Aki had been told not to chase the fairy.
This was an unreasonable thing to remember while chasing the fairy.
Branches whipped past their ears.
Roots buckled beneath their boots.
Two russet tails streamed behind them as Aki tore through Gossamer Wood after a flicker of gold light.
“I am not chasing you!” they shouted.
The light darted left.
Aki darted left.
“I am proceeding rapidly in the same direction!”
A flower beside the path opened.
In Aki’s own voice, it repeated:
“I am not chasing you!”
“Not now.”
Another flower opened.
“Not now.”
“Stop helping!”
“Stop helping!”
Aki vaulted a fallen log.
Ahead, the fairy flashed between two silver trees.
Small.
Fast.
Translucent wings.
A prism case hugged against her chest.
The missing prism case.
Aki’s ears snapped upright.
“Aha!”
The fairy looked back.
For the first time, Aki saw her face clearly.
Young.
Bright-eyed.
Pink-violet hair flying loose around pointed ears.
And deeply unimpressed.
“That sound contained no useful information,” she called.
“You have the prism!”
“Yes.”
Aki nearly tripped.
They had expected denial.
“You admit it?”
“I am carrying it in both arms. Denial would be inefficient.”
She shot upward.
Aki skidded to a stop beneath her.
“Put it down!”
“No.”
“Excellent. Now we have a crime and a confession.”
The fairy hovered.
“That is not what confession means.”
“You took court property!”
“I took an object.”
“From a court waystation.”
“Yes.”
“That was stored in a court cabinet.”
“Yes.”
“That I was officially sent to retrieve.”
“That part happened after I took it.”
Aki pointed triumphantly.
“So you stole it.”
The fairy’s expression became patient in the precise way that made Aki immediately dislike her.
“You have established sequence.”
“I have established theft.”
“You have established that you enjoy the word theft.”
“I enjoy accurate words.”
The fairy stared at them.
“That is unfortunate.”
Aki’s mouth opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
“You are extremely irritating for someone I have successfully caught.”
The fairy looked down.
She was hovering fifteen feet above Aki.
Aki followed her gaze.
“Emotionally caught.”
“That is not a recognized form of capture.”
“It is now.”
The fairy beat her wings once.
Aki threw out both hands.
Turquoise foxfire flashed.
Three projected Akis appeared on branches around her.
One pointed dramatically.
“One way or another—”
The fairy flew directly through it.
The copy blinked.
“Rude.”
A second projection leaped.
She passed through that one too.
Aki winced.
“Right. Intangible.”
The fairy glanced down.
“You forgot your own magic.”
“I was creating psychological pressure.”
“You created transparent obstacles.”
“Psychological transparent obstacles.”
She flew.
Aki ran after her.
Again.
◆ ◆ ◆
Earlier that morning, Tsukine had specifically removed the net.
Aki remained offended about this.
“No assumptions,” Tsukine had reminded them at the eastern gate.
“Very few assumptions.”
“No nets.”
“One symbolic net.”
“No.”
“What if the prism is trapped somewhere high?”
“Then you will climb.”
“What if something dangerous has it?”
“Then I am pleased the net is staying here.”
Aki had folded their arms.
“What exactly am I permitted to do?”
Tsukine had considered.
“Observe. Ask questions. Recover the prism if it can be done without violating the Wood’s hospitality.”
Aki stared.
“That is less an assignment and more a collection of verbs.”
“Most assignments are.”
Seiran had arrived carrying a fresh copy of yesterday’s instructions.
Aki eyed the paper.