Firsts

Years ago, back when monsters roamed free, seven rulers banded together, and each sacrificed their most important First to chase the trespassing monsters out of their kingdoms back to their homeland, one that all seven kingdoms bordered.

The border and the stretch of land of each kingdom that touched the Wild Lands were protected by a Keeper, ensuring the barrier keeping the monsters out would not be broken.

The story was an old one by now, but no less true. Humanity had flourished and grown in the kingdoms, but the Wild Lands remained untamed and untouched, and it teemed with ancient magic.

It was a dangerous and deadly place should anyone be foolish enough to set foot inside it. For the barrier kept the monsters out, but humans could walk freely past it, not that it did them any good. They were not welcome, after all.

Mai was the third generation of Keepers of her kingdom, and where it had once been a great honor and a respected position, these days, she was busier chasing unruly teenagers and curious children away than she was ensuring the barrier remained strong.

Other kingdoms had not been as lucky, however, and she had felt a ripple in the barrier every time one of the other Keepers failed in their duty.

Mai had no idea how the monsters had done it, but one after another, they had lured the Keepers close, had gotten them to give up one of their Firsts.

A memory, a secret, a gift, a piece of handmade art, and a tear shed. Even a first kiss had been given.

Now, Mai was the only one left who hadn’t given the monsters anything, not that they weren’t trying. Many had visited the border, old but well taken care of, where her small home stood.

They had tried to trick her, had tried to bargain with her, and had even tried to seduce her. And they certainly had lied to her.

They had told her fantastical tales in which humans were the ones entirely and completely in the wrong. They told her about a time when monsters only left the Wild Lands to nourish and guide the magic living in the human kingdoms.

Mai knew a different story. One where monsters had come to steal the magic, where chasing them out was necessary to protect what little the kingdoms had left.

The royal family was certainly panicking about the Keepers failing. No one had expected the barrier to deteriorate this quickly, after all. It had happened very fast, almost all at once, and now they wanted to make sure Mai would uphold it no matter what.

She was lucky she wasn’t placed under constant surveillance anymore. She had been, at first, until there had been enough reports to the king that she wasn’t foolish enough to fall for a monster’s sweet words and even sweeter lies. Her entourage of knights had been called back to the capital soon after that.

She was glad to have her home and privacy back, to no longer endure the presence of eyes watching her at all times. To attend to her duty calmly and free of stress.

The only one who now spent quite a bit of time with her was the one monster that refused to give up.

"Good morning, dear Keeper," he greeted her as she went on her usual rounds, checking the barrier and ensuring her little warning system was in place so she knew when foolish teenagers wanted to try to approach it.

She had no idea when, but somehow, it had become a very popular dare among the kids and teens to try to get past her and beyond the barrier. To bring something back from the land of monsters.

As if anything but death would await them there.

The monster who accompanied her from his side of the barrier had introduced himself as Breeze and visited the border multiple times a week. Sometimes, he was there in the morning, like right now, and sometimes, he dropped by in the afternoon or evening.

At first, Mai had ignored him, but he had kept chatting at her until he had found enough spots to poke at to make her respond. In the end, it had been easier to greet him back and answer his questions so he moved on sooner.

"Good morning, Breeze," she answered, glancing up to see him crouching on a large branch.

He grinned at her, flashing sharp, sharp fangs, and his silver-white wings fluffed slightly and settled again. His claws lightly scratched at the bark of the branch he perched on, though he didn’t press down hard enough to actually hurt the tree.

Mai occasionally wondered what First he wanted from her, since he never gave her a proper clue. Sometimes, he tried to make her step past the barrier to join him, saying he wanted to show her his world. Sometimes, he wanted her to give him flowers from her side, and sometimes, he really just wanted a bite from her lunch.

But all of those might be a First, so she never gave him anything, even if, under other circumstances, she wouldn’t have hesitated.

It made her feel quite mean to refuse him even the most innocent of requests, but she couldn’t risk it.

For one, she was pretty sure the king would behead her if the monsters could freely return to the kingdoms because of her.

And two, the monsters themselves would probably try to kill her once they had what they wanted. No matter how much Breeze had promised that they were nice, she never knew which of his words were lies and which weren’t.

