In hell! In hell! In hell!

Val stamped her foot in the wake of the departing bus and did so a few more times before returning to the pavement and looking at the tiny watch on her wrist.

- Twenty minutes!

She overslept again. Quick fees and spells did not help her. It is quite possible that it was magic that prevented her today. If she had not spent time concentrating and looking at herself in the mirror, it is quite possible that she would not have been standing at a cold stop, but sitting in the warm interior of the bus. But…

"You couldn't risk it!"

She agrees with the inner voice, but not completely. It seems to her that today could have been a ride. Sleepy Londoners might not have noticed her pointy ears and almond-shaped eyes.

“There are enough freaks here! Yes?!"

On Earth, they are called freaks and cosplayers. There are indeed many of them. Here one could relax, but the truth is that they attract attention and turn out to be the heroes of all kinds of publications on the network. That's exactly what she doesn't need. Eoneirner will not praise her for this, and even worse send her to her native Harbor, where nothing happens. Already nothing.

“Make a“ light step ”and run to the subway - a voice inside whispers and seems to shiver at the same time. “Or, let’s go home, otherwise, we’ll die!”

Val looks first at the road, and then to the side, where the subway sign can be seen. She will get to him very quickly, but what's the point? She can't do anything with the trains.

"You can!"

Theoretically yes.

"And practically!" - adds an infection inside.

She thinks. The offer of the second self is tempting, but there are magicians in this world too. There are fewer of them than in their native Elandil, but they prefer to remain incognito and hide behind the “face” just like she did. They are satisfied with the world in which they live now.

"Arranges? - the voice cackles. "That's putting it mildly, admit it!"

OK. They are very interested in keeping everything as it is. Being in a small privileged group is so cool. But... Only she thought that it "works" on the condition that someone knows and is jealous of this special state of affairs.

“People are strange. So what?"

Nothing. She'll stay waiting for the bus because she doesn't want to run into trouble. She has already shone so lately that mother do not grieve.

"Coward! It's gone!"

Val looks out at the road again. Ignoring your personal insanity is not easy, but it is possible.

"It's gone!"

You can't break the rules endlessly and hope no one notices. Because as soon as you catch the eye with your own impudence, then a check will begin (and it will definitely happen, knowing the bureaucratic inclinations of the earthlings), all its jambs will be revealed and ... Cuckoo her in Elandil until the carrot incantation.

– Miss?

While she was thinking and thinking about what to do - to stay or be tempted to take the easy way, a car stopped near her. The glass on the passenger side slid down smoothly, dousing with warmth, smelling of the aroma of coffee with caramelized sugar and showing the interior the color of dry cocoa.

- Can I give you a lift?

The driver's voice sent goosebumps down to her wrists and made her realize she'd forgotten her gloves.

- Freeze.

Val was surprised at the quiet "voice", because he did not leave her for a minute and was in a hurry to comment on everything that she saw, hesitated a little and reached for the car door.

- Thank you from the bottom of my heart! she breathed out with feeling, slipping on her seatbelt and realizing she should have just said thank you!

This world appreciates conciseness and is suspicious of ornate speeches, suspecting in everyone who speaks in this manner a freak, such as the world has not seen.

“I ask for a name in return,” the man replied, rearranging his iron horse into another row.

“Nowhere without greed,” she said with mock regret. - Nowhere.

– Greed? the man asks, not without a laugh. - Do you know what this word means?

Val nods, slightly taken aback by the question.

- Greed, profit, the desire for personal gain and even greed.

“Then it’s really about me,” agrees her interlocutor. - I'm mercantile to the core.

“It's good that they acknowledged it,” Ve answered, realizing that she was delighted with the interlocutor's answer.

Few can. Most often, people are offended, show aggression and begin to build themselves out of who knows who, but certainly not laugh at themselves.

My name is Valian.

The funny and slightly angry dialogue made her pay attention to her interlocutor. For some reason, she did not immediately look into the face of the interlocutor, but began "from afar", if I may say so. The man behind the wheel has absolutely wonderful hands - beautiful, absolutely masculine, with wide palms and long fingers. They are well-groomed, but without excessive fanaticism, not dotted with rings, tattoos or other decorations.

- And you?

She slowly shifted her gaze to his face. Val took her time and dragged out the moment, gazing at the watch, the snow-white cuffs, the well-cut suit, the collar of the shirt and the tanned skin of the neck. Past experience whispered to her that she would be disappointed just by looking at his face. For some reason, the human race cannot have everything at once. Be sure to bring something - voice, appearance, sense of humor or smell, and even worse - character.

“Spheirat,” the driver replied, smiling in front of him, and then turned to her, catching her looking. You didn't give an address.

He has a wonderful face - with regular features, a strong-willed chin, an even strip of snow-white teeth and completely unrealistic gray eyes. The latter sparkle with a smile.

“Take Street and Creacherch Lane,” she replies, and she barely restrains herself from showing embarrassment.

She can't. Lips stretch in a treacherous and at the same time angry smile. How could she look at him like that?

You're lucky - we're on the same side.

- If I had not been late, I would certainly have thought that you were in a conspiracy with my alarm clock.

Spheirat looks at her again and keeps his gaze fixed on her, something Valian Backwoods definitely likes. He is handsome, smart and has a sense of humor. All this, as it is fashionable to say now - without excesses.

So it's the alarm clock?

"Yes," she nods, trying to stop her unruly lips.

“And not in his mistress?” - continues to specify Sfayrat not without a smile.

“No,” Val answers with all seriousness. Trust me, I checked.

