Allie blushed at Erskine's blinding smile, missing a prime chance to maybe get to pet Fletch's hair. In spite of that, she gave Erskine a brilliant one back. "That sounds fun."
"That depends on how many bones he breaks," said the new man, but with a twinkle in his eyes that said he was joking. He took a hot-dog out of his bag and handed it to her; Allie didn't take it for a moment, eyes wide, before accepting it.
"Thank you," she said with a soft and almost reverent voice. It had been a long time since she'd had a hot-dog. He chuckled.
"You're welcome, little miss. Here." This last was said to Rafe, who was making very impressive puppy-eyes, as he shoved a hot-dog into the man's hands. "Fill that mouth with something other than hot air."
"Best suggestion I've heard all day," Rafe said with a grin, keeping Allie easily on his shoulders with only one hand.
"Technically, we've all already introduced ourselves," Sol said blandly in response to Daddy as the new man whose name they didn't know handed out hot-dogs. Whatever he had said earlier, Allie could see there was more than enough for all of them. Even to have seconds.
Sol was interesting, Allie decided, half hiding her face and the way she was watching him in fascination behind her hot-dog. He was interesting because of the way he looked without looking. Sometimes he looked at people, but there was something wrong with his eyes. Like he was seeing them and not at the same time. And sometimes he just didn't look at them at all, like now.
Except that now he was looking up at her, and his dark eyes looked as if they were seeing right into her. Before she could stop herself she blurted out, "Are you a faery prince too?"
Sol looked startled, and then he laughed. "Who, me? No. Whatever gave you that idea?"
He said it as if it was funny, but also as if it was serious. Not as if she was silly for thinking faeries were real, but as if she was silly for thinking he would be. "I know Ghastly is," she explained. "And Erskine and Mr Skull and Fletch are too pretty not to be. And Val and Tanith are too pretty not to be too."
"And I'm not pretty enough?" His face was blank. Allie might have been worried she'd insulted him, just because she couldn't tell if there was any amusement in his eyes, except that he sounded amused and there was a little crinkle around his eyes.
"I'm not either, apparently," Corrival said gruffly, but his eyes were laughing, so Allie knew he didn't mean it. "I think I should take umbrage at that."
Allie looked at them thoughtfully. "I think you're men," she decided, "who got taken into Faerieland like some people do. You've got grey hairs. You look very nice," she added quickly, because Corrival's mouth was doing an odd thing like he was trying not to laugh and Sol had lifted an eyebrow, "but you look handsome, not pretty. So you're mortal heroes who live in Faerieland."
She nodded, quite satisfied by that logic, and then turned to the new man, squinting. "But I don't know who you are," she confessed. "You've got grey hairs too, but you look like a faery. Your eyes are too blue. What's your name?"
"Aw, that's just Merlin," Rafe said with a dismissive wave of his hand, even while he was grinning at the old man. 'Merlin' put the last hot-dog into Sol's hand and turned to give him an exasperated look. Allie tilted her head, blinking, and let his response go past without listening to it.
His eyes were too blue, she decided. And he looked like a wizard. And he spoke like a wizard. Therefore, he probably was a wizard. A very powerful and good wizard, and suddenly she felt quite shy. "Okay," she said, hunching a little, but then she straightened up. He was a wizard, but he wasn't scary. "Thank you for the hot-dog, Merlin."
She didn't even mind when Gabe started to laugh. He had a nice laugh, and he sounded like he was laughing because he was happy, not because he was making fun of her.
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"That depends on how many bones he breaks," said the new man, but with a twinkle in his eyes that said he was joking. He took a hot-dog out of his bag and handed it to her; Allie didn't take it for a moment, eyes wide, before accepting it.
"Thank you," she said with a soft and almost reverent voice. It had been a long time since she'd had a hot-dog. He chuckled.
"You're welcome, little miss. Here." This last was said to Rafe, who was making very impressive puppy-eyes, as he shoved a hot-dog into the man's hands. "Fill that mouth with something other than hot air."
"Best suggestion I've heard all day," Rafe said with a grin, keeping Allie easily on his shoulders with only one hand.
"Technically, we've all already introduced ourselves," Sol said blandly in response to Daddy as the new man whose name they didn't know handed out hot-dogs. Whatever he had said earlier, Allie could see there was more than enough for all of them. Even to have seconds.
Sol was interesting, Allie decided, half hiding her face and the way she was watching him in fascination behind her hot-dog. He was interesting because of the way he looked without looking. Sometimes he looked at people, but there was something wrong with his eyes. Like he was seeing them and not at the same time. And sometimes he just didn't look at them at all, like now.
Except that now he was looking up at her, and his dark eyes looked as if they were seeing right into her. Before she could stop herself she blurted out, "Are you a faery prince too?"
Sol looked startled, and then he laughed. "Who, me? No. Whatever gave you that idea?"
He said it as if it was funny, but also as if it was serious. Not as if she was silly for thinking faeries were real, but as if she was silly for thinking he would be. "I know Ghastly is," she explained. "And Erskine and Mr Skull and Fletch are too pretty not to be. And Val and Tanith are too pretty not to be too."
"And I'm not pretty enough?" His face was blank. Allie might have been worried she'd insulted him, just because she couldn't tell if there was any amusement in his eyes, except that he sounded amused and there was a little crinkle around his eyes.
"I'm not either, apparently," Corrival said gruffly, but his eyes were laughing, so Allie knew he didn't mean it. "I think I should take umbrage at that."
Allie looked at them thoughtfully. "I think you're men," she decided, "who got taken into Faerieland like some people do. You've got grey hairs. You look very nice," she added quickly, because Corrival's mouth was doing an odd thing like he was trying not to laugh and Sol had lifted an eyebrow, "but you look handsome, not pretty. So you're mortal heroes who live in Faerieland."
She nodded, quite satisfied by that logic, and then turned to the new man, squinting. "But I don't know who you are," she confessed. "You've got grey hairs too, but you look like a faery. Your eyes are too blue. What's your name?"
"Aw, that's just Merlin," Rafe said with a dismissive wave of his hand, even while he was grinning at the old man. 'Merlin' put the last hot-dog into Sol's hand and turned to give him an exasperated look. Allie tilted her head, blinking, and let his response go past without listening to it.
His eyes were too blue, she decided. And he looked like a wizard. And he spoke like a wizard. Therefore, he probably was a wizard. A very powerful and good wizard, and suddenly she felt quite shy. "Okay," she said, hunching a little, but then she straightened up. He was a wizard, but he wasn't scary. "Thank you for the hot-dog, Merlin."
She didn't even mind when Gabe started to laugh. He had a nice laugh, and he sounded like he was laughing because he was happy, not because he was making fun of her.