Catch her.

Pest opened his mouth to shout it, but nothing came out. Fanli slammed into the last branch then landed with a thud and he was too frightened to move.

She didn't move either.

Tears welled in Pest's eyes, then confusion. Ogres were so strong.

It took some time for his body to defrost, and he climbed down. He was already wiping his eyes when he reached the final branch adjacent to the one she'd broken.

Pest didn't jump down, instead, he stared at her, willing her to move, to make a sound, something.

If not for the bulge on her arm where the bee'd stung her, he would have taken her for—

"Oh, wow. She's dead for sure now."

Pest whipped his head around but found no one. Night was coming but he scanned the barren forest for any signs of the voice, for any help.

Another echo came. "Won't be long now."

Instead of the dull numbness, Pest's heart spiked, and he jumped down and held Fanli's face.

"Fan!" She didn't move. In fact, she looked totally and utterly—

"Dead? No. Not yet anyway. How long you figure?"

"Oh, 'bout an hour lessin he move. But he won't. Fairies don't care for others. Yeah?"

The swelling spread, now reaching her entire arm.

Pest went behind her and pushed her to sit. She was heavy and it wasn't his imagination. Ogres carried a lot of weight but this felt more akin to a—

"Troll." Pest scanned the forest. "Are you lot trolls?"

"Well, of course we're trolls. Who else would be out so close to dark?"

Pest stood, searching for them but came up empty.

Moving Fanli was impossible, so he said, "I command you to help her!"

One snicker came then another.

"Command?"

"Did you hear? The human commands us?"

Pest's blood boiled. "I'm Fae."

The leaves rolled back, and a frightful face darted out. "You give no commands to us, boy. We've seen what you've done. The fairies've seen what you've done!"

Recoiling, Pest moved with Fanli as best he could.

After the booming shout died, all went quiet.

Fairies.

Pest put Fanli to rest and stood fully, hands at his sides.

"I—I'm part Fae. I need help."

Only the shrinking daylight answered him.

It came in a chorus finally. "No rescue. No help."

"Fairies do not rescue."

"We bargain."

"You've wronged this ogre."

"You suffer the consequences."

"Alone."

The taunt shouldn't have hurt but it did. It sounded like something his father'd say. Fanli started to breathe. What was once shallow breaths came back ragged.

Pest stared down at her then shot into action. Getting her up wouldn't be easy but he needed only put her on his back.

"Oh. He's trying," a troll marveled.

"Not gonna make it far."

"Reckon we drag her to the edge? Ogres are kin after all."

"Reckon it couldn't hurt."

The dirt below Pest's feet began to turn, rooted up and fell again.

As disgusting as it appeared, Fanli was in motion.

Pest was too grateful to complain about how dirty she was getting. "Thank you," he whispered then shouted, "truly, thank you!" He chased after her. "She's got a sister in the woods."

"Beyond this one? Oh no. We venture not out."

True to their word, they didn't. But upon reaching the path that led out of the forest of enchantment, they at least stepped out of the leaves and lumbered toward him. If trolls and ogres were kin, one could compare ogres to the size of the average man and trolls to the size of dwarfs. They were stocky and strong and one picked Fanli up with ease.

Pest marveled at that feat for only a minute before he hurried to crouch down before them, praying they'd at least help get her on his back.

Once she was secure, he turned to thank them again but the faces of each troll, all four of them, looked a horror.

Unlike others who wore their anger inward, trolls showed their emotion freely.

Pest decided to focus on their helpfulness and not their understandable anger.

"Thank you," he said again, holding Fanli steady. "Thank you."

He turned and raced down the path. Her sister was a good distance away, but should he stop moving, there would be no way to put her on his back once more.

By the time he reached the small campsite, it was in time to see Bati ready the fire for the night.

She spotted them long before Pest drew in a breath to yell.

"Fan!"

Bati looked human enough but still had some strength because she took her sister from Pest's back and lay her to rest.

"What's happened to her? What manner of poison?"

Her eyes were wild as she met Pest's gaze.

He hesitated then whispered, "A bee."

In truth, he'd said it so quietly in hopes Bati would laugh off his fear, maybe say it was a trifle but the grim expression she wore said it all.

"Help me turn her on her side. We have to force her to throw up."

The swelling now reached her second arm as well as her back and Pest asked, "What about the transformation. Can't we just take her out of it."

Bati hurried to rub Fanli's back upward. "You know nothing about ogres," she admonished. "Our skin is tough and if we take a weak form then return to a strong one with an injury like say a knife in our skin, it simply doesn't come out. It stays inside us forever, hurting us from within. She must get rid of the poison in this form. If—"

One heave had them both jumping up.

Fanli rolled onto her back and began gagging at the next retch.

Bati watched her at a loss.

Pest looked down from her to Fanli then back again, waiting for this dumb woman to do something.

Finally, he shoved her aside and continued what she'd started, turning Fanli on her side and rubbing her back upward. The next heave was stronger.

It was by far the worst night of Pest's life, topped off by having to run to the river for water once there was nothing left for Fanli to throw up.

When he arrived back to find Bati had moved her campground some distance away, he vocalized his appreciation but discovered something surprising.

"Where's Fan?"

Bati didn't look up at him as she continued to make preparations for a new fire. "Where would she be?"

Pest watched her, waiting for their eyes to meet but they never did.

"She's ruin my best dress. And the shoes. Does she think it simple for us to come by shoes again!"

