“What’s a mate challenge?” I ask Malaki. He frowns. “If a rival fairy disputes a bond, they can challenge a mate to a duel. It’s an old tradition, mostly used to either show off the worth of the mate being contended over or as an insult if an outside fairy doesn’t think one of the mates is worthy of the other. Most of the time it’s simply a way for mates—usually male ones—to work off their aggression and establish their claim.”
