Page 48 of Perfectly Perfect Pixie

“We are happy to report that all the aphids have been taken care of.” The sprites puffed out their chests, proud as they could be.

I was ecstatic. “Are you certain?”

One of the sprites flew up and bopped me on the nose. It was little more than a grain of sand hitting me in the face. “Hey,” I still lamented, rubbing the tip of my nose.

Landing back on my hand, the little sprite crossed their arms over their chest and made a high-pitched harrumph. “Of course they’re gone,” they said, dramatically rolling their eyes.

“Apologies,” I said with a smile. “I can’t thank you enough. The trees are so happy and content. They enjoy your presence.”

“Really?” The sprites shared a worried look I didn’t understand. “Does that mean we get to stay?”

I reared back, knocking my head on the tree trunk. “Of course you get to stay. I told you as much the first day we met. This is your home. You are welcome to stay here as long as you wish.”

They twittered too fast for my translator to catch everything. “All of us?” They asked in unison.

“Every last one,” I reassured.

They darted from my hand, flying up and zipping through the air. They flew circles around each other, their speed so fast it was dizzying. Other species thought pixies were quick. We had nothing on these diminutive creatures.

Laughter rolled through me, filling the air. Joy was a heady feeling and infinitely better when shared. Given my position, I couldn’t flap my wings much, but I managed enough to produce a little dust. The sprites dove in, sucking golden dust into their mouths.

Once satisfied, one settled on my knee, while the other landed on my shoulder, leaning against the junction near my neck. I hissed, but it wasn’t as painful as I thought Lucroy’s lingering bite might be. If anything, the sprite’s touch tingled more than hurt.

“The vampire was very cautious,” the sprite on my neck said. “I’ve seen much worse. We’re too small for vampires to desire. Mostly they leave us be. Sprites and vampires have lived peaceably for centuries, but we’ve seen . . . things.” The little sprite flew off, joining their friend on my knee. “We were concerned.” They looked at each other. “We did not want anything to happen to you, Peaches.”

I tilted my head, my heart warm with understanding. “I appreciate your concern. Lucroy and I are taking things slowly. I . . .” I hesitated, unsure what to say, or perhaps how to say it.

On the surface, what Lucroy and I were doing looked exceedingly foolish. Offering a vein to a vampire was a risky proposition. Lucroy drinking from a pixie might be even riskier. We were both on the hook, the stakes high for each of us.

The promise of what lay on the other side, the promise of the reward dangled at the end, made it worth the risk.

Clearing my throat, I finally said, “I really like him.” I felt like I was cheating Lucroy somehow. Saying Ilikedhim was a pale imitation of my true feelings. I just wasn’t sure how to put those feelings into words. They confused me, and yet my path had never been clearer.

“We understand,” they said in unison. I was glad someone did.

My sprite companions flew off my knee, hovering in the air. “We want to show you something. A couple of us were close to the boundary this morning, checking for any lingering aphids.”

“We didn’t find any,” the other sprite chimed in, and I nodded that I understood. “But we did find something else.”

The warmth I’d been soaking up seeped from my skin, leaving me cold. “What did you find?” Given the issue with the aphids and the theory behind their infestation, I didn’t like the thought of something being off around my boundary.

“Come,” they said and flew off, not waiting to see if I would follow. In the end, there was no choice.

The sprites were fast, and I struggled to keep up. If they hadn’t outshined the sun, I might have lost them. Instead of the west side of the boundary, they flew north. It was a section sparsely covered by apple trees and left a little wilder. Don and Mae were discussing putting a pumpkin patch into the area for next season. I was on board with the idea.

“It’s over here,” one of them said as we drew near a congregation of sprites. The sprites were close enough together that, from a distance, they looked like a glowing ball.

“Peaches said we can stay! Even with the aphids gone.” One of the sprites heralded our approach, whatever disturbing issue they’d found temporarily forgotten as a collective cheer ran through them. I wanted to be annoyed. I didn’t like having my word questioned, but these sprites had lost their home once already. Their trust was, at best, frayed.

I was swarmed as I flew nearer, a myriad of sprites diving around me and munching on my dust. They were good about staying out of my flight path. If I’d had to dodge them, it might prove irritating and dangerous. As it was, I looked like I had a glowing entourage.

“What did you find?” I asked as I drew near a single sprite that hadn’t joined the rest of the gang, this one staying close by the barrier, careful to remain on the inside where they were protected.

“Signs of others,” they said, and I recognized the voice as the sprite I’d first met, the one who’d come out of the box Mattie brought and spoken for the rest.

“Signs?” I moved closer, hand on the invisible barrier.

Even I couldn’t visually see it. That didn’t mean I didn’t know its exact location. Some said pixiessawtheir barriers via inner sight. I wasn’t sure what that meant. I didn’t think anyone did. Still, it seemed as accurate as anything.

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