Page 40 of Perfectly Charmed Pixie

“Oh. I… Why did you agree then?”

I stared down at Georgiana’s ring, glowing bright crimson and warmly nestled around my skin. “I’ve got my reasons,” I coyly answered. “You’ll find out, eventually. Now, I promised Divia I’d get you home, and pissing off a siren isn’t high on my to-do list.” Pissing off an alpha werewolf as powerful as Arie Belview wasn’t either, but sometimes, needs must. “You ready to get out of here?”

“More than ready.” Parsnip’s gaze was full of a trust I wasn’t certain I’d deserved but was determined to earn.

ChapterSixteen

Parsnip

I couldn’t believe I didn’t remember Vander telling me he’d meet me at Dusk. The early morning hours were little more than a warm memory blur. More of a feeling than true memory. I woke later that morning with a sense of calm safety I hadn’t experienced in years. I had a hint of that feeling when I stayed with Parsley, but it wasn’t as all-consuming.

Riding back to my rental house in Vander’s car, I didn’t know what to make of things or how to disentangle my knotted-up feelings. What was it about the warlock sitting beside me? I found him physically attractive, but there were plenty of good-looking males in the world. Looks alone weren’t enough to make me feel the way I did.

I side-eyed Vander, trying to figure out why he made my heart flutter in ways I’d never experienced. I couldn’t figure out if what I felt was good or bad and wasn’t certain how to find the answer.

“You’re being pretty quiet over there. Care to share?” Vander glanced my way, a quirked grin pulling the corner of his mouth. Oncoming headlights lit his eyes, a myriad of colors flaring in their hazel depths.

“Just thinking.” I wasn’t used to hearing my voice so hushed. I wasn’t a quiet pixie. I’d learned long ago that meekness wasn’t the path that led to my life goals.

“That’s obvious. I’d like to know what you’re thinking about.”

“Why?” The word slipped through my lips before I could haul it back in.

“Why?” Vander echoed. “I don’t know. Call it curiosity or casual conversation.” Vander shrugged, his broad shoulders lifting with ease. “I’d like to get to know you better.”

I scoffed—another knee-jerk reaction. “No one really wants to get to know a social pixie, Vander.” I crossed my arms, back stiff.

I was well aware of my place in the grand scheme of life. Social pixies were made for adoration, but it was always from afar. Never meet your heroes was a saying for a reason. Not that I thought I was anyone’s hero, only that I had numerous followers, a plethora of adoring fans, and thousands, if not millions, of individuals who’d pay a mint to meet me. Not a single one of those fans would want more than the superficial version of me. They wouldn’t want the true Parsnip—the faded pixie, my carry-on baggage busting at the seams with fear.

“Hmm, can’t say that I can really argue that point and probably wouldn’t have bothered before you walked through my door. That’s on me. Live and learn. There’s probably a reason warlocks are long-lived. It takes us that many years to figure shit out.”

“Doubtful, otherwise humans would be the longest-lived of all the species.”

Vander barked out a laugh. The sound filled the car with the kind of warmth that could only be felt on the inside. “True enough. Maybe they did, once, but their god decided that not even a millennium was enough, so they just cut it short and said to hell with it.”

My grin was so pure it was almost painful. “Could be. It’s something worth considering.”

“Yeah, but I’m sure humans wouldn’t see it that way.”

“Doubtful. They’re not all bad though.”

I thought of Mike and felt sorrier for the human than anything else. They seemed so fragile, so susceptible to all the other species and to each other. Was it any wonder they acted like they did? I knew what fear felt like, but my fear had a face and a general species. Humans had to worry about everyone. That kind of constant hyperawareness had to wear on you—physically and emotionally. Perhaps we were too hard on them.

“No, they’re not,” Vander easily agreed. “They’re like every other species. They’ve got good and bad mixed in. Seems like none of us got off without some bad apples.”

Most other species, even my own, considered social pixies rotten apples. Pixies like Peaches and Phil got an automatic pass with the public. Not that I could fault that thinking. It was more correct than not. But just as Vander said, there were exceptions everywhere.

I thought about Vander’s profession. “You probably meet all kinds, don’t you?” I hadn’t truly given it a lot of consideration before.

Warlocks were different from witches, and not just because of gender. From what I understood, their abilities to manipulate magic were vastly different. The underlying principles were similar, but the magic responded differently. Warlocks were more adept at magic viewed as more destructive or damaging. They often destroyed more than created, or you could say they created destructive charms. Witches, not so much. That didn’t mean all witches were good. I’d be more than happy to point in Letty Fox’s direction if asked.

“It can get interesting,” Vander agreed, tapping the steering wheel. His blackened fingertips melded with the dark color of the wheel. That was probably another reason warlocks were initially thought of as evil. For some reason, nearly every species associated the dark color negatively.

“Interesting, huh?” I figured that was putting it mildly.

Vander just chuckled. “I suppose that’s a nice way to put it. My clients’ expectations are often skewed. It’s not just me. Most warlocks go through the same thing. You’d think, after this many centuries, that it would have changed, but I suppose there are enough warlocks that fall into the pit of expectation to keep fueling the image. It is what it is. Each of us has a choice to make when we reach our magical potential. I made mine, and I’ve never regretted it. You can always slide into the dark, but coming out of that darkness and reaching for the light is a hell of a lot harder. In case you hadn’t noticed, I’d rather not put that much effort into something.” Vander winked teasingly.

“You’re telling me the charm you made for me was easy?” Considering how many warlocks wouldn’t even try, I already knew the answer.

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