7

Dranian Evelry: the Dog and the Fox

Dranian couldn't hide at work a second time. He'd taken his reasonable one day to process the horrible decision he'd made in signing Beth's contract. To accept the fact that Beth was too motivated by coin to let him get out of his binding agreement. Now that there was no going back, Dranian decided he was ready to fight.

On his own.

Dranian began the day washing his face in the bathroom. When he spotted Luc's toothbrush resting nicely in a cup by the sink, the notoriously grumpy fairy got a fabulous idea. His ever-scowl wavered, tugging up just a little as he lifted the shiny green toothbrush and carried it over to the toilet. It seemed the basin needed a good scrub.

He came out of the bathroom with his head held high, knowing that to defeat a cunning fox, he mustn't lose his cool lest he be bested by his own wavering emotions. Mastering emotions was a thing he had learned day and night in the Brotherhood of Assassins training camps. He was not as good at it as Shayne and Mor, but he was not the worst, either.

Dranian entered the kitchen and slowed his step at the sight of a lazy trail of muffin crumbs sprinkled over the kitchen counter. His gaze narrowed on the little vanilla-coloured bits, all leading across the room and into the living space. Dranian followed the horrific trail around the corner and nearly threw himself at Luc when he found the fool finishing off a muffin on the couch. A pile of crumbs was littered around him, and a heap rested on his lap. Luc shoved the rest of the muffin into his mouth. Then he glanced down at the mess on his legs.

He wiped it all off onto the floor.

"I will kill you!" Dranian growled, going for his spear handle. The buzz of his forming weapon filled the apartment.

Luc didn't even stand to face him. The fox turned himself a little in his seat, raising a brow at Dranian above his chubby, muffin-filled cheeks, and he drew a finger up to his lips to hush him with a dramatic scold upon his face. "Shhh!"

The fox spat wet muffin bits everywhere with the sound, and Dranian's fist tightened around his weapon. But his mind unwillingly filled with the contract rules regarding ‘no loud noises', and he heaved in a lungful of air.

He let it out slowly as he retracted his spear and slid the handle away in one rigid movement. He could not be the one to break the contract.

"Where did you get that muffin?" he asked through his teeth, forcing himself to think of something other than the collection of crumbs on the rug that would bring in ants, mice, and all manner of pests. At least Luc was sitting in the middle of the couch this time, and not on Dranian's favourite cushion on the end.

"That clingy human, Beth , brought them over." Luc turned back toward the TV as he said it.

Dranian glanced back into the kitchen, but he saw no platter of muffins. " Them ?"

"She brought two. I ate both," Luc stated. "You see, I was hungry because you failed to replenish your cupboards with food before accepting your new roommate."

With that, Luc scootched over and sprawled over Dranian's favourite seat, taking up every inch of the couch.

"If you're so faeborn hungry all the time, go get groceries yourself," Dranian muttered.

Luc swung back around in his seat to face him again, rolling his eyes. "I wouldn't dare go grocery shopping for you, North Fairy. I have no desire to do all the work myself and take care of you like your mushy gushy brothers of the North do."

Dranian opened his mouth to snap a response but couldn't think of anything to say, so he closed it again. Instead, he headed back into the kitchen and threw open cupboard after cupboard to find something else to eat for breakfast. But on his fourth and last cupboard, he realized that Luc was, in fact, correct.

Apart from the crumbs on the counter, there was no food in this kitchen.

Dranian huffed as he considered what to do next. He glanced down at his left arm where a long forever-scar covered his muscle, and he tried to imagine hauling back enough groceries for two fairies. Then he marched back out to the living room. "I'll not take care of you either," he stated. "I refuse to go fetch food by myself. I'd rather watch us both starve than—"

"Good." Luc stood so fast, Dranian nearly jumped. "We agree, then. We'll both go." The fox slid on his jacket and yanked the door open before Dranian could peep another word. It took Dranian a moment to collect his bearings, and to realize he had to find his wallet, his jacket, and his most recent grocery list.

Two enemy fairies glided down the market aisles pushing a metal basket on wheels and bickering over each and every item that was placed into it. It seemed the only food they could settle on was ice cream. After that, each fairy added whatever they wanted to their stash, not bothering to ask each other's opinion anymore .

