Without missing a beat, and heedless of the tone of the conversation, Aster pulled two dresses from the closet and held them out. “I don’t believe you’ve seen me in either of these. Which one should it be?”

One was pastel yellow, white, and green, with trim work made to look like darker green ivy growing around the waist and up over the shoulders. The other was more sedate, a finely striped grey fabric with black velvet rosettes and ribbons.

Aster held up the second dress. “More appropriate under the circumstances?” She made a face to show what she really thought of circumstances dictating one’s fashion choices.

Elwin nodded. “Yes, probably.”

“No, the other one is prettier.” Prin said, chewing on his bottom lip distractedly. “But Aster, you are so small. No offense.”

Aster’s mouth twisted up into a half smile. “I wish it weren’t so, but there’s nothing to take offense about.”

“I mean . . . how will you protect yourself?” Prin asked. “Someone could just pick you up and toss you across the room like an old rag doll.”

“And don’t think that hasn’t happened.” Aster winked. “No, no, don’t worry about me. Don’t ever waste your energy doing that!” She stepped into the grey dress and slipped the top up over her arms, beginning to tighten the laces in the front. Most of her dresses laced up the front, it being the easiest way to dress without help, Elwin supposed.

Aster tapped the side of her head. “I protect myself with my brain, not brawn. Because you’re right about that, it wouldn’t do any good to protest. Although, I’m stronger than I look.”

“Aster . . .” Prin started, then ended with a sigh.

“I think what he’s trying to say is this doesn’t seem like a healthy environment to be living in.” Elwin said gently. “But I’m sure you don’t need us to tell you that.”

“If you have any better ideas.” Aster said, with a shrug. “I’m all ears.”

Prin was making a conflicted face, and Elwin could almost read his mind. Was he remembering that the reason they had come here was the “bug”? And wondering how to bring it up? Or, maybe not.

Elwin tried to meet his eyes.

“No, I mean, yes.” Prin said. “I wanted to – Did anything –”

“I have to get to work now, bunny.” Aster dusted her hands off on the front of her dress in a gesture symbolic of completion, washing your hands of something, if only temporarily.

“I’m sorry to come in here and annoy you.” Prin said, looking down at his feet.

Elwin had the sudden urge to shake Aster, though he kept his impulse to himself.

Aster hugged Prin. “You could never annoy me. You just don’t understand how things are around here. It’s on with the show, no matter what, you know? And I pray you’ll never have to learn! But anyway, what’s wrong?” She pulled back from Prin to look him in the face. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

“N-no, nothing.” Prin stumbled over his words. Always was bad at lying, that one.

“Well then, I really do have to go.” Aster sat back down on the vanity chair and pulled on her red boots, carefully lacing them. “Besides, you know, bunny, it should be me that’s the one worrying about you.”

“Huh? Why?” Prin asked.

“You must have just missed the killer!” Aster shuddered dramatically. “Someone who could do a thing like that to a witch, would eat you up as an appetizer. Just like that.” She snapped her fingers.

Aster laughed to break the tension, and winked at Elwin. “Luckily you’ve got this big strong lad by your side. Just don’t split up!”

Prin laughed nervously, clearly at a lose for words.

Aster motioned to the padlock on the edge of the vanity. “Lock up when you leave, if you don’t mind.”

She waved goodbye before leaving them alone in her room.

“What was that?” Elwin wondered, when she was well out of earshot.

“I don’t know!” Prin said, voice strained to the point of cracking. “I just couldn’t do it! I didn’t know how to bring up the bug without explaining where it came from and what it was about . . . and me being in the office after, whatever happened already happened. And . . . thank the gods she didn’t press me about my conversation with Freya. What would I even say?”

“No, I mean yes, but . . . what was any of that?” Elwin clarified. Thought it wasn’t much of a clarification, was it.

“That? All of this?” Prin asked, tilting his head to the side, blue eyes widening to appropriately take in the scope of the question.

“Yeah, what we just heard, and overheard, and . . .” Elwin just shrugged helplessly. For his part, no idea how to begin to process it all.

“Do you think the bug . . . the fairy . . . has anything to do with what happened to that girl?” Prin asked, after a long moment of silence in which the gears were turning away.

“No. I don’t see how it could.” Said Elwin, who still wasn’t at all sure that the bug was anything more then a bug at all. “Aster seemed to think . . . or rather, she seemed to treat the whole thing as not that outside of the ordinary. Or at least, something that has happened before? I don’t know. Men are awful. And these girls have to meet in private with a lot of strange men.”

“Maybe we should go back to sleeping here.” Prin said. “There is safety in numbers.”

“I don’t see what good it would do.” Elwin said. “The clients aren’t brought out here. There must be a room in there.” He cocked his thumb towards the pink house. “That Aster uses for that. Besides, she wouldn’t appreciate us hovering.”

Prin chewed on his thumbnail. “I made a suggestion that Aster wouldn’t take. About the captain maybe buying her out of here . . . If it were you, wouldn’t you do whatever it takes to get out of harms way?”

Elwin sighed. “I can’t picture myself with this life, so I don’t know.” It would never be me, he thought, but didn’t want to come right out and say it.

“It’s all she’s ever known.” Prin said softly. “Not the imprisonment part, but the lifestyle, these kinds of places.”

“That’s too bad.” Elwin said. “She would be good at anything.”

“Right!? That’s what I think too.” Prin said. “This is not the end of the line, though. Just because something is all you’ve ever known, is no reason to think it’s all you’ll ever be.” Something was so plaintive and sad in his face, that Elwin scooted closer and pulled him into his arms.

“Of course.” Elwin said into the top of Prin’s curly head. He planted a kiss there, like kissing a black lamb. “We’ll take her with us when we leave this island.” Who knows when that will be? But based on recent events . . . it may be sooner then anticipated.

Prin hugged back firmly. “I’m so glad you see it too.”

Elwin wasn’t sure what it was that he saw, but he wasn’t going to destroy the illusion by asking. He should have known it would come to this, him essentially making a promise to piss off some very dangerous people by stealing away what they consider a valuable asset. Oh well.

“What should we do now?” Elwin asked. With his arms around Prin, he felt comforted and warm. Not particularly like moving at all. But . . . Valor would be waiting for them back at the captain’s house. He wasn’t sure how much he needed to care about that.

“Well . . . since we couldn’t ask Aster about the bug, though I’m sure she would have said something if there was anything to say, right? The least we can do is maybe look for it?” Prin said. He pulled away from Elwin enough to meet his eyes. “Would it be a terrible invasion of privacy if we went through everything in this room, just in case?”

“Yes.” Elwin said. “But let’s do it anyway.”