Out of respect for the boy's game, Midge waited until the door closed before she spoke to this supposed 'physician.' She couldn't keep the incredulity from her tone, even though she knew it was rude.

"Explain, 'Doctor Rubius.'"

"I'm eighteen. I'm not that young," the boy muttered, pushing one hand through his shaggy brown hair. "How did you see through my illusion? Emory hasn't, and it's been forever."

"You've been operating this sham for a long while, now?"

"I'm not a sham." The boy drew himself up, squaring his narrow shoulders and straightening his purple robes. His lips were scarred and twisted by either injury or defect, but his voice emerged strong and clear. "I'm qualified. A super genius. Youngest graduate in history from Darkstone Academy."

"And the doctor bit?" Midge asked, still sceptical.

Rubius sighed and threw up his hands. "I'm working on getting my healer's license now. That's where I am most days when Emory thinks I'm at that house. He had such a great offer, and the only qualification I didn't have was healing experience, so I just... padded the truth. It hasn't been a problem, so far. I mean, everyone's alive, aren't they?"

As he spoke, his voice rose in pitch until it ended in a hormonal squeak that made him pause, clearing his throat. "Please don't tell him."

Midge considered. She had no loyalty to Emory aside from the fact that he'd rescued her, although what exactly he had rescued her from was unclear. Perhaps she owed him nothing. She wasn't in the Faewild anymore, apparently, but she couldn't really believe that enough to feel secure yet. What was her status on the Mundane plane? Was she a servant here, too? Bound to let everyone else's mischief play out, be the butt of everyone's jokes and never take part?

For some reason the idea soured her stomach, when before it had simply filled her with a sense of tired resignation. She was in a position of power over Rubius, at the very least. Why not take advantage of that?

And apparently... "I can see through illusions?"

"You didn't know that?" Rubius' dark eyes sharpened, and he bit his lower lip in an expression of boyish eagerness. "What are you, really? I've studied the known creatures of the Faewild, but you don't fit into any of those categories."

She shrugged. For some reason, she did want to tell him more and respond to his youthful curiosity. First, though, she had to be sure she was where Emory claimed she was. "As I told Emory, I don't remember much. The Faewild is full of nature and greenery, isn't it? Perhaps a walk outside will refresh my memory."

Rubius crossed his arms. "I want you to promise you won't tell him about me. I'll lose his respect, and my position on the island, not to mention my house. Do you know how many other eighteen-year-olds own a house on a tropical island?"

Midge rolled her eyes. She wasn't that invested. "I will promise, but I don't know why you don't tell him the truth now. It's been so long, I doubt he would get rid of you."

Rubius' shoulders slumped in relief before he straightened, brightening. "You don't know him like I do. He takes people's words very seriously, you know. Besides, he only respects me because he thinks I might die of old age at any moment. Nobody likes a kid who's smarter than them.

"Smarter seems debatable, at this point," Midge said. "You think he likes old people better?" Maybe Emory would be friendlier to her if he knew she was eighty years of age. But then again, perhaps the boy's interpretation of the situation was wrong. It wouldn't be the most shocking thing in the world.

"Well, I'm not sure if he really likes anybody, all the way. But he's always talking about how the human race is the dumbest one because it's so young and that it was a shame we die just as we're starting to become worthwhile."

Midge snorted. "He doesn't hold back, does he?"

"No. But he's a good boss, really. I promise, I don't mean him any harm. I'll tell him if it becomes necessary, but I don't see why it will. When it becomes too tiresome I'll kill off Rubius the Fogey, and go become someone else."

It made her wonder why he had wanted to take a position working for Emory in the first place, but she knew too little about this world to know what was unusual at this point. "I'm sure that will be sad for Emory."

"Emory won't care that much, except having to hire a new teleporter. And anyway, I still haven't heard that promise from you. Come on."

Something in the slightly wobbly tone of the boy's voice made Midge question if he was really that cavalier, but she believed him when he said he didn't mean any harm. She sighed.

"Very well. On the condition that you, Rubius, tell me everything about my arrival upon this island, and everything you and Emory have discussed about me, and everything you know about this place, I promise I will not tell Emory about your illusory appearance, or repeat what we have discussed."

