And he knew exactly who to blame for all this.
“Starling, show yourself,” he snarled, turning away from the privy door.
“Tsk tsk. You are in such a poor temper, Nyte.” The sprite’s blue-white light appeared beneath the bed, and she flitted up to fly above him tauntingly before landing on his shoulder. Her three eyes met his. “You have a naked woman in there who invited you to join her, and here you are, being snarly.”
He scowled at the sprite. “I am not being snarly.”
Starling put her four hands on her hips and bared her sharp, pointed teeth. “Starling, show yourself!”
“That is not how I sou?—”
She raised her upper hands and clawed at the air. “Grr, grr, hiss, hiss.”
Nyte rolled his eyes. “Whenever you’re done, you and I need to have a serious conversation.”
“Pfft. All you have been is serious for hundreds of years! It is time to move on, Nyte.” Starling leapt into the air and hovered before him, waving her arms toward the privy. “She is perfect. I know you can see it as well as I do.”
Nyte’s tail twitched in his hand, agreeing with the sprite’s assessment. He squeezed it. “How do I break the tether?”
“There is no breaking it. You must let it run its course.” She tilted her head far, far to the side, practically bending herself in half. “Unless…one of you dies.”
“And you know full well that your little binding spell prevents me from doing her harm.”
“Of course I know! And I would be very, very cross with you if you were to allow harm to befall our witchling.”
“Ourwitchling, is she?”
Starling grinned. “Yes. At least until you make her yours.”
“It will not happen. All you’ve done is condemn me to a month of suffering.”
“If you are so averse to getting closer to Ember, you still have two hands. Only you can ease that suffering.”
Nyte glared at his companion. “That is not what I meant, and you know it.”
Starling clapped her hands with a giggle. “Oh, this will be so entertaining!”
He threw his tail back and leveled a finger at the sprite. “This is cruel. Our friendship has endured for eons, and this is what it’s become?”
“It is because I am your friend that I am doing this.” She flitted closer, hands on her hips once more, and glared at him. “You have sulked for far too long over someone who did not deserve what you gave her.”
“And she certainly didn’t deserve what she took, either.” Nyte absently rubbed at his chest as the ghost of that old ache stirred within him. “But why,why, would you think this mortal is the answer? She didn’t even know she’s a witch, damn it.”
Starling waved a hand. “Her magic is untapped, and that is all the better for you, is it not? If she does not know any spells, she cannot use them against you. As for why her…well, that is for you to discover, Nyte.”
“I will not repeat my mistake, Starling. I will not succumb again.”
“And I will not allow you to wallow in despair for the rest of your immortal life.” She notched her chin up. “Besides, I do not make mistakes. She will not be a mistake.”
“Oh, I’m sure I can list at least?—”
The shower turned off, and Nyte’s attention returned to the closed door. Half-formed images teased at the edges of his mind, imaginings of Ember’s naked body, glistening with drops of water as she stepped out of the tub…
He growled through his teeth and swung his gaze back to Starling, only to find empty air where she’d been hovering. “Damn you. You know I’ve always found that rude.”
Faint, tinkling laughter answered him from somewhere unseen.
Nyte balled his fists and drew his wings in tight, tail whipping in agitation. The sprite knew how to break this binding, how to reverse the summoning, she had to know, but she’d never tell him how. She’d never been one to give up once she’d put a plan into motion. Especially if it meant she’d be able to laugh at his expense.
