Devran's woods mirrored his personality—sticky, inconvenient, and impossible to get rid of.

The mud clung to my boots just like his neediness clung to every conversation. The trees were short but obnoxiously rooted, spreading their gnarled fingers across the forest floor like Devran trying to insert himself into everyone's business.

And here I am—dragging an unconscious Love Fairy through his ridiculous woods, cradling a mysterious emerald, and moments away from bumping into the most annoying person I know.

It reeked of dark magic here—thick and heavy in the air. Most Love Fairies wouldn't last a second. Fortunately for Scarlette, she's bound to me. Unfortunately for me, she's also getting heavier by the minute.

Just when I'm about to curse every tree root in this forest, I spot a clearing up ahead—dry ground, blessedly firm. And somewhere nearby, the gentle gurgle of a stream. Huh. Even in a cursed forest like this, there's a peaceful corner.

I set Scarlette down on a patch of cracked earth and looked at her.

Oddly peaceful. Her face, up close, had this strange calm to it—if you ignored the streaks of violet in her red hair. Was she really unconscious… or just pretending? Knowing her, I'd put money on the latter.

Naturally, there was only one logical way to verify.

I walked over to the stream, conjured a flask from the shadows, filled it with cold water, and returned with the most reasonable plan in mind.

I poured it directly onto her face.

"Wake up!" I shouted.

Nothing.

I frowned. Alright. Plan B.

I pinched her nose shut and leaned in. "Wake up, sleepyhead," I barked directly into her ear.

Still nothing.

Alright. Now this is ridiculous.

Perhaps something more persuasive. A threat, maybe. A snake? A spider?

Instead, I held up the emerald, letting the green glow shimmer between my fingers.

"If you don't wake up, I'll destroy the emerald. And there'll be no turning back."

Her eyes snapped open instantly.

Ah. There we go.

"You will not touch the emerald," she hissed, fire blazing behind her eyes.

"You were pretending," I accused.

She blinked, still groggy. "Wait—why is my face and hair wet?"

"It rained," I replied, deadpan.

She glanced around—the dry ground, the clear sky.

Uh oh. She's going to—

"Where are we?"

And there it is.

"Sure, play that card, Scarlette," I muttered. "You do you."

She rubbed her head, then sighed. "I fainted, didn't I?"

She's good.

"Now stop pretending and start talking," I demanded, arms crossed. "What's the deal with the emerald? Who were you running from? And what was that magic?"

She looked me dead in the eye. For a second, I saw my own reflection there.

Oh. My hair's a mess.

I ran a hand through it and gave her my most charming smirk.

"You know what? You're bound to me now. Feign ignorance all you want, but you signed the deal."

And there it was—the flicker of realization. She glanced over her shoulder, wary.

"Relax. They can't reach us here," I assured her.

She exhaled and offered the ghost of a smile. "I think I overused my magic earlier," she admitted.

You think? The girl nearly nuked a hillside.

But I needed answers.

"What kind of magic was that? I've never seen anything like it."

"Offensive love magic," she said with an impish grin. "Think heartbreak, obsession, betrayal… love turned volatile."

"Like… emotionally unstable spells?"

"Exactly. Love triangles. Unrequited devotion. Rebound rage. That kind of thing." She lifted her chin, pride shimmering in her voice. "Powerful stuff."

"Let me guess. Forbidden?"

Her smile faltered, just for a heartbeat. "Maybe."

Ah. Bingo.

"So what do you want from me?" she asked suddenly. "I know I signed something, but what does it mean?"

I let the silence hang just long enough to make her uncomfortable.

"A deal with a Dark Fairy is binding. You're tethered to me."

She tilted her head. "So… you can't hurt me now?"

"That's… not the point," I said, narrowing my eyes.

"Oh so are saying you could if you wanted to. Except you won't?" She asked.

"Because I need something from you," I snapped. "That's part of the deal."

