Page 22 of Perfectly Perfect Pixie

Leon and I remained where we were, warily watching as Arie walked toward a waiting car, Matthew’s wolf form lopping along beside him. Neither of us spoke, waiting for Arie and his wolf to get into their car.

When their taillights faded into the dark of night, Leon said, “We might have a problem.”

“Indeed. If Arie Belview is to be believed.”

Leon snorted. “You don’t believe him? I can’t imagine why you’d doubt his word.”

“Hmm, it is an interesting situation.”

“Interesting enough that you almost transformed and ripped his throat out for suggesting one of our nestmates is the true culprit.”

Rage flashed through me, briefly washing the world in crimson. “As I said, it is an interesting situation.”

“Arie could simply be spreading the seeds of distrust, attempting to destroy our nest from within.” Leon’s reasoning was sound. The skepticism in his voice was telling.

“That, of course, is possible.”

“It’s also possible we’ve got a rat problem.”

“That would be the best-case scenario.” Rats were easily culled. My concern was greater.

“You don’t mean—”

“No need borrowing trouble yet, Leon. I see no reason the council should turn its eyes on us.” While that was true, few of us truly understood what gained the vampire council’s attention. “Regardless, I need you to keep a weather eye. I trust you to gather those most loyal. I believe it’s time we take a deeper inventory of the nest.”

Leon’s nod told me he understood. Vampires didn’t have a patron god or goddess. Death had already taken our lives; no higher being had come for our souls. Regardless, if anyone in my nest was responsible for sabotaging Peaches’s orchard, they should pray to whatever higher power might pity them.

ChapterNine

PEACHES

“You should see them.” Awe easily slipped into my voice. “I’ve never seen anything like it, Phil. Maybe later I’ll think this was a bad idea, but right now, I couldn’t be happier.”

The sprites were more than holding up their end of the bargain. It would take time, but they’d already started clearing the trees of their aphids. There were too many of them to eat, but the ones they couldn’t, they herded outside the boundary I’d set. It had taken a little tweaking on my part, but it hadn’t been that difficult. The aphids could get out, but they couldn’t get back in.

“Those sprites are small but mighty. They grab the aphids and toss them out.”

Watching the tiny aphids get thrown outside the barrier was oddly satisfying. I’d asked if I could help, and I’d been quickly rebuffed and told that I’d just get in the way. That didn’t stop the sprites from taking breaks, flying over to feast on my dust. Pixie dust wasn’t a dietary sprite necessity, but it was a delicacy, and from what the sprites told me, it was kind of like the effect caffeine had on humans. Sprites weren’t drugged the way ogres were. It wasn’t addicting. They just really liked it.

“I’m so glad, Peaches.” Phil sounded as relieved as I felt. “Sedrick and I were worried. I know you didn’t want me to, but I asked him about helping pay for the sprites. Now, don’t interrupt. I heard you take a breath and know you want to chew me out. I hear you, Peaches. I know you want to do this on your own, and I appreciate that, but you would have done the same for me and Sedrick if our roles were reversed, and you damn well know it.” Phil had gotten bossier since he mated with Sedrick. He was more confident.

My righteous anger dissipated like pixie dust. “I know, and I’m grateful that you care. I’m glad it didn’t come to that. In the end, they weren’t as expensive as I thought they’d be. I even had enough to pay for the translator Mattie spelled for me. According to her, that was more expensive than the sprites. Maybe I should tell Mr. Gladstone that if he has another client, they should contact Lucroy. Evidently, he has more contacts and can get things at a more reasonable price.” Maybe that only applied to sprites. I didn’t know and hated that any sentient species was up for sale.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Phil agreed. “It could be an apology, you know, for what we did to Mildred.” Phil and I both still felt guilty about that day. From what I understood, Mildred had to undergo rehab. Just that little bit of pixie dust had affected her that much.

I swallowed hard, remembering our poor decision. “I’ll call him later,” I promised.

“Good.” Phil hummed something or other. I could hear cabinets opening and closing and figured he was baking something. Phil had truly found his own private nirvana. “You know,” Phil’s voice sounded far away and then got louder, as if he’d held the phone away from him or had it sitting on the counter and had walked away and come back. “Isn’t it weird that so many aphids invaded the orchard that quickly? It reminds me of our gnome problem earlier this year.”

I hated lying to Phil. I wasn’t sure if I was lying, but I was certainly omitting some of the truth. I didn’t want him to worry about Arie Belview. Lucroy said he would meet with Arie and feel out the situation. I wanted to speak with him before I mentioned my suspicions to Phil.

A couple of sprites sped toward me, and I beat my wings, filling the air with dust. They dove and wove around me, snatching up a few particles. What they took was minuscule. So far, they haven’t bothered me. Maybe if there were more of them swarming around, I’d find it irritating.

I’d been silent too long, and Phil said, “Peaches, are you still there? Did I drop you?”

“Sorry. Still here. A couple of sprites came over, and I got distracted.” It was an exaggeration but not a complete falsehood. “Anyway, I’m not really sure about the aphid situation and why there are so many of them. Or how it happened so quickly.” Also, not a complete lie. The truth was, I didn’t know for certain how they’d accumulated so quickly.

Phil sighed, long and deep. “I wish I’d been able to help. You helped out with the gnomes, and I—”

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