"You look like you slept well," he said and straightened, stepping off of the branch and flaring his wings to lightly touch down on the ground before her. The barrier was an invisible thing that could only be sensed, so they could look at and speak with each other without issue.

Mai had to admit that he was beautiful, his long hair braided and decorated with flowers and beads and his wings shimmering in the sunshine like something otherworldly. If spidersilk was actually a thing outside of storybooks, she was certain it would have the color of his wings.

He flared them proudly when he noticed her looking, and Mai swiftly returned to her task of tending to the land around the border. He followed along, chatting easily, and she hid a smile when one of her dry remarks made him laugh.

There was a lightness to Breeze that made him look like he weighed nothing as he walked, hopping onto stones and downright drifting over fallen branches.

As they parted ways a little while later, he once again tried to ask her for something, "That ribbon in your hair is so pretty, could you get me one, too?"

"Have a nice day, Breeze," Mai said, turning away so she wouldn’t have to see his disappointed face.

If she was honest, despite her determination to not give in, it was getting harder to tell him no. Secretly, deep down, she wished they could actually be friends, despite knowing that he most likely lied to her a lot.

"Have a nice day, dear Keeper," Breeze answered, his voice softer than before, and it made the guilty feeling in her chest worse.

But she couldn’t fall for it. It would cost her everything if she did, and since she knew that the monsters wanted to get past the barrier, she couldn’t trust any of Breeze’s words.

She spent the rest of the day receiving visitors from nearby villages and towns who came to her to get talismans and warding stones and other little things she had made.

It was her own special kind of magic, and she enjoyed sharing it. Since she wasn’t allowed to leave this place, people had to come to her.

Mai couldn’t help with everything, however, no matter how much she wanted to. She could ward places against curses and protect people from ill intentions, but she couldn’t heal sickness or control the elements.

Sometimes she wondered if it wouldn’t have been better to be born a mage rather than an enchanter.

After another walk along the barrier and a chat with Breeze, she returned home to write letters to her family, sending them off in the shape of fast little birds that zipped away to vanish into the horizon.

She missed her family quite a bit, but they only managed to visit her once a year, at most, since it wasn’t exactly an easy or cheap journey. The king had promised to give more money to her family in return for her service, but so far, it hadn’t been enough to let them visit more often.

The evenings were always calm and quiet around here, and she listened to the wind rustling through trees, the calls of woodland animals, and crickets chirping in the warm breeze.

It was a quiet life, not a bad one, and she did enjoy her alone time, but... it felt empty all the same more often than not.

Where, at first, it had felt like a big accomplishment to have her hard work recognized and to be hired as a Keeper, now it felt dull.

There was nothing for her here, no more things to study and learn unless she asked a villager to order and deliver books for her, and no further expectations and goals to work towards. All she had to do was ensure the barrier wouldn’t fall.

It made her feel like her life was stagnant, as if she had already reached the end of the road before she had even properly learned how to walk.

Some days, it felt like Breeze was the only one who genuinely cared about how she was doing, who greeted her with bright smiles and sharp grins and who wanted to get to know her more and more.

If only it wasn’t a lie, a ruse to get her to give him a First.

Summer had reached its zenith when a letter arrived, and Mai received the news that her mother had fallen terribly ill.

Her mother hadn’t mentioned having a cough that had lasted since spring, but it had only gotten worse. She hadn’t wanted to worry her daughter, had sought out doctors and even an alchemist specialized in healing tonics, but none of them had been able to help.

A terrible, foreboding feeling gripped Mai as she read the letter her brother had written. Maybe it was the tiny smudged spot, like a tear had fallen onto the paper, right above the words, "I don’t know how much longer she has," or maybe just her worries alone, but Mai’s vision was blurring.

Her mother was dying, and she couldn’t even go see her, since she was the Keeper. Her place was at the border until she died or got replaced by another Keeper.

There was also no way her mother would survive the journey here, and it would be cruel to demand it just so that Mai could spend a few more moments with her.

The last thing her brother had written on the letter was, "At least you will remember her as she was, rather than as she is now."

