The Bad Fairy (girlxgirlxgirl)

40. Cast out

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Chepi swears that she feels the demon's fangs against her skin, a gentle and exciting threat.

Her stomach is jumping through hula hoops right now, going up and down and left and right, unable to comprehend what is going on. It's dark enough for her not to be able to tell exactly what position they are in on the wooden dungeon floor, but she is definitely halfway up on Anemone's lap, and the demon's tongue is absolutely travelling down from her lips to her neck.

Chepi has pushed boundaries like this before. She has betrayed her own kingdom, chosen to work for her father's biggest enemy, and chosen to steal the crystal for that same enemy just out of spite. She has done things which will probably give her a permanent place in both fairy and goblin history books, and people will talk of her disruptive behaviour for years to come. But somehow, despite all those misdeeds, Chepi still feels like this is the worst one.

And also the best one, somehow. Anemone nips at her skin and lets her tongue lap over the small hickey, and Chepi can do nothing but smile and breathe out heavily, wondering how in heaven's name she's going to cover this up in the morning.

She doesn't know why Anemone is doing this, or why she is letting her do this. She doesn't know why they kissed, twice, why they are continuing in this cold dungeon, or what she is going to do next.

And she doesn't know how they are going so far without Evange-

Her eyes snap open.

Gently, she pulls away from Anemone's touch, and shakes her head.

"Stop."

The demon obeys faster than the words can leave her mouth. She looks at the fairy, concerned, but Chepi just gives her a smile back. No, they shouldn't be doing this right now. This is not a good time.

But Chepi has a good feeling about this. She always does. So, it's with a teasing look that she suddenly gets up from the demon's lap,

"Get a rest, and try not to escape. I'll come back when the sun rises."

If the demon stays, Chepi will know exactly what to do next.

Maybe.

Nayan wasn't expecting much walking through the doors of his father's study. It's never pleasant, and he'd avoided doing it for the past three years, at the least.

But upon bringing back Chepi and finally taking some responsibility for his family again, he knows that facing his father in private is something unavoidable. That's why he leaves his sister sleeping soundly in his room in the dim early morning, and tries not to think about stabbing his own father on the way up the stairs of the most royal palace.

The occasional guards standing around bow when he walks past, and he gives them a small nod back. It's always awkward to see them, mostly because they remind him of some of the worst moments in his life. Back when he was quite obviously hit by his father, and then had to walk all the way back to his own palace while the guards that bowed to him stared with hidden pity, clearly aware of what they had heard, or seen. It was utterly humiliating each time, and Nayan will never be able to look at them without that terrible twinge of embarrassment.