“Miss Silver Sugar Master.” With his broad back still turned to her, Reginald called out to Anne in a low voice. “There are stones piled up in that corner of the garden. Go offer a flower or something in my place, will you?”
Over where Reginald was looking was a small monument made of three stones stacked one on top of the other. The various flowers of spring had grown up and blossomed all around it, almost hiding the humble marker.
The doctor had told Anne about that pile of stones.
“You should be the one to do it, Mr. Stowe.”
“I’m not qualified. You go make an offering.”
Reginald started walking again. As he slowly climbed into his carriage, Salim brought Hugh’s around from behind the house. Challe went to the stable and led out a horse to ride on.
“I guess we’re setting out, too,” Hugh announced with a sunny smile. “Things are going to get busy once we get back to Lewiston. We’ve secured the cooperation of the Fairy Merchants Guild. It’s time to get to work.”
As everyone started preparing to leave, Anne hurried around to the back of the house. She knew there were cute pink flowers with large blossoms there. She plucked a sprig of them and ran to the marker in the corner of the garden. Then she crouched down and placed the flowers, gently touching the stones.
“Amy. Here are some flowers for you from Mr. Stowe.”
A gentle spring breeze blew past, and the flowers surrounding the grave swayed like they were laughing.
The church in the village was ringing its bell, and the pale-blue sky soaked up the sound. Everything seemed to sparkle in the spring sunshine.
After escorting Reginald to the royal castle, Hugh returned to his Lewiston residence. As expected, his injuries seemed to be taking a toll on him, and he said he would rest for several days.
Anne went back to the workshop with Keith. Challe and Mithril naturally went with Anne, and Kat and Benjamin headed in after them as if that was where they belonged.
That evening, they were able to eat a leisurely dinner for the first time in what felt like ages. Benjamin was in high spirits, and he prepared many dishes with Mithril’s help. They served a fragrant herb salad, tender simmered chicken, potato soup, and bread pudding, all of which lifted the humans’ spirits.
The fairies were also in good humor, and Mithril drank himself silly on too much wine.
After dinner, Challe took the drunken Mithril with him back to Anne’s room. After tossing the smaller fairy onto the bed, he went over by the window.
He opened it and took a seat on the sill, then gazed up at the springtime night sky. The light of the dimly twinkling stars reminded him of Erril’s eyes. He wondered where Erril was now and what he was thinking.
Challe hoped Erril would not come to resent and despise all humans like Lafalle had.
Humans weren’t all bad. At that very moment, the human king Edmond II was trying to fulfill his promise to Challe. If they could trust the human king, then maybe it was possible, bit by bit, to alter the future of fairies and humans. Challe would need to watch the king’s actions very carefully.
After a while, Anne finished cleaning up after dinner and returned to her room. When she saw Challe by the window, she cut straight across the room and went to him.
“Challe? What’s the matter? Couldn’t sleep?”
“No. Just a little…absorbed in my thoughts.”
He looked at the stars, and Anne followed his gaze upward. Then her mind seemed to land on the same thing as Challe’s, and she said haltingly, “Your brother stone, that boy. Erril, was it…? I wonder if he’s still searching for Lafalle…”
Anne put both hands against the windowsill and leaned forward to look up at the night sky.
Her profile was beautiful as she gazed at the stars. She was gradually becoming a woman. Her hair, which had been dry and rough like barley heads when Challe first met her, was now much glossier. She had grown a little taller, and while she was still slender, her figure was more feminine. Her eyelashes covered her pensive hazel eyes, and he wanted to kiss them.
For the sake of her happiness, Anne ought to be with Keith. Challe still believed that. But Keith had made Challe promise to be true to his feelings.
That was a stupid promise.
At the same time, he also found it amusing.
Take this girl’s heart for your own, Keith.
Even as he wished for Anne’s happiness and hoped Keith would claim her heart, Challe would act according to his feelings. When he imagined a future in which Keith had won Anne’s heart, Challe felt upset, as if his whole body were being constricted. Challe loved Anne so dearly that he couldn’t stand it. And yet he was hopeful for Keith and Anne’s future.
The future his rational mind hoped for and the one his heart yearned for were at odds.
He wondered what would happen if he acted on his feelings despite this internal conflict. What kind of result would he get if he left everything to fate, keeping both his reason and his emotions out of it?
It couldn’t be a bad thing to accept the end that fate decided, no matter what that might be.
The thought made him feel like he was picking a fight with his own destiny.
He gently touched the back of Anne’s hand where it rested on the sill. Anne looked at him, startled.
“You don’t need to worry about him. Just use these hands and do what you need to do.”
He slid his fingers up her arm, tracing his way up her shoulder, touching everything from her neck to her cheek.
“If I’m right, your work will lead us to exactly the world I’m hoping for.”
Anne’s cheeks flushed red enough that he could see the color clearly even in the dim light. He found it funny that she turned red from only a light touch. It made him want to tease her more.
Just then, they heard the sound of horses’ hooves racing down the street. When Challe looked toward the noise, he saw a single rider on horseback galloping down the shadowy road. The rider was someone they knew.
“Salim? He’s coming this way.” Anne cocked her head.
Challe had a bad feeling about this, and he squeezed Anne’s hand. “Come.”
Taking Anne with him, Challe left the room and ran down the stairs, then passed through the dining room and workshop. He opened the door facing out onto the main avenue right as Salim arrived in front of the shop.
Salim pulled on the reins to bring his horse to a halt. He seemed surprised that Challe and Anne had come out with such perfect timing. But soon, relief washed over his face. He got down off his horse and said gladly, “It seems the two of you are safe.”
“What’s going on, Salim? Did something happen?” Anne asked.
Salim frowned and said, “Lafalle has vanished.”
Vanished?
Challe felt a chill pass through him, and his wing tensed and shook.
“His body disappeared, so the Viscount was worried the two of you might be in danger. He ordered me to check on you.”
“Vanished… What do you mean?”
“It happened in the middle of the negotiations between the fairy dealers and the royal family. Lafalle’s coffin had been carried into the royal castle, and another fairy broke in. That fairy had silver hair and the appearance of a young man.”
It was Erril. There could be no doubt. He hadn’t given up. He must have stubbornly waited for Challe to leave the coffin’s side and infiltrated the royal castle.
“Apparently, the young fairy managed to wake Lafalle. Then the two of them escaped.”
Anne looked up at Challe uneasily and instinctively squeezed his hand. Challe squeezed back, as if on reflex.
Lafalle is awake.
The spring night was quiet, and the stars above twinkled with silver light.