Even though Dranian had never once crossed Mor in this market, he kept his eyes peeled for the curly-haired fairy, dreading the thought of running into him. Dranian was sure he wouldn't be able to come up with an explanation for the situation if Mor caught him anywhere near Luc Zelsor.

Luc walked ahead and rounded an aisle.

Dranian's pointed ears perked up at the sound of the fox's startled gasp. He saw Luc scramble back a step into view, his dark brown and silver eyes big and round. Dranian was sure he'd imagined it when Luc's rhythms skittered.

He pushed the metal basket ahead to see what in the human realm could have possibly startled a nine tailed fox, but the walkway around the corner was essentially uninteresting. Dranian scanned the shelves, the humans, a dog on a short leash, a few childlings running by and being chased by their parents.

When Dranian looked back at Luc, Luc was a perfect picture of calm. It was as though Dranian had imagined the whole thing.

"What did you see?" Dranian demanded, looking ahead again. He spotted no foe and nothing of the unusual or wicked sort.

"Hmm?" Luc asked. His hand traced up his chest and he fiddled with a gold necklace. "What are you talking about, North Fairy? Are you rambling on about some nonsense just to make conversation?"

Dranian stared at him, forgetting how to speak. There wasn't a single time in Dranian's faeborn life he'd rattled on about nonsense just to make conversation .

Luc released a grunt and reached for the metal basket, tugging it away and pushing it himself. "Hurry up, you fool. The ice cream will melt."

Dranian watched as Luc veered the basket far around the human holding tight to its dog's leash. A look of revulsion crossed the fox's face. He stole a look—just one, and very subtly—toward that dog as he passed by it.

Dranian knew he hadn't imagined it. He hurried to catch up, almost daring to smile. "Do you fear dogs?" he asked plainly, and Luc snorted a laugh.

"Hardly. Though one would be a fool if they weren't thoroughly repulsed by them. Don't tell me you enjoy the smell of those creatures, or the loud barking noises they make, or the way they drool on everything." He paled a little like he might vomit as he went on, carrying the conversation all by himself. "They are the most revolting creatures in the entire human realm. And these idiots," he pointed around at all the humans, "bring them into their homes and keep them as pets. I always knew humans were a less sophisticated species than us, but their love of such disgusting creatures just proves it."

It was only then that Dranian realized how much of an insult it was when Luc called him a dog , seeing how much the Shadow Fairy despised them.

Dranian thought about that for only a moment before he spotted spaghetti noodles. He didn't realize how eager he was until he caught himself biting his lip, imagining fresh pasta with creamy red fruit sauce and beast meat. He would be the next creature drooling on everything if he didn't get home and eat soon. He grabbed a bag of pasta—no, two bags—off the shelf and placed them carefully in the metal basket like they were pure spun gold.

"Let's be finished with this market," he murmured, glancing back toward the fruit barrels where a nice stack of fresh pumpkins were on display. The floor below was shiny and clean. "We'll split the cost of the food," he added.

"The cost?" Luc looked at him like he was crazy. "Do you truly expect me to pay these humans for all this? I can just airslip away with the whole cart."

"And leave me here alone to deal with the consequences?" Dranian snarled. "I think not."

Luc raised a scarlet brow. "You don't necessarily need to be left here. I'll take whatever's in this cart when I leave, North Fairy." He nodded down to the basket on wheels. "Feel free to hop in." Luc's wicked smile broadened, and Dranian glared.

"I will not climb into this silver basket before all these watching humans," he stated.

Luc shrugged. "Suit yourself then." He leaned forward and took hold of both sides, ready to slip away with it.

Dranian's eyes widened. He grabbed the basket to keep it with him in the market, and the fairies locked eyes, tension and magic blurring the space between them. Dranian tugged a little. Luc tugged back, squinting his gaze in concentration— a common trait of a Shadow about to vanish. All the resistance dropped from Dranian's grip as he realized he was going to get left behind.

His new shoes squeaked against the tile floor as he leapt into the cart at the last second and gripped both sides for dear life.

Luc's roaring laughter filled the market. The fox pushed the cart with Dranian inside and pointed to a human mother with her round-cheeked childling sitting at the basket's front. "Look, North Fairy. We're like them. You're just like that childling over there, only you're five times its size. How funny."

There was not enough cold in the entire human realm to tame the fire in Dranian's expression as Luc rolled the basket up to the market servants where beings went to pay. The servant eyed the fairies oddly, and though Dranian was miffed at all the humans' questioning looks, he also worried Luc would airslip without him if he got out.