Each word came out with a bite of anger, but Pest understood. Possessions for ogres were few, Fanli'd explained. As such, they were precious and held magic.

Pest left Bati to her rants and returned to the camp to find Fanli where he'd left her.

The swelling was going down, but she still shivered. A touch of the hand came away hot and Pest looked her over. It was probably foolish, but he doused her with the water.

Nothing came of it. She still shivered.

Two more trips to the river later, he got her clean and thought to ask Bati for something to cover her.

Considering how earnest Bati had been at the start, Pest took the feigned deafness to his request as a good sign. Perhaps that meant Fanli would recover.

He didn't want to, but he went home, grabbed two blankets and some clothes, and hurried back.

It didn't take long for him to find out why Bati moved camp in the last of the daylight.

The ground began to blacken where Fanli'd thrown up. therefore, Pest wiped her down one last time then dragged her to sit.

She was lighter. That was a comfort. This time, getting her on his back wasn't too hard and he carried her naked to her sister's new sleeping area and put her down on one of his pilfered blankets.

The second one, he used to cover her up.

At the stroke of her brow, she turned toward him, and he debated what to do.

It was more for worry than solace when he lay beside her, tucking the blanket close. The moment she clung to him, he wanted to die.

Her body was warm despite her shivers, and he focused on the hand and the welt left behind from the bee. It was far from healed but the injury was much smaller than when he'd first arrived.

Pest risked hugging her, taking comfort in the shallow breaths against his throat. This was probably the only time she'd come near him now after this.

"That was very cruel of you," Bati said.

Alarmed, Pest looked up at her from across the fire, ready to confess to everything.

"Making her think she has a chance with you."

Pest puzzled over her words until he looked down at Fanli and realized what Bati meant. He was holding her, and not just for her own comfort's sake.

A rush of embarrassment flooded Pest's body. He wasn't sure what caused it. Not until he saw the pink of her skin dull. The transformation was waning.

"Get me out. Get me out of this," Fanli pleaded, eyes shut tight. "I never want to be human again. Get me out!"

Bati hurried around the fire and took her hand. "Shh. Look. Look at this beautiful human body you still have. And you've lasted all day, Fan. Why throw that away? Just let the pain come. Let it settle in your gut and once it does, you can keep this form for even longer. Isn't it luck?"

Fanli slipped from her grip, hugging Pest tight in her continued pleads.

Gathering her close, Pest looked Bati in the eye. "Pain holds the transformation?"

"Distress holds the transformation," Bati corrected but something about the way she said it didn't sit well with him. "Why else do you think I'm out in the woods?"

Her words had Pest gripping Fanli tighter. He tucked his head against hers, anything to hide his guilt.

This was supposed to be a small trick, not something deadly. It felt like a cruel joke. An otherwise robust race rendered killable at a nearly comical level.

For a long while, nothing filled the night beyond the crackling of the fire and the crickets.

"What exactly are you trying to do having her like that?"

Bati's tone held an accusation, but Pest didn't look up to witness the admonishment first-hand. He knew she was referring to Fanli's state of undress. There weren't many clothes that he managed to snatch in his haste, but he had something. They'd be useless should she awaken in the night and vomit yet again.

"If it's an ogre you're curious about," Bati said. She waited for him to look at her. On the other side of the fire, she parted her knees and hiked up her dress.

In time, her smile faded and Pest realized his stone-cold expression was why. He took one comfort in her nonsense, Fanli's life must no longer be in danger.

Even so, this was a terrible time to make such stupid proposals.

From the apologetic tone, Bati agreed. "I'm sorry. But I'd rather shift your focus away from her if I can. Look at her. She's no good with matters of intimacy. Her heart's not strong enough. So, if you're—"

"Why would I have to be toying with her just to help her? She's my friend."

"A friend you won't be seen with in public."

The words cut Pest in two. He could barely piece himself back together again to form a coherent sentence.

He glanced down at Fanli but Bati answered, "Yes, she's noticed. For a long time now. I suppose meeting you at the docks in private was enough for her. Well, until that was no longer an option."

Pest listened with that hollow ache returning. All this time, even in his fear and dread of what the night entailed for Fanli, he hadn't felt so alone. But like clockwork, it was back, and it was all consuming.

Fanli stirred. She tried to break the hold but was too weak. "I have to go home."

That much Pest knew she couldn't. "Not like this. You're still human—"

"I'll never be human," she grumbled. "I have to go home."

"You can't go home yet." Pest tried to negotiate. "But we'll leave early and get up there before anyone knows you were gone. I promise. I'll wake you up before dawn. Just...not now. Not after you'd almost died."

"You just don't listen well, sister," Bati called. "I'd told you about the repellent, hadn't I?"

Fanli closed her eyes and turned over.

The feel of her body leaving his came with a chill, and not from the night.

"You promise you'll wake me up?"

Pest hesitated, well aware of Bati's eyes on him. Out here, there was no one to see or judge so he eased closer, bringing the blanket up as he held her from behind. She allowed him to interlock their fingers and he closed his eyes.

He hadn't eaten all day. In fact, even now his gut growled, and yet, it was the fullest he'd ever felt.

"I promise."

"Good. Because a pack of dragons are out hunting ogres."

Pest's eyes opened. "Dragons?"

"They traveled in threes," Fanli muttered on the verge of sleep. "I must check on my treasure."

"Come. Sleep. One night won't be the end of the world. I promise."