Fairy magic wasn't ogre magic. Fanli had to remind herself of it. Even as the trees around them grew, blotting out the heavens. Even as the dots of light swarmed together, leaving an enchanting streak in the night.

For while ogre magic was arguably more diverse, therefore easily stolen by others, fairy magic rarely brought anything but sadness.

There was a cruelty to pretty things. A fact one ogre learned as he turned to run out of there and a tree shot up from the ground, right into his foot. The growth stilled, long enough for the ailing ogre to cry out then break the branch to free himself. It was certainly long enough for the fairies to make their point.

No one moved without their say so.

Within minutes, the last of the day faded in the black of night, and the once open and spacious clearing shrunk in on itself, forced to dwindle with every new tree that came out of the ground.

Fanli's heart pounded. Her thoughts fell first and foremost to her parents—they couldn't get far at their age. They also couldn't heal like they used to.

Something gripped her hand, grounding her before her spirit could work up proper panic.

Pest.

He gave her hand one more squeeze and said, "You leave that ring in, all right?"

"What?"

He was talking nonsense. Despite that fact, he lifted her hand to kiss it before he let go of her, grabbed the branch in his shoulder, and yanked it out with all his might. The cry to leave him was no exaggeration.

His body trembled from the pain.

In an instant, his wound mended, sewing itself up, and Pest turned to survey the destruction.

"They'll bring fire next!" a female sobbed.

And it was true. Dots of flames glowed in the night. Should they fall, there would be no end to the casualties.

Ogres burned fast—far faster than even humans.

"I can see them," Pest said, amazed.

It was in that moment that Fanli remembered him—remembered his state.

"All creatures in their true form can."

Pest surveyed the glowing light as if he beheld something beautiful.

"I never could," Pest said. Despite the danger, the fire didn't come. "Stay close to me," he ordered. "No matter what."

All other ogres froze—that had been the fairies' intent. Little by little, inch by inch, Pest made his way through the tree limbs embedded in ogres.

Lowgli, though unmoving, asked his father, "How'd they know he was here? I hadn't told anyone!"

"Shh!" his father answered. "It doesn't matter. Just don't provoke them."

A tree jutted up from the ground, blocking Pest's retreat.

Fanli found herself gripping his arm.

"Fan?"

"I'm here." She kept close to him. What she wanted to do was check on her parents, but she didn't dare. "I'm here."

"Can't we attack them?" Pest asked.

"What?" Fanli willed her heart to not explode from the shock. "They'll wipe us out."

"They'll wipe us out as is! My father always said to injure a fairy would make the others take notice and think twice."

Fanli moved closer to him. Ogre after ogre who caught her eye shook their heads, panic dotted in their terrified eyes as they pleaded with her not to do it.

That was what others were saying but Pest squeezed her hand.

"Fan?"

He was asking for her trust and she didn't have it. Not really. Not for him. He'd caused so much trouble already.

Everything in her warned against this but one set of eyes changed her mind.

Lowgli. He watched her. His stance was awkward, his body hung from a tree that had formed right at his back.

"Remember his wish," Lowgli said. "This wasn't a punishment for him. I don't think they know he's really here. I think they came for you."

Stunned, Fanli forced her mouth shut.

That was what Ved had meant. He'd already begged her to give Pest up. Pest hadn't caused this attack—she had.

But could she trust that he knew what he was doing now? To strike a fairy, to injure one? Who'd be that foolish?

"Fan?" Pest said again, giving her hand yet another squeeze.

She opened her mouth to refuse him but those weren't the words that tumbled out. "Make another ring and flick it at them. It's an old style but no ogre can make that many small treasures so quickly. For whatever reason, you can."

Pest gave her one last squeeze before he fished in his necklace for a seed which he rubbed, held in two fingers, aimed, then flicked through the air.

A wail broke through the night and something plummeted. When it landed, a man formed. One of his now damage wings was visible for only a moment before vanishing.

It was done. They'd attacked the fairies.

Fanli closed her eyes, her face pressed to Pest's back.

To her horror, Pest's deep voice thundered. "That's one. How about I drop all your sadistic backsides into mortal form and rip your heads off?"

The injured fairy backed away. He'd have to find safety on his own. Fairies did not help each other.

Not surprisingly, the awaiting balls of fire doubled.

More than one ogre let out a cry. Some even began to lament.

"Hold steady," Lowgli's father commanded. "Hold steady! Die on yoru feet!"

Lowgli was calmer. "This is posturing. Wait."

"Ogres," a voice came. "We want the fairy's ogre. Nothing more. Hand it over."

Fanli's heart beat frantic. But if this would all end with her giving herself up, that was a better alternative. Several injured ogres shivered as they fought to keep their bodies from healing with the tree branches still embedded in them. Once whole, it would be nearly impossible to get the bark out again. It would be a lifelong agony.

"We don't give up our own," Lowgli fired back. "That's a fairy trait!"

A ball of fire shot at him and Fanli shut her eyes tight.

There was silence after that. Silence and wonder. When she risked looking, she was shocked to find Pest...holding the fireball.

"Impossible," a fairy whispered.

She wasn't the only one in awe. Ogre after ogre gasped.

Pest still stared at the fire in his hands for some time. Finally, he looked back at Fanli and echoed Lowgli's previous words. "Shortest marriage ever, huh?" He forced a smile then kissed her before letting her go.

The moment he walked out into the only clear area left, fire held up, the shimmers in the sky faded one by one.

Instead of an attack formation, the fairies gathered then rushed him.

"No!" Fanli charged after Pest, unsure of what she was doing. She had no weapon, no means of fighting, and nothing with which to defend herself.

