Meechi’s breath felt warm against her finger as it passed just between her lips. She didn’t feel any pain, but when Meechi pulled her finger away, blood pooled at the tiny pin-prick bite mark. She pressed her finger to the wood of the doorway and whispered a few words. Yellow aura pulsed and disappeared.

Honna sucked at the blood on her thumb as she followed Meechi into the room. It seemed like a small, castle-version, of a studio apartment. A simple wooden bench and table pressed against the left wall. Just a few feet away, against the back wall, stacked logs in the fireplace set aflame all on their own, like it was welcoming Meechi home. Brass pipes ran from the fireplace to the left corner of the room, where it seemed to heat a cast-iron claw-foot bathtub, already filling with steaming water. A thin black curtain covered the right corner from floor to ceiling, which she hoped concealed the toilet. A neatly made, queen-sized bed jutted out into the middle, taking up what little room was left. It’s wooden frame had runes, or letters from some unknown language, carved into the posts, making it seem a little creepy, but the pillowy-mattress and black cotton sheets looked warm and inviting.

“Oi!” Meechi walked up behind her. “Look at you going all out. How come I never get this kind of pampering?” she said into the air.

“What do you mean?” Honna asked, looking around for someone she could’ve been talking to. “Aren’t you the one that made that happen?”

Meechi plopped onto the bench. “No. Not really. I spelled the room, but magic doesn’t always do as it’s told.”

Honna sat on the bench next to her, resting her head in her arms on the table. She hadn’t realized how tired she was. Before going through the portal it had already been a long exhausting day. “You can’t control it?” she asked through a yawn.

“Yes, in a way.” Meechi sighed. “But magic can learn and grow. I sealed magic to this room and tasked it with keeping me comfortable, but as it grew to know me, it took on a personality of its own. Different Fae have different amounts of control. Some have no control at all. But, being Fae isn’t the only factor. It also depends on how long you’ve been around it, practicing with it, and forming a bond. Some are more naturally talented with it, while others can practice their whole lives and will barely be able to light a lamp, let alone open a portal or seal it to a room.”

She yawned again, trying her hardest to stay awake and learn more, but the warmth of the fire on her tired, aching muscles was lulling her to sleep.

“Okay,” Meechi said, lifting her effortlessly in her arms and carrying her limp body to the bed. “We’ll talk more when I get back from my mission.”

Honna jerked awake at her words, she instinctively clung to Meechi’s neck. “You’re leaving me here alone?” The soft bed wrapped around her body like a hug and she was gently lain on it. It smelled of its owner, leather, sandalwood, and something else. She inhaled the scent of the pillow. Fuji apples?

“I should be back by tomorrow. We will talk more then and find a way to run tests.” Meechi said, walking toward the door, then she turned back. “Just in case I’m not back, trust no one in this castle aside from Scero. He will help if you need it, though he may not always be nice about it.”

She heard the faint sound of the door clicking shut before blackness fell behind her heavy eyelids.