“What did the men say to you?” Elwin asked. While Prin and Valor were off in lala land with the fairy, Elwin was back down to business.

Prin guessed he was more concerned with the two investigators then he was a wholly magical being. Under the circumstances.

“What did they say to me? Oh, all kinds of things I guess.” Aster said nonchalantly, as though they were discussing the weather at a picnic. “They asked me if I saw the killer. Or rather, I would say they insisted I saw the killer.

To which I said, I saw hundreds of people at that party, I’m sure I probably did see the killer.” Aster laughed. “Now it’s your job to figure out which one of the hundreds of people it was, not mine.”

“Was that all?” Prin asked. He watched the fairy as it slowly opened and closed its wings, the rhythm taking on a soothing cadence like poetry, or pats on the back while you’re falling asleep. But his thoughts were divided, so that he couldn’t enjoy the moment as much as he would have liked. He couldn’t allow himself to really relax.

“Pretty much. Well, there were some heavy implications that maybe I had something to do with it myself, but that was just a bluff.” Aster waved her hand in dismissal. She touched Prin’s cheek and moved her head so that they were looking in each other’s eyes, instead of Prin looking intently at her hair. “More importantly, what did they say to you?” Her brown eyes were warm, but intense, concerned but non accusatory.

Her face was even better up close, and in his quest to escape the power of her gaze, Prin could have counted each individual freckle. Even if it would take a while. He wanted to escape, not Aster, but more like what he had done and what he was. And the two threatening men, of course. “They also implied I had something to do with it.” He said softly. It was useless to lie.

“That is an understatement. They were fixated on him.” Valor said, he made a disgusted face to show what he thought about that.

“Didn’t you see her that night? I know you went to see her, didn’t I send you myself?” Aster giggled. “Of course, I didn’t tell them that. Cops get nothing from me, those’re the rules.”

“I didn’t. I mean I tried, but she wasn’t . . .” Prin trailed off. He suddenly couldn’t remember what he had decided to tell people about that. He almost forgot for a minute that Valor knew the truth and wondered what he had told him.

Elwin, sensing his troubles diverted the conversation. “Valor had a seizure in the middle of their questioning.”

“I’m fine, I don’t even now why it happened.” Valor said.

“The stress maybe.” Elwin suggested.

Valor snorted. “Like I haven’t dealt with stress before.”

Prin felt a puff of air near his face, and turned his head to watch the fairy fly past him and toward Valor. “Hold your hand out again, she’s coming.”

Valor’s eyes widened, startled, and he held his hand out flat in front of him.

The fairy bypassed his hand and flew to his face. She hovered around his head and chest before landing on the tip of one ear that was exposed between strands of hair.

“I think she’s checking on you, since we said you were sick.” Prin was astonished but he couldn’t think of what else could be happening.

“Does that mean it knows how to speak our language?” Elwin asked.

“Apparently so.” Aster said. “I wonder what I have been saying and doing in front of an audience.” She added sheepishly. It seemed to hit harder then before, knowing the creature was intelligent.

Valor reached one thin, shaky hand high above his head before slowly lowering it toward his ear as though to pat the tiny thing. “Th-thank you for your concern. You needn’t worry about me though.” He said, his voice taking on the formal tones meant for polite company. Although Prin highly doubted he ever used them for company.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

The fairy evaded his careful pat and flew above his hand to land on one finger, like a ring.

Valor slowly lowered the hand to his lap. “What do I do now?” he asked.

Prin wasn’t sure who he was asking. “If she can understand us, maybe we can communicate after all. Like with a piece of paper?”

“I don’t think that little thing could lift a pen.” Elwin pointed out, forgetting magic.

“Hmm, lets see what we can do.” Aster, who was really being a good sport about this being up in what to her must be considered the middle of the night, now that she was into it, got up and went to her vanity. She pulled on her thin robe with the flowers and birds, and rummaged in the drawers coming out with a notebook and pen and ink.

