Devran's woods mirror his personality—sticky, inconvenient, and impossible to get rid of.
The mud clings to my boots just like his neediness clings to every conversation. The trees are short but obnoxiously rooted, spreading their gnarled fingers across the forest floor like Devran trying to insert himself into everyone's business.
And here I am—dragging an unconscious Love Fairy through his ridiculous woods, cradling a mysterious emerald, and moments away from bumping into the most annoying person I know.
It reeks of dark magic here—thick and heavy in the air. Most Love Fairies wouldn't last a second. Who knows what else lurks within these woods. Fortunately for Scarlette, she's bound to me. Unfortunately for me, she's also getting heavier by the minute.
Just when I'm about to curse every tree root in this forest, I spot a clearing up ahead—dry ground, blessedly firm. And somewhere nearby, the gentle gurgle of a stream. Huh. Even in a cursed forest like this, there's a peaceful corner.
I set Scarlette down on a patch of cracked earth and look at her.
Oddly peaceful. Her face, up close, has this strange calm to it—if you ignore the streaks of violet in her red hair. Is she really unconscious… or just pretending? Knowing her, I'd put money on the latter.
Naturally, there is only one logical way to verify.
I walk over to the stream, conjure a flask from the shadows, fill it with cold water, and return with the most reasonable plan in mind.
Pour it directly onto her face.
"Wake up!" I shout.
Nothing. Disappointing.
I frown.
Alright. Plan B.
I pinch her nose shut and lean in. "Wake up, sleepyhead," I bark directly into her ear.
Still nothing.
Alright. Now this is ridiculous.
Perhaps something more persuasive. A threat, maybe. A snake? A spider?
Instead, I hold up the emerald, letting the green glow shimmer between my fingers.
"If you don't wake up, I'll destroy the emerald. And there'll be no turning back."
Her eyes snap open instantly.
Ah. There we go.
"You will not touch the emerald," she hisses, fire blazing behind her eyes.
"You were pretending," I accuse.
She blinks, still groggy. "Wait—why is my face and hair wet?"
"It rained," I reply, deadpan.
She glances around—the dry ground, the clear sky.
Uh oh. She's going to—
"Where are we?"
And there it is.
"Sure, play that card, Scarlette," I mutter. "You do you."
She rubs her head, then sighs. "I fainted, didn't I?"
She's good.
"Now stop pretending and start talking," I demand, arms crossed. "What's the deal with the emerald? Who are you running from? And what is that magic?"
She looks me dead in the eye. For a second, I see my own reflection there.
Oh. My hair's a mess.
I run a hand through it and give her my most charming smirk.
"You know what? You're bound to me now. Feign ignorance all you want, but you sign the deal."
And there it is—the flicker of realization. She glances over her shoulder, wary.
"Relax. They can't reach us here," I assure her.
She exhales and offers the ghost of a smile. "I think I overuse my magic earlier," she admits.
You think? The girl nearly nukes a hillside.
But I need answers.
"What kind of magic is that? I've never seen anything like it."
"Offensive love magic," she says with an impish grin. "Think heartbreak, obsession, betrayal… love turned volatile."
"Like… emotionally unstable spells?"
"Exactly. Love triangles. Unrequited devotion. Rebound rage. That kind of thing." She lifts her chin, pride shimmering in her voice. "Powerful stuff."
"Let me guess. Forbidden?"
Her smile falters, just for a heartbeat. "Maybe."
Ah. Bingo.
"So what do you want from me?" she asks suddenly. "I know I signed a silver contract, but what does it mean?"
I let the silence hang just long enough to make her uncomfortable.
"Just a binding deal with a Dark Fairy." I drawl arrogantly, "You're tethered to me."
She tilts her head as if recalculating. "So… you can't hurt me now?", she asks blankly.
"That's… not the point," I say, narrowing my eyes.
"Oh, so you're saying you could if you wanted to. Except you won't?" she asks.
"Because I need something from you," I snap. "That's part of the deal."
"And if I try to hurt you?" she continues.
"It bounces back. You suffer the same damage."
"So we're both untouchable to each other."
"Correct."
"And you'll sense if I'm in danger?"
"Yes," I grit.
"And if either of us breaks the deal—"
"Apocalyptic consequences. Yes. I say bloodshed. Possibly limbs flying."
She nods, then smiles. A slow, devious smile that makes something in me twist.
"It's just as I've heard," she murmurs. "That's why I stop fearing you when you offered me the deal."