Mai sat there for a long time, long enough that when she got up for her second round of the day, it was far later than usual. To her surprise, Breeze was still there, perking up when he spotted her and looking relieved.

"Hey there, dear Keeper, what kept you–" He fell silent and jumped down from his usual branch, getting as close as the barrier allowed. His voice was soft and kind when he asked, "What’s wrong?"

His care was all a lie, Mai knew that. A trick to get from her what no one else had ever gotten. So she looked away from him, staring at a tree further away to try to keep herself from tearing up yet again.

She didn’t fully succeed, and her voice was a little shakier than she liked when she said, "My mother is sick. She’ll be dead soon."

She didn’t wait for Breeze to answer but started her round, focusing on her tasks rather than the way grief and worry were gripping her heart in a tight fist.

"Hey, woah, slow down!" He hop-flapped after her, his startled, worried expression so genuine she almost believed that he actually cared. "What does she have?"

"Pneumonia, but medicine doesn’t help anymore, she’s too weak," Mai answered, keeping her gaze resolutely focused on her hands and away from him. A mage might have been able to help, but mages were rare and far too expensive, even for the kingdom’s Keeper. "Can you please go –"

"Wait here!" he downright shouted and took flight, leaving Mai to stare after him in surprise. His large, powerful wings carried him away easily and swiftly, and he vanished from sight within seconds.

Mai wasn’t quite sure why she listened, but she stayed where she was, her heart heavy with grief and her stomach full with sadness. She waited as the minutes ran together, staring into the forest while the sun slowly sank towards the horizon.

Breeze returned just as she was about to move on, clutching a little vial that he tossed at her. She just barely managed to catch it in time, and the liquid inside looked like moonlight had gotten bottled right off of dark water.

"That should help her," he said with a smile so bright it seemed to make all the shadows vanish.

At her utterly dumbfound expression, he laughed before he softened. "We’re not so bad, you know."

"I can’t give you anything in return," she whispered, her voice croaky, and her fingers tightened around the vial. If this really could help, if this really saved her mother, there was no way she’d ever be able to pay him back.

She was never allowed to pay him back, either.

He waved her off. "We’re friends, dear Keeper. Now go."

"Thank you," her voice was breathless and full of emotion, and his sharp gaze was bright as he watched her turn and rush back to the house.

It was only later, after she had sent the vial flying towards home, swaddled in fabric and enchanted paper, that she realized she had never finished her round. It was too late now, the light was gone, and she wouldn’t be able to see anything.

She was too restless to sleep, however, tossing and turning until she got up with a sigh. She stood in her little home for the longest moment until she decided that while she couldn’t give Breeze anything, she could lose things, couldn’t she?

The next morning, Breeze found a basket of food on a stone beyond the barrier, and when he looked at her in surprise, his wings rising slightly behind him, she shrugged.

"I’m not giving it to you," she said. "I’m not giving it to anyone. It’s not mine anymore. I lost it."

He laughed, bright and cheerful, and downright dove for the basket. He was eating and talking as they walked side by side, complimenting the food and asking her for more, for things he could take back to his friends and family.

"I can’t give you anything," she told him as they parted ways, and he tossed the basket back at her.

In the afternoon, the basket waited for him anew, this time filled with little cakes and muffins, and he was very happy indeed. He seemed even more eager to talk than before and it helped keep Mai’s mind off of her mother. She could only hope the medicine worked.

It took a week for another letter to arrive, and the contents made her burst into relieved tears. The medicine had worked. Her brother was ecstatic, asking her where she had gotten it, if she had managed to pay for a mage, after all. Their mother was finally recovering.

That afternoon, she not only left a basket of food, but also one of her favorite ribbons, the one Breeze so often admired.

"I lost it," she told him firmly when he stared at her in surprise, clawed fingers holding the embroidered ribbon like it was a priceless treasure. "I’m not giving anything to you."

"I know, dear Keeper, I know," he said softly. "Your mother, she’s alright, then?"

Mai smiled at him in a way she hadn’t before, bright and wide and relieved. "Yes, thank you."

"Oh, it’s been my pleasure, believe me," he said, not looking away for a moment. "You were worth the effort."

Ah, more sweet words, and while they made her smile, she felt a small pang all the same.

