Farzanas spite, p.7
Farzana's Spite, page 7
“It smells amazing,” she sighed.
Ettares's eyes twinkled. “Just wait till you taste it. I’m telling you. Best. Bread. Ever.”
Farzana giggled at her enthusiasm as she led them to a corner booth. Sliding in, Farzana asked, “Do you come here often?”
She nodded. “I try to support small, local businesses. This place has been owned by the same family for 14 decades. I like to think I’ve helped with that.”
“Wow.” Small businesses tended not to last long in The City; they were better suited for smaller towns. In the past century, more and more corporations were buying up all the lots in The City, turning huge profits to feed their expansions. This business had been around for almost as long as Farzana had been alive, which was impressive.
“My favorites are the thyme and rosemary flatbread, the blackberry bread, and the spiced apple bread. You have to try them.”
“Okay!” Ettares's excitement was intoxicating. Farzana felt her spirit bubbling with happiness, and for a moment, she forgot she was in public with a near stranger.
“So what do you do for fun?” Ettares asked after placing their order with the pixie who came by.
“Oh, I dance.”
“You dance? On competitions?”
Farzana laughed. “No, I wish. I dance for fun. My brother and I, we have dance-offs.”
“That’s great! We should go dancing sometime. I know some fun clubs.”
“Oh, no, I…I don’t go out in public. I mean, I don’t dance in public.”
“That’s fine,” she said, reaching up to ruffle her wild curls. “I forgot you said you were an introvert. Private dancing it is, then. Tell me about your brother.”
“Enzi? Well, he’s like you, actually.” Farzana stopped, mortified at what she had said. What if she was wrong about Ettares being transgender?
“Like me?” She cocked her head.
“I mean, you changed your gender presentation, right? I guessed because you have a masc-fae name. Enzi changed his name when he transitioned.” Changing one’s gender was easy and common; you could go to any healer in The City and get a face and body change. But Farzana had never met anyone who had changed their gender and kept their old name.
Ettares winked. “Yes, I did. I love having a masc-fae name, honestly. But your brother transitioned as well? Good for him.”
“Why did you keep your name?” Farzana asked, leaning forward against the table separating them.
Ettares leaned back, propping her hands behind her head. “Well, it was the name I was born with; I’ve loved it for centuries.”
Centuries? How old is she?
“I thought about shortening it to Ares, but again, vowel first is still a masc-fae name. So I kept it as is. Plus”—she pointed a finger in the air—“people treat you differently if they’re expecting a masc-fae. My correspondences are startlingly more polite when they don’t know I’m a fem-fae. Maybe someday fem-fae will be treated equally, but I’m not sure when that will be. It’s partly why I respect Megami so much; she’s the only fem-fae Manager in The City.”
If only she didn’t promote outdated and sexist work attire.
Farzana nodded, smoothing down her pencil skirt.
The server came back laden with a tray topped with slices of fresh baked bread. Farzana’s stomach gave a small grumble as the server placed the bread down along with a dish of butter and another dish of what looked like oil and vinegar.
“Oh, wow,” Farzana said as the smell of bread slammed into her. How long had it been since she ate? She was ravenous.
Ettares spread her hands wide over the array. “Let’s eat!”
CHAPTER 9
DRAGONSONG WOKE FARZANA at dawn; she laid in bed as the sun crept over the horizon. Beams cast against the mirror shot threads of light all over the room in a dazzling display. Worship Day, or Rest Day for the undevout, was her one day off, and she intended to enjoy it. Her one goal for the day: de-stress from the rough work week.
After sending a quick prayer to The Harvester, the faerie god of death, journeys, and the unknown, Farzana dragged herself out of bed and snuck down to the family room. Enzi slept in on Worship Day, preferring to get as much rest as possible, and while Farzana usually did the same, that day she felt like reading a book. Fiction was her escape from the mundane, and in this case, the all too real stressors in her life.
Snagging a book from the shelf by the mirror, she made her way back to bed, snuggling under the covers and propping an extra pillow beneath her head. As the day passed, she read of daring adventures on a desolate island, following pirates as they plundered and fought their way to control their own destiny.
What she would give to be in control of her life…
By the time Farzana realized she hadn’t eaten all day, she found Enzi busy in the kitchen, cooking up an extravagant dinner of fried dragon wings, baked cheese, and flatbread. The aroma of fresh bread lingered in the room, bringing to mind the delightful lunch Farzana had shared with Ettares the day before.
Full from dinner, Farzana sank into a piping hot bubble bath, lathering her curls with her best shampoo and allowing them to soak in the bath water. Pruny fingers flipped the last pages of her book, and after she closed the back cover, she collapsed into bed for a dreamless sleep.
Chirps woke her the next morning and she stretched, greeting the day with a smile. Her curls were soft as silk after her soak, and she used a hefty amount of curl lotion on them, pulling the moisturizer from root to end and scrunching up each curl to help define it.
She shook her head, enjoying the feeling of her tumultuous ringlets cascading down her back and hugging her head. Though they meant a lot of upkeep, she was forever grateful for her full head of curls for vanity’s sake; they were absolutely gorgeous when she treated them well. And they were another trait she had inherited from her mother. She couldn’t imagine having the limp, straight hair of her father.
