Fanli glanced from Ved's helpful smile over to Pest who slowly died inside.

With regards to who'd ride what, she told Ved finally, "Thanks, but I can ride on my own."

Ved raised an eyebrow at her. "You nearly fell off and broke your neck last time. I insist I ride with you."

The nerve.

A hand slipped into Pest's grip, and he regarded Wen in doubt and confusion. He hadn't enough time to process her intent. Instead, he slipped from her hold and went in rescue of his ogre.

"Both of you'll be too heavy," Pest attested. "I'm lighter. I'll take her."

Ved's eyes bugged. "You? But...aren't you just as terrible?"

"Nonsense." Pest dismissed him and turned to hold Fanli's waist. She folded her arms and looked back at him. He in turn swallowed hard and whispered by her ear, "I'll make it up to you. But I'm not leaving anyone at your back. Meet me halfway!"

Fanli sighed and mounted. After the beast steadied, Pest took to the grueling task of trying to get on behind her. It wasn't her size that was the problem, but rather...him.

Still, her humiliation came off her in waves.

Pest finally admitted defeat. "You come down and then I'll go up and then you come back up."

Without looking at him, Fanli did just that. Pest mounted without trouble but with how distant she behaved, he feared she wouldn't make another attempt to ride with him.

He didn't even recognize his own voice. "Fan...."

"Ah, you're too kind, Abri. She could just ride with me instead."

That was a possibility but even the thought of that had him imagining someone else's lips at Fanli's neck. The wave of panic that rushed through him was palpable.

Finally, Fanli had mercy and mounted in front of him. The horse steadied. It was with luck that the Jaffo chose only robust steeds otherwise an ogre, even one as trim as Fanli—ogre-wise—could never ride.

When Pest pulled close, he whispered by her ear, "I'm sorry. I—I panicked. But I'm really trying here. I'll make it up to you at the pub."

Her body relaxed at least, and the twins took to their own horses.

Wen was not pleased.

Pest didn't want to look at her. He was instead focused on not driving Fanli away. Till yesterday, she'd been his best friend. But today...something else. And as they set in motion, he pulled her closer because even this horse below them felt like it was leading her away from him.

The hollow was back. It wasn't for long. It was the briefest of moments, but he was afraid.

Fingers grazed the hand on her waist and that simple touch dragged Pest back from the abyss.

"So, I'm forgiven?" he asked.

"You're buying at the tavern," Fanli said, then urged the horse faster.

Pest laughed. The wind picked up her hair and he smiled. He thought to kiss her there but then remembered how her joints would lock up. Falling below a speeding horse would certainly give her valid grounds to leave him.

So instead, he slipped his right hand up to hold her breast.

She almost looked back at him but instead kept her gaze forward. "Someone'll see."

"No one'll see," he hissed.

They were out of the fields in no time. Long ago, the Jaffo land encompassed three villages. It reached the entire valley. Now, some said it was endless. When they slowed, Pest looked to the mountains, wondering if it encompassed even there.

It was dark at the top. He wasn't the only one interested.

Wen came to a stop beside them.

Pest was sure to pinch Fanli's nipple, smiling at the flinch, before he slid his hand down.

"Magic," Wen said.

The longing in her voice gave Pest pause. "Oh?"

She hesitated then met eyes with him. "You've been avoiding me but this is what I've wanted to talk to you about." She glanced at Fanli but found her voice again and told Pest, "Lately, you've been so cold. On top of that mountain, there's a creature that can grant any wish. Any at all. We—you can wish to bring your cheer back."

A hammer to the face would have hurt far less.

No. Not only to the face, to his very being.

From her perspective, he was broken now. But that was because in their youth, Pest always smiled. He'd never told anyone that it was his mother's magical residue why—no one but Fanli because she'd suspected. Even when sad or angry or hurt, Pest would only—could only laugh.

As a fairy of yellow who sought cheer, his mother also gave it off. It wasn't intentional or sinister, but a biproduct and one she worked hard to avoid. Mother'd taken to other cues in order to understand Pest's feelings. More than once, the hunchback and his wife had to intervene to bring Pest rescue. A baby that never cried could never show hunger. It had been hell the first two years if his father's complaints were to be believed. Therefore, Father took to caring for him. He wasn't cruel, only...cold.

Those two extremes painted Pest's world for so many years. But nobody else noticed. Not even Wen.

Until Fanli, Pest hadn't known he was allowed to do anything but laugh.

