Page 83 of Perfectly Charmed Pixie

“I can. Byx can too when she’s conscious. We worked it so that I’d be able to activate it if she couldn’t. A witch named Matilda can activate it too.”

Mattie wasn’t here, so I was all that was left.

“Very well. Release.”

The chains around my wrists released, clanking to the floor. The skin below was bloody and bruised, but that was a future worry. Right now, I had a brownie to save. Struggling to stand, pins and needles pierced my lower legs and feet, the blood circulation having been diminished too long as I’d remained kneeling.

I fell once, and when I pushed to get back up, Parsnip was there, hauling my body up and supporting as much of my weight as he could. Somehow, between the two of us, we managed to get to the couch.

Gracefully standing, the fairy moved aside, and I took her place. Byx was cold, her skin too light and ashy. Her eyelids didn’t so much as flutter, and her heart rate was painfully slow.

“What can I do?” Parsnip asked, hovering near Byx’s head. His wing was too damaged for him to fly, and his bare feet were left on the frigid stone.

“You’re already doing it.” I offered a weak smile and pushed as much love as I could into my eyes.

For the first time since he’d walked into this hellhole, Parsnip’s muscles eased, and the faint grin he offered in return said everything I needed to hear.

Pulling my gaze from Parsnip, I focused on Byx. “Hey, sweetie. Time to wake up and join the party. You’re missing all the fun.” While I spoke, I wove threads of magic together, combining them until they perfectly fit the spell. It was intricate work, but I’d practiced this spellcraft until I could do it blindfolded and only semi-conscious.

“Vander’s right.” Parsnip leaned down, running his petite fingers through Byx’s dark brown hair. “Letty’s stuck in the in-between. She’s really pissed. You’ll be sorry you missed that.”

I chuckled. I didn’t know if Parsnip realized just how right he was. With a final weave, I activated the spell. The charm lay on Byx’s chest against her bare skin. The pull of magic stole my breath and nearly doubled me over, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t expected or braced myself against.

The stone lit up, its golden glow soft and warm. Lines of magic seeped from it, spiderwebbing across Byx’s skin, sinking deep into her flesh. Those lines raced through her body, lighting up every cell, finally calling home to her central core—to Byx’s soul.

“Interesting,” our fairy understated.

Byx’s skin warmed, deep browns returning, replacing the sickly ash color. Byx’s eyes flickered beneath her eyelids, and a groan left her throat. She’d be in pain when she woke, but she’d wake. That was the important part. Bruises healed. Magical depletion often didn’t.

“Hey, kiddo. Time to stop snoozing and join the rest of us.” My fingers joined Parsnip’s running through Byx’s hair.

Her dragon hair clips were still barely hanging on. They started moving, stretching, and blinking, waking as Byx did.

“V-Van?” Her throat sounded raw, and the grimace pulling at Byx’s lips made me want to strangle Letty Fox with my bare hands.

“Hey. You awake?” Relief came so swiftly, it left me lightheaded.

“Yeah. I think.”

“Can you sit up?” Parsnip asked, chewing on his bottom lip.

“Maybe?”

“I’ll help,” Parsnip offered, reaching behind Byx’s shoulders and lifting her. The charm slid from Byx’s chest, landing in her lap. Those brown eyes impossibly widened as realization dawned.

“You had to use it?” Byx asked, searching my eyes for the truth.

“I did. Letty drained you too much, and we were afraid that…” I couldn’t finish, couldn’t even contemplate the fear that had taken control of my mind and heart.

Tears welled up in Byx’s eyes, dripping down her cheeks in endless rivers. Her small hand reached out, skimming over the knot Franny had left on my head.

“Oh, Van.” Byx didn’t say anything else. Instead, she launched herself off the couch, plowing into my chest, arms wrapped around and holding me in a vice grip. I could barely hear anything else over her sobs.

“It’s okay now, Byx. I promise.”

“I’ve never felt anything like that, Van. It hurt sooo bad. Is Letty dead? I want her dead.”

I shivered. I’d never heard Byx say anything like that before. The truly sad and frightening thing was just how much she meant it.

---