Except their world had capsized, and the rules had fallen overboard with it.
She watched Wolf and Spirit for another minute. He was using his gravitational powers to keep crab apples on the ground, and Spirit was trying to pry them up. He goaded her on, and she laughed as she lost her grip on the stubborn fruit.
Fairy’s chest hurt. She had wanted to be the first to play with gravity with him.
Spirit tried again, and this time, Wolf released his hold on the crab apple at the same moment, so that Spirit used entirely too much force. The momentum threw her sideways into him, and she knocked him over with her, both of them falling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and hysteria. Their laughter filled the orchard.
It was then that Wolf saw Fairy and Broomstick.
“Um, we didn’t know you two were back,” he said, scrambling to his feet.
Fairy tried to give a nonchalant shrug. “We just got here.”
Spirit, who hadn’t yet caught on to the awkwardness, sprang to her feet with the crab apple in her hand. “Any luck with the soul pearl?”
“I’ll fill you in,” Broomstick said. He gave a meaningful look to Fairy; he was giving her space alone with Wolf, because he knew they needed to talk.
“Thank you,” Fairy whispered as he led Spirit elsewhere.
Wolf approached Fairy slowly, like he knew something was wrong, but he wasn’t sure what, so he was applying an abundance of caution. “Did I mess up?”
Fairy shook her head. She reached up and cupped his cheek. “You didn’t mess anything up. But I realized you’re not really mine.”
“What do you mean?” Wolf’s eyebrows knit together. “Of course I’m yours.”
“You are, right now.” She attempted a small smile so he’d know she wasn’t accusing him of anything. “But there’s something between you and Spirit that I can’t compete with.”
Wolf clasped Fairy’s hand, pressing it harder into the scruff of his cheek. “I swear there’s not. She’s my gemina.”
“You called out to her while you were unconscious,” Fairy said softly.
The blood drained from his face, and he dropped his hand to his side. “Gods, I’m sorry. I promise I’m not leading you on. It’s just that . . . Sora and me . . . I’m sorry.” He brought his hands back up to his temples. “I like you so much.”
“I know you do. But it’s not enough,” Fairy said. “I think there’s always going to be a part of you that’s in love with Spirit.”
“That’s not true—”
Fairy shook her head. “It is. Everything will be right, though.”
And as soon as she told him that, she realized it really was true. She was sad, but not upset. Deep down inside, she’d probably already known that Wolf was supposed to end up with Spirit. “Everyone except Spirit knew you had a crush on her, and I should have known those feelings were too intense to just go away. We’re so intertwined with our geminas. If I thought of Broomstick as more than a brother, I can imagine how complete that love would be.”
“Fairy, we can work it out. I want to. I know I’m a terrible boyfriend—”
“You’re not. But I don’t want to be the consolation prize. I deserve better than that, and so do you.”
“But—”
She stroked his cheek. “Let’s end this while it’s still good.” But it wasn’t easy to say, even though she knew it was the right decision. Her mouth puckered, as if she could actually taste the tang of bittersweet.
“That’s it?” Wolf’s head fell forward, like his neck was no longer up to the task of holding it upright.
“Please don’t be sad, Wolfie. You’re still one of my best friends.”
“I wanted more than that.”
“You’ll have it, just not with me. You’re supposed to be with Spirit, and you can be, because the old rules don’t matter anymore. There’s no one around to enforce them. Either we die before the Society is saved, or it will be rebuilt but completely different. There’s no going back to the way things used to be.”
Wolf closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Fairy said.
He exhaled and opened his eyes. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re remarkable, you know that? Someone’s going to be really lucky to have you one day.”
“I know,” Fairy said, and this time, the smile came more easily. “Do you want to walk back with me to