The Hunchback's Fairy King Problem ✔

8 YOUR NOSE

Though Wyrn's fists remained clenched, he didn't advance.

A wail broke through the fading daylight, but it was a voice no one else heard—no one but Sorem and Marva herself.

Matax, once again a yellow fairy, neared at an incredible speed. When he was close, he twisted in the air then landed fully grown as a man.

The crowd flinched but calmed easy enough for Marva to guess they were used to him doing this.

"She didn't burn your house down with some charm gone array, Jaffo. I did."

Bonn stepped forward but his wife held him.

"What does that mean?" one of the five men to hold Sorem asked. "You caused this fire?"

Matax scoffed. "Naturally. How well do you idiots know me?"

Vadde lowered her arms. "Why?"

Still naked, Matax shrugged. "For fun? For boredom?" He scanned the crowd, waiting for a challenge. "But I'm a yellow Fae. Meaning no matter what terrible thing I do, it will bring good fortune. So, I thought to test it and wondered what could be more terrible than this?"

He bowed with a smile but stood to a hand whipping across his face. Vadde's chest still huffed, and she raised her hand to slap him again but didn't have the energy.

"That was our home," she said with a sob. "That was our life together. Our gifts to one another. Our precious possessions. And you burned it for sport."

Matax's eyes held shock at first, then a boast. "And you were forced to confess to carrying a fertility charm. Boo hoo."

"Enough," Wyrn interrupted. "I will talk to the fairy in private and reconvene."

While the innkeeper stepped closer to Vadde and took her into a hug, the hunchback and the fairy walked off.

Marva didn't know where, but she took on her position of power and fluttered her wings as fast as her abilities would allow.

The hunchback and the fairy came to a stop somewhere.

"You're a damn liar," Wyrn said.

"So are you," Matax fired back. "I have no responsibilities or obligations to you, Jaffo. So don't forget that. One would think you'd show some gratitude."

"What gratitude? Our dabbling in magic brought a bad omen which burned our home to the ground."

"No. A stranger with a caged night fairy brought your home to the ground! That is more than obvious."

"A night fairy?" Wyrn marveled, "He has a night fairy?"

Matax was sure to cover his tracks. "What other fairy do you know who has full range of power even behind iron?"

Wyrn relented but said, "If it were true, he's here because of the spell gone wrong. It's a bad omen."

"You can call it whatever you want, Jaffo. But that still doesn't explain what your people plan to do about it. And I generously gave you an out. Good omen or bad omen? Which do you choose?"

Whichever, Marva prayed it was soon and at least audible so that she could hear as she could not see from where she remained hanging from Sorem's belt.

Vadde was inconsolable. "I hadn't meant for this to happen. It was only for good luck. I swear."

"I know, darling. He'll understand."

"But his tools, his weapons.... He most certainly won't understand."

Perhaps but the hunchback and Matax, now wearing trousers, returned.