Before I can comment or ask more questions, Lumera gestures toward a door. "Anyway, here's a room where the both of you can sleep."
Inside, the room is neat, with two single beds set up on opposite sides.
"You can push them together if you'd like," she suggests, still chipper. "Need help?"
"Oh, it's fine, we can leave them as they are," Scarlette replies quickly.
But of course, she has to add her own twist.
"Because we fought," she blurts, eyes wide with fake innocence. "He's not sharing with me."
She'll be the death of me. That is absolutely not the time for a slip‑up, not in front of Lumera. And that is certainly not how we're supposed to do this. Oh my gods.
We both smile stiffly at Lumera as the door clicks shut behind her.
"Rest up!" her voice floats through the door.
I turn to Scarlette, my smile vanishing. "I thought I was doing the talking."
"Why can't I speak too?" she fires back, raising an eyebrow.
"Because you're a bad liar. Didn't you notice?" I snap. "You're almost messing up the plan."
She smirks, unfazed. "Well, dearest sun full of love, Ravos, I have the emerald with me. And what are you bringing to the table?"
...She has a point.
"I have this." I tap my temple.
"What? Curly black hair?" she teases, grinning wider.
"A cunning mind," I shoot back proudly.
She raises an eyebrow. "How is that a cunning mind?"
My patience frays. She's messing with me—again. I turn away.
Then, as if she noticed my turn in expression, I feel it—a hand on my back.
"Sorry," she whispers, her voice cracking.
I don't know how one person can make me feel both utter annoyance and genuine concern at the same time.
"I'm not the best liar," she admits quietly, "because I always relied on my powers to overwhelm people and push me through. But it's because of your strategy that we've made it this far."
Wait. The crazy Love Fairy is apologizing? To me?
I turn. Her eyes glisten, tears threatening.
"Do not cry now. Do not manipulate me," I warn, my voice firm.
Without warning, she tosses the emerald at me. I catch it reflexively.
"I am not manipulating you, Veravos," she says.
"Scarlette, that's not a toy. Don't treat it like that." I inspect the emerald sharply.
She sighs, a tiny embarrassed smile tugging at her lips. "I'm giving it to you, silly. As skeptical as you are about my words or actions, I couldn't have gotten this far alone… I was just a meddling Love Fairy, running from a King, until our paths crossed."
Before I realize it, I pull her into a hug. A hug. Me.
Wait. I don't do hugs.
I immediately let go, noticing her stunned face.
"You used magic on me, didn't you?" I accuse.
The absurdity of it dawns on me as I speak. I made a deal with her, her magic would not work directly on me. So what was I feeling if not her magic?
She rolls her eyes. "No… I won't. But thank you for being here." Her tone softens. "We're not shifting the beds together, though."
I arch a brow. "You're not afraid I'll run off with the emerald?"
Her gaze drifts to the jewel in my hand. "You need me, Veravos. Besides, we're bound. Your move, Dark Fairy." She winks and lies down on her bed.
My heart skips. I did bind our fates with a magical contract. That was my doing… There's no escape. Crap.
She turns away, placing the red orb with its swirling yellow mist beside her like a nightlight. I catch myself staring at her, unable to look away.
"Nights," she mumbles, curling onto her bed and falling asleep instantly, a cheeky grin still lingering.
Just like that? How does she fall asleep so fast?
I watch her, the rise and fall of her breathing, her soft snores filling the room with a strange peacefulness.
This Love Fairy is nothing like I expect. Nothing about her is conventional. But somehow, she fits. Much like me, she's an outcast—running from something, hiding from something—and now, we're tangled up in this together.
I can't help the small smile tugging at my lips. I never imagined ending up here, with her. But here we are, bound together in ways we're only beginning to understand.
The orb's flickering light casts shifting shadows across her features. It reminds me of her magic—light and love fused into something different. Something I don't fully understand, but can't help being drawn to.
Scarlette… why haven't I met you sooner? Is it strange to be drawn to you and wary of you at the same time? Are we really two outcasts or am I just a manipulated fool?
I glance at the Baltimorean Emerald in my hands. Its glow intensifies under the dim light. I trace its edges, feeling its weight—a reminder of why we're here.
And yet… my mind drifts back to her. Scarlette—who somehow turns my world upside down. Who defies logic but makes sense of everything in her own chaotic way. She's an anomaly. But she's here. With me.
I look at her again. She sleeps so easily, so freely. Like a storm pretending it wasn't born of chaos. And in the quiet, I realize I have no idea what I've gotten myself into.
There is more to Scarlette than the chaos she brings. I know that now. But what does that mean for me? Am I ready for whatever is coming next?
I don't have that answer.
Instead, I sigh, feeling a mix of frustration and something unfamiliar and unsettling.
Whatever this is, I never saw it coming. Whatever she is, I never expected it.
But there's no turning back now.
We need to figure out what's really going on.
And somehow, I know Scarlette—the crazy Love Fairy she is—will be right beside me. Whether I like it or not.
She's right. Alone, we achieved so little. She was deep in the conflict, a rebel running from King Baltimore with this mysterious emerald. I kept away from chaos, refusing to side with Queen Judorah. Our worlds collided—and together, we've come far further than either of us could alone.
Both of us carry ideals, enemies, secrets. But if anyone can understand what I'm going through… it's her. Not other Dark Fairies. Not other Love Fairies.
My eyes drift to the floating orb beside her. Its yellow mist thickens as the room darkens.
Is it supposed to do that?
The darkness deepens, and I feel myself relax—too easily. So easily that sleep begins tugging at me.
The orb's mist swirls lazily, its glow pulsing with the rhythm of the room. My thoughts drift, slipping away, the air thickening with something I can't grasp.
Is it supposed to do that? The thought barely forms, too far away to chase.
But I welcome the shadows creeping in, the calming quiet settling into my bones.
Before I realize it, sleep claims me.
I drift—untethered, carried by the weight of the day, the unspoken things between Scarlette and me, the fatigue of it all. The orb pulses softly in my peripheral vision as my consciousness slips further.
Whatever draws me under, I let it.
Just for tonight, I surrender.
Tomorrow will bring more.
But for now, there is only the quiet—and the soft, watchful glow of the orb.