Hugh fell silent. After a short while, he placed his elbows on his knees and interlaced his fingers, resting his chin atop his hands. Then he looked up at the three candy crafters standing before him.
“Kat’s right,” he said. “I’m the one who entrusted you all with this job. I’ll take responsibility. If the three of you say it’s necessary…I’ll shoulder the risk and negotiate with the fairy dealers.”
This answer should have been exactly what Anne hoped for, but it also frightened her. Keith and Kat shuddered.
Hugh continued casually, “Don’t forget. If any of you make a mistake, it will jeopardize this whole project.” His tone was even, but his words held the weight of his determination.
If we mess this up, the plan will come to a standstill. And Hugh will take the blame…
Anne felt much greater pressure knowing that her own failure might get someone else in trouble. She was not the only one who would be held accountable for her mistakes.
“I’ll play my part,” Challe said.
Hugh looked slightly relieved by this and nodded. “I’m counting on it.”
“I won’t let anyone be made a criminal.”
Exasperated, Hugh sank down into his chair. “Good grief. Another negotiation with Stowe, hm? Talking to that guy wears on my nerves.”
“When’ll we know how it went?” Kat asked.
Hugh considered this for a moment, then answered, “Let’s see, he’s in Lewiston now, so I can get in touch with him today. At the earliest, I can let you know the results tomorrow.”
“No mistakes.”
“Right back at you.”
Hugh stood up and waved his hand as if to shoo away a litter of puppies.
“You all go home. I’ll get to work,” he said.
Anne and the others bowed to Hugh and headed for the door. Challe started to walk off with them, but then stopped and turned back to Hugh.
“Silver Sugar Viscount, have you determined the whereabouts of Erril and Lafalle? Do you have any information?”
Anne was startled by his question.
Of course Challe’s still worried. They are his brothers.
Anne had been so absorbed with her work that she’d totally forgotten about Erril and Lafalle. Challe had been staying close to her side because he was on the lookout for them.
“Appeals for vigilance have been sent out to each province in the name of the king,” said Hugh, “but we haven’t gotten much in the way of information. However, some fairy hunters did spot a pair of fairies resembling your brothers near Gillum Province.”
“Gillum Province?” Challe frowned.
That was the province containing Northern Blow, where Anne and the others had gone to negotiate with Reginald Stowe. It was situated in the middle of the Kingdom of Highland and covered a vast area, though it was mostly wilderness. The territory was also home to the Birserth mountain range, which was the longest and tallest range in the kingdom.
Gillum Province was quite far from Lewiston, so the news gave Anne some peace of mind.
But why there?
Due to its large size, Gillum Province was sparsely populated. It was probably the ideal place to escape notice. But Anne wondered if that was a compelling enough reason to choose it.
Though she didn’t know much about Erril, Anne wondered if Lafalle, with his complicated mix of emotions, would really be content simply fleeing human control. She couldn’t be sure.
Is there something there for them in Gillum Province…? Gillum Province…
Something about it bothered her, but Anne wasn’t sure what was making her uneasy. There were too many things she didn’t know about the pair of fairies.
When Lafalle fell from that castle rampart, his condition had been so severe that not even the most marvelous sugar candy in the world ought to have saved him. And yet somehow, he had recovered. How had he come back from the brink of death in that wasteland?
Did some kind of mysterious, unknown power intervene on Lafalle’s behalf?
The mysterious nature of it all made Anne increasingly anxious.
Hugh acted swiftly after their meeting.
True to his word, he contacted Reginald that very day and received permission to borrow the fairies’ wings. Reginald was reluctant but eventually agreed when Hugh promised to take full responsibility. However, the fairy dealers were still ultimately ruthless businesspeople.
“If the fairies run away, you will pay the full price for each one that escapes.”
That was the one condition they wouldn’t budge on, and Hugh accepted it.
Notice of the outcome reached Anne and the others early the following morning. Kat then went to the fairy market and returned with bags containing the wings.
Morning sun streamed in through the windows of the lesser hall, forming a bright, striped pattern on the floor as they laid out the fairies’ wings on the long table. They set them out one by one, fifteen in all.
Looking at the pouches before her, Anne thought about how each one contained the life of a fairy. It was a sobering realization. She felt acutely the grave responsibility of handing them over to the fairies.
Her biggest concern right now was whether the fairies would keep their promise. As long as Challe was with her, it was unlikely any of them would get away. But she desperately hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
Anne glanced at Challe.
He was sitting at the end of the long table with his chin in his hands, waiting for breakfast to be served. The wing on his back was a sedate light-blue color, with a slight gradation toward its pointed tip.
Mithril seemed in good spirits and kept trying to talk to Challe, but Challe only moved his eyebrows in response, clearly irritated.
Around the time the aroma of breakfast soup drifted up from the downstairs kitchen, the bell rang at the Church of Saint Lewiston Bell. At the sound, other fairies came streaming into the lesser hall.
They took their seats at the long table quietly and meekly, as they always did.
Noah was among them. Despite his obvious discomfort, he sat beside Emere, who had spoken to him a little on his first day and occasionally since. Whenever she did, Noah would smile.
Once all the fairies were present, Anne looked up from the leather pouches and made eye contact with Keith and Kat. The three probed one another with their gazes to see who would broach the topic at hand, and their eyes naturally settled on Kat. He grimaced slightly but seemed to accept this. Straightening up sharply, he turned to the assembled fairies and addressed them.
“There’s something we want you to have before breakfast.”
The fairies stirred. When their gazes settled on the leather pouches atop the table, they grew even more spirited with anticipation.
“We’re returning your wings,” Kat continued. “Once you take ’em, you won’t be slaves anymore—just normal apprentice candy crafters. As apprentices, you’ll start a fresh seven-day period today and work here for a week. When that period ends, those of you who don’t have the knack for candy crafting will give back your wings and return to the market. That’s the deal.”