I awoke inside Butler's room. I was close to recovering my human form. My hoshi had resumed its shine.
I needed food.
Butler put a plate in front of me. Was that fish? How did he know?
I licked his face and he smiled.
I began to eat and nudged some food on the plate to share, but took the big piece for myself.
Xxx
Butler was at a loss.
He knew by now the fox was a magical creature; when she'd fallen asleep, her tails had split into six, and her hoshi had been revealed.
As if by luck, Artemis had returned to him yesterday.
He'd spoken to Artemis, purely hypothetical of course; and learned about what her hoshi was. He had taken it to keep her from running away while she was wounded.
But that just encouraged Artemis to come snooping around, so he had to make up things that that captive fairy was doing to keep Artemis occupied.
Her big intelligent eyes focused on the hoshi as he got her comfortable.
He had finally gotten her to eat a little fish and rice that he got for her.
Butler pet her and she comforted him as he fell asleep.