Elwin cast Aster an I’m sorry look.

  He was too cute to be mad at, his chocolate drop eyes warm and earnest as usual. Elwin didn’t like to put anyone out to any trouble.

  Aster waved him away, don’t worry about it, hun, she made her eyes say. “I’ll take it from here.”

  Elwin moved toward the door, touching Aster’s shoulder affectionately on his way past. “Don’t forget our appointment in the morning.”

  Aster winced, he hadn’t forgotten but really hoped that Elwin had. The throbbing of Aster’s wounded arm was like an alarm clock that wouldn’t stop buzzing. “I still say the doctor on the ship won’t be much account. But fine, whatever.”

  “We won’t know until we try.” Elwin said. That pragmatism. Another thing to both love and hate about the man.

  “Sure, sure.” Aster waved again.

  Dru lounged on the bed, chuckling to herself, still amazed at her good fortune. But, you could practically see her ears perk up like a nosy little dog as she eavesdropped.

  Elwin left, closing the door quietly behind him.

  And now they were alone.

  Aster had been getting ready for bed, and was already wearing his knee length bloomers and nothing else. He could see Dru staring at the bandage taking up too much space on his bare arm. More and more, as though threatening to engulf it.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Aster said. Those impenetrable dark eyes, both gleefully drunk and now, somehow, shrewdly calculating, needling into Aster, were getting annoying.

  “I’m not worried about anything.” Dru said. “It’s something I never do.”

  Aster doubted that.

  “I was just wondering something.” Dru said. She kicked off her boots and propped her head up on her elbow. “What really did happen that day? When Elwin and Prin brought you home covered in blood . . .”

  Was this casual conversation? Polite bedtime talk? Aster glared, before trying his best to school his features away from it. It didn’t work. “I don’t remember really, it’s all a blur.” You can ask until you’re blue in the face, it just aint happening.

  “Seems like your arm is infected, huh?” Dru asked.

  Aster sighed. “Yeah. I guess.” He pulled the wildness of his hair in front of him and began braiding it.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “You must think I’m a bitch.” Dru said, laughing.

  Well, if you don’t want people to think that, don’t act like one. “No comment.” Aster said, tying up his twin braids with bits of ribbon.

  Dru just laughed harder. “Okay, alright, fair enough. I shouldna said all that to you about fairies.”

  “They killed your parents.” Aster said dryly. He wouldn’t have said it if he believed it was true. Aster did feel a twinge of guilt, just in case it was true, he didn’t want to be opening that can of worms.

  Dru quickly dispelled that worry. “Naaah, truth is, a fairy cheated me out of money at cards this one time. And I have never trusted them since. You can understand that, right?” Dru leaned eagerly toward Aster. “Hey! You should come gamble with me tomorrow night! You might be really good at it.”

  “No thanks.” Aster said. Something niggled at the corner of his mind. What was it? “How many . . . How many stories of your origin are there?”

  “Origin? You mean like my upbringing and stuff?” Dru asked. “My parents? Loads.” She laughed. “More all the time, I’ve lost count.” She started stripping off her clothes, throwing them into messy heaps on the floor. “Do you mind? Nah, course not.” She answered herself. When she was down to a dingy under shirt and shorts, she flopped back down on the bed. “I could live like this, it’s not bad. Comfy.”

  “Your uncle’s house was comfortable too.” Aster said. The worm was still niggling but it couldn’t seem to get where it was going.

  He couldn’t help but analyze other people’s forms with a somewhat critical eye, when the opportunity presented itself, whether he was attracted to them or not. Dru had long, toned arms and legs, like someone who ran a lot or did a moderate amount of physical labor. Her body was not overtly feminine, breasts well shaped but not imposing. Aster knew that Jules had been sleeping with her and it wasn’t hard to see what he saw, from a purely shallow, appearance based point of view.

  “Yeah. I wonder if I made a mistake leaving.” Dru took off her glasses and put them on the side table, rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers. “But I have to be free, yaknow?”

  “You did make a mistake, probably.” Aster said. “Would you like a glass of water?”

  “Naaah.” Dru said, drawing it out. “Don’t be nice to me.”

  Aster got up and got a glass of water from the tiny attached bathroom anyway. His bare feet made a satisfying smack-smack on the cool tile floor. “You’re going to have a hell of a headache tomorrow.” Won’t we all, though. Aster wished he was drunk too, although he didn’t need it to have a headache in the morning.

  He sat the water down on the side table next to Dru’s bed.

  Dru reached out and grabbed Aster’s arm. “I said, don’t be nice to me.”

  “Okay, okay. Did you want me to argue? I’m just trying to keep the peace over here.” Aster tried to jerk his arm away but it was held firm. Annoyed was starting to be too mild of a word.

  “I’m regretting everything I’ve ever done.” Dru said melodramatically.

  “Let. Go. Of. Me.” Aster said firmly.

  Dru released him and flopped her arm up over her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “Okay.” Aster said again, retreating back to his bed. He sat cross legged on the bed and wiggled his toes thoughtfully. The toenails could use a coat of paint. “You miss them.” He said after a long uncomfortable silence. Though why he bothered to talk to her at all, was beyond himself.

  “Huh? Who?” Dru asked, her slurring voice dripping misery.

  “Them. Captain Thompson, Valor, Wrena.” Aster said. “You already know who I’m talking about.”

  Dru let out a long sigh. “Go to sleep.”

  “Especially Wrena, huh?” Aster couldn’t help needling. “Or maybe it’s Jules.”

  Dru moved her arm and stared daggers toward Aster. “Are we really doing this? Now?”

  Aster shook his head. “Nope. . . You go to bed. Sleep.”

  “You. Go to sleep.” Dru said.

  “No you.” Aster said.

  “You.” Dru said.

  Aster pulled the blanket up over his head, hoping it would absorb the screams that were coming.