He has a great smile. Bright, open and seductive. And also understanding.

Val turned away.

She suddenly realized that in a very short (unacceptable!) moment she was carried away by a stranger with the unusual name of Sfairat.

Under no circumstances should this be done. There are few reasons. But they are all more than serious. First, he is a man whose age is short. The second is that she is here for a short time and she absolutely does not need a relationship. Third, he is just a man and according to an agreement between the worlds, she will never be able to be honest with him to the end. Fourth, she doesn't want him...

She went far in her thoughts, and yet he only smiled at her!

- Something happened?

Meanwhile, Sfairat asked, and she literally felt how he ran his eyes over her cheek.

“No,” she replied, pushing away the thoughts that had gone in the wrong direction. “I just remembered that I have a long day ahead.

Val turned to the driver, let go of the gift and smiled so that even the dimmed sun shone even brighter. Let a good mood not leave him all day because he ... Because she suddenly remembered that she was a woman.

"What happens if you're late, Ding?" Sfirerat asked, keeping his eyes on her lips.

Val shrugged, turning her attention to the road.

“Nothing that can't be fixed.

Are you lucky with your boss?

She was lucky to be born an elf with a rare magical gift - to inspire joy in the hearts. But of course you can't tell him that.

- Definitely. Despite the nature of the dragon, he has a good heart.

She has. But Val decides to keep quiet about it. This universe loves men, like all the other worlds that she happened to visit in her short life. For some reason, she perceives women as rivals and puts up obstacles, if suddenly one of them decides to go the other way.

Do dragons have a good heart? Sfirerat asks with amazement that is clearly audible in his voice. “But what about eating virgins?”

Val wonders: where do such prejudices come from? And blushes too.

“These are the intrigues of the enemies to denigrate the innocent flying lizards.

Spheirat laughs, before coughing, as if he heard something out of the ordinary.

“Thanks for the lift,” Val says, biting his lip for the umpteenth time. “That was very kind of you.

They came. Valian takes the pen and catches himself feeling sorry. The short conversation made her feel homesick. In distant Elandil, she did not feel the heaviness leaning on her heart, she laughed lightly and carelessly, and also, as now, she discussed almost disappeared dragons.

Goodbye, Dean.

- Bye Bye!

***

The sharp ears hidden by the spell did not catch the sound of the receding car. She walked a little, clearly feeling his eyes on her. He burned his back, buttocks and legs. The attention from a handsome man was very nice.

- Hell take him! she said, before making up her mind, throwing aside the obsession, and run away.

She'd been late a few minutes ago, but thanks to Sfirat, she had a chance not to screw up completely on such an important day for the company.

- Hi guys! she greeted the security guard, running through the metal frame and pulling off her little coat as she went.

Ignoring the elevator, she flew out onto the service stairs, stopped and ...

“Run like the wind,” Ved said in Elvish. - Run with the wind!

For a moment, the picture of the world with its gray walls and no less faded stairs receded. Instead, a pattern of power formed in front of Val's eyes, reminiscent of a strange carpet that immediately hugged her, causing her muscles to fill with strength, energy, and yet joy, and flickered in a luminous line, moving forward.

- Hi! she greeted, not paying attention to her colleague's face.

After a couple of seconds, Valve flew into the waiting room, threw her coat on a hanger and spun around the already familiar office space in already familiar and from that verified movements. She activated the coffee machine program, opened the office, opened the windows to let in fresh air, turned on the computer, picked up the meeting papers to carry and prepare the conference room.

- Valian! the boss said as she opened the office door. “I knew it would be late!” I asked!

“Good morning, Ms. Koch,” Val said, smiling and putting the heavy folder on the edge of the table. - Serve you coffee or drink it after the meeting?

Christina, if surprised by the appearance and quickness of Valian, did not show it. Just over six months ago, things were different. Christina Coach improved - every day she seemed to be unclenched and ceased to resemble a tightly twisted spring. The changes were slow, but Val was happy about that too.

- Prepare the hall, and I’ll pour myself coffee, so be it.

Everything seems to be perfect. Valian Backwoods managed to do everything - prepare the hall and see the guests to their seats, but something went wrong as soon as they met the eyes of the last person who entered the hall. They were as remarkable as his name - silvery, expressive and, as it seemed now, dangerous. Time seemed to slow down, allowing you to see Sfirat in motion.

“Good morning, Mr. Hallashen,” Christine greeted in a voice that wasn't her own, so much so that Val looked back at her.

It seems that not only she paid attention to the latter, because she felt with the entire surface of her skin how the people around froze, if not to say that they trembled. Valian didn't like that very much. So much so that my hands itched unbearably to scan the space around for the discovery of a bewitching spell, which, like every phenomenon in the world, had a downside.

"Don't!" – as if strangled said the voice inside, before disappearing again.

This definitely cannot be done, because this man may not be a person at all. A magician, a demon, a vampire, a werewolf... But he may be the one the elves are looking for all over the Earth. He would have behaved differently!

"Don't!" whispered the voice very quietly. - "No need!"

A fearful inner voice forced her to act in the exact opposite direction from the council.

"Good morning," she greeted as she approached Spheirat, who took second place at the table. – Coffee, tea or soda?

She deliberately moved closer to him, close enough to shorten the spell's range and focus it on him alone. People don't see magic, but they feel it. In this case, the effect will be minimal.

“Just water, please,” he replied, a smile in his dark eyes. - Ding.

The tiny rune that Val had traced in the air with his forefinger broke off and, to her surprise, disappeared without a trace. She glanced at Spheirat one more time, blinked, and stepped back to comply with the request.