“El, did you sleep through that whole entire mess?” Prin’s voice spoke close to Elwin’s ear, sending the hairs on the back of his neck tingling.

  Elwin didn’t know what time it was when his prince’s sweet voice woke him up, but he knew that he was hungry and thirsty and terribly groggy in that way where you slept too long and still were somehow badly rested.

  As soon as he opened his eyes, Prin couldn’t resist filling him in on where things stood between himself and Aster, as well as a breathlessly detailed report of the captain’s meeting with Mama Kris and Jules, and Jules’ storming of the castle to find Aster, as well as his tender goodbye.

  Prin was positively giddy now that his friend had forgiven him, or at least they had come to an understanding together and he knew that she didn’t hate him and knew he hadn’t meant what he’d done.

  Elwin was glad for him too, even though the words were all jumbled up as they tried to enter his sleep addled head. He had a devil of a time trying to straighten them out between his ears.

  “I knew it would all work out.” Elwin lied. He sat up and pulled Prin into a hug.

  “Well I didn’t!” Prin said. He sighed into Elwin’s shoulder. “I’m not sure she should have forgiven me after all.”

  “Nonsense.” Elwin said.

  “Now we have to work on the next leg of our journey.” Prin said brightly.

  “Yes.” Elwin patted his back. “I just don’t know how we’re going to get away from here without the captain or Valor . . . trying to stop us.”

  Prin pulled away from him and looked into his eyes with those shiny pools of blue he could still fall into and drown if he let himself. Nothing had changed about that.

  “Captain Thompson will help us. He has all the connections.” Prin said. “Now we’ll have to wait until Aster is up to traveling. I’m not sure whether that will be a few days or . . . a few weeks? I guess we should make ourselves scarce around town in the meantime.” He glanced at the curtained window.

  Elwin knew what he was thinking, another thing that would never change. “If Crow’s out there watching there’s not much we can do about it.” He said.

  The next few days passed in a blur. The captain had readily agreed to help them find safe passage off the island, although he claimed to be sad to see them go. It was carefully omitted that Aster was planning to leave as well, in case that would set him off and ruin his good nature.

  Meanwhile, Prin and Elwin worked to clean and patch what remained of their wardrobes, with Mrs. Frances’ help.

  They saw nothing of Crow. Although, both Prin and Aster seemed as jumpy as cats on hot coals whenever they were near a window, and claimed they could sense him out there somewhere. The fairy came back to Aster but came and went as she pleased at night, when no one could see. Aster called her ruby. Since she was bright red. Although the red coloring came from Aster’s own hair where she liked to nest her tiny self among the tendrils and curls. Aster claimed she was too tiny and light to be a bother, but as far as the hairbrush was concerned, she would have to watch out for her own self there.

  Valor wasn’t saying much about it, although Elwin imagined they were in for a scene at some point or another.

  Elwin went to find Prin after breakfast, wanting his input on a supplies list he was making. He checked in their room on the way to Valor’s where he found Prin peeking in from outside.

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  “Shh.” Prin whispered. “I don’t want to bother them.”

  Aster was sitting cross legged in the center of Valor’s bed, holding court, with both Valor and Wrena as her attentive subjects. She wore her robe, and the siblings were similarly casually dressed.

  Small bottles, jars, and boxes littered the bed and Aster held one jar in her hand and a tiny brush. She was applying kohl makeup to Valor’s eyes.

  “When you’re first starting out, don’t try to make one sweeping motion. Do it like this instead, see?” She was telling Wrena.

  Wrena leaned in close to her brother’s face. “I still don’t understand how you get it so smooth.”

  “You have to use good quality pigments, nothing too diluted! And add ju-ust the right amount of liquid. See?” Aster said.

  “Do I look like a court jester?” Valor asked.

  “No, you’re beautiful. Stupid garden snake.” Wrena admonished playfully. There was affection in her words.

  “Nothing could make you look silly.” Aster said. She deepened her voice theatrically in a mocking way. “You are So. Self. Serious.”

  “No I’m not.” Valor said.

  “Hold still.” Aster said. She held his face in front of her with one hand with freshly painted cherry blossom pink nails, making up his other eye with the other. “Almost done.”

  “How did you get so good at this?” Wrena wondered.

  “Well, it was easy! I’ve been playing in other people’s makeup since I could walk, and when I got old enough I finally had my own to play in.” Aster giggled. “It’s just all about practice. And when you see someone with a design on their face you like you go home in front of your mirror and practice it. Also, I was blessed with a lot of sister-aunties who were very generous with their instruction. They never made me feel left out, you know for being a boy or any other reason.”

  “Gender is such an outdated notion.” Wrena declared. “I mean, does it matter in the slightest?” She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her lower lip, as though being defiant in advance was her usual manner of giving a controversial hot take.

  Elwin suddenly admired her just a little bit.

  Prin poked him in the ribs to make sure he was watching this. He had become quite the little eavesdropper, hadn’t he? Elwin would have to remember that if he ever decided to say something he didn’t want Prin to hear.

  “I’m surprised to hear you say that.” Aster said.

  “Why? You don’t know me that well.” Wrena harumphed.

  “I didn’t mean it as an insult.” Aster said.

  “I think it matters.” Valor said. “It matters in having babies anyway.” He reached his hand up to his face and then put it down, clearly resisting the urge to touch his eyes and ruin the makeup. A perfectly feathered black line that framed his eyes and stretched from each corner. Like the stripe on a cat’s face.

  “Hmm.” Aster said. “It matters just as much as you let it, I guess.”

  “There are too many babies out here as it is.” Valor said.

  “If you were a woman I guess we would have to worry about having a new baby brother or sister.” Wrena said. “That would be too hard on father at this stage of his life.”

  “You won’t be saying “too hard on father” when you’re bringing home your own some day for him to chase around.” Valor teased.

  “I’m sure I’ll like them better if they’ve hatched from my own body.” Wrena agreed. She leaned in close to Aster. “Do my eyes next. It’s wasted on him.”

  “That’s nice.” Valor said sarcastically.

  “Well what do you care about what you look like?” Wrena asked. She leaned close to Aster, holding a silver hand mirror while Aster got started on her eye makeup.

  “I won’t be stuck in this house all the time forever.” Valor clenched his fist. “So learn well because I might have to depend on you sometimes to help me get ready to go out.”

  Wrena laughed, causing the line on her eyelid to jerk out of whack.

  “Oops.” Aster said. “Here, hold still.” She took the edge of a rag and attempted to fix it.

  “See what you did!” Wrena told her brother.

  “You can take him out with you.” Aster told her. “What an entrance when you walk in a party together!” She grinned. “Everyone will turn to stare. Who are those gorgeous, rich looking siblings? I get goosebumps to think of it. This island aint big enough for the two of you!” She said generously.

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Valor deadpanned.

  Prin guided Elwin a ways down the hall before bursting into his own fit of giggles. “How cute was that? Aster could fit right in here!” He sobered up. “But she doesn’t want to.”

  “That’s right. It’s still kind of nice to see Wrena and Valor having fun. Since things are about as gloomy as a funeral around here half the time.” Elwin said.

  Prin nodded. “I know. Now that things should be improving for Valor and – and the witch is gone. Hopefully there is a lot more fun for them in the future.”

  “What witch?” Elwin tried to figure out what he was referring to but it flitted away before he could pull it out of his mind and examine it.

  “Never mind.” Prin waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it.”