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."

catches me off guard, and I shake my head, trying to refocus.

the subject abruptly once again. "Why are here, girl? This isn't a place

you

physically, it takes a 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

my mind. "What do you mean? I've never been here

expected. Grimoire doesn't like to be

the fact that Grimoire prefers his peace and quiet. Yet here you are, once again, stumbling into places you don't belong "I'm not trying to stumble into anything. I'm just trying to connect with my book. With,

Ava: Not

that

kind of on the nose,

with Grimoire? They inspect every inch of me with

you were out in it?" I venture to ask. The spirit must have some experience with the world. The way they roll their eyes and the timing of their humor feels very human. Much more than their appearance. "Acons, perhaps?" They

don't seem interested in a two-way conversation, only in satiating their own curiosity. "How can I reach Grimoire?" The spirit blinks, their gaze sweeping around us.

else is out

is Grimoire, little human thing?"

aback, I protest, "I thought you were going to tell me. After all, they went on and on about how Grimoire

who came barging in here. Shouldn't

"You seem to know him quite well. I figured you'd

on their back in mid-air. It's surreal, watching them float

has parted into a frame of green trees surrounding a

and start anew."

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

possible?" I ask, unable to keep the worry from

abruptly it makes me flinch, their eyes burning into mine with an