Before I could comment, Lumera gestured toward a door. "Anyway, here's a room where the both of you can sleep."
Inside, the room was neat, with two single beds set up on opposite sides.
"You can push them together if you'd like," she suggested, her tone still chipper. "Need help?"
"Oh, it's fine, we can leave them as they are," Scarlette quickly replied.
But then, of course, she had to add her own twist.
"Because… we fought," she continued, looking at Lumera with wide, innocent eyes. "He's not sharing with me."
She'll be the death of me. That was not the time for a slip-up, not in front of her. And that was certainly not how we were supposed to do this. Oh my gods.
We both smiled at Lumera as the door clicked shut behind us.
"Rest up!" Lumera's voice floated through the door.
I turned my gaze to Scarlette, the smile quickly fading from my face. "I thought I was doing the talking."
"Why can't I speak too?" Scarlette shot back, raising an eyebrow.
"Because you're a bad liar. Didn't you notice?" I replied sharply. "You're almost messing up the plans."
She smirked, unfazed. "Well, dearest sun full of love, Ravos, I have the emerald with me. And you have what with you?"
She had a point.
"I have this." I tapped my temple.
"What? Curly black hair?" she teased, her grin widening.
"A cunning mind," I shot back, a touch of pride in my voice.
She raised an eyebrow. "How is that a cunning mind?"
I could feel my patience fraying. She's messing with me. I can't talk to her right now. I turned away.
Then, I felt it—a hand on my back.
"Sorry," her voice cracked.
I don't know how anyone can feel both utter annoyance and concern at the same time, all directed at one person.
"I'm not the best liar, but it's because of you that we've made it this far," she added, her words almost too vulnerable.
Wait... The crazy Love Fairy apologizing? To me?
I turned around to face her. Her eyes were glistening, on the verge of tears.
"Do not cry now. Do not manipulate me," I warned, my voice hard.
Without a word, she threw the emerald at me, and I caught it instinctively.
"I am not manipulating you, Veravos," she said.
"Scarlette, that's no toy. Don't treat it like that." My voice was sharp as I inspected the emerald.
She sighed, a small, almost embarrassed smile tugging at her lips. "I'm giving it to you, silly. As much as you remain skeptical about my words or actions, I couldn't have gotten this far on my own... I was just a meddling Love Fairy, running from a King, until our paths crossed."
At that moment, I couldn't help myself. I pulled her into a hug. Silly Love Fairy.
Wait… I don't do hugs.
I immediately let go, noticing her stunned face.
"You used magic on me, didn't you?" I accused, suddenly suspicious.
She rolled her eyes, unfazed. "No…I won't. But thank you for being here." Her tone softened before she added, "We are not shifting beds together, though."
I arched an eyebrow, half-amused. "You're not afraid I'll take off with the emerald?"
Her gaze flickered to the sparkling jewel in my hand. "You need me, Veravos. Besides, we're bound. Your move," she winked as she lay down on her bed.
My heart skipped a beat. "I did bind our fates together. This was my doing. There's no escape."
Crap.
Scarlette turned away, setting the red orb with the swirling yellow mist beside her like a nightlight. That mysterious magic that she did earlier in the woods was just for this? I found my gaze fixed on her, unable to look away.
"Nights," she yawned, curling into her bed and falling asleep almost instantly with a cheeky grin.
Just like that? How does she sleep so quickly? The absurdity of it caught me off guard.
I stared at her, watching the rise and fall of her chest as her gentle snores filled the room, a soft, steady rhythm that made the stillness around us feel almost too quiet.
This Love Fairy was nothing like I expected. Nothing about her was conventional. But, in some strange way, she fit. Much like me, she was an outcast—running from something, hiding from something—and now, somehow, we were tangled up in this mess together, trying to carve out some kind of future.
I couldn't help but smile, albeit a small, rueful thing. I never imagined I'd end up here, with her. But here we were, caught in this strange, tangled fate, bound together in ways we couldn't yet understand.
The way the light from the orb flickered cast dancing shadows across her features. It reminded me of her magic—light and love fused into something... different. Something I couldn't quite comprehend, but couldn't help but be drawn to.
Scarlette, why haven't I met you sooner?
I glanced down at the Baltimorean Emerald in my hands. Its surface seemed to glow brighter under the dim light. My fingers traced its edges, feeling the weight of it. A heavy reminder of why we were here.
And yet, despite it all, my thoughts drifted back to her. Scarlette—who somehow turned my world upside down. The way she defied everything, and yet, in her own twisted, unpredictable way, made sense of it all. She was an anomaly, but she was... here. With me.
I turned my gaze to her once more. She slept so easily, so freely. Like watching a storm pass in the distance—untouched by the chaos around it. And yet, in the silence of the night, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had no clue what I'd gotten myself into.
There was more to Scarlette than the chaos she brought. I knew that now. But what did that mean for me? Was I really ready for whatever was coming next?
I couldn't bring myself to answer that. Not yet. Instead, I sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and something else—something unfamiliar, something unsettling.
Whatever this was, I never saw it coming. Whatever she was, I had never expected it.
But there was no turning back now.
We needed to figure out what was really going on here.
And somehow, I knew Scarlette—the crazy Love Fairy that she was—would be right by my side. Whether I liked it or not.
She was right. Alone, we had each achieved so little. She was deep in the conflict, a rebel running from King Baltimore with this mysterious emerald. I, on the other hand, had kept away from the chaos, refusing to side with Queen Judorah. Both our worlds clashed, and yet, together, we had gotten further than either of us would have alone.
Both of us had our ideals, our beliefs, our enemies, our secrets. But the truth was, if anyone could understand what I was going through, it was her. Not the other Dark Fairies for me, and not the other Love Fairies for her.
I stared at the floating orb next to Scarlette, noticing its yellow mist growing thicker as the room grew darker.
Was it supposed to do that?
The room became darker, and I felt at ease. So much at ease that I fell asleep too.
I wasn't sure if it was the long day, the sunlight streaming in too bright, or if I simply needed the darkness.
The orb's yellow mist swirled lazily in the dimming light, casting an eerie glow that seemed to pulse with the rhythm of the room. My thoughts felt distant, untethered, as if the very air was thickening with something I couldn't quite grasp.
Was it supposed to do that? The question barely brushed my mind, but it felt too far away to chase. Instead, I welcomed the silence and the shadows creeping into the room—welcoming the calm that seemed to seep into my bones, soothing the things I couldn't yet process.
It wasn't until I realized I had fallen asleep that I knew the darkness had done its work.
I drifted, like a ship without an anchor, carried by the weight of the day, the unspoken words between Scarlette and me, and the fatigue of it all. The orb's soft glow continued to pulse in my peripheral vision, but my mind slipped away from it, craving the quiet stillness.
Whatever had drawn me into sleep, I let it take me. Just for tonight, I allowed myself to surrender.
Tomorrow, there would be more. But for now, there was only the quiet, and the strange presence of the orb, watching over me.