Page 38 of Perfectly Perfect Pixie

I stared, eyes painfully wide, unable to speak.

“There is no proof that pixie blood is what weakened and killed Horatio. I will not deny this feeling, this hope for something more—something bright—due to speculation and ghost stories.”

“Ghosts are real,” I argued. “Sometimes.”

“They are, but not nearly as often as most fear.” Dropping my hands, Lucroy stepped back, placing a modicum of distance between us. “I cannot, nor will I, force you to be in a relationship with me, Peaches. As I said earlier, I can not guarantee my restraint. I would never willfully hurt you, but my vampiric nature is not always as accommodating as I would like it to be.”

Probably stupidly, I wasn’t afraid for myself. If Phil and I suddenly exchanged places, I’d tell him he was being a trusting idiot. But Lucroy was right about one thing, the heart wanted what it wanted, and I’d been honest before when I said I’d never felt this way about anyone.

“I live in the sun.” The words slipped through my mouth, my fears finding their voice. “I can’t live in the dark, Lucroy.”

“I’d never ask you to live in the darkness. Not with me. Not with anyone. I would love to walk into the sun with you, but—”

“You’d burn to ash.” I knew vampire rules.

“The midday sun would be deadly. Dawn and twilight are uncomfortable but not deadly.”

“Really?” I perked up. “You might be able to watch the sunrise with me?”

Lucroy chuckled. “I’d have to stand in a shaded area, and dark sunglasses would be helpful, but yes, I could, on occasion, watch the sunrise.”

I barely kept from spinning. “I had no idea. I thought all sun turned vampires into fireballs.”

“Colorfully descriptive.”

I cringed. “Sorry. A little too colorful?”

“Perhaps a little too accurate for comfort. Younglings are far more susceptible. I am uncertain if the oldest among us can stand the full might of the sun. If so, they haven’t spoken of it. I am old enough that I can tolerate a little, but I am normally very sluggish and would need to get below ground before the sun was very high in the sky.”

My mind turned, ideas and possibilities crashing together in explosions of light. “I can’t leave my orchard. Not for long.” I wanted to get everything out on the table. Even if I wanted to leave, which I didn’t, I couldn’t. I’d die. Lucroy and I both had our restrictions. His involved sunlight and blood. Mine involved physical location.

“I’d never ask you to give up the orchard either.”

I turned, drifting toward the fireplace. Gripping the mantle, I couldn’t believe I was here, having this conversation. Just because I couldn’t believe it didn’t mean it wasn’t happening. With my head hung, I thought of all the obstacles and shook my head. “My blood possibly being toxic aside,” and that was abigaside, “you live in the city. Dusk is your home, your business. You’re king of the Southeast vampire nest.” I turned, hands out to the sides. “I’m a nature pixie. I don’t mind the town, but this orchard, the countryside, is my home. We can still see each other, but . . .” I thought of Phil. Maybe I wasn’t a home-and-hearth pixie, but that didn’t mean I didn’t dream of finding what he had with Sedrick. I wanted to build a home with someone here on the orchard. It wasn’t a complete deal breaker, and maybe I was being selfish, but I didn’t want separation.

Hands tucked behind his back, Lucroy closed the distance between us. He refrained from touching me but leaned in as he spoke. “Dusk nearly runs itself. Johnny and Leon take care of the night-to-night dealings far more than I do. It has been that way for well over a decade now. While I’d still need to go in at times, I don’t see the need to be there on a permanent basis. This may surprise you, Peaches, but before my first death, my home was in the country, tending fields and livestock. I have no qualms revisiting that life.”

I drifted higher, my wings fluttering quicker than ever. “But I don’t have a basement, and there are a lot of windows, and . . .” And there just seemed to be a lot.

Lucroy just shrugged. “Basements can be created. Would digging one out disturb the land too much?”

My heart jolted, thrumming painfully. This man, thisvampire, cared about my land. He’d taken it into consideration. All the platitudes, compliments, or declarations of love wouldn’t have meant as much to me as Lucroy’s concern regarding the land.

Tears burned my eyes, and I furiously wiped away one that slipped down my cheek. “No.” Puffing up, I huffed with pride. “You’re talking to a nature pixie. I can talk to the plants. Roots can be moved and shifted so they won’t be harmed. The impact would be so minimal as to be nearly nonexistent. Of course, some places will be easier than others, but I’m sure we can figure something out. I’m not sure about the cost, though.”

I thought of Mae and Don. I wasn’t sure what the cost of building something like this would be, but I figured it was more than they had. I’d already spent everything I had on the sprites.

“My dear Peaches, money is an issue that hasn’t concerned me for centuries.”

“Oh.” I’d been telling Phil he needed to stop worrying about money. Since Sedrick’s mine started hauling out palladium, cash was no longer an issue. It looked like maybe I’d need to start taking my own advice.Maybe.Lucroy and I were a long way away from Sedrick and Phil.

I closed the distance, remaining airborne to stay at Lucroy’s eye level. “I love that you’re willing to change your lifestyle for me, to move out to my orchard, and build a home here, but none of it will mean anything if you can’t tolerate my blood.” I ran my fingers through Lucroy’s hair. It was far softer than it looked and drifted around my touch like cotton. “Do you . . . I mean, would you like to try? Now?”

I wasn’t sure what the protocol for offering up your blood was. Last night I’d tilted my head and offered my neck, but to be honest, that was more instinct than thought. Now that I had time to think, I wasn’t sure what to do.

Crimson flashed through Lucroy’s eyes. Stepping back, he slipped out of my touch. Eyes closed, Lucroy was momentarily still. He didn’t breathe, didn’t twitch. Not even a single eyelash fluttered. After a few seconds, his eyes opened, fathomless black depths all that was visible.

“As much as I would dearly love to taste your blood, as I said earlier, I am uncertain of my control.”

---