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She smirked, like she knew exactly what I hadn’t said.
“Perfect. Lina!” Aster yelled, and I saw a sentry behind her shake his head in amusement. “Let’s go!”
* * *
I offeredto call Pepper from the balcony and fly her around, but Aster shook her head.
“We can just take the lift,” she said.
She was the only one talking. Lina and I hadn’t exchanged more than a few uncomfortable glances, but Aster seemed content to carry the conversation and pretend to be oblivious to that fact.
The lift, as it turned out, was a series of platforms and pulley systems tied to ropes in a complicated rig that eventually led to the ground.
At least, I assume it does.
We weren’t alone. A few elderly fairies with slightly drooping wings joined us, as well as a family with small children.
Aster made conversation with all of them as we made our slow descent, leaving Lina and I to stare anywhere but at each other.
“Is your brother coming?” Lina asked Aster, when there was a lull in the chatter.
Her brother, the prince? Does Lina sound hopeful that he will be here?
“No, he has boring heir things to do today, but I’m free. Perks of being the spare.” Aster shrugged and smiled, and Lina shook her head.
When we reached the ground, I took a moment to assess the creatures pulling the ropes. Guinea pigs, I thought, though I had never seen one quite so… close.Or big.
I had a moment of reservation about the woodland animals being harnessed in the makeshift wheels connected to the rig, but they didn’t seem to be any different than the beasts of burden on a farm, or any less happy.
Several fairies watched the animals at work, fanning them with giant leaves, or funneling water into a bowl for them to drink from.
“Satisfied?” Lina asked. It was the first real thing she had said to me since leaving, but there was no ire in it. If anything, her lips curved up in a truce of sorts.
“More or less,” I said, giving her a half smile of my own.
Aster looked between us quizzically, and Lina explained.
“Edrich loves animals,” she said. “He always checks to make sure they’re being treated properly. He was always fixing up the animals on the farm for me.”
“Oh, we’re very serious about taking care of our little helpers,” Aster said. Then, with an apologetic look at Lina, she added, “at least, the Thandrians are.”
Lina gave a resigned sort of grimace, enough to tell me that she was already aware of what Rumplestiltskin had told me about her family. And that once again, we had both underestimated her, because she was not broken.
Not even close.
Aster pulled me from my thoughts with an excited squeal. “Oh, look, we can go talk to their healer and you can see for yourself!”
She tugged us over to a man who was crouched at the foot of one of the guinea pigs, whispering soothing things under his breath as the creature squealed.
Aster stopped short, clearly not wanting to interrupt him, but I moved closer to see what he was doing. A huge splinter was embedded in the guinea pig’s paw, and the fairy was struggling to pull it out and sooth the creature at the same time.
I stepped forward without hesitation. This couldn’t be much different than dealing with farm animals. I crouched in front of the man, reaching toward the animal.
“May I?”
His bright orange gaze swept over my clearly wingless back, then to my companions before he gave a wary nod.
Reaching forward, I firmly grasped the guinea pig’s ankle, murmuring a few gentle assurances. The fairy used his now free hand to wrench the splinter out in one solid tug. He dabbed some ointment on the wound, and bandaged it, all while I kept the animal still and calm.
