Page 34 of Perfectly Perfect Pixie

“I really don’t know.” I sat back down, all the steam of earlier gone.

Phil sat too.

Rubbing my neck, now that I remembered what Lucroy said, I couldn’t seem to get the words out of my head. They sat there, playing on repeat.

Silently, Phil sat with me, both of us lost in thought. Finally, Phil said, “Vampires and pixies don’t really hang out together, but I never thought much about it. It’s not like we traditionally have a lot in common.”

“True.” It was something I’d been struggling with. “When we went to visit Lucroy at Dusk, when we showed up unannounced. You remember that other vampire that was sitting at the bar?”

Phil’s nose scrunched, and his lips turned down into an irritated frown. “He was a jerk.”

“I agree. But more specifically, he seemed disgusted we were there. Not you and me in particular, but pixies in general.”

“I . . .” Phil took a minute to think about it before he nodded his agreement. “You’re right. I tried not to pay too much attention to him.”

“Probably best. But maybe there was something more to it. Maybe . . .”

“Maybe vampires have been keeping secrets.”

I huffed. “That wouldn’t be much of a surprise.”

Nearly all species kept secrets. Before fairy law, anything could and did happen. Phil and I were both born after fairy law had been initiated, but that didn’t mean we hadn’t heard stories or been taught our history. The strong survived. That was still true, even under fairy law. The difference was how they survived and how they maintained control. Weakness was a one-way ticket to the afterlife, and power plays constantly happened.

The more violent the species, the more they protected and hid weakness. Few species were more predatory than vampires.

“I think you should ask Mr. Moony what he meant,” Phil said. “If he made that comment, he must be okay talking about it.”

I wasn’t so certain. “I was drunk. Maybe he thought I wouldn’t remember. Or maybe it just slipped out.”

“I don’t think Mr. Moony lets a lot of things slip,” Phil argued.

Under normal circumstances, I’d agree. I’d seen the look in Lucroy’s eyes, the undisguised hunger. He hadn’t had as much control as usual.

Small dots of light flickered outside the living room window, catching my attention. It looked like the sprites had found us.

“How do you feel about sharing a little dust?” I asked Phil.

Eyes wide, Phil’s gaze followed mine to the window. “Oh, are those the sprites?” Phil asked, already standing.

“A few of them. When the others realize I’m awake and that I’ve got pixie company, I’m sure they’ll be along shortly.

“I want to meet them.” Phil headed for the door, wings twittering every now and again. Despite neither one of us feeling our best, we’d both make sure the sprites had their fill of pixie dust.

Phil’s gentle laughter of delight filled my chest with warmth. Sprites wove around him as they darted here and there, catching dust and gorging on it. A few came to me, but most swarmed Phil. They didn’t care about his larger-than-average size. Dust was dust, and my sprites were more than content with pink or gold.

ChapterFifteen

LUCROY

Aphone call with Peaches wasn’t enough. My meeting with Leon and subsequent call to Hellfire Rayburn soured my mood, and only a little pixie therapy would do.

I didn’t regret calling Ray. He needed to know my suspicions regarding Arie Belview. I’d admitted I had no proof, something Ray easily understood. I’d also realized that Arie might have nothing to do with it, that it could be someone from my nest that had released the aphids into Peaches’s orchard.

Ray had listened, asked pointed questions, and told me he’d look into matters, although he doubted he’d find much. I’d also brought up the vampire council’s interest and the communication I’d gotten. Ray had gone appropriately silent. Beyond vampires, few would understand the grave importance of the letter I’d gotten. Ray understood all too well. Unfortunately, Ray’s hands were tied. As long as the vampire council stayed within the agreed-upon boundaries they’d negotiated long ago, fairy law could, and would, do little to interfere.

I’d known that but still wanted to let Ray know about the situation. I wasn’t certain I would classify Hellfire Rayburn as a friend, but he wasn’t an enemy either. Fairies were powerful, and Ray was one of the oldest fairies known to exist. Just like vampires, age didn’t just bring wisdom but also strength to fairies.

The Jeep handled the rough road much easier than my imported, low-profile car had. Peaches barrier washed over me. The faint tingle of pixie magic skated across my skin but didn’t rebuff my approach. While that pleased me, it also made me concerned for Peaches. We needed to discuss his safety.

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