Though, despite waiting for him to ask for a First again like he had in the past, he didn’t. He just walked beside her, the ribbon wound around his fingers and held carefully, the basket carried in his other hand.

When he departed, he left one of his feathers behind, beautiful and shimmering. Mai took it home despite knowing that it probably wasn’t the best idea. She shouldn’t encourage him more than she already had.

It did make her wonder, however, more than ever before, just why the monsters had gotten chased out of the kingdoms. Had the kings and queens not spoken with them beforehand?

Breeze had helped her without expecting anything in return, and if he had hoped to get a First as payment, he certainly hadn’t asked for it.

It could be a trick of, course, to garner her trust, but... she didn’t think so. Or maybe she just didn’t want to think so.

So maybe, maybe he had done it because he had wanted to help.

If he was this good, then it stood to reason that other monsters were, as well. Surely, if they weren’t all that bad, there had been no reason, no need, to create a barrier. Or to uphold it.

It wasn’t like she could go and conduct any research, however, since she had to stay here, but... what if Breeze really didn’t lie to her? About anything he had told her?

It was dangerous to question herself, to question his intentions, to question the existence of the barrier. She couldn’t let the barrier fall; she was the last one keeping it up, keeping people safe.

But... was she keeping people safe?

If she thought that the exchange of goods would be one-sided, she had another thing coming.

Breeze brought her handmade jewelry created out of crystals and leather and pretty stones. He got her a new apron that he had hand-sewn and a shawl he boasted he had woven himself.

The shawl was the finest, softest thing she had ever seen or touched. Even finer than what royalty owned, and it felt silk-smooth beneath her fingertips.

It was in her favorite colors as well, decorated with a rearing unicorn with a dragon curled protectively around it. The sheer hard work and beauty of it stole her breath away.

"I can’t accept this," she said, and he grinned at her.

"I’m not giving it to you, I lost it," he answered, easy as that, and added, in a warmer tone, "And I made it for you. No one else can have it, so you might as well take it."

"But this must’ve taken you months!" Her voice came out breathless with disbelief, and he shrugged.

"I like keeping busy in the evenings," he answered, as if that explained why he had decided to spend his free time on gifts for her, but he was already moving on, talking about the nonsense his littlest sister was up to lately. "I swear, if she pokes another bear, I’ll dangle her upside down over the river by her foot."

When Mai carefully wound the shawl around her shoulders, she swore he preened, looking proud and maybe glad as well.

Breeze tossed more and more things at her as the days passed, though the times he brought food, courtesy of his parents and younger siblings and friends, he always made sure to be very careful with it, and Mai made sure to get as close as she could without crossing the barrier.

Soon, Breeze wasn’t the only one who visited her. While she had seen other monsters around before, none of them had been like Breeze. None of them had seemed to want to actually get to know her.

She met Breeze’s little sister first, a whirlwind of massive, dark purple wings that shimmered like amethyst, and she talked just as much as Breeze did.

She was also a whole load of trouble, making Breeze chase her around so she wouldn’t spill all his embarrassing secrets.

"I really can’t let you think I’m a moron," he said as he had his sister in a headlock, which looked awkward at best since one of her wings kept whacking him over the back of the head.

"He is, though," his sister declared with a shit-eating grin and then she laughed as Breeze chased her away, disgruntled but not actually upset.

It reminded Mai of her own little brother. She had chased him away, too, when she had tried to study and he had gotten it into his head to bug her. Or when he had decided to tail her on her outings, making her escort him back home with fond exasperation.

She really missed her family, even the annoying parts that came with them.

Then came Breeze’s best friend, a towering entity of vines and moss and skulls with glowing dots in the empty sockets. They were quite polite and ate cupcakes in the daintiest manner she had ever seen.

Mai had an hour-long conversation about enchantments with them, since they were quite good at carving runes, and they compared their runes to the sigils that Mai used.

It was harmless to tell each other those things, since Mai couldn’t make heads nor tails of runes, and sigils were similarly nonsensical to monsters.

Breeze was snoring off to the side during their talk, looking content as he slept in the sun.

Breeze’s parents, who thanked her for being a good friend to their son, were next, and more and more monsters followed.

