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“Is that-”
“Get the fuck outta my yard!” The fairy with the broom jabbed him in the ribs.
“Get that away from me before I shove it up your ass.”
“Oh, Elira, that’s the lord." The fairy in the street gasped. “You can’t poke him.”
“What-?” The guy gaped at Aspen as he stumbled toward the gate. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry, m’lord. I didn’t realize it was you. What happened? I’ll help you home.”
“Now you’re all nice,” mumbled Aspen.
“I thought you were a drunk.”
“I am drunk.” Aspen tripped.
“Here, let me help you up.” The fairy grabbed his arm.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” Aspen screamed at him even though his own voice was like a mallet on his skull. The fairy jerked back like he’d been burned. “Everybody thinks they can touch me and do whatever they want…” He huddled against the gate as others gathered in the street. A few mouths hung open. “GO AWAY!”
The first woman darted off as he sobbed. Everyone knew he was a fucking sham and a piece of shit. He curled up against the gate as he covered his face, trying to block out the light and eyes pasted to him.
“-Father died-”
“Poor thing.”
“I was a mess too after my Mum died.”
“-not taking it very well.”
Aspen couldn’t stay here and hear all of that shit. He struggled to his feet and fumbled to get the latch undone so he could stumble out into the street. Several fairies backed up like they were afraid. Maybe they knew what he’d thought last night about Oriel and how he was a monster too.
“I wouldn’t do it,” he mumbled. “I just want to go back to before when it didn’t hurt.”
“I’m sure he’s not mad at you,” said an older woman. “Lord Mather was-”
“Fuck Lord Mather!” screamed Aspen.
He wobbled down the road, and the voices grew faint behind him. Home, or more like the place where he subsisted as a leech, was this way. Or he hoped so. He only wanted to get into bed and never wake up. Everyone seemed too scared to follow him or try to help. Even they knew he wasn’t worth it.
He made it to the gate where the guard who kept out lowlifes sat during the day.
“M’lord?” He stood and stared at Aspen in his wrinkled clothes. “Are you okay?”
“Like you fucking care.”
“M’lord?”
“Shut up.”
Aspen, the worst lowlife in Cardinal's Brook, entered and made it up the steps without tripping and killing himself. As soon as he got in, he heard Sira scream, and she came running down the stairs.
“Where were you?! I woke up, and you were gone! Lan’s up in the attic and looking for you.”
He leaned against the door after he shut it. “Fuck would I go up there for?”
“We thought you were dead! He was about to go out and look for you. We didn’t tell the guard up front yet because…”
“Because you know I’m an embarrassment?”
