Chapter 15 Jade
The following day, when I woke up and saw the tiny thing at the foot of my bed, I almost shrieked. The fact that I am now responsible for an emerald beast nearly slipped my mind. Needless to say, I don't know anything about it. I don't even know what it eats.
The other fairies seem to be afraid of it, so I can't ask them how to take care of it.
It's unfortunate that I can't go see Faragon today; instead, I'll have to stay in my room and work on some homework.
The Seelie King and Queen are in need of Faragon's help got up from my chair so I can inspect whatever the emerald beast has in its mouth.
I rose from my seat to examine whatever the emerald beast had in its mouth. "Spit it out!"
The beast looks over at me and starts to turn around to flee, but I grab its cat-like tail to stop it from leaving. I quickly grasped its body and pinned it to the ground.
Strange. Even though it is as small as a puppy, it is still so strong that I have to use my full weight on it. I try to grab its mouth, but it just turns its head away.
"If you're hungry, I'll give you food. Don't just go around eating stuff that might not be edible!" I guess I was starting to become more forceful than I thought because the creature started to growl and almost bit me.
I gasped and quickly withdrew my hand. Would it be bad if I flicked its nose? Maybe, since I just remembered that this little thing right here is the Unseelie Prince's pet—according to Zhier, at least.
The beast continued to growl at me and seemed like it was going to try to bite me again, but the mark on the back of my hand starts to glow, making the creature stop. Its ears flatten on its head like it is being scolded before it starts to lay on its belly.
I eye the mark before looking at the creature as a sly grin begins to spread on my lips.
"Oh? Did your master your scolded you for being naughty?" I can't help it if I am a petty person. I smile and continue to wave my hand in front of the creature. "What did he say? Bad dog-cat?" As I laugh at it, the creature begins to whimper in shame.
Uh-oh. I may have gotten too far. How could I have known that it can be such a sensitive animal!
?
"Wait, I am kidding. I'm sorry.
" I completely forgot that the little creature had tried to bite me earlier and started to pick it up.
"Sorry about that, little guy or girl." The statement gave me pause.
Wait a minute. How do I know if this thing is male or female?
Moreover, I really should come up with a name for it. I need to come up with a gender neutral name.
"You're called the emerald beast, so how about I call you Jade?" I suggested.
Jade responds by perking up its ears and tilting its head in curiosity. Then, a second later, its feline tail starts to wag.
"I guess I will be taking that as a yes?" I place the creature on the ground and extend my palm in front of its mouth. "Now that we are clear about your name, I want you to give me whatever is in your mouth. Well, unless it's a cockroach or a fairy cockroach, then don't. I rather you eat it."
I got nervous when Jade opened its mouth and dropped the thing on my hand. I make a face as I feel Jade's saliva on my skin. With my other hand, I pick it up, only to see that it was the broken piece of mirror that I took a while back.
"Jade," I turn to the creature with a look of disapproval.
"Why would you eat something like this!?
" I start to scold it, showing him the broken piece of mirror.
"This thing is dangerous. It could cut you up from the inside!
Wait, it didn't cut you already, did it?
Come here." I grab Jade just as he is about to escape.
"Don't even think about trying to bite me if you don't want to upset your master.
" I warn it just as I pry its mouth open.
"What are you doing?" Zhier chooses that moment to enter my room before I can look and check Jade's mouth.
Jade takes that moment of distraction to run away from me.
I sigh and turn to Zhier. "Gee. I forgot that fairies don't know how to knock.
Why don't we just throw the door open and call it quits?
" I quickly hide the piece of mirror under my skirt when I remember Zhier warning me about one before.
As much as I want to ask him about the mirror in the queen's room, I am afraid of how he would react to my taking it and keeping it.
"Why should I knock on my own home?" I open my mouth to speak, but then I remember that he does make a valid point. I decided to drop it.
"Zhier, I have a question for you." I opted to change the subject. "Do you know what Jade eats?"
"Jade? Who is Jade?"
"The emerald beast."
"You name the beast —" He pauses, covering a hand over his lips like he's trying to cover up his amusement.
"What? What's wrong with its name?" I start to feel embarrassed. "Hey, if you know its real name, can you tell me instead?"
"No, no. Jade is a brilliant name. It sounds so mundane. Plus, it is easier for you to say it." Zhier turns to Jade with a wicked grin, making Jade growl warningly towards him. "I think it suits him."
"Zhier, you are not helping." I warned him while trying to hold Jade back from pouncing at him. "Anyway, about the food?"
"Emerald beasts are easy to feed. They only need one pure emerald gem per day."
"Excuse me, emerald gem?" I ask to be clear since I fear that my ears are tricking me. "Like the gem stones?"
"What else?" Zhier is looking at me like he is deciding whether I am illiterate for asking him that question or not.
"Emerald gems...aren't those expensive!? How big of a stone are we talking about here?"
Zhier makes a circle with his hand, and I almost fainted in the process. "I...I don't think that I could afford feeding this type of beast, let alone the budget for a day."
"What are you talking about?" He gives me a puzzled look. "Gemstones are cheap. In fact, you can purchase them in the market."
"...what...? But back home—"
Zhier lets out a breath. "I don't even know why you humans sell emeralds for a high price when those aren't even pure. Those gems that you find in the human realm are garbage that the fairies, who see other minerals mixed into them, toss."
I recall that one of my mother's rings had a tiny emerald gem on it. How should I explain to her that the material isn't pure when I get home? And to think that her mother has passed on the jewelry to her...
"So, where's the market, and where do they sell the gems?"
"Are you going to the market yourself?"
"Of course. Jade is under my care now. It's only natural that I get him food. Also, it would be nice for me to try and learn more about the fairies."
"Do you have the money?"
"I...um...I don't." I defeatedly admitted. That damn Unseelie Prince. If he were going to have me take care of his pet, he could have at least given me an allowance to feed it!
"I guess we don't have a choice. Call Serafina and have her change your dress for something plain. We'll go to the market."
"We?" I eye him strangely. "You're coming with me?"
The Seelie prince crosses his arms. "Who will pay for the gems when we find them?
Plus, I can't let you go off alone. You have the mark of the unseelie prince.
Do you think that I would let you off of my sight in such a public place?
" I remain silent. I don't think that I have any right to say anything.
Now that I think about it, I guess having Zhier with me is kind of like having safety insurance and a walking-talking wallet.
Is it bad that I think of the Seelie Prince as a wallet? No? I think so too.
"Thanks, Zhier. I appreciate it."
Zhier's only response was a slight nod of his head before turning to the door. "Hurry up and call for Serafina to help you get ready. I'll be waiting for you outside of your room." With that being said, Zhier leaves.
There's a clatter on the floor, which made me move my attention from the door onto Jade. The mirror fragment slipped from my grasp, and now Jade is holding it in his mouth once more while appearing to be mocking me.
"Oh no, you did not! Come back here, Jade!" I resume my pursuit of the emerald beast, who appears to have a death wish by consuming a mirror.