A peeping tom—that’s what he’d call you. Or perhaps stalker fit better. Elio couldn’t fault another species for being curious about his presence in the hot springs at such a late hour.

But he couldn’t pin down what you were. At first, he assumed you were a human who had wandered far beyond the boundaries you were permitted to cross. That theory dissolved quickly when the forest guardians confirmed no humans had entered the enchanted forest.

A nymph, then? He considered it, but the theory held no weight. His books lacked enough information to confirm it, and nymphs didn’t usually linger in elven territory. The only thing he did know for certain was that you glowed.

Elio sighed, casting a glance over his shoulder.

There you were again—peering at him through the bushes, your form faintly luminescent in the moonlight.

“Come out,” he said coldly. “You’ve been watching me for over a month now. Don’t you think it’s rude to spy and say nothing?”

Silence.

His left eye twitched in irritation. Maybe it was time to start bathing at the palace again. He comes here to enjoy the quiet, but someone always had to ruin it.

With a sharp exhale, Elio rose from the water—unbothered by his bare state—and stalked toward the bush, face set in a hard line.

“You shouldn’t ignore me when I ask you a—” His voice faltered as he pulled the branches aside.

A fae.

His elusive voyeur was a fae.

Well… that explained the glowing. And the shyness.