Page 41 of Chased By the Fairy

“Miss Mole?” He eyed Cindy carefully as he handed the bowl he’d filled to someone. “She said she wants to talk to me later.”

A bright grin widened across her features. “Good, good. She asked me about you earlier and I told her you would be agreeableto having a longer conversation with her. I’m glad she followed my advice.”

Then she turned to her sisters with a giggle, and they all joyfully joined in. It sounded mousy, and one squeaked as though that was her way of snorting. Cindy was just trying her hardest to be helpful, but he really wished she wouldn’t get involved in his life.

Not when he missed a man who had glittering wings and still hadn’t come for him. Yet every day he didn’t show up made Sorrel’s chest hurt just that little bit more.

He hadn’t heard a single thing about Cypress.

Sorrel gazed up at the ceiling with a heavy heart, as if he could see through to the world above.

Is he even looking for me?

Sorrel felt cornered in the dimly lit office that belonged to Sally. It was too small, too tight, and the ceiling too low, even though it was moderately spacious.

He didn’t know why he felt anxious. Perhaps being buried underground had snuffed his light-hearted spirit, but he felt even more claustrophobic in this room.

He was too small in it, and she was too large, taking up most of the space.

Its door faced the watering fountain everyone used to drink, and her glassless windows overlooked it. The view was pretty, as the building was situated on a rise and allowed him to take in the city from a higher angle than most places.

He could see people walking through the streets while they enjoyed the festivities. A mouse sprite was in the town square, loudly playing a piano to fill the city with music.

Behind Sally was a desk. A rug on the floor must have been cut from some material in a similar fashion to the rugs in Cindy’s home. She pressed her backside against the edge of her table and folded her arms, her eyes sweeping over him from head to toe, then back up.

“I would like for you to marry me,” Sally stated, straight to the point, making his lips part as his jaw dropped.

What he feared most walking into this room had happened.

Currently he was safe, but there were still two weeks of winter. What would happen to him if Sally didn’t take his rejection well? Would she chase him out of the burrow and force him to fight for his life in the snow again?

He wasscared.How could he not be? He’d already almost died once. If it wasn’t for Cindy, he’d be nothing but a frozen corpse ready to thaw out and be eaten by a wild animal when spring came.

He shuddered at the thought.

“I-I’m really sorry,” Sorrel said while nervously looking away, “but I can’t do that. Once winter is over, I plan to go home.”

He missed the sun, he missed the fresh air, he missed his mother.

“To that human woman?” she sneered. His answering frown was met with an eye roll. “Cindy told me where you come from.”

“Yes. I would like to go back to her.”

“You know,” Sally said, flashing a smirk that seemed a little more twisted than he appreciated. “I hate those fluttering flower fairies with their magic dust and superiority complexes, but I’ve always found them pretty.”

Sorrel gulped as he tried to keep his eye on her when she began to walk around him, almost with an inspecting expression.

He was prey being circled by a predator.

He followed her, refusing to give her his back. “What do they have to do with anything?”

“You’re just like them, but wingless.”

Oh. Sorrel had learnt that the burrow hated anyone with wings. He’d also learnt the mole sprites especially didn’t like them. Their vision was low, and fluttering wings were distracting to the moles’ other senses that helped them ‘see.’

She reached forward to brush her fingers over his hair.

“I like this a lot. It’s soft and feels good.” Then she caressed her fingers over his shoulder and up to his jaw. “You’re also soft and furless, which is why I find fairies so beautiful. And your voice! It’s so lovely and deep; I can’t see you very well, but my other senses just simply adore you. You’re everything I want in a man.”

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