Page 75 of Perfectly Perfect Pixie

Exaggerated sneezing and coughing interrupted our reunion.

“Moon Goddess,” Arie complained, “this is ridiculous.”

“Quiet.” That single word froze my blood, and I turned, staring into the black abyss of a hooded figure. I wasn’t the only one. The whole room stilled.

“Nirgal?” A vampire I didn’t recognize but dressed similarly addressed the hooded figure with obvious deference. “Are you well, do you—”

“I said, ‘Quiet.’”

The female vampire’s mouth clicked closed at the rebuke, the sound of her teeth loud. The surrounding vampires parted, allowing the covered one to come closer. He was only a foot taller than me, which didn’t make his size very impressive. Phil was bigger than this vampire. Somehow, I didn’t think size mattered much.

Lucroy’s grip tightened, and he tucked me closer. It wasn’t completely behind him, but it was close. Despite his nearness, light didn’t penetrate the darkness, and the vampire’s features remained hidden.

“King Lucroy Moony, what is this pixie to you?” The question was cold, without inflection, and sounded almost robotic.

I placed a hand over Lucroy’s chest. The slow, heavy beat of his heart pounded against my flesh. The rate picked up slightly, something I doubted anyone but I could tell. Lucroy’s cool fingers worked their way under my shirt, splayed out against my flesh in a comforting way.

Without preamble, Lucroy stated, “If he graces me with his consent, Peaches is my beloved.”

I inhaled, my head spinning. I felt dizzy, and only Lucroy’s arm around my waist held me. He’d said the words. He’d pronounced them to everyone in the room without a hint of regret or embarrassment.

Frederick’s jaw tightened, a line of unbendable disgust. The vampires, who I assumed to be a part of Lucroy’s nest, shifted. Many stared ahead, their expressions unreadable. Others looked worried. Bree looked like she’d barely kept herself from fainting. She also looked like she might be sick. I had no idea if vampires vomited and had no desire to find out.

“Your beloved?” the cloaked figure asked. “A pixie? Are you not ashamed?”

Lucroy stiffened. Phil gasped, and Sedrick growled.

“No, Nirgal. I am not ashamed. I am blessed.” Lucroy sounded sure, not a hint of doubt. “I am only ashamed that Peaches found out my intentions this way. Asking one to be their beloved should be a private, sacred moment.” Lucroy tilted his head, the black night of his eyes boring into me, begging for understanding. “Forgive me, Peaches. I had not intended for you to find out this way.”

Wrapping my fingers around Lucroy’s face, I loved how he leaned into my touch. “I love you, Lucroy.” Tears of joy stung my eyes. “How it happens isn’t important, only that it does. And by the way, nothing in this world or the next would make me happier than becoming your beloved.” The sprite hiding in my hair sprang to life, twittering and spinning above my head.

Lucroy smiled a genuine grin that barely avoided showing fang. “It seems you have a tagalong.”

“They insisted on coming.”

“I need to thank them. All of them. They saved your life, and for that, I will be eternally grateful.” Lucroy pushed the hair from my face, tucking it behind an ear.

The pressure in the room suddenly dropped, sucking the air with it. All the living gasped while the vampires went still. The vampire I now knew as Nirgal lowered his hood, and I gasped again. It was rude, staring the way I was, yet I couldn’t help it. I’d never seen a vampire like him.

“He’s almost translucent,” Phil said, just as much in awe as me.

Phil wasn’t wrong. Nirgal’s skin was colorless. Veins and arteries swam beneath his translucent skin—a map of wandering roads ferrying blood at an alarmingly slow rate. Nirgal’s eyes weren’t black; they were deep, deep crimson and shone like dark rubies against a translucent backdrop. Even Nirgal’s hair was colorless—an eerily unnatural white.

The council vampires bowed, and the rest followed, all but Lucroy. A small deferential tilt of his head was all he could manage with his arm still tightly wrapped around me.

“Ancient one,” Lucroy addressed Nirgal. “You honor us.”

Nirgal ignored the platitude. Those crimson eyes tracked and trained on me. Nervously, my wings fluttered, filling the air again with gold dust. Instead of appearing irritated, Nirgal looked amused, or maybe pleased.

“It has been far too long since I’ve had the pleasure of seeing pixie dust. It is a shame it is so fleeting. Perhaps that is what makes it special. We cherish it more because it is so short-lived. When there is no expiration date, one loses appreciation for the truly spectacular.”

Nirgal’s gaze was transfixed. Pink dust filtered around the edges of my vision. Phil was contributing to the cloud.

Holding out his hand, the dust hit Nirgal’s ancient flesh, dissolving into the ether. My sprite flew, a shimmering speck of light as it landed on Nirgal’s upturned palm. Swallowing a piece of dust, the sprite spun and twirled. Nirgal’s thin lips spread, exposing dangerously long fangs. Just like the rest of him, I’d never seen fangs that wide or long on any vampire.

My sprite flew back, settling into my hair just above my ear.

“For far too long, tales of Horatio’s folly have plagued our species.” Tucking his arm back under his tunic, Nirgal’s gaze flicked around the room before settling back on Lucroy.

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