Page 18 of Fairies Don't Fall

I turned my head, blinking. I took in Ruin’s shocked face, then I looked down and there was Max, beneath me, my claws inhis chest as I bled him out, his eyes unfocused as he stared up at me.

For another second, I was disoriented, uncertain which was the dream and which the reality, before everything clicked and I carefully pulled out my claws, whispering a spell that would slow the bleeding.

“Wait, you’re not making out?” Now Ruin sounded even more shocked. “You’re killing Max?”

“I…” I shuddered and forced my claws back where they’d come from, then rolled off his body and onto the floor. I’d been straddling his incredibly muscled stomach wearing nothing more than a towel. And I’d been killing him. I wasn’t sure which was more shocking.

Max rose up on his elbows, studying me thoughtfully while blood welled up from his chest, running down the curve of his pectoral. “Ruin, go back to the warehouse. I’ll see you later.”

“But…” she said, looking from me to him, panic growing on her face. “I’m not leaving you if you’re in danger. Or if you’re going to punish her for trying to kill you.”

My heart warmed at the idea that she’d stay with me, even after seeing me attack her alpha.

Max said, “I’m going to lecture Princess Sparkles. You can stay if you’d like. I’m sure it would be well worth…”

Ruin didn’t wait for him to finish, just gave me an apologetic glance and then dashed out of the room in a cloud of steam, leaving me in that dark, warm cocoon with Max, who was still seeping blood from his chest. I should put pressure on to help stop the bleeding, but I’d have to touch his skin, and he shouldn’t want me to touch him after I’d tried to kill him. I hadn’t been like that for so long. I took my people’s sickness, I didn’t become lost in the blood rage.

“Bad trip?” he asked in a low voice, barely audible above the hissing of the rocks.

Is that what it was? “No. I’m not a pixie dust addict. I guess you could call it PTSD. You’re seeping. Do you want me to put pressure to slow the bleeding? I understand if you don’t want me to touch you. I apologize. That’s not enough, but it’s all I have, unless you’d like me to put pressure…”

He shook his head slightly, looking at me like he had no idea what he was supposed to do with me. “I’m going to shift into my wolf. That’ll speed healing. Then you’re going to wash the blood out of my fur, and off yourself. Again. Seems you came to the bathhouse thinking it was a blood bath. That’s understandably confusing.”

I rubbed my arms and felt the stickiness on my skin. When I raised my hands, they were covered in the dark sparkles that I’d sweated out. “I didn’t realize…” I swallowed hard. I’d been trying to kill him. A few more minutes, a few more seconds, and he’d be dead. I scowled at him suddenly. “Why didn’t you stop me? You’re not some helpless child who can’t fight back. I could have killed you, but you should have been able to stop me. Why didn’t you?”

He smiled slightly. “I suppose I was surprised. I’m not close to death. I regenerate blood quickly. Pity Ruin ruined our moment. It was funny that she thought we were making out. With your glue saliva, that would be a unique experience.”

I stared at him, the anger twisting into confusion. “What is making out, and what does it have to do with my saliva?”

His eyes sparked bright for a moment. “Making out refers to fervent desire between two people that results in the meeting of mouths. And other things. Closed mouth kisses wouldn’t be making out, unless I have my usage wrong. It’s possible. Kids always have to think up new ways to say old things, to fit with their notion of all experiences being unique to them.”

“She thought I was kissing your mouth?” I stared at his mouth and a shot of hot fire went down my spine and coiledin my belly like a ravenous dragon. My mouth watered, but it wasn’t the glue spit. “I’m hungry,” I said, still staring at his soft lips, framed by that sharp jaw that felt like silk.

“Too bad. I can’t feed you until after I’ve stopped bleeding out. Those little claws of yours went deep. Take a deep breath before I shift, because you might not breathe for some time afterwards.”

“Why wouldn’t I breathe?” I asked.

He wiggled his brows for a second and then his jaw, his beautiful silky jaw ripped apart into two rows of massive, slavering teeth. I held very still, not breathing, while Max shifted into his wolf, which was the largest black beast I’d ever seen. I’d seen wolves like that flanking Malamech, so long ago, but not quite as big as Max. He really could be the worst warrior of them all if he had the right corrupt Lupin Sorcerer to train him.

I curved my fingers and my wing tips turned to blades while I watched the transformation finish, leaving me with a monster whose shoulder came up to my ear, golden eyes the same, warm, amused, and concerned.

He bumped my chest with his nose, knocking me back a step. I inhaled sharply and licked my lips.

“I don’t suppose you want me to talk about how big your wolf is, either,” I said.

He bared his teeth in a terrifying wolfish grin, and again, I couldn’t seem to find enough oxygen. He turned and lay down next to the burning coals, and started licking his wounds.

“I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do. I’m not the best healer.”

He looked up at me, his eyes prompting me.

“Right. I’ll wash your fur in the shower once you’ve stopped bleeding.”

He nodded then went back to licking his chest.

I sat on the lowest bench, staring at him, still in awe at how absolutely massive he was. If his wolf was this big, how big would his beast be? I shuddered at the thought of him being even larger. It wasn’t possible. But it was true anyway. Like turning the cavern into a forest was impossible but still going to happen. I needed to think about something else besides Max’s wolf. Anything else. The cavern project was the perfect distraction. I closed my eyes and pushed against the minds of the other fairies in Singsong City, avoiding the one who had told me about dissertations.

I needed a real terraformer, but I didn’t want to have to go back to Fairyland to find one. I couldn’t read anyone there, just here, and I didn’t want to bother those who wouldn’t be useful. Finally, I found a mind that answered the question I had asked- “how would you terraform an underground cavern”- to the general fairy populace. It should go through most of their minds without them noting it as more than an errant thought.

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