The Imp Prince Page 9

  “I trust your judgment, Leander,” she said with an earnest look. For a moment, he was lost in the depths of her topaz eyes. Then she blinked, and he regained his senses.

  “Yeah. I’ll be back soon.”

  For a moment, Leander was swept away by the choices that were on display. Every corner had mannequins in dresses, skirts, pants, and every other apparel imaginable, making it hard for him to decide what to choose. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. What would she look the best in?

  When he opened his eyes, his gaze fell on a mannequin wearing a flower patterned red dress. The swirls of green and gold instantly reminded him of her. Going toward it, he found a stack of them on a shelf. He chose two of them, unsure of her exact size.

  Knocking on the booth where he had left her, he whispered, “It’s me.”

  Parting the door, she peered out.

  Handing her the dresses, he said, “Try them both and tell me which one fits better. I can get you some more dresses of the same size.”

  “Thank you, Leander,” she said. “Even the men among faeries are not so patient when it comes to their mate’s choosing dresses.”

  Does she think I’m weird? Wondered Leander, with a twinge. “I’ll let you get on with it,” he said, closing the door to the booth. He sighed as he leaned heavily on the wall opposite to the row of booths. He began to question his own motives for helping her, but the same answer was hurled back by his heart. She would’ve died out there with people like Fredrick around. She needs you only for a few days anyway. After that, she’ll go back to her own world and her people. Somehow, the last thought made him feel lonelier than ever.

  “This is perfect!” squealed Gentille, throwing open the door to her booth, making Leander jerk out of his thoughts.

  “Yes. You look amazing,” he said with a small smile. “Wait there. I’ll get you more dresses.”

  “May I have one in pink and blue, please?” she asked.

  He noticed her hand gripping the other as she requested it of him. “Of course!” he said. “You can have as many as you like. Actually, you can come out now and look for yourself. Maybe we can get some shoes, too?”

  “Yes!” she said excitedly.

  He showed her around the store. Soon, a saleswoman appeared at their side. “Can I help you with something?” she asked.

  “Yes. Please help my friend find whatever she needs,” said Leander.

  “That’s very sweet, dear,” she said sweetly but with an underlying condescending tone. She had a tag on her shirt that said ‘Mary.' “What’s the budget for your girlfriend?”

  Frowning at her for thinking he could not afford it since he wore regular street style clothes, he said, “Like I told you, Mary. Whatever she needs.”

  “Right. This way,” said the saleswoman, leading Gentille away.

  “I’ll wait here,” he said as she walked away.

  He found a stool beside one of the aisles displaying a variety of belts. From time to time, he caught glimpses of Gentille, her arms full of dresses following Mary. Taking his phone out, he untangled his earphones and plugged them into his ears. Getting lost in the music helped him take his mind off thoughts that only made him feel things that were alien to him.

  After what seemed like hours, he was shaken. Looking up, he saw that Gentille was beaming down on him, her hands loaded with shopping bags. “We’re done!”

  “Great. Let me pay up, and we’ll go for some lunch,” he said.

  At the payment booth, he noticed Mary standing beside the man doing the bills. When he offered to pay the amount in cash, they exchanged knowing looks. “Can we some I.D. please?” the man asked.

  Anger shot through him at their words. Digging into his pocket, he showed them his driving license.

  “Drummond? You’re a Drummond?” asked the man in wonder as he stared up at Leander.

  “Yes,” he replied in a cold voice. “If you’d please stop wasting any more of my time and bill me, that’d be great.”

  Shooting a glare at Mary, the assistant rushed to give him his bill.

  “Have a pleasant day, Sir,” said Mary as they were walking out of the store. Sighing with exasperation, he gave her a curt nod.

  “I can’t believe you paid for all these wonderful, beautiful things!” said Gentille happily, looping her free arm through his. “No one would believe me if I told them a human man was so generous to me.”

  “It’s no big deal, really. My parents left me with money. I have more than enough of everything.”

  She tilted her head to the side. “Where did they go? I can’t imagine why they’d leave someone as kind as you behind.”

  Taking a deep breath, he said, “They’re dead.”

  “Oh. I’m so sorry,” she said, her golden eyes shining with sudden unshed tears.

  “It’s all right. I have my uncle’s family to look after me. My cousin and I are not the best of pals, but he’s family.”

  “I’d love to meet them all. They must all be wonderful people!”

  “My Uncle John’s great,” said Leander with a smile. “We better rehearse what you’re going to say about where you’re from because he travels a lot. We have to work on making it believable.”

  He treated her by taking her to one of the most popular pizza joints. It was amusing to watch her pleasure as the melted mozzarella stretched into long threads after she bit into the corner.

  “This is delicious! I can’t believe I’ve been missing all this in the last five centuries,” she said.

  “Nah. It’s something that only this century has,” he said. “Before, it was probably barbecuing whatever you caught in the woods.” He laughed at her expression of disgust when he said it.

  Later that afternoon as they were heading toward his car, he heard several voices calling out his name. Looking around, he spotted a gang of senior girls from his school clicking photos of him and Gentille. When they caught his eyes, they waved enthusiastically at him. Clutching Gentille’s hand, he pulled her forward as he sped up.

