Dust (Of Dust and Darkness) - By Devon Ashley Page 0,45

home, of Poppy and me and some of our fellow pixies, and how we used to sing them when we were young.

The top of my hole is constantly bathed in a warm glow while he’s here. Out of sight but almost within reach. How I wish that light could sink a little farther down. I don’t know if it’s from starvation, dehydration or what, but these past few days I’ve been seeing things. Even though it’s pitch black, I awake in a fright, sure there’s something moving around the hole with me. My poor heart can’t take any more scares right now; it’s already so weak.

I’m surprised Jack’s done nothing to coerce me into thinking I belong here, like Finley demanded. He doesn’t starve me, deprive me of water, yell at me, hit me or even threaten me. Nothing. I haven’t even seen him since that first day. Not that I’m complaining or anything, but I worry what Finley will do if he ever finds out my body is slowly healing itself.

“What are you doing up here?” Finley yells from up top, snapping me awake as his voice rumbles down my hole. “Why aren’t you down there? Do I need to find a faerie-sitter for you too?”

“What? I’m taking a break,” Jack replies, not a hint of guilt in his voice. “I’m not going to beat on her twenty-four seven. Eventually she passes out, you know?”

Finley huffs. My body cringes as he descends, and right up behind him…two spriggans!

Oh, this isn’t good.

My heart sputters to life, beating erratically until it figures out a rhythm it can keep up with. I desperately try to stiffen my arms to hide the uncontrollable trembles that are painfully obvious right now. I can’t let him see I’m scared! As much as I would like to force myself to stand up and meet him, I just can’t do it. I’ve eaten as well as I can expect for the past couple of days, but it’s not enough to reverse the damage already inflicted upon my body. I get dizzy merely standing in place.

“Sixty-eight. My not-so-favorite pixie. How’s our progress going?”

I think the question is for Jack, who’s pressed against the back wall behind the two monstrous beasts. There’s just not enough room in this sorry excuse for a hole.

“Jack!” he snaps.

Jack pushes his way between the spriggans. “Oh. Uh, just ask her and see.”

Lovely. I know I’m on my own, but he could have at least said he’d beaten me senseless multiple times and made me cry. Anything but uh. At least there’s no physical evidence he’s been feeding me. If my ribs are any indication, I’m sure my body appears more emaciated than ever.

“Well?” he asks in a taunting manner. I stare lifelessly at him for several seconds. When I don’t respond, he snaps his fingers before my eyes, convinced I’m in a trance.

Physically, I’m too tired to even blink a response. My defiance, however, is stronger than ever and doesn’t know when to just shut up and play dead. “If you have a question, ask. But I’m only going to respond to my name from now on, which is Rosalie.”

Finley huffs in exasperation and turns to give Jack a fierce glare. When he spins his body, his foot uproots and takes a new position…right on the spot where I defecated yesterday. The sole on his shoe squeaks, but it’s not until the laughter rising from my chest becomes loud that he looks to his feet. He probably thought it was just water at first, but the brownish color will change his mind.

I bury my head in my knees, so I don’t get to see his reaction, but I do hear him gasp. I was never given anything to go in so they had to know to watch their step, but there was no way this wouldn’t turn out to be my fault.

Finley is beyond ticked. He yells, “Break her wings!”

I gasp, but before I can even lift my head in reaction, two sets of hands are invading my body, maneuvering me into a position on my knees I have no chance of escaping.

Finley cracks his knuckles. “Let’s go for the full sixty-eight breaks this time. We’ll see how long you’re laughing then.”

I hang my head low, refusing to let him see my face, because fear has me clinching my neck and facial muscles as tightly as I can. The first snap comes from the tip of my upper right wing. I cry out,