So, to see Wen suggest he return to a state of constant struggle and suffering without even asking how he felt about it, he found himself gripping Fanli's waist again.

"And I'll make my own wish, too," Wen declared. She glanced at her brother when he came to a stop beside her. "And Ved's got his own." She had the nerve to lean forward and peer up at Fanli. "And you could even wish to be human—a proper one." At their silence, she asked, "So what do you think?"

Pest thought he was going to be sick.

He didn't know what to say. In truth, Wen was doing this for him. She had realized his change. The only problem was that she realized it too late.

No, he didn't want to go back to grinning at everyone all the time. For one, he'd be beaten far less.

More than once in his youth, he'd angered someone, and his laughing response made them pummel him. And even as they beat him, he couldn't stop laughing, which made them come back for a second pass.

The idea of returning to that hell was too far beyond him.

"I'm so hungry," Fanli said, turning to him. "Can we go to the pub early?"

Pest took in a deep breath, more than ready to take this rescue.

"Fan, we're talking. Your gut can wait. Besides, you can stand to skip a meal or two. Pipe down." Wen turned her attention back to Pest. "Abri, what do you think?"

Head hung, Pest considered many things. Finally, he met Wen's gaze and gave her the grin she so desperately wanted. Her eyes lit up and he said, "I think...Fan looks fit just as she is. Come on, the tavern it is."

They took off, leaving a stunned Wen in the dust.

Pest didn't revel in hurting her. It was just getting unbearable now. But what was he expecting? Wen was the Jaffo leader's daughter. She was also the only girl of fifteen cousins. Everyone worshipped her and any man with working eyes fell over themselves to win a praise from her direction.

She could always get anything she wanted. But as they raced back to the hunchback's land, Pest was certain more than ever, she just couldn't get him. Not if he could help it.

He never felt more like a fairy than in her presence. A fairy, created and tasked with something. Put aside when convenient, then manipulated and prodded to bend to someone's will.

Pest was a thing to her, and he'd let himself become that object because it was better than being alone. He owed a lot to her family. He owed a lot to her. He simply didn't owe her his heart.

They arrived before anyone else. Perhaps Wen was still at that mountain licking the wounds of her hurt pride. Pest dismounted first then held up his hands.

Fanli looked down at him, doubtful. "You cannot possibly catch me."

Pest took insult. "I'm not trying to catch you. I'm hoping you fall on me, your tit slips out, and a nipple ends up in my mouth."

She let out a groan which drew genuine laughter from him as she threw her legs over then allowed him to hold her waist. She was heavy but he didn't mind it.

When she was down, he brushed her black hair from her eyes.

"And stop telling me I can't hold you. It's annoying. Fairy physique or no, I do have some muscle."

Fanli scoffed. "Maybe I should consider Ved. He could probably lift three ogres with his pinkie."

Pest gritted his teeth at the insult. Something bubbled up inside him but he pushed it down. "Stop saying such things or I'll be forced to take action the only way a fairy knows how...revenge. Slow, deliberate, petty revenge."

She draped her arms over his shoulders and surprised him with a kiss.

This was so unlike her, and something he welcomed.

When he tried to reach for her neck, she brushed his hands down and brought them to cup his groin.

The kiss continued, and he more than liked where this was headed as she guided him to knead his erection.

Then she stepped back and said, "Take vengeance for that," then ran off toward the house.

Pest stared after her, appalled. "You...! Even a fairy wouldn't do something this despicable!" he screamed.

Her laugh carried even to here.

As cruel as the joke was, Pest still smiled. He adjusted his trousers and needed a minute to calm.

Wen and Ved closed in, and Pest decided to meet this head on. The constant game of catch had started to wear him down now.

Not surprisingly, Wen was angry, but not at him. "Where is she?"

Pest needed to calm her. That was why he made his first mistake for the day. He helped her down.

"About—about the mountain. I want to thank you for that. But, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Well, I'm going," Wen declared. She waited, perhaps for him to echo her sentiment. He simply wouldn't. "You'd let me go alone?" she asked.

Pest looked from her to her brother. "You won't be alone, Wennie. You...."

The hurt in her eyes was hard to bear. It had been why he'd allowed her to kiss him last year. It was also why he'd allowed all of this to go so far.

"It's one wish each," Wen said, tears in her eyes. "And I can't cast a wish for you. Isn't this something you want? You were always so happy before. Don't you miss that?"

He hadn't. No.

