The air was different. In addition to mountain air and the forest scent, that of fruits and flowers was coming through. Just those new scents made Sana's chest swell and her heart lighter. 

I can feel a happiness that threatens to blossom the moment I face my feelings. 

Was this that happiness? Sana's smile hadn’t faded since their last kiss ended and Dahyun’s eyes began to droop. Her lips still tingled and her heart had only just returned to its normal pace. 

She couldn’t get a pair of eyes out of her mind. Ones that held a vortex of purple, green and pink, dancing around one another within two irises. She almost wished Dahyun would open her eyes now so she could watch those colours again. Though she hadn’t heard the words to match, the sight was more than enough for her right now. 

Right now. Temporary. She shut her eyes, hoping to drive away those thoughts. They had this moment. Right now. It was enough. 

They were still in the forest. The ground below them wasn’t comfortable, but Sana didn’t want to move. Dahyun’s head was on her chest, her arms around her waist, and she looked so peaceful. At some point during the kiss, Sana had felt that Dahyun was slipping. Her responses were slow and even more tentative. She still wasn’t sure if it had just been because the fairy was tired, or if it was also because it was too much for her. She’d pulled away, because for either of those reasons, she didn’t want Dahyun to force herself to continue. The gratitude in her eyes had made the disappointment of stopping the kiss disappear. She had to be aware of that. Dahyun’s mental, and perhaps even emotional, limits had been tested over and over again in the span of less than a year. Sana couldn’t push her more than she already had. And that was okay. 

Dahyun was fast asleep. Her breathing was even and her pointed ears were peeking out of her hair. 

Her hair. It was still deep blue, but lighter strands had appeared. As Sana brushed her fingers through it, she saw flickers of green, even purple. The sight made her smile widen. 

A few wonderful moments passed. Then her breathing became more even and she relaxed into Sana. Her skin rippled and scars appeared across it. She wasn’t sure if they had been cut by claws or blades, only that they’d been inflicted to cut deep. Her fingers traced the one on her cheek. It reached the top of . The one on her jaw and neck crossed over. Dahyun’s throat had been slit both by her Adam’s apple and along one of the main arteries. Wounds that should have killed her, but ones that had been healed. Not to completion, however. 

Sana wasn’t sure why, but Dahyun stirred. Was she sensing Sana's anger? 

The fairy took a deep breath. Her eyes flickered open. They were pale green, but she saw darker shades of leaf green appear now and then. Then there were slow curls of purple. 

“Have I been sleeping long?” she murmured. The grip around Sana tightened. Even though they weren’t as close as before, she still felt her heart quicken then. 

Sana couldn’t help but chuckle. “A few hours maybe?” It hadn’t felt like it. “You can sleep longer, you know.” 

“Don’t want to,” she replied. “And you’re not sleeping either.” 

“I’m enjoying the view.” 

Dahyun looked away from her and back to the forest. “It is beautiful, isn’t it? Especially in the early morning as it is now.” Her gaze was filled with something close to awe as she looked up at the trees. Sana fought the urge to kiss her. 

Of course. “I meant you.” 

Her brow rose. Then gold appeared in her eyes, as well as tiny flashes of silver and even orange. “Really?” 

“Don’t tell me you’ve never heard a compliment before.” There wasn’t romantic love among her people, but she had been admired by others. Hadn’t she said that before? Or were compliments like that much more prevalent in the human world? So many differences between their worlds that she didn’t know, but desperately wanted to. 

“I have,” she said. “But not like this.” A small smile. “I don’t usually like compliments. Or close contact for that matter.” She looked away. “Doesn’t quite look like that now, does it?”

Sana laughed. “Not really.” She poked her cheek. “Luckily, I have a whole arsenal of compliments.” 

The smile widened. “Don't fire them all at once,” she said. “I hardly know how to give them, let alone hear them.” A frown began to appear. “Do you like compliments? My first attempts might sound rather terrible.”

She saw it in her eyes, a determination to try. Sana was sure she’d look up compliments if she told her she liked them. It made the disarray of feelings within her grow even stronger. It was almost overwhelming, but somehow she liked that part of it. 

“You don’t have to compliment me,” Sana replied. “I know I look good.” She gave her a wink. 

Gold appeared in her eyes. “You do.” Her voice was soft. 

Sana felt her face warm then. “See? That was a compliment. Wasn’t too bad for your first one.” 

She just smiled in response, but Sana saw how her scars began to melt back into her skin. 

The words burst out. “You don’t have hide them.” Then Sana caught herself. “Unless, it’s better for you to do that.” Maybe the illusion went both ways? Maybe she didn’t feel them. Dahyun had said they served as reminders, maybe because she could feel them on her skin when they were revealed. 

“Makes little difference to me,” she said then. “But I know it draws out sadness in you and the girls when seen.” Dahyun shook her head. “I don’t want that.” 

Then her head snapped up. Her eyes turned grey and something changed completely. Sana could feel the tension in her body and she was reminded how thin Dahyun still was, her body only comprised of bone and muscle. 

She moved away, crouched, her face a mask. In her hands, black daggers materialised. Grief. 

Her eyes met Sana’s for a moment and she was struck by how cold they were. Not just by how they looked, but how she felt the ice in her own mind looking into them. Grey eyes turned a pale blue. Calm, but not the kind that warmed. They’re focused, tuning the entire world out. Even Sana. 

Then she stood, but didn’t move away. Her scars disappeared and her hair turned black. The way she angled herself. In front of Sana. Protecting her, while hiding every part of her that could give something away. It didn’t feel right. 

In a moment, Sana was at her side. The air was colder. The forest was uncomfortable. Was that because of Dahyun or because of whoever was in the forest?

