Few things could disappoint Fanli more than she felt in herself. The way Bati looked at her, the jaw of her pretty human face dropped, beautiful brown eyes widened, perfect hands at her mouth.

"Pyer's Peak. Are you mad! Why did you ever agree to something that dangerous?"

She wasn't impressed; she was furious. And she had every right to be. Fanli was being a fool.

To be fair, Fanli hadn't even known the name of the mountain; she was that ignorant.

They sat around the fire together, eating what Fanli assumed was her last meal. She couldn't even find the courage to go home to her parents to say goodbye for fear she'd lose her nerve, break into tears and cower there—leaving Pest with no rescue.

Fanli could barely pick at her roasted rabbit. The meat wasn't her favorite and she would have argued about not cooking it but Bati'd already gone through all the trouble.

At length, Bati, eyes still on the leg she ate, muttered, "Well, should you be going.... Won't you make the wish for me?" She took her time in meeting Fanli's gaze.

The fatigue there made Fanli fearful. After so long, the human form was finally taking its toll.

"I—I don't think I can. It's one wish, for one person, once for all time. Nothing else can be tacked on or...or included." When Bati hung her head again, Fanli continued explaining, "Wen's mother had already warned us. Trying for more is probably why no one ever comes back. But I'll be back. I promise."

Despite her words of assurances, Bati gazed at her, betrayed. "Then make the wish for the both of us to be human forever. Or—or the family if that'll ensure it's perceived as one wish and not a trick."

Fanli leaned away, shocked. "What?"

Bati gathered up her dress and hurried around the fire to plop down beside her. "Look. It's one wish. It's no and or plus." She anticipated Fanli's resistance and argued, "Or—or wish everyone you know human. And it'll encompass your Pest friend, too, since it's all you care about."

Her words spoke of madness. Fanli hardly found a need to counter them directly but upon setting her sights on Bati to find her gazing palpable with hurt, Fanli found herself fighting against the absurd.

"I don't know why you'd resist," Bati said, exasperated.

"Resist? I'd resist because Mother and Father don't want to live out their days human. Days that are significantly shorter than those of an ogre. I'd be cutting their lifespan in half."

Bati scoffed. "Don't act like they wouldn't jump at the chance! Anyone would."

Deep down, Fanli wouldn't. Now, being in Bati's presence while feeling this way, Fanli viewed her secret desire of remaining an ogre as wrong. A part of her was glad to make the wish on Pest's behalf to ensure she'd lose her opportunity at passing up the chance of a lifetime. She would be traveling with power—dragons and an efreet.

At Fanli's deep contemplative silence, Bati entreated her, "Assuming Mother and Father agree—I can talk to them—then how about all who you hold dear, that will narrow it down since you're so petty."

Fanli was even more reluctant now. Would that include the princess? Her husband? Wen or Ved—whichever was the efreet? Surely, Pest would also be in there somewhere, but what of the faun and nymph who she felt protective off, would they get dragged from the comforts of their enchanted forest, thrust into the world naked with no money, clothes, home or idea how or why?

In this instance, Fanli felt so powerless that the little bit of meat she ate felt like a pile of boulders holding her hand down.

"Any creature of magic would thank you for letting them be human," Bati insisted, worried by Fanli's quiet. "So you don't need to fret."

Pyer's Peak being too dangerous had been the excuse to not turn mortal but perhaps that was jitters talking. Now, Pest's condition forced her up that mountain and she questioned her stance on the idea every second of every minute.

"Have a heart, sister," Bati whispered. "Won't you think of me? Four nights ago, I lost control of the form entirely. Ferris nearly—nearly discovered me as an ogre. Have a heart." She held out her hands to indicate the fire. "That's why I'm back in this forest. And—and the measures I've had to take, you simply must have a heart."

What happened four nights ago? Why had the world fallen apart for so many people? Four nights ago, was when Pest made the wish on Fanli's treasure.

Simultaneously, Bati's lover, Ferris, nearly discovered himself to be romancing an ogre.

Maybe you should tell him what you are. Fanli practiced those words to herself again and again. She didn't know Ferris but she knew deceit and freewill of choice, something Bati stole each time she lied about what she was. The very same freewill Bati sought to take from Fanli now with this impossible request.

Bati, still out to convince her, hesitated then took off her beautiful shoes. These weren't the ones from Pest's, but newer. It was a cheaper material but while Fanli's eyes scrutinized it, they caught something that had her shooting to her feet.

"Sister!" Fanli protested.

But her sister neither picked up her head to address her, nor covered what Fanli found offensive.

"I didn't have a choice. Constant pain keeps our form for longer. The body simply believes it's in a heightened state of panic. The more it hurts, the better the image. Four nights ago...I panicked. But the pain healed eventually. So, I had to cut another."