And then she said it. "Think about Fan at least. Look at her. Wishing for nothing but to be human, unaware that it'll never happen. She's not bad looking, not really, but what man's she going to find like this? Ogres already mock her for her ties with us. Some go so far as to hurt her for sport. Shouldn't she get a chance at happiness?"

The words tore Pest in two. "Hurt her? Nobody hurts her."

Wen sighed. "Open your eyes, Abri. Why do you think she comes to my house so much? Hell, six months ago, mother brought her to us near dead."

Pest had no rebuttal and Wen, more than satisfied with her righteous indignation, stepped past him and headed home. That left Ved.

Like his father, he wore his hair long, but unlike him, he rarely held his tongue.

"What exactly is going on with you two?"

Pest blinked up at him.

"Because, I'll tell you, fairy, my sister's my bottom line and if you cross it, I cross you."

When he was gone, the horses in tow, Pest found enough strength to march back to that house. He wanted to get Fanli and take her home. But now he worried about her safety. So, then he wanted to take her to his own home. Thoughts of his father discovering them had him balking.

He came upon the hunchback's house and gazed upon it.

The hunchback's perfect family.

For a time, he'd wanted to be a part of it. Hell, he'd even imagined somehow that Ved would see more to Fanli than an ogre and she'd marry into it, too. Then he'd have his best friend and the ideals all in one.

Now he didn't see the perfection—not really.

But what was he supposed to do otherwise?

Fanli and Wen waited for him at the house. Ved's arrival came with them heading into town.

Wen, upon seeing Pest's sour disposition, walked further ahead with her brother. Pest thought to make the effort to cheer up for everyone's sake until a tentative hand brushed his.

"You look like somebody stepped on your pet spider, revived him, then crushed him a second time."

Pest glanced at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Oh? You don't like that, huh?" Fanli teased, "Well, how was I to have known? Here. I'll make another comparison. It'll grant you a better imagery. You look like someone who fell anus first into an anthill."

Unimpressed, Pest folded his arms. "Firstly, nobody falls anus first into anything without intent. And second—"

"Wait. What?" Fanli regarded him in doubt. "How many ant hills have you fallen into?"

His lips parted. "None. I just mean, it's a very strange thing to do and therefore it can't be accidental." At her scoff, he hurried to catch up with her. "Like stepping on a man's spider. Bringing it back to life, then killing it again."

"Firstly." Fanli held one finger up. "I hadn't meant to step on it. And secondly, an ogre's gift of re-life is temporary. How was I to know he would come back but unhealed? It was cruel to leave it all crushed up like that, but still twitching. Of course, I gave that mercy kill."

She walked on and Pest hurried to catch up. "Firstly, you knew it was my pet and killed it out of spite because I forgot your birthday. And secondly, an ogre's gift of re-life comes with healing. You just didn't mean it."

Fanli stopped and he nearly overtook her. "What? Really?"

Pest regarded her in confusion. He opened his mouth to carry on with his teasing but something in her expression signaled hurt.

She honestly didn't know.

"Well," Pest said, "my father's said. An ogre who wants to grant it can. It's just that it's not for free. It's literally them putting parts of their life into another being. And if they give too much, they give it all away. But the key point is that they want it to live. That helps the magic. And since ogres like living prey, they gathered together to share in the re-life until they can rip their pray apart yet again."

Fanli's color deepened. The look of disgust spoke volumes.

"There's a reason I don't join in talks of the hunts. That is the main one."

He was tempted to take her hand, but the curious eyes of the passersby sapped his boldness.

In an effort to coax a smile from her, he gave her a nudge. "So you plan to buy me a drink as compensation for my fallen pet?"

"Ha. Coldest day in the deepest pits of hell. Spiders bite."

Pest hurried behind her. "So do mosquitoes."

"Mosquitoes don't leave venom. And I'd like to keep my life. Thank you. Self-defense."

They reached the tavern in high spirits to find the twins waiting for them. That seemed to be a theme lately—Wen and her brother forced to be patient on their behalf.

Ironically, or unironically, a large male ogre stood guard at the door. "Oi. We don't let your kind in," he said, looking past Wen and Ved.

Ved said, "It's all right if she's not transformed. She's with me."

"A didn't mean 'er," the ogre answered. "I meant da fairy."

All eyes gravitated to Pest who shrugged with a grin. "I—may have had some run-ins here. But I'll be good. I promise."

Ved sighed. He marched back to grab Pest by the collar and lead him to the door. He then gave Pest a shove. "Try to restrain yourself."