Tangled

Unshift 286

Unshift 286

286 Ava: Not Yet Ready.

*Sealed? By the water, you mean?"

"Of course not." They look irritated now, likely by how slow my brain is catching up to their thought process. The seals, girl"

"So, a lockbox?"

"Lockb-you humans have such odd innovations." The way they're peering into my face, it feels like they're tearing apart my memories to educate themselves.

"In a sense, I suppose. It isn't that easy" They sit.

In the air.

Floating.

Just-there. As if one would lower themself into a chair, only there's nothing there.

"Why so surprised?" they ask, tilting their head as they blink owlishly in my direction.

Gesturing toward them, I just say, "You're floating. In mid-air."

They roll their eyes again, a surprisingly human gesture for such an otherworldly being. "And you're standing on the ground. How extraordinary."

head, trying to refocus. "I'm sorry. I've never

once again. "Why are here, girl? This isn't a

you

while to gather the words. "I was... I was trying to focus on a new connection I felt within me. My magic, I think. I didn't mean to intrude on your, er, world: The

"What do you mean?

expected. Grimoire doesn't like to be disturbed, you know," Energy fizzes through my veins, my heart beat rapid and shallow. "Grimoire? You mean my

Yet here you are, once again, stumbling into places you don't belong "I'm not trying to stumble into

Not Yet

makes sense that it-he-would have

on the

with a curled

world. The way they roll their eyes and the timing of their humor feels very human. Much more than their appearance. "Acons, perhaps?" They shrug.

around us. I hesitate, then follow suit,

one else

is Grimoire, little human thing?" the spirit asks,

"I thought you were going to tell me. After all, they went on and on about how Grimoire doesn't like to be disturbed

"You're the one who came barging in here. Shouldn't you know where your

"You seem to know him

their back in mid-air. It's surreal, watching them float there like they're lying on an invisible

is doomed," they announce to the canopy above, which has parted into a frame of green trees

and start anew."

down my spine. This spirit, for all its human-like mannerisms, doesn't seem to have any real empathy for my

ask, unable to keep the

it makes me flinch, their eyes burning