As Claire had feared, the little pixie seemed completely unbothered by the fact that her boss was the leader of the Wyldling gang. His remark that Adin had been vague because he planned on selling her out did strike a weak point, however. She had thought it strange that he would have her there for a deal, as even Wyldlings found Changelings uncomfortable to be around. And it was strange that he sent her to acquire the ingredients for glam, as he had never sent her anywhere outside the Junkyard before. In short, nothing he had said or done fit any of his usual patterns, erratic though they may be.
The pixie seemed to realize he had gotten something to stick, as he explained that he wanted her help with something that he didn’t want to talk about. A gentle, melodious tune spreading through the air cut him off before he could finish what he was speaking, not that Claire really noticed. It was just a vague sense that his voice had ceased as her vision was filled with thick darkness. The darkness was accompanied by a burning sensation that caused her eyes to water and her lungs to spasm fitfully, her coughs muffled by the arm she held in front of her face.
Almost as soon as it began, the memory dissipated like fog on a bright, sunny morning, leaving her gasping and rubbing at her eyes as she tried to recover. To get her mind off the experience, she went back to stirring the glam, concentrating solely on the alchemy keep from reliving the horrible, horrible memory. The laugh coming from the little pixie drew her attention back to him and what he had been saying about Adin and his request. Absently, she noticed that his hand was dripping a tiny amount of blood as he spoke, returning to his topic quickly. It was quite odd for a pixie to be more than a ball of impulse, as that was how they usually seemed to be, but that made it a little… refreshing. In a way, they were both true and genuine oddities.
She was a little puzzled by his mention of reading, as it certainly didn’t seem like something that required a Changeling’s assistance. But, he had said that he didn’t want to speak of details where they were, which meant that there was most certainly more to the story than reading bedtime stories. She didn’t say anything, however, knowing that she wouldn’t get the response she was looking for.
His assurance that the leader of the Seelie Court, known more commonly as the Queen of Souls, was after her was a bit alarming. She certainly couldn’t have anything to do with them! What on earth could she have done to attract that kind of attention from the leader of one of the most powerful gangs in the Blight? It definitely didn’t make any sense, but then again, neither did Adin’s orders or a pixie that wasn’t a part of a swarm in some fashion.
“I don’t suppose you’ll let me say know, huh?” Claire said, biting her lip as she turned the glam off, satisfied that it had cooked to completion. It wasn’t her best work, but it would do nonetheless. She began filling her little bottles as she continued. “And, I suppose that even if you would, I wouldn’t want the Queen of Souls finding me. Can’t imagine that would be pleasant. So, where do you want to take me?” While she waited for a response, she grabbed her cloak and threw up the hood, ready to move when the pixie said to.
In a way, it was a little saddening that she would be leaving, what she considered to be, her second family. They had taken care of her in a time when she knew that no one else would have, and it hurt to feel that they had betrayed her like a stray dog. She tried not to dwell on those thoughts and emotions, figuring that it wasn’t the time to be doing so. If all went well, there would be plenty of time for that later.