Shimmering Wings

I didn't think so.

After several moments I heard him suck in a breath.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked, trying to turn my head so that I could see him.

One of his large hands appeared. Something was pinched between his thumb and first finger.

I squinted, and suddenly my eyes adjusted like the lens on a microscope. A tiny arrow, no bigger than a sliver. "What. Is. That?"

"It's a pixie's arrow. The tip has been dipped in a toxin. I need to make a poultice to draw out the poison. The ingredients are nearby, but I'll be out of sight."

"Don't go," I cried.

He ran his hands through my wet hair. "You'll be safe here. Only a creature whose heart is pure can pass through the enchantments I've put around this place." He came near so that I could see him. "You'll be fine," he added.

"Where are we?" I asked, changing the subject, trying to keep him with me a little longer.

Christopher's eyebrows furrowed in a way I was beginning to understand meant he was anxious.