Page 83 of Perfectly Perfect Pixie

It was an odd gesture when referring to zombies. They were known for eating brains, not retaining their own mental prowess.

“How do you believe I can be of assistance?” Lucroy asked. It was something I’d wondered too.

“Wendall needs a job. And a place to live. Like I said, I don’t like him living in the zombie compound. I could probably carve out a space of his own there, but I think that’s still too close to the other zombies. He’s not like them, and they are a constant reminder about what he could have been.” Muriel shrugged her shoulders. “Could still be, for that matter. I’m still not certain what’s different about this one. Could be he’s got a little warlock in his family background, or maybe something else. Not enough to make him magical, but enough to protect his synapses through the reanimation process. Since I’m not certain why he’s different, I can’t say for sure if it will last. Wendall’s fairly . . . fresh.” Muriel’s grin was a bit on the maniacal side. My wings fluttered with my unease, sending fresh pixie dust into the air. Muriel’s eyes watched it with covetous envy, much like Mattie had when she’d dropped off the sprites.

Speaking of sprites, mine must have peeked out from behind my ear. Muriel’s eyes lit up, and she gave a cheery clap. “Sprites! Good lands, it’s been an age since I’ve seen one.”

My sprite zipped through the air, chomping on pieces of my dust before settling in behind my ear again.

“King Moony, you are one lucky vampire.” Muriel threw Lucroy a wink before she became serious again. “Wendall’s young, both in zombie and human terms. I doubt he’s much older than twenty, if that. But he seems like a good lad. I think he’d be a good and loyal employee.”

Lucroy was quiet but not dismissive. “Bring the boy by sometime, and we’ll see.”

“Oh,” Muriel clapped again, “I’ve got him with me now.” Before Lucroy could say anything, Muriel headed out of the bar.

“Um . . .” I hesitated. “Do you really think you can find a job for a zombie?” Lucroy employed lots of different species. Hiring Phil, first as a bouncer and then as a bartender, had been pushing the boundaries. But a zombie?

“I have no idea. However, I have learned that it is always a favorable idea to keep a priestess of Muriel’s talents on your good side. If I can assist, it will be a small inconvenience when stacked against Muriel’s goodwill.”

“Ah. Makes sense.” Lucroy’s hand slid lower, cupping my ass. He had to bend a little to reach, placing his lips near my ear. “I desperately wish to be alone with you. When Muriel leaves, I will drive you to your orchard.”

I leaned into Lucroy. That idea sounded heavenly. I was still covered in my bonded land’s soil. It helped, along with my hitchhiking sprite, but it wasn’t the same as being there. Just like Phil and Sedrick, I needed to be home. My stomach was tight and on the edge of nausea. I hadn’t spent nearly enough time on my land before racing off to Dusk. Not that I regretted my decision. Only that it was time to go home.

“Good goddess, what in the hell happened here?” The clap of Johnny’s hooves sounded against Dusk’s aged wooden floors. The faun came around the bar with a towel slung over his shoulder that was far too small to do anything about the bloody body on the floor.

“I swear, I leave you alone for a few hours, and this place goes to shit.” Johnny’s ears flicked, shifting his hair. His tiny antlers kept getting buried in his tossed hair. I knew Lucroy and Leon had hoped to clean everything up before Johnny returned. Looks like they were an hour or so too late.

“Muriel is already here. The wolf will be gone shortly,” Lucroy answered calmly.

“Is that what’s under there?” Johnny pointed a finger at the sheet-covered body. “I thought vamps were the problem tonight.” Johnny huffed. “At most, I thought I’d need a dustpan.”

“The ashes of the deceased have already been dealt with. Leon has already taken care of them.”

My gaze traveled to the container on the counter—the one holding Bree’s ashes. Bree hadn’t been a large vampire. Regardless, the container still seemed too small. There should have been more that was left. I wasn’t sure why that thought got stuck in my head, but once it had, I couldn’t seem to shake it.

“Please tell me a good portion of those ashes belonged to Freddie.” Johnny crossed his arms, leaning back on his hooves.

“Indeed. They are already in the trash and, most likely, in the dumpster as well. I cannot imagine Leon wasted any time disposing of them.”

“Good.” Johnny sagely nodded his approval. “About damn time.”

Muriel pushed Dusk’s door open with a hurried, “Go on, they might be vamps, but they ain’t gonna bite you.”

I stared, gaze riveted to the door as a diminutive human stumbled through. His eyes were wide, pale blue saucers of fear. Brown hair flopped haphazardly around his gray-tinged face. Dressed in a faded plum-colored hoodie and ripped jeans, the human-turned-zombie looked barely old enough to drive.

“What’s this?” Johnny asked, clomping closer. “Boss?” Johnny’s ears flicked, this time with interest instead of irritation.

“I believethismight be a new employee.”

“What?” Johnny took another step forward, nose in the air and inhaling deeply. “That’s a zombie,” Johnny stated what the rest of us already knew.

Wendall winced, head bent and eyes fixed on his dirty sneakers.

“Go on. I can barely get inside the door.” Muriel pushed Wendall farther into the bar, ignoring his discomfort and the possible insult Johnny had just thrown his way.

Pulling Wendall along with her, Muriel moved closer to Lucroy. “Wendall, this is Mr. Lucroy Moony, king of the Southeast vampire nest. King Moony, this is Wendall.” With a sharp nudge at his shoulder, Muriel ordered, “Say hello, Wendall.”

Head lifting, Wendall’s unusually light blue eyes darted back and forth before settling somewhere around Lucroy’s chest. “It’s nice to meet you, K-king Moony,” he stuttered.

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