Field of Innocence (The Euphoria Series) by Lainy Lane

arrival, come to think of it.
     
    Jarreth quietly walks beside her, his arm still around her waist as he gently guides her along. They haven’t said anything since they left the field where Calandra entered into Faerie. Jarreth occasionally gives a greeting nod to people that pass, but he never says a word. Calandra bites her bottom lip and tries to work up the nerve to ask questions, or at least to say something.
     
    Suddenly, she becomes aware that the few Fae that walk past her without staring, quickly turn around to stare after they have walked past her. Calandra swears that their eyes flash different colors as they watch her as well. “Why are they all staring at me?” she finally asks.
     
    Pulling his other arm up, Jarreth places his hand over the dragonfly on her shoulder and speeds up a bit.
     
    “What does it mean?” she pries again.
     
    Jarreth looks at her and turns his mouth up slightly into somewhat of a smile, and without a word, turns right back to looking at where they’re going. Calandra sighs in aggravation. Nonetheless, as soon as the sound leaves her mouth, the emotion is gone. With some force, she finally stops walking and plants her feet firmly into the ground. Jarreth turns to face her, but his arms don’t move from her.
     
    “What are you doing to me? Why don’t I feel anything? I know that I should!” She tries to force frustration into her voice, but of course she can’t make herself actually feel it.
     
    Jarreth sighs and looks down at the ground in front of her. “I’m just trying to help. I’m not using them for myself, simply trying to make you more comfortable.” He looks back at her once he finishes the far too unclear explanation.
     
    “Is that supposed to tell me what you’re doing? I need answers or something, Jarreth, not riddles!” She removes his hand from her left shoulder, where the dragonfly mark now is. She steps away from him a bit so he’s no longer touching her in any way, and she is far enough that she can’t feel the spark radiating from him. She puts her hand on her hips, determined to at least attempt to look like she’s feeling some sort of emotion even though Jarreth obviously knows she isn’t and is the reason behind it.
     
    Her attempt makes him laugh slightly. Calandra glares at him and becomes suddenly aware that everyone around them has stopped walking and is staring. Jarreth takes her left hand into his and brushes his thumb across her knuckles.
     
    “Just let me take you somewhere we can be alone. I promise I’ll tell you everything.” His eyes plead with her as he says it.
     
    The stares burn through her and she knows her self-conscious should be in overdrive. Defeated, she surrenders to his request. Not that she has a leg to stand on to fight against him really. She’s in another world where she knows no one, her boyfriend has apparently been kidnapped, she has a random tattoo, and everyone is staring at her. What was she supposed to do exactly? The only thing she has that is familiar at all is Jarreth, and somehow she doesn’t think she can say no to him, even if she wanted to. She has come to the reasoning that she really has no other option but to do whatever he asks.
     
    They finish the walk through town in silence. Calandra tries to ignore the stares and look like she belongs, though she is more than sure that her eyes and the mark on her shoulder are a dead giveaway that she doesn’t. They veer away from the town, down a small dirt road that turns into a small dirt path that winds through the most breathtaking woods Calandra has ever seen.
     
    Birds, dragonflies, and small faeries fly all around. It should all be very peaceful and relaxing, and it is, until the thought crosses her mind that this could be very similar, if not identical, to how girls get kidnapped. For all practical purposes, walking with strange men though woods, in a world you know nothing about and where no one can save you, is probably not one of the