Page 87 of Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie

“She’s gone,” I leaned in and whispered into Leon’s ear as Lucroy continued speaking.

“So she is,” Leon answered. Although barely audible, a thread of tension strung those brief words together. I found his irritation oddly comforting.

“I don’t like it,” I said.

“Nor I. However, I do not see how we can change the matter.”

I huffed. “I still don’t like it.”

Leon’s arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me in close. I found his unyielding body even more comforting than his words. It was a solid show of support. This vampire, my mate, wouldn’t leave me. Come hell or highwater, Leon would be by my side. We’d either make it out of this mess together or meet the afterlife as a united duo. I didn’t relish the thought of dying and thinking of Leon passing from his second life nearly doubled me over in pain. However, there was comfort in the knowledge that we were bonded. Where one went, the other followed. Life and death intertwined in a coupled dance.

I tuned back in when I heard Lucroy say, “I do not find Aurelia’s opinion of Janus comforting.”

“Understated as usual,” Vander quipped. “And yet, I find I can hardly disagree. I’ll just add she about scared the piss out of me.”

“I second Van’s thoughts,” Parsnip agreed, holding up his hand in a physical show of support.

“I’ll bet Phil and I third and fourth that,” Sedrick agreed. “What do you think, Ray? Will Arie have that fucking object of attachment on him or not?”

My heart dropped when Ray answered, “Unlikely.”

“Fucking shit,” Sedrick growled. “I was afraid you’d say that.” Phil ran his hand up and down Sedrick’s bicep, offering him comfort.

“Is there a way we can track it down?” Phil asked. “Could Aurelia?”

Peaches flew out from the edge of the woods in time to hear Phil’s question. “She said no.” Peaches pulled to a stop beside Lucroy.

“No, she won’t tell us or no she can’t do it?” Phil asked, echoing my own confusion.

“No, she can’t find it,” Peaches clarified. “We talked while I was out hiding her amphora. She’s really very helpful when in the correct frame of mind. I don’t think Aurelia likes Janus, but at the same time, she won’t be that helpful.” Peaches’s anticipated the next question. “From what I understand, djinn aren’t very effective against each other.”

“That’s…that seems counterintuitive,” I said. “Why create them then?” I’d assumed witches were trying to outdo each other—get a leg up on their enemies.

Peaches shrugged. “I’m not sure Aurelia knows. From what she told me, witches tried using them to battle each other but found it nearly pointless. Djinn are indestructible. They can’t be defeated, at least not back then. They can’t even destroy each other.”

“Erasmus,” Ray said. “Is he still nearby?”

Eyes briefly slipping closed, Peaches nodded. “He’s still within the confines of my territory. He’s…the trees tell me he’s very troubled. Along with the sprites, they’ve been keeping an eye on him.”

“That must come in handy,” Parsnip said. “I’m impressed.” Truth radiated through that statement. As a nature pixie, it was possible I could one day have the same thing, although not all nature pixies found a place that synched with their magic. Currently, bonding with a piece of earth wasn’t my ideal. I traveled too much to make it work. Maybe one day that would change, but for now, I was happy being an unbonded nature pixie. My mate was more than enough. More than I ever expected.

“It is comforting,” Peaches answered before he flinched.

“Beloved?” Worry pierced Lucroy’s voice.

Sedrick’s rumbled growl echoed Lucroy’s concern. “I hear them, Peaches.”

“Hear what?” I asked. Flying, I twirled, attempting to see what made Peaches’s flinch and Sedrick’s wolf spark.

Leon and Lucroy’s heads snapped up, crimson flooding their onyx eyes. “We’ve got company,” Leon said.

“Lots of company,” Peaches amended. “They can’t get inside my barrier, but all land is connected and the area surrounding my bonded territory is screaming a warning.” Peaches placed the palm of his hand to his temple. “This isn’t good.”

“As if I expectedgood.” Vander’s tone dripped with sarcasm. “You let us know what we can do, Peaches. This isn’t all on you.”

“Vander is correct.” Ray’s attention turned toward the dirt road leading to Peaches’s orchard and the cottage contained within. Only the enemy didn’t simply come up the road, they walked through the surrounding prairie and woods. Arie’s pack slipped through the darkened night, surrounding Peaches’s boundary, barely a toe length away. At that distance, they had to feel the unwelcome prickle of his magic.

A string of large, dark SUVs lumbered up the road, dipping and swaying along the uneven ground. The first rolled to a stop and the were of the hour stepped out.

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