Aster ripped out a sheet of paper, unstoppered the ink, and drew something on the paper with a dramatic flourish. “Okay, just let it dry a minute.” She waved the paper over her head, fanning the ink. “So, what do you think of the weather?” She offered a teasing grin, all teeth and eyes crinkled at the corners.

“I hate small talk.” Valor moved his hand, like someone playing an invisible piano in slow motion, as the fairy humored him and walked from one finger to the other.

“Well bully for you!” Aster said. “Is he always this insufferable?”

“I think he does it on purpose.” Elwin said.

“He’s had a really rough night.” Prin offered instead.

“I have just as much right as anyone else.” Valor said. “To be an ass.”

Aster snorted. “I suppose you do.” She blew on the sheet of paper. “Okay, this should be good enough. It’s quick drying ink.” She sat the piece of paper on the bed. “Look here!”

The paper had a smiling face with the word yes written under it, and a frowning face with the word no.

“I thought . . . keep it simple, you know? At least at first.” Aster said. She pointed at the paper. “See, fairy? Yes, or good, positive.” She smiled and nodded. “And No, or bad, negative.” She frowned and shook her head.

Valor lowered his hand, with the fairy bug still riding along, down next to the paper.

“Where did you come from?” Valor asked.

“Should I put the alphabet on here so you can spell out words?” Aster wanted to know.

“Can you help Valor? Maybe you have magic or spells that can cure illness?” Prin asked. Since she seemed to care about him being ill, it was the top most question on his mind.

“Are you hungry?” Elwin asked.

After the rush of all at once questions, the fairy, who had walked onto the piece of paper, stood still, folded wings gradually bleeding color until they turned an off white that matched the paper underneath. She didn’t seem inclined to choose an answer.

“How is it going to respond to us if we all ask at once?” Elwin, always the voice of reason pointed out.

“Good point, good point.” Aster said. “What’s most important? Let’s see . . . What do you want? No.” Aster laughed. “I forgot it has to be a yes or no question.”

“I do think your first one was good.” Prin said. “What did you say? Can you read? Can you spell out words?” Prin looked pointedly down at the fairy as he asked. He supposed it was the best question to ask, if they were to know how specific the communication could get.

The fairy didn’t move.

“Should we take that as a no?” Elwin asked. “Maybe it’s weak with hunger.”

“Can you do magic?” Valor asked, hurrying to get his out before anyone else could.

The fairy walked toward the yes and then, seeming to hesitate, went back to a spot between the yes and no.

There was a long moment of silence while everyone considered this answer.

“I’m blind. Someone is going to have to tell me what happened.” Valor said, his voice portraying annoyance that he had to once again bring it up. Also, that he was overdo for a nap.

“She went to a spot in between the yes and the no.” Elwin said.

“It must be a tricky question to answer.” Valor said. “For instance, she doesn’t know what we mean by magic. Magic has a lot of definitions. I will try to be more specific next time.”

“Okay.” Aster said. She leaned back looking at the ceiling, then forward again, pulling up the chair closer to the side of the bed. “Where did you come from, I mean, the rest of us – I assume?” She looked around at the others for confirmation. “Have never seen your kind, that we know of. So where – Yes or no, yes or no . . . Did you come from far away?”

The fairy went quickly to the yes on the piece of paper.

Prin clapped his hands. “Progress! Yes!”

“Ah, were you brought here against your will?” Aster asked.

Prin knew the answer to this one but of course, he couldn’t say.

The fairy walked around in a circle, staying on the yes.

“Yes.” Prin said again, for Valor’s benefit.

Aster nodded. “I’m sorry. And, I know the feeling.” She scratched her head thoughtfully, the messy red curls already out of control so what did it matter. “Do you know the way home? How to get there?”

The fairy went to the no, then the yes, then back and forth again, walking in a quick manner that seemed agitated.

“No and yes, and no again. She can’t make up her mind.” Prin said.

“Or, she’s not sure.” Valor said.

“You want to go home, though. Don’t you?” Aster asked.

The fairy moved directly over the yes and was still.

“Yes, she says.” Prin said. “And I’ll bet she wants us to help.”