Breeze looked proud all the while, like he was happy that she could meet everyone and that everyone seemed to like her.

He always wore the ribbon wound through his braided hair now, and he looked especially happy and smug whenever she wore the shawl he had made for her.

Before Mai knew it, her days had grown far livelier. Some monsters were chatterboxes, some preferred quiet calmness, but she found herself spending more and more time by the barrier, drawn close day after day.

It was foolish, it was stupid. It was a truly bad idea, and yet...

"You know joining me on my side won’t ruin the barrier, right?" Breeze asked one day as he laid draped across a big, moss-covered boulder, wings stretched to both sides as he enjoyed the sun.

The heat still lingered, but summer was almost over and the air already tasted like autumn in the mornings. It would be days at most before rain would fall, and the air would grow cool.

Before he had given her the cure for her mother, and before spending more and more time with Breeze and other monsters, Mai wouldn’t even have entertained such a thing.

Crossing the barrier was a terrible idea, after all. There was a reason why she chased all those unruly kids away.

Sure, the barrier might not fall if she died, but the kingdom would have to quickly find another Keeper to take over before it started to grow weak by itself. Before it would fall apart, since Mai was the only Keeper left currently upholding it.

It was the height of stupidity to trust a monster, and yet, she didn’t say no right away. Breeze noticed, sitting up, his eyes brighter and his wings shifted as he tucked them in to get up.

"Come on, dear Keeper," he said, but where others might have used a teasing, cajoling voice, he just sounded gentle and soft. It was a far more dangerous tone because it worked. "I promise you’ll be safe. Trust me."

Maybe she’d find answers to her questions on the other side of the barrier. Questions that grew louder and more pressing the more time she spent with monsters.

She hadn’t stayed idle all this time, of course. She had requested all the material the kingdom had on monsters and the time when the barrier had been created, but the books she had gotten delivered by a royal scholar had been frustrating at best and thin at worst.

Something was off. Something didn’t fit. Monsters were portrayed as terrible and evil, but... all the monsters she had gotten to know were just people.

Loud and quiet, thoughtful and thoughtless, big and small. Each and every one of them had hearts filled with their own dreams and ambitions. Each and every one of them cared for someone.

How could they be terrible if they were capable of love?

"Alright," she said, and Breeze hopped off his boulder, looking hopeful and like he was holding his breath a little.

It took three steps in all to cross the barrier, and Breeze inhaled sharply, his eyes bright, and he smiled, one wing arching slightly over and around Mai, not cutting off her way back, but shielding her from the heat of the sun.

"Hello there, dear Keeper," he murmured and held out his hand. "May I show you my home?"

She took his hand, finding it as warm as hers. There were some calluses, and he was gentle as he closed his fingers around hers and tugged her deeper into the forest away from the barrier.

Magic seemed to be everywhere, filling the air and ground and tasting faintly of dreams and possibilities and exciting adventures ahead.

The land was as wild as the monsters that lived there, and with Breeze as a guide, she did not get lost.

Mai was shown numerous hidden paths, and little walking mushrooms waved at her as she passed them by, while little fairies giggled and floated over bubbling brooks.

These lands were beautiful and lovely and breathtaking and mesmerizing, sunlight almost shimmering as it fell through the canopy. She knew she’d leave a piece of her heart behind here held by roots and branches and moss.

It felt like she had stepped foot into a world of old, one that she had only read about in books. Back when magic had been everywhere before the monsters had started to eat it.

Only, that didn’t make sense. If monsters ate magic, then this forest should be devoid of it.

If anything, all the creatures they met along the way greeted Breeze happily, some tugging on the ends of his wings, and others making flowers bloom around his head in a wreath.

When they did the same for her, Mai felt herself fall a little more in love, yet again, with everything around her.

Breeze took her all the way to his place, showing her his home up in the trees where his family lived, as well, while his earth-bound friends had cozy little houses built down on the ground.

He was flying loops around her as she climbed the ladder made of rope and sturdy sticks. He was quite eager to show her everything once she reached the top.

She got a tour of his treetop home, and he showed her the weaving he was currently working on for a fellow monster, though he refused to let her look at his other weaving stand.