He adjusted his footing to get more comfortable and looked down with a scowl when something crunched beneath his shoe. "I've crushed the carton of bird eggs!" he growled.

Luc reached past him to drag the carton out of the basket. He flipped open the lid to inspect the eggs for a moment. Then he handed them to the market servant. "I think we'll leave these here," he decided.

The servant looked at Luc in disbelief. "Are you kidding?"

Then Luc said, "They were like that when we found them."

"You just crushed these a second ago right in front of me," the servant stated in a scolding tone .

Though it went against everything Dranian stood for, he shook his head, denying it. "No. No, I did not." He bit his lips so tight, he thought they'd burst as he and the market servant engaged in a staring standoff.

Luc sighed. "Fine. You're right, Human, he did crush them. So, he will pay for them." Luc yanked the carton of destroyed eggs back and tossed them to Dranian still in the cart. Dranian missed the catch, and just like that, twelve eggs splattered across the market floor.

Dranian stared at them as yolk seeped into the floor cracks. He glared back at Luc. Just once he would like to come to the market without making a mess.

Pumpkins. Mugs. Eggs.

If only foxes were so easily broken.

Dranian was astounded they hadn't been banned from the market for eternity. He slid the pasta into the cupboard and grabbed the tin of coffee with his other hand. He reached to put the tin on the high shelf, but a searing pain burned through his arm. He choked, dropping the tin onto the counter with a clang .

Luc sat at the kitchen table chewing on a "popsicle stick" after having devoured a sweet ice treat. The fox had remained sitting while he'd watched Dranian put away all the cold items in the fridge first and then move on to the cupboard food. The fox's broad smile appeared, the stick hanging from his wickedly happy mouth. He seemed to make that face every time Dranian struggled.

For a moment—for one single moment—Dranian had been relieved to have enough food to fill his cupboards. He hadn't had this many groceries since he moved in. But… there was a reason he never put things on the high shelf. Perhaps the small joy of having so much food had made him forget that he was too shattered to put it away.

"You could help," Dranian growled toward the table.

"I'm enjoying being in the audience," Luc assured. But he stood and sauntered over with a sigh. He picked up the coffee tin, looked at it briefly, then reached to the highest shelf of all—one that Dranian would surely find too difficult to reach every morning—and he slid the tin onto it with the tips of his fingers.

Dranian stared up at the coffee in dismay.

Luc reached for the sugar next and tossed that up onto the high shelf, too. Then he went for the pasta—

"Forget it," Dranian mumbled, yanking the pasta away. "I'll do it."

Luc nodded. "As you wish, North Fairy." He wandered out of the kitchen. A minute later, Dranian heard TV sounds fill the living space.

Dranian cradled the bag of pasta as he glared in the direction the nine tailed fox had disappeared. He'd hoped Luc would tire quickly of sharing space, but it seemed Luc wasn't in a rush to leave the apartment at all. In fact, the fool seemed rather comfortable taking over Dranian's couch and TV and cereal and bowl and spoon, like it was the most natural thing in the realm. And for that, Dranian found his mood was even worse.

He slid the pasta away along with the rest of the groceries, his mind turning and brewing plots. He thought of Luc's reaction to the dog in the grocery store. And suddenly, Dranian realized the solution to his predicament had been right in front of him this whole time.

"They are the most revolting creatures in the entire human realm."

Just then, in the quaint apartment kitchen, surrounded by more groceries than could have fit in one simple bag, the fairy who hardly ever smiled, smiled just a little.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Dranian called into the living room with fresh vigor. "I told my brothers you were here. And do you know what they said?"

The TV went quiet. Luc didn't speak. It seemed he was waiting.

Heat tickled Dranian's tongue. But he pushed the rest of the words out, standing tall as he did. "They told me I can handle you on my own . They have no doubts."

Still, Luc remained quiet.

"It's not surprising. I handled plenty of tasks on my own in the Brotherhood…" Finally, Dranian abandoned the groceries and moved to peek out into the living space. The TV wa s still on, though it was muted. Luc stared at it, uncharacteristically calm and quiet.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Dranian asked, his natural growl filling the kitchen. "I said they don't care about you—"

"I heard." Luc cut him off.

Luc sat very still for a moment. Then, he lifted the remote and the TV sound came back on. Dranian grunted and headed back into the kitchen.