Wait. What?
Is she not going to ask me what I want from her? Does it not matter?
Her gaze sparkles with something untamed.
Then realization dawns upon me.
Am I bound to her too?
This is supposed to be my move. I'm supposed to be in control.
"Oh, Veravos," she says sweetly. "Your reputation precedes you."
Crap. She's one of those psychos.
"I've been watching you," she adds. "Just like you've been watching me."
You what now.
"You actually fell for my act. And now it looks like, for better or worse, we're on the same side."
She leans closer.
"This deal? It binds both of us forever. That's how ancient Dark Fairy contracts work. You didn't know?"
No. No, no, no. This can't be happening.
Time to bluff.
"Very well," I say smoothly. "It's for a cause after all. We will need to deliver the emerald to the Light Fairy Kingdom. Together."
So what if I lie.
I have no idea what it is.
But I want to see if that gets a rise out of her.
She doesn't flinch. Doesn't argue. Just flashes that infuriatingly calm smile.
Does she buy my bluff? I can't tell.
"If we're going to be stuck together," she says, rising to her feet, scanning around before letting out a sigh, "we might as well get dinner first. That journey sounds long."
Dinner? What?
Wait. Does the emerald have something to do with the Light Kingdom? Did I actually… get that right?
I swallow my confusion, trying to act casual. Inside, though, my mind races. Could it be? Am I onto something, or do I just speak out of turn? Either way, I need answers.
"I'll hunt. You can set up the bonfire," I order, the words rolling off my tongue more easily than I expect.
"Why? Because Love Fairies can't hunt?" she challenges, raising an eyebrow, already testing the boundaries I draw.
"Alright, prove it. Love Fairies aren't exactly the killing sort, you know?" I retort; sarcasm laced with a challenge.
"But I'm not like most," she says, flashing a grin. "That's why you get me on board, right?"
She's spot on. That's the exact reason I agree to this strange arrangement.
Then something surreal happens. She sings—her voice a high, haunting melody, so pure it feels like it could shatter glass if there were any around.
From a distance, an eagle appears, its wings beating the wind with sharp precision.
"What would you like to eat?" she asks, her expression as casual as if she's offering a simple snack.
"Chicken and fish?" I say, trying to keep my tone light, though the absurdity of it makes me want to laugh.
That eagle… did she just summon it?
She sings again, a lower tone this time. The eagle soars away, its wings cutting the air like a knife.
"Was that love magic too?" I ask, my curiosity piqued despite myself.
"Yep. The eagle's under my control because it loves me," she says with a proud smile. "But my favorite part's coming next."
I use what little dark magic I have left to conjure a bonfire. The flames crackle, spitting sparks into the air.
My power is running low — drained after the fight earlier. I feel the hollow ache beneath my ribs.
Across from me, Scarlette hums softly, watching the eagle disappear into the treetops.
I need answers. Whatever game she's playing, I'm already tangled in it.
The eagle returns, but with it comes something far stranger than I expect: a chicken, its beak lodged in the fish's mouth like they've just kissed.
"What's this?" I ask, my eyebrow raised in disbelief.
Scarlette shrugs, completely nonchalant. "Made the chicken fall in love with the fish. Got the eagle to kill them both."
She actually did that? Why is this real?
She sets the now-dead animals down before me and extends her hand, looking at me.
"The emerald?", she demands.
I stare at her, still processing the weirdness of it all as I hand it over to her.
"Wait… why did I hand it over?", I murmur under my breath is disbelief.
She takes the emerald with practiced ease and uses it to slice through the chicken and fish, their carcasses splitting with a single, effortless motion. It's almost like she's born for this.
Wasn't this emerald supposed to be precious? If the Light Fairy Kingdom needs it, if the Love Fairy Kingdom chased her for it, why is she using it as a cutting tool?
"Oh, great. The bonfire's ready," she says, interrupting my thoughts, casually spearing the meat on sticks and tossing them into the flames I make.
I can't hold back the judgment any longer, staring at the gooey fluid dripping from the emerald. "You're horrifying. You know that?"
She doesn't even flinch. "What? It's the only sharp rock here," she says, her tone light as air, as if nothing about this scene is even remotely strange.
Her eyes gleam with satisfaction as she turns the skewers over the fire. "Now we can cook the chicken and fish lovers."
My skin crawls. Goosebumps prickle at my neck. Nothing about this feels right.
