Dust (Of Dust and Darkness) - By Devon Ashley Page 0,55
sorry,” I say, waving him off. “Private thought.”
It’s not that part of me doesn’t trust Jack enough to be honest, but something inside me tells me it’s best to keep this to myself. It’s not my secret to share. It belongs to all us pixies. And should it ever get out, they’ll be the ones to bear the punishment, and I won’t be responsible for that. Besides, making the faeries awful mushroom powder is our one enjoyment in this crappy world. Our one way to get back at them for unlawfully imprisoning us.
And it serves them right. I hope every spell they perform blows up in their faces.
Jack looks like he’s going to push me for an answer, so I quickly pop out, “I was only asking ‘cause I feel bad for leaving Willow to take care of everyone without me. Like I’ve abandoned them or something. I guess I just wanted to know that they’re doing okay without me.”
His arms relax to his sides. I pick at the roll, popping little pieces into my mouth. The yeast isn’t as strong in this batch, so I’m left to chew on tasteless calories.
“I’m sure they’re fine, Rosalie. If Willow’s anything like you, she’ll move forward no matter what happens.”
“Yeah,” I mumble, chewing another piece of bread. I know he’s probably right, but I’m left to wonder how long Willow will hold out hope that I’ll one day return. I hope she knows I’ll fight until my dying breath.
“So what about the males? Juniper told me that there are male pixies mining diamonds somewhere.”
Jack nods his head. “I’m surprised she knew that. They used to be kept within the same glamour, but I think about ten years ago they minimized this glamour and made a new one for the males. But to answer your question, I don’t know. I’ve never gone into that one.”
“Why’d they separate us?”
“I don’t know. Your guess is as good as mine.”
I sigh quietly. I have every intention of freeing them as well, but they’ll be the hardest of all, seeing as how I have no idea where they are or what their glamour will entail. I only hope the males are holding up better than the females.
Sitting with my head lying atop my knees, I rock my body gently forwards and backwards. I’m hoping the motion will ease the cramping in my lower abdomen, but nothing seems to be calming my intestines, which seem to be mad at me for introducing too much food too soon. Oh well. I’ll take this discomfort over the starvation pains any day.
I hear the echoes of Jack’s whistles as he makes his way down the cave passage. When I told him what was hurting me earlier, he’d set off, simply stating that he’d be back. Please let him have something to ease my pain. But as he descends, all I see is a bucket, similar to the one he fills with water for me.
My forehead furrows in confusion. “What’s this for?” I ask as he sets it down beside me and sits across the hole.
“So you can…you know…go.”
“That’s what you went to get for me?” I immediately feel guilty about snapping at him. It’s just…that wasn’t what I was looking forward to. I was hoping for some concoction of herbs to drink that would relieve my pain. Not…a bucket.
“Well, you can’t dirty your water bucket and no way do I want you to keep going on the floor. Especially now that you’re eating so much.”
Groaning, I bury my eyes in my knees and for once welcome the darkness. “Mother Nature, this is so humiliating! How could my life possibly get any worse?”
“You could be naked.”
My head rises far enough for my eyes to shoot him an evil glare. He cocks his eyebrows suggestively.
“What?” he tries to ask innocently. “You asked how your life could be worse. Being naked would definitely make life worse.”
I want to tell him where he can shove his idea of nudity – Mother Nature, this pain is making me moody! – but decide my best course of action is to change what he’s thinking altogether, because me being naked is not something I want him focusing on. Especially since my clothes are wearing pretty thin these days. “So why haven’t you told me anything about your family?”
He cocks a half-smile, and the flame catches the glint in his cool green eyes. “Why haven’t you ever asked me before?”
Because I didn’t need you distracted then… “Sorry, but family