Cut another. The first cut she meant...was the sixth toe now gone on both of her feet.

Fanli's insides turned over. Because it didn't stop at just the one. Two were missing on the right foot.

"So have a heart," Bati muttered. "You don't want to do this one thing I want. And now I'm maimed, I can't protect myself if I even go. I'd drag you down if a fight broke out."

Panic filled every vein in Fanli's body. Panic and something else, anger.

Because the size of those shoes was her concern.

"You'd cut them off instead of changing back," Fanli accused. "All so you could fit into these blasted little shoes! Don't talk to me of some sacrifice. No one asked you to do this."

For the time Bati sat on the ground, watching the fire, she looked meek and broken, and Fanli knew it to be no act. Perhaps the pain of the situation or the actual physical pain was why her sister didn't immediately stand in her own defense.

"Would you have rather I'd gone to Pyer's Peak by myself?"

No. Fanli would not have wanted that. The thought came, though, of Bati venturing out there alone only to take a fall, meet a hunter, or even a wild animal she could no longer escape.

The cutting of an ogre's toes was known to all ogres, because it prevented them from balancing properly.

Fanli'd hated her sixth toes when young, all before Pest came one day to inform her that his father'd said ogres needed it for speed and balance. Together, they'd tested it and to this day, Fanli never knew if Pest allowed her to best him in those races, but she'd left that playtime feeling invincible.

Now, in this moment, Fanli regretted so much—but she regretted one thing more.

"I'm going back home to Mother and Father after this. I don't want them to worry but if I make it back, I'll bow my head, take my punishment, and live out my days in our caves. What have we done that's worth all this nonsense? No human'd ever break their backs to become one of us. But isn't that all right? Isn't it all right for ogres to simply be? And humans to simply be? What's wrong with that?"

Fanli tried to sound gentle, but she knew as well as Bati, there was no going back to their kind—not with what she'd done to her toes. Still, she felt Bati should still try.

"I'm sorry, sister, but—but my stance won't change. I can't wish Pest human because he isn't really human. I'll wish him back to the way he was."

The fire reflected not only in Bati's gaze, but her anger. "You'd do this—risk your neck for that bastard!" She opened her mouth to say something—perhaps the nastiest thing she could—but balked. Instead, she stared Fanli down and said, "Don't get flattered by what he's done. You're a fool if you don't realize it. He didn't use your treasure to keep you safe or it save, or even to be with you, moron. He used it to escape. Because as he's no longer a fairy, his curse doesn't reach any woman."

Fanli's jaw dropped. It took everything in her to pick it back up again. More than once, she'd thought about why Pest was now an ogre. She never once imagined that he wished himself to become one. But she'd never imagined an attack either. Perhaps he wanted something that would inadvertently injure Fanli and therefore the treasure reacted. She'd made all sorts of excuses. Out of everything Bati'd said, however, Fanli could only focus on one aspect. "How—how'd you know that?"

"Know what? That he's slept with any woman who'd give him a wink? Sister, don't be daft! Everyone knows. Absolutely everyone. The only two idiots who don't are you and the hunchback's daughter. So fine. Go ahead and put him back to the way he was. I hope his curse returns and they hang him in broad daylight right in front of you, you...."

It was the final muttering that shot from Bati's mouth, the shock striking Fanli so strongly that the meat in her hands dropped.

"Get out of my sight. I'd rather stare at the fire than your ugly face," Bati said, spitting.

All life left Fanli's body. She wasn't sure when she'd taken the first step to leave. She wasn't even sure how she moved fast enough to reach the trees. All she perceived was her bare feet crushing sticks and twigs faster and faster until she broke into a run.

She should have been heading home. She'd meant to. But instead, she came to a stop before Wen's house.

Tonight, she wasn't here to see the family, to envy them, to pine to be like them. Instead, she was here to see something she'd come to hate.

Pest.

Fanli had knocked on that house door more times than she could count. She was always happy and safe upon doing so. Today came with trepidation.

After raising her hand, she lowered it again without striking the wood. Her body felt heavy. She was being foolish. Pest didn't care about her.

Something shimmered in the night, but it didn't come from the house. In fact, it came from the path behind it, not too far off.

Against her better judgement, she trudged through the woods until she came upon the open field. But instead of horses, something else circled overhead.

In the center of the fenced-in area, Wyrn, the Jaffo leader, stood. He stared up at the red dragon. Then he closed his eyes, jumped up, and took flight. When he shed his mortal form, what he became tore a cry from Fanli so sharp she had to use both hands to shove the scream back down her throat again.

It was too late; he'd seen her.