"It’s a gift," he said sternly, herding her away before she could even glance at it. "Don’t spoil it for yourself."

"You don’t have to, you know," she said, and he gave her a look.

"I know. I want to," he answered firmly. "Please just accept that you are worth it to me, alright? And before you say anything, no, I don’t want anything in return." He paused. "Well, aside from your smile."

She couldn’t help but smile at him then and there, and his answering smile was soft and warm.

"My, if you’re rewarding me up front, I better do my best," he murmured, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

When he took her hand again, she let him, and when he didn’t let go, neither did she.

Mai forgot the passage of time before she knew it. Everyone welcomed her, and some asked her about recipes and if she had any more ribbons.

When she folded little paper birds and made them fly about, the children screeched in joy, and even the adults paused and watched.

She had done the same for her little brother and the neighboring children in the past, but that had been years ago. She had forgotten how good it felt to bring people joy with her powers.

It was only when the sun sank and a gentle glow appeared in the plants and on the forest floor that she realized she had spent her entire day here.

Even then, as Breeze took her back home, she stopped every once in a while to look at something new. The tiny, cute lanterns that fairies had made out of acorns especially caught her attention.

Before she knew it, they reached the barrier again and he turned to her with a small, slightly wistful smile, "Here we are, dear Keeper. I’d accompany you to your front door, but alas..." He trailed off in a slightly over-dramatic way that made Mai smile despite the unspoken, underlying topic. "I trust you enjoyed yourself?"

"I did," she said. "Thank you."

"You are welcome any time," he offered and held out his hand, helping her over a stone even though she didn’t need it, his touch lingering a moment. "Thank you for trusting me."

"Any time," she found herself teasing back, and he smiled, warm and soft, and leaned over her hand, holding her gaze and giving her plenty of time to pull back before he pressed a light kiss to her knuckles.

"Have a good night, dear Keeper," he murmured, his breath warm across her skin. "I’ll see you again tomorrow."

Mai had kept researching the barrier and why it existed even as she spent most of her days with monsters. By now, it was normal for her to cross the barrier, Breeze waiting for her on the other side.

As autumn settled across the land and she watched Breeze play with the fairies, laughing and ever-so-carefully flapping his wings to create just the right amount of wind to make them giggle as they tumbled about, she realized she had fallen in love with more than just the land.

She had fallen in love with him. With his kindness and his easy joy and his sharp smiles and warm grins. With his clear care for the people around him and how happy he was about each and every little thing she 'lost'.

By now, he had a collection of ribbons, a handful of rings and bracelets, and even a number of books that she had gotten delivered, saying that she wanted them on the request form to the capital only to immediately give them away. He loved them all.

It felt like she had become part of his inner circle; his family accepted her readily, and yet, never once did he ask her for anything. He seemed to be uninterested in any of her Firsts, even though she found it impossibly hard not to offer one to him anyway.

She wrote to the other Keepers that night, the ones who had given away Firsts, as soon as she was back home, sending the letters away as swift little birds.

Within four days, she got answers, and as she started to speak with the disgraced Keepers, exchanging more letters, she got her hands on more material, at last. Books and scrolls and records that the king did not want her to have.

And there, she found the truth. How the kings and queens of old had chased the monsters away to hoard the magic of their lands and keep it themselves. But they hadn’t understood how important the monsters had been to the balance of magic.

Fewer and fewer mages were born, and there was one report from an alchemist that theorized that there would be no human-born mages anymore within a hundred years. That something had to change.

The barrier that had been built to keep the monsters away was now the very thing starving the kingdoms of magic. A barrier built with the sacrifices of seven Firsts. A first wife, a first son, a first pet, a first love, a first success, and a first joy. It was horrifying.

Back then, royalty had thought that removing the monsters would mean humanity could then grab all the magic for themselves, never realizing that ruining the balance between the magical and the mundane would strangle the very thing they desired to have all to themselves.

And now, royalty was too proud to admit their mistakes, to publicly announce that every bit of knowledge they had fed people about monsters was nothing but a giant lie.

What was worse, there were recent reports one Keeper managed to send her stating that kings and queens were thinking about attacking the Wild Lands to steal magic from them.