  “Why are we rushing?” she asked as she panted, trying to catch up with him.

  “Those girls are big gossips,” he muttered.

  Turning her head to take a look at them, she said, “Do you want me to bite them?”

  He chuckled. “No. We just stay away from them.”

  When they got to the car, he helped her put her things in the backseat. “Ready to go meet my family?” he asked.

  “Yes. Let us be off!”

  He cringed internally as he thought of his cousin and aunt but he didn’t see any reason that he could not have a friend stay over in the house. There was plenty of room, and as they would sleep in different rooms, he saw no problem with the whole arrangement. Hoping Gentille would be able to satisfy their curiosity, he drove out of the mall’s parking lot.

  It was late afternoon by the time they reached the Drummond mansion. As he drove his car through the tall iron gates, he saw a shudder pass through Gentille.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Iron,” she replied, taking deep breaths.

  “What about it?”

  “Iron burns the fae,” she said slowly. “That is what the humans used a long time ago to win the war against us in this realm.”

  When he stopped the car, he looked at her, his eyes clouded with concern. “You’re safe here, ok? I’ll protect you.”

  She stared at him with a wide-eyed look.

  “Master Leander, you’re home early today.”

  The voice of the family butler broke the moment between them. Shaking his head slightly, he looked at the smiling old man.

  “Hey, Paul. I have a friend with me today,” he said, getting out of the car.

  Coming forward, Paul helped Gentille climb out. Leander introduced them to each other.

  “I will have some tea and cakes ready for you two,” said Paul.

  “Thanks, but you also have to get a room ready for her. She will be staying with us for two days before sh
e goes home. Since all the rooms on my side of the house are empty, fix the one beside mine.”

  Paul raised His eyebrows. “For two days?”

  “Yes. She’s from Scotland and is visiting some family here. We’ve been in touch through emails, and so she came to see me here.”

  Casting a meaningful glance at Leander, Paul said, “I’ll arrange everything right away. Mrs. Drummond is in the parlor. Would you like to introduce your friend to her since she is going to be staying with us?”

  Leander nodded. “I guess I’ll introduce them now. Uncle John and Frederick can meet her during dinner.” Looking toward Gentille, he said, “Let’s go meet my aunt. Paul will take care of the shopping bags.”

  He led her through the bright halls and corridors of the Drummond mansion until they reached the parlor. Frieda sat on one of the couches, reading a book on law. That day, she wore a bright cherry colored pantsuit with matching stilettos. She looked up as soon as they entered.

  Putting on a forced smile, she said, “Who’s your pretty friend?”

  “Hello, Aunt Frieda. This is my friend, Gentille. She’ll be staying with us for two days,” he said.

  Gentille muttered a soft hello, unsure of the way that Frieda was staring at her.

  “Two days? Why?” she said with a frown.

  “Because she’s here to see me. She’s visiting some family here from and decided to come and meet me. I promised to show her around before she goes back home. She wanted to stay at a hotel, but I didn’t let her because we have plenty of room right here.”

  Leander held his breath as he saw his aunt going over what he had said. After a moment’s pause, she said, “That’s right. You can tell Paul to set her up.”

  Smiling at his aunt, he said, “I already told him to fix a room near mine. I guess I’ll show her around the house and she can meet Uncle John and Frederick during dinner.”

  “Of course. You kids enjoy yourself.”

  “Bye,” said Gentille.

  When they walked out of the parlor room, Leander looked down at Gentille and chuckled. “So far, so good! Let’s go to my room. They’ll tell us when yours will be ready.”

  “Your family is generous, just like you. Thank you,” she said, looking up at him.

  “I keep telling you. It’s no big deal for us to have you here. There’s enough room in this place, but the only thing that you must take care of is not to shift in front of anyone. You can shift in your room after dinner but not when someone can see you. You’ll be safe as long as they think you’re a regular girl.”

  She nodded. “I understand. My other form frightens others."

  As they entered through the door to his room, he said, "I'm just glad that no one commented on that emerald on her head."

  Her hand brushed over the glinting gem. As soon as she did that, a sudden blush burned her cheeks.

  Noticing the sudden change in her demeanor, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s nothing,” she said, still flushing.

  <<<>>>

  Later that evening, Leander was happy to see that his uncle was pleased to meet Gentille and welcomed her in their home. Even though John had been to the UK, he had never ventured anywhere beyond London. Frieda was polite during the whole time, asking her about the things that she liked in the town. Frederick was unusually friendly toward her, but he guessed that it was simply because she was a pretty girl. Even though he did not like the idea of him getting close to her, he chose to ignore his illogical jealousy toward his cousin.

  After dinner, Leander showed the way to her room which was right beside his.

  “All your stuff has been arranged inside. Call me if you need anything anytime,” he said, opening the door.

  It made him happy to see her smile as she entered the room. It was larger than his and more ornately decorated. Saying good night, he left her to rest.

  Chapter 5

  Leander was woken the next morning by a sweet scent of rosemary and lavender. As his sleep receded, he slowly opened his eyes. As he did so, his green orbs met those of Gentille’s gold ones.

