Page 12 of Perfectly Perfect Pixie

I had no wish to tempt fate any further than we had the last time Phil and I went into Good Riddance Gnome Exterminators and foolishly sat across for an ogre who’d quickly become drugged on our pixie dust. Phil and I still felt bad about doing that to poor Mildred. Becoming an ogre pet wasn’t on my to-do list anytime soon.

“Are you certain the situation is that bad?” Titan asked, voice incredulous. “That’s a lot of aphids in a short amount of time. They don’t typically show up like that, at least not in an orchard overseen by a pixie. You should have known about them much sooner before they got out of control. It’s odd.”

I didn’t disagree with the odd part. “I know. I would have known sooner. That’s why I think something strange is going on.”

“Hmm, I can’t fault you there, Peaches. There’s nothing more powerful than a pixie with a soul bond. It’s a pickle.” Titan sounded genuinely perplexed.

“It is.”

Don and Mae had been heartbroken when I’d told them what was going on and even more so when I’d told them getting rid of the aphids was beyond my skills, at least with this many of them. If there were fewer, I could have managed it, but this . . . This was an all-out war.

I knew what was needed. I just didn’t know how to get them or how much it would cost—both monetarily and physically.

As if reading my mind, Titan said, “You’ll need sprites. A lot of sprites.” Titan sounded skeptical. “That won’t be cheap, Peaches. And beyond that . . . Are you sure you want to bring sprites onto your land? I don’t deal with them, but I know other exterminators that do. Sprites can be pests in their own right, and when a pixie’s part of the deal . . . Well, you probably know what kind of trouble that can lead to better than me.”

I inhaled, pulling the crisp morning air deep into my lungs, centering myself. Sometimes, decisions weren’t really that. They were responses to a situation with only one answer—even if it wasn’t your desired answer.

“I need to do what’s necessary.” I managed to fill my voice with more conviction than I felt. “I know it will be asking a lot of me, but I’ll do anything to protect my orchard. The trees deserve nothing less.”

At this point, it wasn’t just a production issue with the apple trees. This many aphids could kill the trees. Maybe not the aphids alone, but they’d decrease tree health and make them susceptible to other diseases. If the trees hadn’t been so healthy, to begin with, the situation might already be worse.

“Okaaay. I can tell you’re serious about this, and I wish I could help you out, but like I said, I don’t deal in sprites. I could call around to some other places for you, but honestly, I think your best bet might be contacting Lucroy Moony.”

My fingers gripped my phone, tightening as I pulled it away from my ear. “Lucroy? Why would—”

“He’s a vamp, Peaches. And not just any vamp. He’s got connections, and I’d bet he can get you a better deal on a group of sprites than any of my contacts. It’s worth a try. From the gossip I heard about the Voss trial, you’ve already got an in with Mr. Moony. Use it,” Titan stated matter-of-factly.

“I . . .” I wasn’t completely sure what to say. “You really think he might be able to help?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure, but I think it’s worth asking. If he can’t help, you give me a call, and I’ll see what I can do. But just to be upfront, if it’s through one of my associates, it’ll cost you.”

Fear raced through me. Money wasn’t something Don and Mae had a lot of. They’d pushed their credit to the limit by hiring me and building my modest home.

Swallowing, I offered up a quiet, “I understand.”

There was a pause before Titan blew out a deep breath. “Listen, I don’t mean to stir shit up, but this is strange. Are you sure Arie Belview doesn’t have something to do with this? It sounds like him, and he’s just vengeful enough to come after you, given what happened in his custody battle for those kids.”

My heart raced, and I felt like I might throw up. It sounded more like Arie than Titan knew. Still . . . “He’d be in violation of the agreement he made. He’d break fairy law.” I didn’t think even Arie was that foolish. However, desperation made for stupid actions.

“He’d be an idiot to do that,” Titan agreed. “I still wouldn’t discount it. It’s a damn shame, though. For what it’s worth, Peaches, I’m sorry this happened.”

“I appreciate that.” And I did. As did almost all exterminators, Titan Gladstone charged a lot for his services. I didn’t begrudge him that, and I felt his sympathy was sincere.

“Get in contact with Mr. Moony. If you still need my help, just holler.”

“Thanks, Mr. Gladstone. I appreciate your help and information.”

Titan made a huffing noise. “Don’t thank me yet. I still think you’ll regret bringing a bunch of sprites onto your land. Once they’re there, it’ll be hell to get rid of ’em again.”

“Desperate times and all that.” My voice shook, unsure if what I was doing was right but knowing there were precious few alternatives.

“Good luck,” Titan said, ending our conversation.

Lowering my phone, I thought about calling Lucroy. With the sun up, Lucroy would still besleeping. Vampires preferred that word. I’d been told it was the sleep of the dead, but I didn’t like to think of Lucroy like that. I didn’t want to envision him so still, vulnerable, and unresponsive.

I lifted my phone again, my finger hovering over Phil’s number. Was Arie Belview truly behind this? I wasn’t sure, and the thought had me close to hyperventilating. After what happened with my cousin, Peony, I knew what Arie could do. He’d killed her just as certainly as if he’d put a bullet in her chest. Peony’s death had been long and languished. She’d suffered greatly and died feeling worse than defeat. Peony had felt like a failure.

Dropping my phone, I hesitated. Phil and Sedrick had been through so much, and I didn’t want to add to that. Arie had left the children alone. He’d left Sedrick and Phil alone. If Arie was keeping to the law, I didn’t want to upset that. I didn’t want to stir up more animosity and risk Sedrick placing himself in a position of another challenge—one he might not win this time around.

---