Lastly, she read the newest letters the disgraced Keepers had sent her, in which they explained why and how they had given up Firsts. That monsters were not monstrous, that they had found friends and family and lovers among them. Homes, even.

Mai barely got any sleep, lying awake as all the information tumbled around in her head.

"Are you angry?" she asked Breeze the next morning as he accompanied her through the woods, shimmering sunrays falling through the foliage, and he paused in his chatter about the mushrooms he was going to show her. Edible ones, not walking, talking ones, of course.

"At humans?" she clarified when he cast her a confused glance.

"No," he answered after a moment of thoughtful silence. "Or, rather, not at you or others like you. At royalty? Yes, a little; they can eat shit and die. But you? You haven’t done anything to us."

But that wasn’t entirely true, was it? She did do something. She kept the barrier up.

"I’m sorry," she whispered, and he blinked in surprise before giving her a reassuring smile.

"It’s not your fault, dear Keeper. And, as I said, we’re not really angry. We’re sad for the magic that is dying, but they never took anything from us. At most, we’re annoyed and a little pissed that they won’t let us do our jobs, but this barrier isn’t hurting us."

He looked ahead and added, "The only thing that worries us is that the kingdoms might decide to attack us to get at our magic once they starve theirs to death. It’s why we decided to talk to you Keepers in the first place."

A horrible feeling gripped her, then, and she found herself unable to walk forward, coming to a stop. He hadn’t lied to her, not once, had he? Every word had been the truth.

Her voice sounded as troubled as she felt when she asked, "How can you like me when I’m the one upholding the barrier?" A terrible, small, and ugly feeling coiled in her chest. "I’m your enemy, aren’t I?"

She was lucky Breeze wanted to be her friend; that, alone, was astonishing enough already. Hoping for more was just simply delusional.

Breeze hurriedly turned around, wings flaring slightly and shifting along with his fast movement, and he stepped forward to reach out, taking her hands in his.

"My dear Keeper, you are not my enemy, not when you are so very dear to me. Do you want to know a little secret?" he asked, voice growing quieter. "We never stole anything from the other Keepers; they are all important to us."

Mai had exchanged enough letters with the Keepers who had lost their position managed to evade punishment by the skin of their teeth by coming to live with the very monsters the kingdoms so feared that she knew he spoke the truth.

If she hadn’t been able to enchant letters to find the recipients, she never would have been able to speak with them.

The other Keepers genuinely loved the monsters – just like she did.

"And do you want to know another secret?" he murmured, stepping a little closer still, his wings coming up to half surround her, chasing some of the autumn chill away. "If I had accepted your First, the barrier would have already fallen."

At her startled, surprised inhale, he gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "Jiana never shared a secret until she met a fairy. Kilian never kissed anyone until he met a woodling, just to give you some examples. You, my dearest Keeper, never trusted a monster. Until me."

"Oh." Her voice was small, and she wondered how she hadn’t realized such a thing herself. "Why didn’t you take it?"

"Because I didn’t want to lose it," he said, leaning in to gently rest his forehead against hers, his wings warm and soft as they brushed her arms. "Because if you want to stay with me, like the others want to stay with their monsters, we can protect ourselves from the kingdoms. We can flip the barrier they created and keep them out. We’d be safe, and we could force them into fair contracts to restore their magic."

His smile was soft and warm as he let go of one of her hands to reach up to cup her cheek. "But I won’t steal it from you; I won’t trick you or betray you. My dear Keeper, you are far too precious for that."

"Then let me give you a First," she whispered, and his eyes looked brighter than ever in that moment, "and then we’re going to force royalty into listening to you all."

"I’d like that very much," he murmured. "In this case, yes, please, give me a First. And then I can keep courting you, if you want me to."

She was about to lean in with a smile until his words registered. "Wait, what?"

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer until their noses brushed, his gaze warm. "Yes, my dear Keeper, you heard that right. What do you say, will you let me keep going?"

The hope and relief in her chest made her feel like she had grown wings of her own.

"Only if you accept my First," she answered, and he hummed in eager agreement, his wings wrapping around her fully.

And so she told him words she had never told another lover, for there hadn’t been one before him, "I love you."