Page 22 of Perfectly Charmed Pixie

“Anything I can help with?”

“Not unless you know where I can find a pixie named Parsnip.”

“Parsnip? Hmm…I know a few pixies, but none by that name. I mean, there’s Parsnip that hosts that show on Home and Kitchen TV, but I doubt he’s the one you’re after.”

If she only knew.

Swallowing my answer, I nodded toward the laughing witches gathered around a table smack dab in the middle of things. “Looks like your sisters are having a good time.”

Thankfully, Mattie was easily distracted. “We always have a good time when we’re out.”

I wondered what it would be like to have that many friends. The life of a warlock wasn’t nearly as congenial. While witches formed sisterly covens, we tended to branch out, remaining alone. It was common to see a couple of witches set up shop on the same street. Warlocks stayed at least one to two towns apart.

I thought about warning Mattie about the recent beta werewolf in my shop but decided against it. Witches couldn’t break pixie bonds. I wasn’t even sure a warlock could do it, but if it were possible, then warlock magic would be the way. Witch magic would fizzle up and die at the very idea.

Instead of bringing the mood down, I said, “I know I’ve thanked you already, but I don’t think a hundred thanks are enough for helping me create Byx’s magic storage charm. Gaia willing, we’ll never have to use it, but it gives me comfort knowing it’s available.”

Patting my arm, Mattie’s big, green eyes gazed up at me. “I’m just glad you thought of it. And I’m blessed you thought to ask me for help. It was the least I could do. Georgiana was special to all of us.”

A chuckle rumbled through my chest. “Can you imagine where we’d be if she hadn’t taken pity on us?”

Mattie shivered. “I don’t even want to contemplate it.”

Older than me by at least thirty years, Mattie had been one of Georgiana’s students, just like me. She’d guided us both and helped us harness the magic around us. Warlocks and witches often taught each other, but to truly understand magic, you needed to learn from someone who was made of the stuff.

Heat enveloped my left ring finger. A slowly brightening crimson glow emanated from the stone when I glanced down. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one to notice.

“Is that…?” Mattie couldn’t finish, her eyes wide. When Lizbeth slid Mattie’s drink within reaching distance, Mattie grabbed it, tossed the umbrella to the side, and downed half of it in one go. “She really did it, didn’t she?”

I glared at the ring. “She really did.”

The full realization of what Georgiana’s activated ring meant hit Mattie, and her eager gaze swept the room, homing in on Dusk’s entrance.

“Sweet Gaia.” Mattie’s hand flew to her chest, shifting necklaces here and there. “Is it the pixie or the siren?”

Shit, that was a siren with Parsnip. “Pixie,” I muttered.

Mattie inhaled before a coughing fit ensued. I soon realized her coughing was brought about by laughter. “Parsnip. Oh…that’s really who you meant. I… Oh… I hardly know what to say beyond good luck.” Going up on tiptoes, Mattie stretched up while I leaned down. Kissing my cheek, Mattie pulled away, a goofy smile plastered across her face. “You’re going to need it, sweetie.” Mattie patted my cheek as if I were a wayward child and picked up her remaining drink. Mirth danced through her voice as she walked away, a faint “a social pixie” drifting in her wake.

I stared at the entrance, my gaze transfixed. I hadn’t paid the kind of attention I should have the first time I’d seen Parsnip. Maybe it was knowing he was my one and only. Maybe it was the burnt rum swimming through my veins. Either way, I was struck dumb by just how beautiful he was. I’d seen more than a few pixies in my day, but I didn’t think I’d ever seen one with aqua-colored hair and wings. White-blond at the crown of his head, Parsnip’s hair darkened as it lengthened, finally ending in deep blue-green hues. His wing color shifted in the lights, shimmering darker and lighter while that same aqua-colored dust shimmered all around him.

Dressed in creamy white, flowing fabric, Parsnip was breathtaking. My dick agreed, finally plumping with interest. My libido wasn’t in doubt. Too bad my brain had other ideas. Then again, sex drive was a simple thing with a one-track mind. It didn’t give two shits about this pixie hiding something. Something big.

Parsnip needed an obfuscation charm. The million-dollar question was why.

ChapterNine

Parsnip

“I don’t know why I agreed to let you drag me out tonight.” Besides Parsley, Divia was one of the few I could be a little honest with. As a social pixie, I should want to go out and do things. I should want to be seen and fawned over. Most of the time, I was game, but tonight I was simply tired. My head hurt worse than usual, and I felt like I could fall asleep at the drop of a hat. I didn’t feel like smiling, like putting on a happy face. Regardless, here I was, doing just that.

“You need to get out, Parsnip. You and I both know it. Part of the reason you’re so exhausted is because you haven’t gone out and mingled much. I know my pixies and social ones need the attention. Otherwise, you just sit and wither away.”

My heart stuttered. I’d already nearly withered away once, and that had been against my will. I was no longer caged. My decisions were my own, and I needed to be responsible. Maybe that’s why I’d agreed. Maybe it had been instinct as much as anything else.

“From what I’ve found, Dusk is the best place for you to recharge. The nearest pixie bar is in Richmond, and that’s over an hour away. This is closer, and I think it will do.” Divia smiled, waving at a nearby gawker. Cell phone cameras clicked here and there as heads increasingly turned in our direction. Once a single individual recognized me, the rest were like dominos and quickly followed.

“You’re a celebrity, Parsnip. Soak it up and bask in the glory.”

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