Page 4 of Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie

Pouting for all he was worth, Dillon turned on his uncle, hands fisted at his sides, chin jutted out. “That’s code for getting us out of the house so you can talk about grown-up stuff.”

Sedrick shook his head while Phil fluttered beside him. “Nothing code about it. We need to discuss some things that aren’t meant for your ears. You’ve both got too good of hearing to stay in the house, and it’s a nice evening out. I know how much you like romping around in your fur, and Trinket would love playing with you.”

When Dillon’s chin jutted out even further, it was Phil that stepped in, or rather, knelt down.

With a gentle smile and even gentler hands, Phil cupped Dillon’s face with one hand, and Ruthie’s with the other. “Listen, this is stuff I don’t want you worrying about, it’s—”

“But it’s about kidnapped pixies,” Dillon protested.

“And holding them prisoner,” Ruthie chimed in sounding devastated.

Phil swallowed and gave a firm nod. “It is and I’m grateful that both of you care so much. You don’t know how much that means to me. I’d love to believe that when you’re older, horrible things like this will no longer happen, but history doesn’t point in that direction. So, one day, it will be up to the two of you to help keep everyone safe. But right now, it’s up to us.” Phil’s gaze swept the room before landing back on Dillon and Ruthie. “And right now, the way you can help me the most is by enjoying the time you have as children.” With a wide and generous smile, Phil’s eyes danced with unshed tears. “That’s what gives me joy, what chases away all the bad and makes me hopeful. I love seeing the two of you carefree and happy. I wish I could bottle it up and keep the bad part of the world from you both. You’ve already been through so much. Don’t take on this mantle. Not yet. One day, it will fall to your shoulders. Don’t rush it, okay?”

Leaning in, Phil kissed each of their foreheads. Ruthie fell into his arms, hugging him tight. Dillon’s stubborn jaw relaxed, and he offered an agreeing nod.

“Okay, Phil. But if there’s anything you need, if we can help in any way—”

“I’ll be sure to let you know. Right now, the best way you can help me is to shift and have a good time. When I’m feeling down, all I have to do is imagine the two of you in your fur, playing and romping around the house and yard. Thinking of that makes me smile. There’s no greater gift.”

Dillon’s cheeks dusted pink. Trinket slid off his head, landing on his shoulder like a furry growth.

Without another word, Ruthie grabbed her brother’s hand and headed for the door. Just as before, the front door swung open, softly closing behind them.

The room remained hushed until Peaches broke the silence with a heartfelt “well done, Phil.”

Rising, Phil’s wings fluttered, spreading pink dust. Thankfully, he was far enough away that no one sneezed. It was interesting that Sedrick walked through that wall of pink without so much as a sniffle.

Phil shrugged before answering. “Everything I said was true.”

The oven timer went off and Phil immediately heeded the call. Taking out a tray from the oven, Phil laid it on the counter to cool. Looked like the kids just missed the finished cinnamon twists.

As if he read my mind, Phil waved a hand over the hot twists and said, “It’s just as well they got out of here before the twists were done. Last time it took Dillon two shifts to heal his burned mouth.”

Sedrick chuckled while tucking a section of pink hair behind Phil’s pointed ear.

“Perhaps we should begin,” Lucroy announced, breaking through the heavy atmosphere. “I believe Vander is expecting our call.”

“That he is,” Sedrick easily answered before heading to a nearby laptop. “Vander’s going to join us through an online conference call.” I got the distinct feeling that explanation was for my benefit alone. It seemed like everyone else in the room was already aware. “I’m assuming you know who Vander Kines is,” Sedrick said, this time pointedly looking at me.

“I do. Warlock Vander Kines, bonded in both the pixie and warlock way with Parsnip.” Parsnip was legendary. A social pixie with a hit television show on the Home and Kitchen network. Parsnip had his owncoming outwhen he announced on air that he’d been lying about his aqua colors. The irony was that Parsnip’s gray tones shot through with streaks of his original aqua color were eye catching and beautiful in their own way. Auntie Tandra would be all kinds of jealous when she learned I had a case involving Parsnip. Parsnip was legendary in the social pixie world.

“That’s them,” Sedrick answered, his grin pulling the thick strands of his beard. “They’re currently in Tibet filming the latest edition ofInterspecies Habitat.”

“Ooh.” Peaches flew closer. “Phil told me they were in the Himalayas, but he didn’t tell me who the couple is.”

“Yeti and…what was it, Phil?” Sedrick glanced at his mate while typing something into the computer.

“A phoenix,” Phil answered.

The room went silent again until Wendall said, “That might be kind of tough. I’m not exactly sure what kind of temperature phoenix shifters like. I suppose yetis like the cold, so…”

“It sounds like an interesting episode.” Peaches sounded wistful. “Not as interesting as the one Lucroy and I shot, but still good.”

No one contradicted Peaches’s confident statement. When I chanced a glance at Phil, he sported a fond smile.

“Anyway,” Sedrick continued, “Vander and Parsnip are in Tibet and it’s not that easy to get from there to here. Correct me if I’m wrong, Ray, but I think you could have fetched both of them.”

“I said that too,” Wendall offered. “Tibet sounds so exotic. I really wanted to go, but Vander didn’t want that.”

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