She pulled on one of many identical shirt and skirt combinations, found her flats, and headed downstairs for breakfast.
Enzi stood at the counter mixing up some sweet cream. “Morning,” he said, his voice still rough from sleep.
“Morning!” Farzana sat on a stool at the counter, watching him finish his task.
He spooned a dollop of cream into a bowl of fresh berries and slid the bowl over to her.
“You know how to make me happy,” she said with a grin, grabbing a spoon and digging in. The sweet and sour taste of the berries mixed with the decadence of the cream lifted her spirits even more; she savored every bite before rinsing her bowl, giving Enzi a one-armed hug, and heading to work.
A waterhorse trolley passed as she shut the door, and she took a running leap to catch it. Her usual five-minute walk became a two-minute ride with a hop off at the end of the street.
After receiving several gawks and stares from the various conglomeration of faeries by her building, she realized she had forgotten her coat, her purple wings on full display. A sense of panic gripped her limbs, and a violent shudder passed through her.
I’m okay. I’m safe. I’m okay. I’m safe.
The mantra worked to slowly drain the anxiety from her until she could breathe easier. No one was acting hostile. She could deal with some curious looks. Lifting her chin, she strode to the lifts with fake confidence. The doors were already opened, waiting for her, and a couple common-fae pixies and one elf got into the lift with her. Someone asked for her floor; with a shaky smile of gratitude, she told him floor six.
Ettares and Tathi were laughing together in her cubicle when she arrived; Farzana dropped her bag on the desk and perched on her chair.
“What’s so funny?”
“Ettares had a little fall yesterday getting out of the bath. She has a bruise the shape of a soap bar on her ass now!” Tathi chortled as Ettares blushed.
“I had a bath last night too, though I didn’t have any mishaps.”
“Must have been nice,” Ettares mumbled, her high cheekbones bright red.
“Farzana, when are you going to come out with me and Enka? I wish I had pictures of him. I always seem to forget to take any,” Tathi mused, opening her pocket mirror and swiping the screen.
Ettares tapped her chin with chagrin. “About that…you probably shouldn’t be seeing him anymore.”
“Why…?” Tathi asked, drawing the word into several syllables.
“Turns out he has a wife and kid in another kingdom.”
“What kingdom?”
“Ostrana.”
“What’s his wife’s name?”
“Lhara.”
Tathi sighed. “Damn. I really thought he was a good one.”
“A good lay, you mean,” Farzana pointed out, “and you were right about that.”
Tathi had a dreamy smile. “Yeah, I was. I’ll always have that memory. Too bad I can’t experience it again. I’m not a home wrecker.”
“And that’ll be one thousand and fifty dradens,” Ettares said.
Tathi and Farzana exchanged a look before bursting into laughter.
“One thousand! Ah! And fifty! Dradens!” Tathi had tears in her eyes. “Oh gods, Ettares, you are one funny pixie.”
Farzana was laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe. 1050 dradens? They didn’t make that much in a week.
Ettares's face was a deep red, darker than any blush Farzana had ever seen. “I know, right? I’m so glad I could bring you all some merriment.”
“This is why we keep you around.” Tathi gave her shoulder a playful punch. “Who knew nobles were fun-loving folk like us lowbrow faeries?”
“Knock, knock,” came a quiet voice from the doorway. Araj stood there, hands in his pockets and a forlorn look on his face.
The atmosphere in the cubicle turned icy as all three fem-fae grew quiet. After a long moment, Tathi squeezed Farzana’s shoulder.
“I’m fine,” Farzana said, and Tathi and Ettares left.
“Hey, Farzana,” Araj said in a soft voice.
She turned her back on him, facing the window, and stared out at the new Center. It was seven floors tall, and she could stare straight across at the new construction, large enough now that she no longer had to look down to spot it.
“I just want to talk,” he said, stepping into the cubicle, closer to her.
She shifted in her seat, discomfort cramping her back. She imagined his breath touching her neck and shivered.
“I’m worried for you.”
I’m worried about you.
Farzana looked down at the street level construction, noticing several imps carrying what was probably a support beam. One of the imps tripped and fell, and the rest of them continued toward the building, stepping over and around the fallen one.
“I saw in the logs that you went home early one day? And then one day you took a two-hour lunch.”
The fallen imp got to their feet and ran after the others, catching up right as they entered the building. The pixie guarding the door shoved the lone imp and pointed for them to go back to the end of the construction site.
“You’re not going to get paid if you aren’t working, Farzana. I know how much your family relies on your income.”
The imp turned dejectedly and headed away, shoulders hunched over.
“Please talk to me.”
Farzana whirled around in her seat, glaring daggers at him, fangs bared. “What should we talk about, hm? Should we chat about how you assaulted me? Or how I’m going to be stuck living in Erasto’s new Center? What about me losing my job?”
He cringed, face growing paler with every word she spat at him. “I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t know that you assaulted me?”
He frowned. “No, that’s not what I meant. I know what I did.”
“Great,” she said, spinning back to the window.