Pest turned and caught her with his right hand. With his left, he closed his fist and the fire there faded.

"Fan, you shouldn't be here."

But Fanli held on. Every thought that rushed through her mind started and ended with Let him go. But she couldn't.

The moment he wrapped both arms around her, she felt safe despite the army of fairies looking for her capture.

"Oh? And what's this?" a red fairy said upon her descent. "A love triangle?"

"No, you moron," a familiar voice of a yellow fairy answered, "it's my son."

Like other fairies, this one glowed. She was tiny compared to Pest who watched her in awe and hurt.

Pest's mother.

In the stillness to follow, Fanli recognized the betrayal. They'd left without telling him goodbye, only for her to now be here trying to capture him.

A ruckus came through the quiet. "If we're killing ogres, just kill them all ready. Why all the fanfare? Just slaughter them all and let me go home already!"

One fairy flew unsteady as he zipped through the stunned, and mostly disapproving bodies.

Pest's father.

He, unlike his wife of yellow, was entirely black. His gray eyes shimmered as he came to a stop before Fanli and stared straight at her. "All right ogre, where is he? If you don't know, don't waste our time. Just fess up fast. But if you can't, just say so quickly! If you know."

Despite his stern tone, his expression held an inhospitable grimace.

His mouth also moved as he mouthed something she couldn't quite make out. Finally, she read his lips to say, "Shut up."

She was the only one close enough to see him.

Unsure, she tested her theory. "You mean Pest?"

"Shut up," he mouthed but said, "Of course I mean the human child. Who else would I mean?" Teeth gritted, he muttered, "I'll kill you. Shut up."

But she wasn't the only one who could see him, Pest watched his father unabashed.

This was beyond Fanli's imagination. It was beyond Pest's as well—it had to be.

"Matax," Pest's mother called, "we know where he is."

Pest's father looked back at her, then focused on Fanli and seemed ready to spit.

"You can't trust a woman! Especially an ogre one. Fine. Hand him over and we'll cut him up fast. Where is he?"

Silence greeted him. It was Pest who finally raised his right hand, drawing his father's attention.

The fairy dipped then flew up yet again, stunned. All around them, fairies began speaking, ogres started to strain, and yet, Pest and his father's gaze remained locked.

Matax studied Pest with care then let out a sound. That sound came again and again until, much like Pest only moments earlier, Matax tilted his head back and laughed.

Now it was Pest's turn to hang his head, refusing to meet anyone's gaze.

Fanli felt small as well.

Tree after tree receded, shrinking into the ground.

While Fanli felt some relief, Matax instead looked startled.

"You ogres may go," an equally onyx fairy commanded.

"What?" Matax looked up at him. Immediately, his attention turned to the ogres, whose flesh was once pierced through by the branches, began to heal. "Ogres, you don't have to go. Wouldn't you like to witness a trial?" He zipped to one disgruntled face then another. "Of course you'd find it fascinating. No?"

He flew around, addressing everyone he could, Pest's mother watched him, eyes heavy with sorrow. "Matax, what are you doing? Stop it."

Matax zipped towards her, an uneven grin plastered on his face. "What? Stop what? It's all in fun. All in good fun."

His efforts proved fruitless and once the ogres began leaving one-by-one, he asked Pest, "Do you have no one to stand up for you, human child! Even as an ogre, you are equally as pitiful." He flew to the night Fae in charge instead. "Look at him. Is he even worth this much effort?"

Despite his solid expression, desperation tinged his voice.

The fairy he entreated was not impressed. "He's ruined over forty women. He's also made that fact known. Humans roam the forests like the plague searching for him." A tiny finger thrust toward the village came with disgust and vitriol, "And he's incurred the wrath of dragons. No. He's not worth our time, but we will certainly make it." He opened his mouth to continue but something caught his eye. "Ogres, why do you linger?"

Linger? For the first time, Fanli looked around and noticed she and Pest did not stand alone. Her parents remained, a fact that surprised her.

"She's our daughter," Father attested.

Mother hefted her club.

They stood defiant. Neither of them had a chance in hell but Fanli was touched.

"Oh," Matax said, "well good. You can see about him—"

"We don't care about him."

Matax's helpful sentiment vanished. "Filthy ogres. Then why stay? Leave if you want! Take your disloyal offspring with you!"

"Disloyal?" Father recoiled. "Far more loyal than your dirty fairy."

Mother held a hand up to quiet him as she told the fairies. "Are we free to go?"

"Yes, yes. You're free to go," Matax interrupted.

"Not so fast."

Matax turned to the night Fae in charge. "What? Why? Do not be petty. He's clearly no longer a fairy. His curse to those women is at an end. Therefore, what is the meaning of dragging this out?"

"That still doesn't answer the slight to the dragons—"

"The slight to the dragons has nothing to do with the dumb human child and you know it!" Matax seethed momentarily but remembered himself and feigned calm. "A dragon that cannot recognize a fairy is not the fairy's fault."

Despite his words, as he scanned the crowd, he received no agreement, not even from his wife who would not look at him.

"Matax..." she said.

"But it's unnecessary," Matax protested. "Utterly unnecessary."

His words were met with a satisfied smile from the one in charge. "Do you go against the law? Do you challenge us?"

Fanli had trouble watching Matax's hesitation. She found herself glancing at Pest to see the woe in his expression.

"Of course, I do not challenge the laws," Matax said. "I just meant...it's—it's a waste of time to pander to filthy dragons. Or waste time with—with filthy ogres. That is all."

He didn't believe his own words if his wilted posture was any indication.

"Good. Then it's decided. We shall turn him back to normal."