“Hey,” I said in a placating tone, “its okay. I won't hurt you.”
She gave me wide, frightened, almond-shaped eyes. She looked Asian, maybe Chinese or Thai, but her eyes were the clearest shade of violet I'd ever seen. And now that she stopped moving, she smelled like trees after a rain. The scent to weak for human's to pick up; it was the scent of Magic Folk. I'd found probably the only other Folk in town... and she was in trouble with the cops. Great.
Her voice was soft and high, lyrical. “Please, they're going to kill me.”
I looked at the deputies who still advanced. Three of the four of them were moving with an almost unsure slowness. The leader, a bulky (read fat) man with white blond hair and accusing blue eyes, moved quicker. And he looked mad.
“It can't be that bad,” I replied but she shook her head no.
“They have been after being for months now.”
The men made a semicircle around us and the leader took a menacing step forward. “She has to come with us.”
I blinked at him. “What did she do?”
“Shoplifting,” he replied in a clipped tone.
“Shoplifting?” I repeated, scenting the air. If he lied, I would smell it on him.
“Yes.” He hit that word hard and the acrid scent of a lie came at me.
I shook my head, moving the girl behind me, “You're lying.”
“I didn't do anything,” She whispered to me. Her warm breath against my ear almost made me shudder, but on her words was the scent of roses. She was trying to manipulate me. But she also smelled of the truth so I let her manipulation slide.
“Listen, boy,” the man said as his deputies took a step at me, “hand her over and you won't find yourself in a cell.”
“Sir,” I hit the word hard, “I really don't see that happening. She's just one little girl against four huge men. I would be an idiot to hand her over to you. God only knows what you'll do to her once she's in your tender embrace.”
One of the subordinates sputtered. “We're the cops!”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah, and you're chasing a girl who didn't do anything, by her own words.”
The main deputy glared at me. “She. Was. Shoplifting.”
I turned to the girl while keeping my eye on the men. “Give it back.”
She blinked at me, confusion crinkling her soft brow. “What?”
“Give me whatever it is you lifted so I can give it to them.”
She shook her head, catching the tiny smirk on my face. Willowy arms lifted away from her body in a shrug. “I don't have anything on me.”
The main man pointed at her with his nightstick. “She's lying!”
I held my hand to the girl. “I'm sorry to ask since I am a stranger, but would you please put your hands on the tree so I can frisk you?”
Her eyes went wide and I saw around the purple iris was a band of vivid green. She started to shake her head but looked at the men surrounding us. With a reluctant swallow, she walked to the tree, putting her hands on the large trunk.
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