Page 18 of Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie

“Nearly every night now,” I agreed.

Ray’s eyes narrowed. Typically, beyond the law, fairies didn’t care much about the comings and goings of other species. Hellfire Rayburn was different.

“Yo, Johnny, you gonna sit on your ass all evening or are you gonna help me?” Lizbeth shouted from a nearby table. “The bar’s backing up. Frost’s doing a good job, but he’s not as quick as you and me.”

Slapping his hands on the table, Johnny stood. “Duty calls. You spending the day here again, boss-man?”

I nodded without thought. I’d definitely spend the day here. Something inside wouldn’t allow me to go elsewhere. Logically, that didn’t make sense. I was utterly useless during the day. My body was inert, and my mind would not wake.

My gaze found Frost. The pixie was behind the bar, scurrying back and forth. Pixie dust surrounded him like a heavenly haze. He grinned, winked, and fluttered about like he hadn’t a care in the world. Frost was focused on his work.

As if he could sense me watching, Frost’s head lifted, our gazes meeting across the still busy bar.

No. I wouldn’t leave the bar. I’d stay, locked in my safe little dungeon, as close to the living as I could be without risking the sun’s wrath.

ChapterSeven

Phlox

Two and a half weeks later and no progress. Summer in Virginia settled in, and my body protested. I wanted to stay inside by the air-conditioning vent. I would have sat on top of the damn thing if possible. Peaches and Phil loved this weather. Parsnip probably did too. I’d been told he and Vander would be back soon. I’d gladly switch places with them. The snowy Himalayas sounded like heaven right about now.

Flopped out on my bed, I lay across the sheets in nothing more than a pair of loose, deep blue panties. They were silky smooth and barely left anything to the imagination. I didn’t care about all that. I wasn’t trying to be sexy. I was aiming for cool. I’d cranked the air-conditioning up as high as it would go. I wasn’t sure if Lucroy would charge me or not.

“Fuck it, he can bill my hot ass,” I said, only the constant whirl of the air-conditioning witness.

I was currently at loose ends. I’d called and reassured Auntie Tandra that I was alive. I’d also contacted the Magical Usage Council. Six more known pixies had been abducted and were listed as missing. Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them. Time was running out. Unlike previous pixie trafficking operations, few of these pixies were found before they faded. Pixies only lasted so long in captivity. Each victim had five, maybe six months and no pixie had ever survived in captivity more than seven months. As far as I knew, Parsnip held the dubious record of longest captured pixie to survive. Another day, maybe two, and he wouldn’t have survived.

I slammed my fist into the mattress. What else could I do? I’d gone out at night, after my shift or on days I had off. I’d wandered the streets alone, the perfect, easy target. Letting loose a growl, my inner shifter begged for release.

“Not so alone.” Those words came out garbled. “Leon,” I hissed. The vamp followed me. It was ridiculous how he thought I didn’t know he was there. And if I knew he was there, then so did others. Leon was sneaky. All vamps were. He didn’t know I had better hearing than your typical pixie. Considering no one knew who was behind the pixie thefts, there was a good chance that whatever the species was, they had just as good of hearing as me. And if not hearing, other senses that allowed them to pick out Leon’s meddling.

Vampires hunted humans for a reason. They were the easiest prey.

I’d sort of been flattered at first. Or maybe smitten. I’m not sure what the right word was. Now, I was just pissed. Leon all but ignored me while I worked in the bar. The sexy vamp barely said two words to me in a night, but the fucker followed me all over town when I wasn’t on duty. What kind of sense did that make?

None.

Tossing my head, my hair spread out behind me, I stared at the ceiling. When had my life gotten so confusing? I was used to working cases alone. This one shouldn’t have been different and yet it was. While everyone was careful not to outwardly appear too concerned, that was as far from true as could be. It was strange, working in an environment where I felt genuinely cared for. I was conflicted. My pixie side relished the attention. My shifter side not so much.

“Ugh. Enough!” Sitting, I pushed off my bed and grabbed a pair of my loosest, coolest pants and top. Shoving Byx’s clips in my hair, I headed for my door and the street. I’d avoided going out alone during the day, mostly to avoid the heat. Also, nearly every report of captured pixies took place during the dark. Daylight wasn’t the prime time to meet my goal. It was, however, vampire free.

Stomping down the stairs, I gave the door leading to Leon’s underground nest the one finger salute. “This is all your fault,” I ridiculously accused. “You’re making me go out in this goddess forsaken heat.”

Quickly raiding Dusk’s main fridge, I grabbed a couple bottles of cold water. If I had to do this, then I’d need hydration. Heading across the bar, I threw Dusk’s door open and released an internal growl. The heat was even worse than I expected. This was going to be a long, steamy day.

“Thanks, Leon,” I grumbled before slamming the door and locking it behind me. Despite my anger there was no way anyone was getting into Dusk during the day. Vamps always had a lot of security around the entrance of their private, daylight dwellings. That didn’t mean I had to make it easier for some asshole with a vampire axe to grind.

No one was getting near Leon. Not on my watch.

* * *

Goddess, it’s hot. I caught my appearance in a nearby shop window and grimaced. I appeared wilted. Pixies flew around me now and again, chatting it up and happy as warm clams. A couple inquired about my health but flew off with a few well-placed reassurances.

I’d ducked into more than half a dozen shops, seeking air-conditioning and a moment to cool off and collect myself. Inevitably, I’d have to head out into the heat again. The setting sun hadn’t cooled the area off. If anything, it was just steamier than it was earlier. I was convinced humidity was a curse upon the world.

Dusk rose in the distance. Bright oranges, deep russets, and mellow yellows lit up the sky around it. The building wasn’t all that impressive. It wasn’t meant to be. Johnny explained that Dusk was built like a fortress, able to withstand all that nature, humanity, and anything every other species could throw at it. Dusk’s beauty lay within its walls.

Unlocking the door, I didn’t have to type in my security code. Lizbeth was already behind the bar, doing inventory and getting things ready. Her eyes widened and her skin paled when she saw me. Lizbeth’s bubblegum-pink hair belied her worry.

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