Through the Fairy Ring

Chapter Thirty-Six

I sat on the bed, willed the muscles in my chest to release their vice-grip around my ribs, and looked at my beautiful cage. The room resided on the second floor and was the size of any other bedroom. Gauzy curtains covered a bank of windows. A cherry-wood side table, dressing table, and armoire all had little squares and diamonds of a lighter wood set in them, creating intricate patterns on the table tops. A silky quilt with a scene of a kaleidoscope of butterflies among silver flowers sewn into it covered the bed.

The room had a coziness to it, and I soon relaxed in spite of myself. Taking care to keep my shoes off the bed, I flopped onto my side and stared at the besmirched white canvas of my shoes. I should take them off before I messed up the gorgeous quilt, but I didn't want to.

I pushed myself back up to sitting, glared at my tennies and shoved my hair behind my ears. I had to do this.

Okay. Just reach down there and untie the strings.

I leaned forward a bit over my legs. My elbows tingled with the desire to obey, but my traitorous hands remained clasped in my lap.

Damn it. It wasn't a big deal.

But it was. Once I took my shoes off, I couldn't pretend I wouldn't be staying here.

A knock sounded on the door, and I jerked up. Who could that be? I waited, hoping if I was quiet enough, they'd leave. The person rapped several more times.

With a groan, I eased myself off the bed and limped across the room. Maybe Edlark sent a servant to check on me. I forced a pleasant expression and pulled the door open.

My compliant smile disappeared when I saw who it was.

Edlark held out a length of white cotton fabric. He'd taken off the sash he'd worn earlier, and his pectoral muscles rippled with the movement. "Here."

My eyebrow raised. "What is it?"

"A nightgown."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Whose nightgown?" I didn't like the idea of borrowing some random Fairy's bedclothes.

"Yours."

My foot begin to throb again. I shifted all my weight to my left leg, and took the nightgown so Edlark would leave. I didn't have to use it. "Thank you."

He didn't budge from the doorway. "Did you need anything else?"

"Pixie dust." It was out of my mouth before I even thought about it. Edlark frowned.

"Even if I had it, I couldn't give it to you."

"You could. You just wouldn't."

"I am only trying to help my people."

He'd never convince me of that. There was no point in arguing, though.

"Look, my foot is killing me. I want to sit down, so... Are we finished?"

Edlark clamped his lips together, retreated a step, and then changed his mind. He straightened in front of me. "Let me look at your foot."

"It's fine."

"No, you said 'my foot is killing me.' All Fairies have some healing abilities. I may be able to help."

His expression made it clear he wasn't going to leave until I gave in. My foot couldn't take much more standing, so I hobbled out of the doorway and, for lack of other choices, sat on the edge of the bed.

Edlark knelt in front of me and untied the shoelace of the wrong foot.

"It's the right side," I said.