"And you're totally like every squirmy Love Fairy I've ever met," I shoot sarcastically at her, trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling within as I sit opposite her.
Through the flames, she shoots me a wry smile, clearly understanding that I mean the exact opposite.
"And you're like a Dark Fairy trying so hard to not be squirmy," she teases in return, obviously meaning each word she says.
I raise an eyebrow, folding my arms in annoyance, as I stare into the rising fire licking the skewers.
"I am a Dark Fairy, you know. I'm not squirmy."
She laughs. Then, unexpectedly, her tone shifts. It becomes quieter, more serious.
"So… why aren't you with the other Dark Fairies?" she asks, still focused on the skewers but her olive eyes flickering with something deeper.
The question catches me off guard. I don't answer right away.
The flames weaken slightly and she reaches into it, turning the skewers.
"Why are you an outcast?" she continues, her voice lower, almost a whisper. "Like me."
She shifts her glance from the skewers to me, the glow of the fire shining on her radiant red and purple hair.
For a second, through the smoke, something softer passes across her face—an emotion I'm not sure I can place.
Then, I see pools of water welling in her eyes.
Crap. Don't cry.
I grit my teeth, unsure how to handle this sudden shift. The last thing I need is to comfort her.
Wait… is she manipulating me?
"That's none of your business," I mutter, but she wipes her eyes quickly, restoring her composure almost instantly.
"Something got in my eye," she says, faking a smile before turning her attention back to the skewers. "Oh look, they're almost ready", she forces a nonchalant tone looking down at the flame once more.
But despite her calm exterior, the weight of her stare lingers.
I keep quiet, watching her.
Then Scarlette breaks the silence as she shifts closer towards me.
"You don't want to talk? Fine," she says, her voice now resolute. "But I'm sure you want answers from me too." She continues to hold my gaze, unwavering.
I can feel my powers still running low. I'm not in a position to threaten her anymore. Besides, she's bound to me by a magical deal. She can't hurt me even if she tries.
"Come on mighty Veravos…we are bound together. Tell me your story and I will tell you mine.", She offers.
I sigh but remain silent.
"What story is the boogeyman hiding from the one audience who has no power to harm him?", she pesters.
If she wants an answer, fine. I guess there's no harm being a little honest with her.
"The Dark Fairies want to conquer the whole world," I begin, my voice flat.
"But you don't?" she asks, her tone innocent but probing.
"It's a logistical nightmare with paperwork. Protests, riots, rebellion… it's all too much to manage," I reply, exhaustion creeping into my voice. "It's a pointless goal."
She is silent for a moment, then lets out a soft laugh. "That's actually true," she says, as if my words have some profound meaning.
"You couldn't follow the boundaries set for you, I see," she smirks.
"Seems that way", I scoff.
"I'm not one for sticking to boundaries either," she continues, her voice light. "I was kicked out of my kingdom for using offensive love magic. The idealist Love Fairies think it ruins the 'purity' of magic. But what purity are they talking about? Love is built from shared experiences, strife, and communication—things that matter. It's not just some spell to make everything perfect. Love isn't magic; it's life."
I don't expect to agree with her, but I do. Her words strike a chord, even if I won't admit it out loud.
Scarlette hands me a skewer and we eat in silence for a while, neither of us knowing what to say.
It is not dinner with a friend. It's not camaraderie either.
We are not singing kumbaya near a campfire.
I cannot figure what this is. Some kind of twisted truce perhaps.
Then she breaks the silence once more, her voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of something darker.
"The Love Fairy King, Baltimore, wants me executed because my ideas are considered poisonous," she says, her eyes reflecting the firelight. "But I won't be silenced. I know I'm right."
I can't help myself. "So, what do you do?"
She leans forward, as if savoring the moment. "I remember healing him once, after an invasion by Dark Fairies leaves him seriously injured. I use forbidden magic, but it isn't an issue then because it helps him." She rolls her eyes, as though it's nothing.
"Then what?" I ask, leaning in, my curiosity getting the better of me.
"I take it back," she says, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "I watch as his wounds reopen, just like before. The palace is stained in blood again. His blood."
I blink, stunned. "You can take healing back? What does that even mean?"
Her eyes gleam with a dark satisfaction. "It means the healing never happens. His wounds… reopen like I never fix them in the first place."
I give a slow, deliberate clap.
Well, this Love Fairy is turbo‑boosted, to say the least.