Page 70 of Perfectly Charmed Pixie

She didn’t answer. While I was on the floor, knees bent and wrists cuffed, Byx was laid out on a nearby couch. The fabric was old, and I could smell the mold from here. What worried me the most was that, as far as I could tell, Byx wasn’t restrained. You didn’t leave a captured brownie like that unless you were certain they weren’t a threat.

“Byx,” I tried again, increasingly desperate.

“She can’t answer.” A large, lumbering figure eased its way out of a dark corner.

I hadn’t seen them. I only had eyes for Byx.

“What’s wrong with her? What did you do?” I pulled at my cuffs, but they were spelled and fed off the energy I expended, quickly weakening me further. All my rings were gone, as was every charm. Between that and the cuffs around my wrists, I was little more than human, all magic out of reach.

“I didn’t do anything,” she answered, and now that the ogre had moved a little more into the light, I could see that it was the same one that had been in the store. Franny.

I swallowed, my throat arid and lips chapped. “Then what’s wrong with her?”

Franny shrugged as if it weren’t that important. “Witch business. Letty was really pleased. She wasn’t sure we’d get the brownie too. Letty put something around her neck, made sure she can’t get it off and that she can’t pop outta here like brownies do.”

Air slammed into my chest, my inhale nearly choking me. Dear Gaia, Letty had done something to keep Byx from transporting to safety. “Byx is innocent. She—”

“Ain’t no one innocent anymore,” Franny argued.

Her fingers fisted before relaxing, and a fine quiver wracked her body now and again. The sweat I’d noticed before was greater now, and even for an ogre, her complexation was splotchy with areas of ocher mixed with forest green.

Dawning hit me. “You’re addicted.”

Franny sneered, her thick, blunt teeth snapping together like a bass drum. “I’m not,” she protested, even though she was clearly lying. I had no idea if she believed the lie or not. “I just like the stuff. I can quit anytime.” She grinned, and her bloodshot eyes glinted in the low light. “But why would I want to quit? You don’t know what it’s like, how good pixie dust makes you feel. And I’ll feel that way again soon. Letty promised she’d get me a pixie.”

Franny moved closer, and her noxious, roadkill breath nearly stole what was left of mine. “He’ll come for you. Letty says he won’t be able to stay away, and Letty’s always right. She promised me a pixie,” Franny repeated, her voice filled with anticipation and stripped bare with desire.

“No. Gaia, no.” Every thought scattered, the mere concept too horrid to try to grasp. I’d promised Parsnip I would always come for him, that his charm would lead the way. But this…I’d never imagined this scenario. He had to stay away.

“Franny’s right.”

I couldn’t see past the ogre looming in front of me. I couldn’t see the witch behind that sickly sweet voice.

“Move aside, sweetie,” Letty cooed. “It’s polite to see the one you’re speaking to.”

Franny’s eyes softened, their mania filled with a different kind of obsession—adoration.

“Sorry, Letty,” Franny mumbled as she shifted to the side.

“No harm.” Patting Franny’s large shoulder, Letty filled the empty space.

Witches weren’t like warlocks. They didn’t have a uniform stature. Some were more petite, like Mattie. Some were tall, some lank, some round, and others thin. They came from almost every heritage across the globe and matched that great diversity. Letty Fox was whipcord thin, her dirty blond hair too long for its fine, wispy texture. Her cheeks were high and sharp, her nose narrow, and her lips thin. A line of pale freckles danced across the bridge of her nose—the only color in an otherwise sallow face.

Chains of varying sizes dangled from her neck, her wrists wrapped in just as many bracelets. A ring wound its way around every finger. Unless a witch had a noise-dampening charm, they’d never be able to sneak up on anyone.

I quickly ran my gaze over Letty’s accumulation of charms, looking for anything familiar. I had no idea what she’d done with my confiscated charms, but it was obvious she wasn’t wearing them. I’m not sure why I thought she would. My charms were geared toward warlock magic, not a witch. It would have been difficult for her to wield them. Then again, she’d done just fine with the one Lance had made.

The memory filled me with rage. If I got out of this mess, Lance would be lucky if all I did was turn him into the Magical Usage Council.

“My, my, you are a strapping one, aren’t you?” Letty giggled as if she’d just said something saucy.

I stayed where I was, teeth grinding. If I could kill this witch with the level of hate coming from my eyes, she’d be little more than a smoking pile of ash.

My obvious rage fueled Letty’s pleasure. Hands clapping together, she danced back, the sound of jingling metal echoing in the damp underground. I had no idea how vampires could standlivinglike this.

“I hadn’t expected this to be so much fun.” Letty’s grin nearly split her face, revealing uneven, white teeth. “And the brownie.” Her gaze shifted toward Byx, and panic twisted my gut. “Who would have thought I’d get that kind of bonus?”

“Bonus?” I broke my silence. “How in Gaia’s name do you figure that? Do you have any idea what kind of hell you’ve signed yourself up for?” Brownies were peaceable, but that didn’t mean they were pushovers, and it certainly didn’t mean they took kindly to one of their own being kidnapped.

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