Rubius' relieved expression went glum when he realized this would not be the clean getaway he had hoped for. "That's a lot of stipulations."

"Then you'd best get started," Midge said, turning back to the bed and taking a seat. She picked up her glass from the small, ornate bedside table and held it out to him. "And some more water, please."

Foolish human, giving so much power to a fae.

Rubius stared at her like he didn't know what to make of her for a moment. Then he gave a reluctant half-grin and crossed the room to her, picking up the glass. Dipping his fingertip inside the rim, he collected a residual droplet of water from inside the glass. Murmuring soft, strange words under his breath, he began to drag his damp fingertip from the bottom of the glass all the way up to the very brim, and following behind the line of his finger, a trickle of water began to curl into the cup, filling it inch by inch until it splashed over the rim.

He handed her the full glass and Midge accepted it, impressed. She had never tasted magically conjured water before. One sip had her wishing she could drink only this for the rest of her life, it was so crisp and cool and clean of taste.

"Thank you," she said, and gestured with one open palm to the wooden chair sitting in front of the bureau near the fireplace. "Care to take a seat, Doctor Wizard Rubius?"

He sent her a scathing look, but flung himself down into the chair, sending it rolling back slightly with the force of his movement. Now that his disguise was cast aside, he did not move in slow, hobbling steps, but rather restless bounds.

"I only know what Rita's been messaging me so far," Rubius said once he'd stopped fidgeting in his seat. "I haven't seen it myself. She says this morning, a patch of jasmine flowers was destroyed and in its place was a swirling pit of mud. Ran off to fetch Emory, they both came back, and the pit exploded. A big moving snake of water came out and wriggled around and then splashed down, and when everything settled, apparently you were there, bobbing like an apple. Emory dragged you out and brought you home, 'cause he's a grumpy fuck who doesn't like anybody, but he's a good man, really. Or because Rita made him."

This Rita sounded like an interesting character, one Midge would have to meet. "So really, rescue is a bit of a strong term for what he did. He more... salvaged me?"

Rubius' mouth gaped open too wide when he laughed. "I suppose you could say that."

"Hm." Midge pondered for a moment, taking another sip of the delicious water. "Tell me more about this island, then. Is it just you, Emory and Rita? Who lives here? What is your connection to the rest of the Mundane plane?"

"There's not many of us. It's a small island, only perhaps three or four square miles to it all told, and Emory likes it sparsely populated. I think he intended to live here alone at first, but he discovered he gets bored, so he started collecting introverted artists and musicians, folks who wanted to be away from the craziness of life out there in the world, and at the same time could give him amusement. Now there's a village of them on the other end of the island. I'm mostly here to teleport folks who need to make journeys away from the island, and bring back supplies."

"Oh." Midge nodded slowly. That sounded like a very fun village to visit. "So you're all Emory's employees?"

"Well, he doesn't pay any of them except me. But they live on his island for free, and he brings them food from the mainland and all." Rubius shrugged. "And they could all leave any time. None of us want to. Especially not Emory."

"Do you know what brought him here? I have seen Shadar-kel visiting the Faewild before, seeking Queen Titania's help for quests and daring deeds, but none of them ever spoke of retiring somewhere tropical. Indeed, it seemed the farthest from their minds."

Rubius shook his head. "On that subject I am clueless. He's been living here much longer than I've worked for him."

Midge desperately wanted to know why Emory had come to this island in the first place and how he had acquired it, but she supposed it was not Rubius' place to tell her. Also, she was not a naturally curious person. Or at least, she never had been before. She had always been perfectly content to leave unanswered questions where they lay, and let people have their secrets.

Now she felt as if her cramped soul was expanding to fill the space it occupied, and more; she needed more space. More of this island. More of everything. More than she had ever had before.

"I want to see it," she said, standing abruptly and pushing the robe off her shoulders, leaving her only in the black silk pajamas that were too short for her limbs and too baggy for the rest of her.

"See what?" Rubius mirrored her body language, leaping to his feet and planting his hands on his hips.

"The pool. The pit. My point of arrival."