“I’m not proud of it,” he continued, not taking the hint.
“Good! Finally some sense.”
“Farzana, please. I’m trying to apologize here. Look at me.”
She shook her head, curls tumbling and wings quivering in anger. “Apologize then.”
He stepped up beside the desk, looking down at her. “I messed up. I messed up bad and I know you don’t need to forgive me, but I will do anything to make it up to you.” He ran his hands through his hair, making it stand on end.
He sounded so sincere; his words tugged at her heart. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to forgive him. She wanted to embrace him and tell him everything was okay and then leave work together early to spend the day together, as friends. As best friends.
But what he did was unforgivable, wasn’t it? What kind of pushover would she be to just say everything was okay?
She stared at him, emotions warring. “I don’t know what to say. Please leave me alone.”
“I’m not leaving. I need to know our relationship will be okay. Don’t throw away five decades of friendship, Farzana. I was there when no one else was, and I’ll always be there for you. You know that.”
“I don’t know what to say,” she repeated, fingers tangling in her curls in frustration. “I can’t think!”
Tathi knocked on the doorway. “Everything okay in here, darling?”
“Go away, Tathi. This is private,” Araj growled.
“Go sit on a stick,” she said in a prim voice. “I asked Farzana, not you.”
“I don’t know!” Farzana wailed.
“You need to leave,” Tathi said to Araj, hands on her hips.
“I’m not leaving until Farzana says everything is okay,” he repeated, crossing his arms over his chest. “Farzana?”
This was too much; Farzana’s head felt fuzzy, and she desperately needed to scream, to let out her pent-up frustration. The walls were closing in on her and her own organs suffocated her.
Araj was an arrogant prick who didn’t deserve her forgiveness or friendship. He had made that clear. He deserved to be thrown to the wind.
But he had apologized, right? He had said sorry, though not for hurting her. He actually hadn’t even acknowledged her feelings at all.
Everyone made mistakes. Were some mistakes unforgivable? Didn’t she have any self-respect? And what about the bond of a 50-year friendship? He had been with her through thick and thin, through everything. He was her rock, her foundation, her steadfast companion.
But trust, the very foundation of any relationship, had been broken.
Through a haze, she realized Tathi and Araj were arguing, yelling in each other’s faces. It was a testament to Tathi’s self-control that she hadn’t enchanted him into hitting himself or something worse.
“Shut up!” Farzana screeched, covering her eyes and letting out a sob. Silence descended, and she peeked out from between her fingers to see them both looking at her with concern.
“I can’t take this,” she said, grabbing her bag and brushing past them both.
Another shit day, another excuse to leave early. It wasn’t like the company needed her anyway.
CHAPTER 10
ETTARES, GARBED IN a tailored black velvet suit, sat on the ground in Farzana’s cubicle the next day, her long legs sprawled out in front of her and her hands behind her head. She waved at Farzana as she entered, a smile gracing her full lips.
“You know, it’s almost like you’re stalking me,” Farzana joked, sitting in her chair.
Ettares laughed. “I like you, that’s all. But if you would prefer to be alone, I can respect that. Tathi told me what happened yesterday. Maybe I shouldn’t have come,” she finished in a rush.
“No! No, I’m happy you’re here.” Farzana’s face heated at the confession.
Ettares brightened. “How are you feeling? Is everything going to be okay between you and Araj?”
Farzana wrinkled her nose at the question, trying not to cry. “He’s being difficult right now. He’s usually a great friend, but right now, it’s hard to be around him.”
Ettares nodded. “I know the feeling.”
“Why does he hate you?” Farzana blurted out.
Ettares pursed her lips and stared straight ahead at the wall. “I’m not sure that’s something we should talk about. Let’s just say we had polarizing opinions on something.”
Farzana snorted. “He can be very opinionated, so I get it. We once had a fight over which pasta base is best: tomato or cream. He didn’t talk to me for a week.”
Ettares eyes sparkled with humor. “Which one did you say?”
“Cream, obviously!”
“It’s the only correct answer,” Ettares agreed.
“See, you get it.” Farzana laughed, light-hearted. Spending time with Ettares felt so carefree, so easy. So right.
“Question,” Ettares said, sitting up and leaning toward her; Farzana could see her reflection in those crystal clear blue eyes.
“What?”
“Do you want to watch a movie together tonight?”
Farzana was speechless. Was this a date? Was Ettares really asking her to go to a movie with her? Her heartbeat thundered through her body, all the way down to her fingertips.
“I would love to,” Farzana said in a hurry, before anxiety changed her answer. “What movie?”
“Well, I know you don’t like being out in public, so I figured we could watch something at one of our houses.”
Ah, so it wasn’t a date. Or maybe it was?
“You can come over to my place. I mean, it’s probably tiny compared to your house, but Enzi is a great cook, and he can probably whip up some yummy snacks for us.”
Her face lit up. “Sounds great! I would be honored to try your brother’s cooking.”
“I guess this means I need to tell him about you,” Farzana said, realizing she had yet to tell him that she not only knew but semi-regularly hung out with a noble.
Ettares raised a delicate eyebrow. “He doesn’t know about me?”