"And if I tried to hurt you?" She continued.

"It'd bounce back. You'd suffer the same damage."

"So we're both untouchable to each other."

"Correct."

"And you'll sense if I'm in danger?"

"Yes," I gritted.

"And if either of us breaks the deal—"

"Apocalyptic consequences. Yes. I said bloodshed. Possibly limbs flying."

She nodded, then smiled. A slow, devious smile that made something in me twist.

"It's just as I've heard," she murmured. "That's why I stopped fearing you when you offered the deal."

Wait. What?

Was she not going to ask me what I wanted from her? Did it not matter?

Her gaze sparkled with something untamed.

Then realisation dawned upon me.

Am I bound to her too?

This was supposed to be my move. I was supposed to be in control.

"Oh, Veravos," she said sweetly. "Your reputation precedes you."

Crap. She's one of those psychos.

"I've been watching you," she added. "Just like you've been watching me."

You what now.

"You actually fell for my act. And now it looks like, for better or worse, we're on the same side."

She leaned closer.

"This deal? It binds both of us. That's how ancient Dark Fairy contracts work. You didn't know?"

No. No, no, no. This can't be happening.

Time to bluff.

"Very well," I said smoothly. "Then we deliver the emerald to the Light Kingdom. Together."

I lied. I had no idea what it was.

But I wanted to see if that gets a rise out of her.

She didn't flinch. Didn't argue. Just flashed that infuriatingly calm smile.

Did she buy my bluff? I couldn't tell.

"If we're going to be stuck together," she said, rising to her feet, "we might as well get dinner. That journey sounds long."

Dinner? What?

Wait. Does the emerald have something to do with the Light Kingdom? Did I actually... get that right?

I swallowed my confusion, trying to act casual. Inside, though, my mind raced. Could it be? Was I onto something, or had I just spoken out of turn? Either way, I needed answers.

"I'll hunt. You can set up the bonfire," I ordered, the words rolling off my tongue more easily than I expected.

"Why? Because Love Fairies can't hunt?" she challenged, raising an eyebrow, already testing the boundaries I'd drawn.

"Alright, prove it. Love Fairies aren't exactly the killing sort, you know?" I retorted, sarcasm laced with a challenge.

"But I'm not like most," she said, flashing a grin. "That's why you got me on board, right?"

She was spot on. That was the exact reason I'd agreed to this strange arrangement.

Then something surreal happened. She sang—her voice a high, haunting melody, so pure it felt like it could shatter glass if there were any around.

From a distance, an eagle appeared, its wings beating the wind with sharp precision.

"What would you like to eat?" she asked, her expression as casual as if she were offering a simple snack.

"Chicken and fish?" I said, trying to keep my tone light, though the absurdity of it made me want to laugh.

That eagle... did she just summon it?

She sang again, a lower tone this time. The eagle soared away, its wings cutting the air like a knife.

"Was that love magic too?" I asked, my curiosity piqued despite myself.

"Yep. The eagle's under my control because it loves me," she said with a proud smile. "But my favorite part's coming next."

I used what little dark magic I had left to conjure a bonfire. My power was running low—too much drained from earlier when I fought off the first wave of Love Fairy soldiers. I needed to recharge, but not just from the magic. I needed answers.

The eagle returned, but with it came something far stranger than I expected: a chicken, its beak lodged in the fish's mouth like they'd just kissed.

"What's this?" I asked, my eyebrow raised in disbelief.

Scarlette shrugged, completely nonchalant. "Made the chicken fall in love with the fish. Got the eagle to kill them both."

She set the now-dead animals down before me and extended her hand. "The emerald?"

I stared at her, still processing the weirdness of it all. "Wait... why did I hand it over?"

She took the emerald with practiced ease and used it to slice through the chicken and fish, their carcasses splitting with a single, effortless motion. It was almost like she was born for this.

But wait... wasn't this emerald supposed to be precious? The Light Kingdom was obsessed with it. So why was she using it as a cutting tool?

