Of all the people to expect, Bati was the last on Fanli's list. She had little recourse but to rest under the blanket to hide away from her sister's scowl.

Throughout the dismantling of the fire, Bati'd been quiet, moving here and there without even affording Fanli a glance.

Pest, in no way embarrassed, wore a fat grin as he ran off twenty minutes ago. Fanli prayed for his fast return but a bigger part of her feared he'd never look her in the eye again.

Finally, Bati's movements wound down. A stick from the fire came with it.

"Foolish."

Shamefaced, Fanli watched the grass below her. More than once, she thought to argue that they hadn't—hadn't done everything, but that hardly mattered. Even now, this...afterglow, never dulled.

"If you were planning to do something this reckless, least you could have done it in your human body. It'll take days for this to fade. Stupid."

That was where her disapproval stemmed? Fanli thought, surely, it was from her being careless enough to sleep with someone of fairy blood. Fairies, despite their beauty, were bloodthirsty creatures. They were vengeful, petty, rude, and ruthless. Handsome smiles from a fairy masked all that. While ogres were dangerous, their warnings were outwardly.

A fairy, on the other hand, could look someone straight in the eye with a smile, then run them through.

This was a dangerous game for many reasons. And that wasn't the worst that could happen to her.

Fanli sat up, resolving to just wrap the sheet around her and trudge home. She had to check on her treasure. If not for Pest begging her not to leave, putting a trail of kisses down her neck then up again, she would have gone home a long time ago.

"Got it. Got it." A voice closed in. "No. No. Don't try to stand. I'm back." Pest hurried to put a pair of shoes by Bati's feet. Another pair he carried which he put beside Fanli before taking off his shirt yet again. He pried the blanket off her then pulled her back into his embrace. The muscles of his bare chest and torso pressed against Fanli's naked body. "That should be more than enough," Pest attested. "And it's got magic in it. My father gave it to my mother. She doesn't use shoes but likes them. She's the only one in the world he's nice to. So? How is it?"

Hands snaked around Fanli's waist, he propped his chin on her shoulder, watching Bati.

As strange as his behavior, Fanli hated that she loved it as well. Even now, the rhythm of his heartbeat made her feel safe and full.

Bati looked down at the shoes before her but didn't reach for them. "One pair for one of my dresses seems a stretch. It'd be two now since she's already ruined one. And besides, you've gotten her a better pair as well. Isn't that offensive?"

Pest slowed in his swaying. "Shoe or not, it's got magic, magic that you can resize. That's worth many dresses, I'd wager."

Despite his sound argument, Bati looked from the shoes to him, to Fanli then back again.

"You overestimate the magic."

Pest scoffed. "Never. That, I don't believe."

Bati stared at them for some time. It was hard to read her expression, but Fanli could settle on one, disapproval. The very sight of them had Bati ready to spit.

"I will take these," Bati said, picking up the gift from Pest, "to pay for the dress she ruined."

With tentative steps, she closed the space between them and plucked up the second pair.

"And these ones to replace the shoes she mucked up as well."

Pest tensed. "What?"

The ragged breath he took after that had Fanli fearful.

"And you can go into a temper, fairy. You can sour your affection for one another and lose the sensation entirely. Which is more important to you?"

Every muscle in Pest's body relaxed. He was quick to beg, "At least leave her with something to wear—anything. I can't just leave her here and go back to my home for clothes and leave her unguarded."

"And taking her means your parents might find out you've put hands on a filthy ogre."

The sharp tone had Fanli's lips parting, but it was Pest whose breath caught.

Bati waited, savoring their distress before she took the second pair of shoes up, tucked it in with a pile of things behind her, and said, "Now, if you'd please leave my campsite...."

Pest gritted his teeth. "Why you...."

"Don't." Fanli caught his hand. She looked back at him, and their eyes met. "She's my sister. I'll just go home."

She stood, wrapping the blanket around her.