“It is a fae. I think one of my clan,” she murmured. “You should go.” 

She didn’t move. There were two things that clashed in her mind. The first: someone from her clan might be in the forest, and Dahyun didn’t trust that fact. The second: why were they here? Dahyun already knew they were here before they arrived, so they couldn't be here to attack. Or were they just that powerful? Dahyun had said she was one of the weakest. Was that her undying humbleness or actually true? 

“I’m not leaving,” Sana whispered. 

“Dahyun?” someone called. Their voice was smooth and light. Their scent reached Sana. It was like that during a thunderstorm with an underlying edge of the forest to it. It wasn't like Dahyun's scent. 

The change vanished in the fairy beside her. She saw hope, one so strong it made Sana’s chest ache. The last thing she wanted was for that hope to break. 

“Rila?” Dahyun's voice was quiet, gentle, shaking. The daggers disappeared. Then her eyes locked on one part of the forest. Other words joined, but they were in the fae language. It was one that seemed to be circular in nature, returning again and again to the same syllables. There was a question in her enunciation. 

Sana followed her gaze. A tall figure walked through the trees. She had gleaming red hair. She replied without much warmth in her voice, but a smile was slowly forming. It reminded Sana of one of first times Dahyun had smiled. She’d had grey hair and her scent had fluctuated from rot and death to mountains and forests. The smile she’d given them had also been slow to appear. It had also been fake. 

There was no hug, but the relief in Dahyun’s eyes said everything a hug couldn’t. 

Then Sana heard the others in the distance. Their footsteps were tentative, until they stopped. If something went wrong, they’d be here in a second. 

“Why are you here?” Dahyun spoke English. The accent was like a fusion of American, British and French. She also had an accent when she spoke Korean, but it had only ever been slight. 

“We are nearing peace.” Rila had a stronger accent. It was also British with how vowels were drawn out, but French in the way it was melodic. 

“What terms?” 

The question surprised Sana. There were no questions on how Rila was, no comment about Dahyun’s time in captivity, not even a comment on what she felt about peace being possible. Dahyun hadn't seen someone from her people since her capture. 

“They agree to not spread emotions to the outside,” Rila said. “All agree to more transparency between clans.” 

“Including the texts?” 

It was a small movement, but her lip twitched. “Except for yours, the rest are available.” 

Dahyun looked at Sana then. “I burned them before the initial escape.” Her brow furrowed. Sana had thought they’d been destroyed by others, not Dahyun herself. “And what of the deaths I caused?” Shame entered her eyes. She still blamed herself—completely—for the deaths of her captors. 

There was no change in Rila's expression. Though her eyes softened. Was this how they normally were? Completely distant and unexpressive? “They want you dead.” 

Sana felt heat rush through her arms. The air crackled in response. If they were going to take Dahyun to be executed—she wouldn’t let them. 

Rila looked at her, then behind her. She knew the other vampires were there. “I see the connections you all have to her.” Her eyes flickered to Dahyun. “And you to them.” The fairy looked at Sana then, her gaze intense. It was almost like the physics look, but there was less innocent curiosity, and just raw interest. “A compromise was sought out. You remain in exile.” 

All Sana had to go on were the words being said now. She didn’t know anything about the politics in Dahyun’s society. Was Rila saying she could return home because they were a nomadic people? Or did it mean that she was still in danger by being where she was? Or did it mean she didn’t have to run?

Nothing in Dahyun’s eyes suggested an answer. 

The other girls had gathered now that they knew the fairy had seen them. Each wore expressions with varying degrees of worry and doubt. Momo almost looked sick. 

Rila continued. “It was not uncontested. You are banished, but,” she paused. 

Dahyun filled the silence. Her hand closed around Sana’s. It was cold. “All those who opposed?” With her other, she reached out to Momo who took it immediately. 

She shook her head. “One. Yrest.” Her eyes were on Dahyun and Sana’s hands. Then Dahyun's and Momo's. 

Little physical contact among her people, next to no romantic love, and this woman would probably be seeing Dahyun’s feelings for her, Sana’s feelings for her, maybe Momo's as well. 

Dahyun only nodded. “When did you meet?” 

“Three days ago.” 

The grip on Sana’s hand tightened. Her skin was colder now.

“Ajha, Rila.” A few other words in a foreign language flowed from Dahyun. More questions.

The response came back in an equally curt, yet melodic manner. Sana couldn’t glean much from Rila's voice. Dahyun looked both saddened and relieved at what she heard. 

“I’m sorry to have come under such circumstances,” Rila nodded at them, “though I thank you for helping Dahyun recover from what she lost.” 

Then Tzuyu, of all people, spoke. “Did any of your agreements involve giving back the emotions that were stolen?” Her tone was neither harsh, nor kind. It meant she didn’t trust her. 

Rila was silent for a moment. “They only gave us those of Teresa.”

It was insane. How could they not have asked for Dahyun's? Were there laws that didn’t allow an exile to take back what was hers? Were there no laws that allowed Dahyun to return, considering that her ‘crimes’ had been committed after she was held and tortured? 

“Sana,” Dahyun murmured. “Calm down.” The smell of the forest became stronger. 

Rila had already gone. Sana felt her eyes burning. Dahyun’s people had made peace with the other fae. They'd paid for it already, as had Dahyun. And she wasn't allowed to go back. She wasn't allowed to live in peace. 

“So that's how it works?” Nayeon asked. “You’re held prisoner for years and you have to be punished for it?”

Dahyun’s response was slow. “Those who killed members of my clan will be tried. I killed those of another,” she said. “So there was also a trial.” One where she hadn’t been present. 

“You deserve more than that,” Momo said. “Don’t they know what hap