"Oh, great. The bonfire's ready," she said, casually spearing the meat on sticks and tossing them into the flames I had made.

I couldn't hold back the judgment any longer. "You're horrifying. You know that?"

She didn't even flinch. "What? It's the only sharp rock here," she said, her tone light as air, as if nothing about this scene was even remotely strange.

Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she turned the skewers over the fire. "Now we can cook the chicken and fish lovers."

My skin crawled. Goosebumps prickled at my neck. Nothing about this felt right.

"And you're like every squirmy Love Fairy I've ever met," I shot sarcastically at her, trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling within.

She shot me a wry smile. "And you're like a Dark Fairy trying so hard to not be squirmy."

I raised an eyebrow. "I am a Dark Fairy, you know. I'm not squirmy."

She laughed. Then, unexpectedly, her tone shifted. It became quieter, more serious.

"So... why aren't you with the other Dark Fairies?" she asked, still focused on the skewers but her eyes flickering with something deeper.

The question caught me off guard. I didn't answer right away.

"Why are you an outcast?" she continued, her voice lower, almost a whisper. "Like me."

For a second, something softer passed across her face—an emotion I wasn't sure I could place.

I saw pools of water welling in her eyes.

Crap. Don't cry.

I gritted my teeth, unsure how to handle this sudden shift. The last thing I needed was to comfort her.

Wait... Was she manipulating me?

"That's none of your business," I muttered, but she wiped her eyes quickly, restoring her composure almost instantly.

"Something got in my eye," she said, faking a smile, before turning her attention back to the skewers. "Oh, they're almost ready."

But despite her calm exterior, the weight of her stare lingered.

"You don't want to talk? Fine," she said, her voice now resolute. "But I'm sure you want answers too." She continued to hold my gaze, unwavering.

I could feel my powers running low. I wasn't in the position to threaten her anymore. Besides, she is bound to me by a magical deal anyway. If she wanted an answer, she will get just one.

"The Dark Fairies want to conquer the whole world," I begun, my voice flat.

"But you don't?" she asked, her tone innocent but probing.

"It's a logistical nightmare with paperwork. Protests, riots, rebellion... It's all too much to manage," I replied, exhaustion creeping into my voice. "It's a pointless goal."

She was silent for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. "That's actually true," she said, as if my words had some profound meaning.

"You couldn't follow the boundaries set for you, I see," she smirked.

"I'm not one for sticking to boundaries either," she continued, her voice light. "I was kicked out of my kingdom for using offensive love magic. The idealist Love Fairies think it ruins the 'purity' of magic. But what purity are they talking about? Love is built from shared experiences, strife, and communication—things that matter. It's not just some spell to make everything perfect. Love isn't magic; it's life."

I didn't expect to agree with her, but I did. Her words struck a chord, even if I wouldn't admit it out loud.

We ate in silence for a while, neither of us knowing what to say. What was this? Some kind of twisted truce?

Then she broke the silence once more, her voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of something darker.

"The Love Fairy King, Baltimore, wanted me executed because my ideas were considered poisonous," she said, her eyes reflecting the firelight. "But I won't be silenced. I know I'm right."

I couldn't help myself. "So, what did you do?"

She leaned forward, as if savoring the moment. "I remembered healing him once, after an invasion by Dark Fairies which left him seriously injured. I used forbidden magic, but it wasn't an issue then because it helped him." She rolled her eyes, as though it were nothing.

"Then what?" I asked, leaning in, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"I took it back," she said, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "I watched as his wounds reopened, just like before. The palace was stained in blood again. His blood."

I blinked, stunned. "You can take healing back? What does that even mean?"

Her eyes gleamed with a dark satisfaction. "It means the healing never happened. His wounds... reopened like I never fixed them in the first place."

I gave a slow, deliberate clap.

Well, this Love Fairy is turbo-boosted, to say the least.