Swear Not By The Wings

The woodland is finally starting to look normal again. Once wounded fairies, are now back to flying and completing their daily tasks. It's been a couple of days or so since the attack. That's how long it's been since I've seen him.

Elio suddenly became cold towards me after the invasion. Ellowyn, Freya, and Arden are the only ones Elio allows to come into his room.

After Elio was injured by the fae I've learned who goes by the name of Siren, he was taken to the emergency ward of the woodland's health station. There, Elio is being treated for his severe injuries.

I feel a bit betrayed that he doesn't allow me to see him. I've requested to visit Elio numerous times, only to be turned away each and every one. I was pained deeply. I know that I am the reason Elio is hurt and Dixie is dead, but that was never my choice. I have never had the desire to hurt anyone in my entire life! The guilt is eating me up alive!

Despite my low mood, I remember that there is a fae experiencing more pain than any of us. Freya has been grieving the death of Dixie in silence. She has been visiting Elio here and there to make sure he is okay. But no one was making sure if Freya is okay. I take it upon myself to go to the dragon's cove and summon in a stray dragon. Stray dragons are quite the common sight in the magical woodland. I think Freya's spirit will be lifted after I do this.

I hike to the cove and spot hundreds of dragons playing amongst the waves of the ocean. The one dragon that catches my eye, in particular, is just a baby. I watch as the green creature tumbles along the water. I can see that this dragon is a boy. He has stubby legs and short wings. A little vertical challenge never hurt anyone. I wave my arms around, trying to get the attention of the creature, but end up startling it away.

I am about to give up when a distinct whistle is heard from behind me. I turn around to see Malachi luring in the adorable dragon. The fire fae winks at me when the dragon reaches the shore. I thank him with a smile and tie a leash around the animal's neck.

"I shall name you Bartholomew," I say to the dragon.

He seems to like the name by the way he wags his tail. I lead Bartholomew to the woodland. I don't miss the way the fairies make fun of his unique appearance. I scold the winged beings with a cold look as I pull Bartholomew along.

The faeries go back to minding their own business when they realize that they can't tease Freya's new dragon without dealing with me! Not that I'm a scary person, but I have this crazy glare that's enough to keep anybody away! Ha, who am I kidding? I look like a baby deer.

A few moments later, I spot Freya sitting down. I tiptoed to the animal fairy, unsubtly. The girl hears my feet patter against the floor and looks at me. She moves her gaze to Bartholomew who happily stares back at her.

"I saw this dragon at the cove. Malachi helped me pick him out of the waves. His name is Bartholomew! He's quite unusual. In a good way of course! And he kind of reminds me of you," I explain with a shy smile.

Freya has a straight look on her face before she pulls me into a tight hug. I embrace her back, beaming.

"Thank you Arrietty," she whispers sincerely. When Freya pulls away, her eyes meet with Bartholomew's and it's clear that they've already made a connection. My heart warms at the sight and I decide that my work here is done. I walk away from the pet and his new owner.

I'm hoping that Elio will be okay with speaking to me now. I manage to make it to the health ward without getting lost. When I arrive, I ask one of the health fairies if I can see Elio.

The kind fae enters Elio's room and returns back shortly. The fairy smiles sadly at me and shakes her head. I nod in understanding and proceed out of the door. While I was exiting, Ellowyn waltzed in. She's immediately let into Elio's room and I can't help but feel that Elio hates me.

My heart is heavy by the time I reach my cottage. The moment my body hits my bed is the moment I completely become undone with sadness. I sob my heart out until there are no more tears left to cry.

I wipe away my sadness when I hear a soft knock at my door. I open the entrance to see Ellowyn. She notices my puffy eyes and looks at me with sympathy.

"I talked to Elio," she says.

"I know," I begin, only to be cut off.

"We talked about you, Arrietty," the flower fae confesses. I am suddenly, all ears.

"He's still upset about the whole Adriel wanting you to be his queen thing, you know?" I nod my head but remain silent.

"He doesn't mean to hurt you, Arrietty. He's just having a bit of a hard time right now. Maybe you should go talk to him," I am livid at Ellowyn's suggestion.

"Talk to him? All I've been doing this whole time is try to talk to him! He doesn't want to see me, Elle! He hates me!" I yell.

"Arrietty, that's not true," Ellowyn says back. I am about to disagree when I hear another knock at the door.

"It's open!" I announce before a health fairy pokes her head into my room.

"Elio is asking for you," assuming the fairy is speaking to Ellowyn, I ignore it. Ellowyn pinches my arm and I look at her in shock.

"What was that for?" I yelp.

"Go to him!" She orders. The health fairy is talking about me! My heart thumps as I quickly stand to my feet and rush to the health ward.

I slowly enter Elio's room. He's lying motionless on his bed and his eyes snap to mine when I fully step into the enclosure. I sway on my feet while he just stares at me.

"Arrietty," Elio speaks in his slow and husky tone. My ears perk up at the sound.

"Come here," he says softly. My legs move mindlessly to the edge of his bed. The fairy grabs my hand and pulls me down. I am now sitting beside Elio. I remain silent, incapable of talking. Looking at Elio's weak form is making me choke up. The fairy peers at me with his gray eyes and smiles a little.

"Arrietty, you resemble a kicked puppy right now," he points out. I pout at his statement and say,

"You don't want to see me." Elio puts a cold hand under my chin and lifts my gaze up to meet his.

"I don't want you to see me like this, but I can't go long without catching sight of you," the fae chuckles dryly. So he did want to see me. I beam internally. I hum in response as Elio sits up from his position.

"I kept turning you away, but you just kept coming," Elio is now stroking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. My breath hitches at our close proximity.

"Tell me, little human, why did you want to see me so badly?" The winter fairy raises an eyebrow.

Should I respond? I decide against it when I realize that the fae's face is moving closer to me. In a quick second, Elio's cool lips are pressed against mine.

Wow. Just a couple of days ago I was calling fairies fake. Fast forward to a couple of days later. And here I am, kissing one! Funny how quickly time can change things.

Our mouths move together slowly as we take in each other's air. The boy grabs me by my sides and is pulling me into his lap. I take this as my cue to wrap my arms around his neck, hauling us closer. I feel Elio's breath begin to deepen and turn unsteady. My body craves for more of Elio's touch, but the fairy reluctantly pushes me away from him. We are both breathing heavily and staring deep into one another's eyes.

"I'm sorry, I've failed restraint over myself, " my cheeks burn when Elio says this. My mind is fuzzy and my body is warm. Any minute now and I will burst into flames! Which is surprising, I am in the arms of a winter fairy. My eyes then move to the door. Should I leave? My question is answered when Elio is nudging me down to the bed.

"Lay with me," he says. I wordlessly comply and rest my head against his chest. My eyes flutter shut after a few minutes of listening to Elio's heartbeat drum against my ears.

What a day!