Gaze still downcast, Pest crossed his arms. He didn't appear to have the energy to stand.

Fanli knew what was wrong—she felt it, too. She wanted to be around him longer. But her treasure....

Finally, she formed one conclusion and let out a sigh. She hiked up the blanket and nudged him with her foot.

"Aren't you coming?"

Pest peered up at her. "I can't go anywhere near ogres, and you can't come to my house. How are we supposed to find you some clothes?"

Twenty minutes later saw them standing in the hunchback's house, stumbling over their words.

"And the bee."

"I just fell out of the transformation," Fanli hurried to add.

"In one second everything tore apart," Pest exclaimed. "It was by luck that I happened on her."

The hunchback and his wife traded a glance then went about finding something for Fanli to wear.

As soon as they turned their backs, a finger touched Fanli's shoulder. She followed it to Pest who grinned.

Fanli meant to shrug him off, but he brushed his thumb under the back of her hair and she nearly dropped the blanket.

"Stop it."

Pest marveled, "It really does work." With just the two of them standing there, he stepped behind her, swept her hair up, and kissed the nape of her neck.

Fanli's joints locked up and the blanket fell. Pest caught hold of it. He gathered it behind her with his right hand. The left reached down to squeeze her ass.

"Not that I'd be opposed to you being like this all day."

The hunchback's wife was a princess by birth, but none could guess that with how she went out of her way to accommodate them. Her pleasant voice carried from the other room. "Oh, Fanli, I haven't made anything for you in ages. I hope this will fit though."

Pest's tongue swiped the nape of Fanli's neck, and she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Any—" Fanli's voice broke and she tried again. "Anything is fine, miss. Really."

What happened next was a blur. The princess emerged from the hall, examining the dress in her hands.

Pest was slow to give one last kiss to Fanli's back before he took a step to stand beside her. Fanli's emotions were all over the place but the innocent, if not placid, expression on Pest's face was unreal.

"Ah, I think it will fit if I cut it in half," the princess said. "Please give me a moment." She reached them and stepped back. "Oh, don't just stand there. Sit down. Please. Sit down. The twins are out horseback riding. They'll be in soon."

Everything pleasant about Pest's expression dissolved. Wen.

Fanli did not want to have this confrontation either, at least not here and not now.

The hunchback emerged from a different room, examining a large shirt. "Ved's about the same height as you. Maybe you can borrow something from him."

Pest made a sound.

Fanli doubted her hearing at first until she glanced at him out of the corner of his eye to find him stabbing her with a death glare.

"Don't. You. Dare," he mouthed.

Fairy, Fanli reminded herself.

As human as Pest looked, he did carry fairy blood. In theory, one day, under the right conditions, he could become a full-blown Fae. She did not relish the thought of being the cause of that.

"Oh," Fanli began. Pest jabbed her and she hurried to say, "I couldn't. It's poor custom."

"Oh?" The princess made a sound with her teeth. "Well, all right but you'll be stuck here for a bit until I can manage something on such short notice. Why not rest a moment in Wen's room until I can call for you?"

Within minutes, Fanli found herself in a small yet messy room.

A shadow followed her. Well, until the princess called, "Pest? What are you doing? You can't go in there with her like that. She's naked."

Pest looked back at her then let out a weak chuckle. "I know that. I was—I was simply going to ask what she'd want for lunch. Besides, we hadn't had breakfast."

"Oh, how awful. I can make something—"

"That's unnecessary," Pest announced, running for the door. "I'll be back shortly." He paused at the doorway, supposedly, and yelled down the hall, "All right?"

It took Fanli a moment too long to realize he'd been talking to her. Stunned, she struggled with something to say but eventually thrust her hand out and waved him on.

"I'll take that as a yes."

The door closed.

'Such a strange boy," the princess observed.

Her husband agreed but in the room down the hall, Fanli pressed her back against the door, a fat grin spreading across her face.