  “Good morning,” she said in a soft voice.

  Stifling a yawn, he sat up. “Morning. What are you doing up so early? Did you sleep all right?”

  “Yes, I was quite comfortable and warm. I came in here to wait for you to wake up.”

  Grabbing his cell phone from the table nearby, Leander checked the time. “I have to go to school today. If I don’t, they’ll be sending a note to inquire if I’m ill. You can come with me or stay here.”

  “I have never been to a school, not even in the faerie realms. I would very much like to go with you,” she replied.

  Sliding out of bed, he opened his wardrobe to get some fresh clothes. Turning toward her, he said, “I’m going to go take a shower now. After that, we can have breakfast, and I’ll drive you to school with me. I will have my uncle or aunt call them and let them know about you. They are always looking for exchange students, and you can pretend to be interested in going to Northpoint Academy. I’m sure I can skip most of the classes saying that I’m showing you around.”

  Her topaz eyes glinted with excitement. “Please hurry, then!”

  Sniggering softly, he went into the bathroom.

  To Leander’s relief, he was able to meet John at breakfast. It was always easier to ask his uncle for favors than his cold aunt. Laughing at his nephew’s predicament, he said, “I’ll take care of it. Just head over to the main office with her and then you can take off and show her around our town. It’s Friday anyway.” Giving him a wink, he said, “Always great to have an early weekend.”

  “Thanks, Uncle John,” he said with a grin.

  They were about to get into his car when Leander heard a familiar voice. Turning around he saw Frederick jogging toward them. When he got closer, he pushed Leander back with the bump of his shoulder and stood in front of Gentille. Gazing down at her, he leered at her, making her take a step back.

  “Why don’t you come and hang with me? You’ll have a better time with me than my geek cousin,” he said.

  Rage bubbled in Leander’s veins. “Shut up, Fred!”

  “You can’t hoard her to yourself. You have to give me a chance too,” replied Frederick.

  Before Leander could throw a punch at his infuriating cousin, he heard Gentille speak up.

  With a frown on her face, she said, “I have to reject your invitation. I am going with Leander.”

  It was Frederick’s turn to feel the heat. When he took another step toward Gentille, he felt a firm grip on his shoulder.

  “Let it go. It’s getting late. I’ll see you at school,” said Leander, taking Gentille by the hand and leading her toward his car.

  As they drove away, they missed the sinister sneer upon Frederick’s cruel face. “I’ll make you regret it, you foreigner bimbo.”

  <<<>>>

  As soon as they reached the school’s parking lot, they were hit by the usual fervor and excitement that ran among the students meeting their friends and heading toward the lockers. People called out to Leander, most of them girls, who giggled when he waved back at them.

  “Are they all your friends?” asked Gentille.

  “Not really. It’s just that I’m part of the soccer team. Almost everyone loves the game and support players.”

  “I have never really had a friend before I met you. I have traveled the realms of the high elves and the Sidhes, but no one cared about an obscure fae,” said Gentille, following him through the crowd.

  Leander stopped. Looking down at her, he placed his hand on her shoulder. “You’re not obscure. You are the most amazing person I have ever come across. You are unique and magical, and people will think I’m nuts if I ever tell them about you. To me, you’re the most special girl I’ve ever known.”

  Scarlet spots appeared on her cheeks as she gazed up at him. Before he could say something more, a pair of girls appeared at his side.

  “Who is she?” one of them as
ked, flipping her blonde hair.

  “We’ve never seen her before,” said the other.

  Scowling at the two girls for breaking the moment between him and Gentille, he said, “It is none of your business, but this is Gentille. I’m going to be showing her around the school and our town today.”

  Exchanging looks between them, one of the girls said, “Can we join you?”

  “No,” he said cutting them off. “Let’s go, Gentille.”

  “Some of the humans are as rude as they were supposed to be,” muttered Gentille.

  “It’s something that can’t be helped,” said Leander.

  After taking her to the main office, Leander was told that he was excused from attending classes that day. It was hard for him to contain his excitement in front of the office assistant as he wondered about how to spend the rest of the day with Gentille.

  “There’s really nothing much to see you around here. Classes will start in five minutes, and everyone will be stuck inside classrooms. Can I take you someplace else?” asked Leander.

  “I would like you to show me your favorite place in this town so that the next time I visit, I will know where to find you,” replied Gentille.

  When Leander remained silent, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

  “Gentille,” he said in a quiet voice. “I won’t be around in another hundred years. You’ll have to come sooner.”

  Her pink lips parted in surprise. As she looked down at her shoes, clearly at a loss for words, Leander placed a hand on her arm. When she looked up at him, he said, “It’s fine. Humans just have shorter life spans. It’s nothing to feel bad about.”

  “It’s not that,” she said, trying to explain herself but then, she shook her head and smiled. “Which place do you want to show me, then?”

  “This way,” he said, leading her down the crowded corridor, eager to get out of there before the bell rang.

  When they were in his car, he said, “There’s this place downtown that I go to sometimes to clear my head. Ever since my parents died, I have felt lonely in a way that no one really understands. I have my uncle and his family, but it’s just not the same as having your own mother and father.”