wouldn’t kill me. But still, I had to try like I had some kind of control on the situation. Keep from seeming like a pathetic mortal.
“So you can see, we wish you no harm. I am instructed to stay until you come to a decision. For your protection, of course.”
Of course, I thought. And to keep an eye on me. At least he wasn’t planning on killing me. I nodded and paced my room, thinking.
If I refused, they would probably seek another person with the sight. If I said yes, I would be in danger, constantly surrounded by fey.
I whirled around to face him.“ Why should I say yes? Why should I help your Lord?”
“Lord Sebastian is willing to offer you protection, against any court or fey who would wish to do you harm.”
“Only for as long as I work for him?”
Sedgewick inspected a necklace with a crystal on the end of it. It was enchanted to grow warm when fearies were near. I wondered if it radiated any heat right now. “My Lord is willing to offer you his protection for as long as you live. Given you should choose to accept it and his offer.”
I sucked in my breath. Protected by a fey court? That was big. I could use protection like that. The city was relatively safe, as no fey dared venture within it’s poisonous limits, but travel anywhere outside, and I had to be on constant guard. I was very, very tempted now.
“How are you even here?” I asked, buying for time. I was also curious. How could he be here, so apparently unaffected by the iron surrounding this building?
“Lord Sebastien has glamoured me heavily for this trip. Can you not tell?”
I nodded no. “ I have the sight, silly.” Sedgewick smirked at that. “ I only see you, as you are.”
He cocked his head. “And? What do I look like?”
I laughed. The vanity of Fearies was like no other. “ You’re pale. You’re hair is black, red at the tips. Thanks for wearing clothes, by the way. Most fey prefer to walk around with glamoured clothes, for some reason I can’t fathom.”
Sedgewick laughed, startling me. He had a rich, giddy laugh. I found myself smiling along with him.
“Yes, My Lord warned me I ought to wear real clothes in the presence of one with the Sight. Not that I’m ashamed. ” He smiled, looking me in the eyes for the first time since I entered the room. I looked down.
I steeled myself to give him my answer. “I’ll help your Lord for protection, Sedgewick. You’ve got a deal.”