#ylis

It’s not long, however, before he feels eyes on him. It’s nothing, he tells the nerves stirring in his belly, until he spies a creature just off the path.

“Hello there, little dove.” Says the faery, tall and ethereal in the halflight.

Wyn, determined to ignore him, continues on stubbornly until, quite suddenly, the path wavers and disappears. Wyn comes to a quick stop. He has to stay on the path.

“Oh, can’t go anywhere now, can you?” The faery says gleefully, stepping closer, “Can’t follow the path if you can’t see it.”

Wyn’s heart races, this has never happened to him before. “I left offerings at the entrance.”

The faery clicks his tongue and tilts his head, “Nothing that interests me.”

Wyn swings his backpack around and unzips it, baring the contents to the faery, “I have more books, a pack of Whoppers, a Mountain Dew, a Dio cd…”

The faery tips back his head and laughs, “Oh, you sweet little thing. Who let you leave the house?”

“Well,” Wyn huffs, “if I don’t have anything you want, just let me go.”

“Now I didn’t say that.” The faery taps its chin with one long finger, “In fact, you do have something I want.”

“Okay?”

“A kiss.”

“You’re kidding.” Wyn says, baffled.

“Just one, pretty elf. I think it would be nice.”

“No way!”

The faery frowns, delicate mouth pulling his face into an unhappy shape. “Come on, you’ll like it. It’s all I ask. Just one kiss and you can be on your way.”

Wyn looks at the dense forest in front of him. One step off of the path and it could be his last, and now that this faery has cast a glamor on it, he has no hope of making his way.

“Are you sure you don’t want a pack of Whoppers?”

The faery rolls his eyes and braces his hands on narrow hips, “I know i’m not ugly, so what’s the issue here?”

“I…” Wyn blinks. The faery isn’t ugly, in fact. He’s tall and lithe, with delicate features and long white hair in a braid. He’s wearing a gauzy toga that billows around his thighs shows off his toned arms. He’s a little bit beautiful.

“I don’t… usually kiss strangers.” Wyn says finally.

“Well,” The faery steps closer still and extends a hand, “My name is Ylis.”

“Liss?” Wyn tries, taking the faery’s hand.

“Ylis, eelis. Got it?”

“Got it.” The faery has his hand and doesn’t look keen on letting go anytime soon. Wyn realizes suddenly how close he must be to the edge of the path for Ylis to be so close to him. Fae can’t walk on the path. Is Wyn even on the path anymore? He hasn’t moved, but now he has the overwhelming feeling that he must have stepped off.

“And what’s your name, pretty?”

“I don’t have to tell you that.”

“Hmm, you don’t. But i’m just going to call you Pretty until you do.”

Wyn says nothing, and soon Ylis gives his hand a little tug, “We aren’t strangers anymore, are we? Give us a kiss and I’ll show you the path, simple as that.”

It feels wrong. It feels like a trap, although Wyn isn’t quite sure how. Is there a rule against kissing fae?

“Come now.” Ylis says, leaning closer until he’s close enough that Wyn can feel his breath, “One kiss.”

“You promise I can go?” Wyn asks, feeling small, young. The question seems silly hanging in the air, but he wants to be sure.

“I swear it.” Says the faery.

Wyn leans forward and meets the faery’s lips with his own, but only for a moment. When he starts to pull back, Ylis quickly grasps his chin to hold him still and deepen their kiss.

It’s not unpleasant, but it is unexpected, and Wyn wrenches himself away.

“Get off!” He says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, “What is wrong with you?”

Ylis frowns at him for a long moment, then sighs, “Nothing, I suppose.” He snaps his fingers, “There you go, there’s the path. Have fun, little elf.”

Wyn looks down at the path suddenly visible under his feet. He is, indeed, closer to the edge than he should be. “What, that’s it?”

“I said I’d let you go.”

“I didn’t actually expect you too.”

Ylis shrugs, still looking vaguely disappointed.

Wyn takes a few steps away before spinning back around. “What the hell is your problem, anyway?”

“Sorry?” Says Ylis.

He shouldn't speak this way to fae and he knows it, but now he’s angry. “I was honestly scared, and for what? Because you wanted a kiss? Fuck you! I thought I was going to get lost in this forest forever, and my mother would never know what happened to me! Why can’t you just find someone to kiss who wants to kiss you back and leave the rest of us alone?”

He doesn’t wait for an answer. His peace said, he turns on his heel and stomps the rest of the way out of the wood, too frustrated even to worry about angering a faery.

-

He hasn’t forgotten about the incident by the time he heads home, but he doesn’t expect the fae to appear as soon as he steps foot in the wood.

“You’re not going to trap me again, are you?”

“Of course not.” Says Ylis, as if it’s obvious, “I read the book.”

“What book?”

“The book you left as offering.” Wyn keeps moving, grinding his teeth in his frustration, “I thought books didn’t interest you.”

“Well. I thought i’d give it a shot.”

“Good for you.”

There’s silence, and for a blissful moment Wyn thinks that Ylis has gone, but no such luck.

“What’s your name?”

“I don’t have to tell you.”

“I’m sorry.” Ylis calls.

Wyn stops. “What?”

“What I did earlier… was unnecessary.”

Wyn squints at him, “Is this a trap?”

Ylis huffs and throws up his arms, “I didn’t mean to scare you, I guess. I just like… games.”

“You like games?”

“Games. Riddles. Puzzles. I get bored, alright?”

Wyn looks at him harder, at his hands balled into fists against his hips, at his pouting mouth and antsy feet. A fae, bored?

“I… might have an idea.”

-

“What is this?” It’s a day later, and Ylis is holding a large hardback volume.

“Sherlock Holmes. Mysteries.”

Ylis turns the volume over in his hands, eyeing it curiously. “Hmm.”

“Maybe just leave people alone?”

“I’ll have this finished in a week.”

“I’ll bring you more.”

Ylis considers it. “Okay.” He says finally, “As long as you bring me more.”