Page 8 of Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie

My lips twitched, itching to grin. “It is one of your finer qualities.”

Johnny threw a nearby towel my direction. I didn’t bother dodging and allowed the slightly damp cloth to hit me in the chest.

Chuckling, Johnny said, “I’ve got the apartment cleaned out and ready. Wendall already got rid of most everything.” Nose scrunching, Johnny said, “You know I love that boy, but I’m glad I didn’t have to clean out the fridge. Brains are bad enough, but rotten brain is probably worse, not to mention what Trinket eats.” Like all fauns, Johnny was a vegetarian. “You know I’m not prejudiced. You gotta eat what your body needs, but that don’t mean I gotta like cleaning it up.” With a dramatic shiver, Johnny’s tension dissipated. “Anyway, it was a moot point. Wendall cleaned everything up. I didn’t have to do much. Wendall’s a good lad.”

Wendall was far more than alad. In point of fact, none of us really knew what Wendall was now. Mostly human with a dash of fairy. Thanks to Aurelia, thatdashof fairy was now more like asplash. I wasn’t overly concerned. Wendall’s good nature would quell anything else that came along.

“Do you know when they’re expected?” Johnny asked.

“The pixie?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Not precisely. I am uncertain how long the meeting at Sedrick’s will last or if Lucroy will bring the pixie here directly after.” As inconspicuously as possible I glanced the direction of the wolves sitting on the other side of the room. Even their excellent hearing couldn’t overcome Dusk’s music and distance.

A fresh, warm glass of blood appeared before me. By the time I picked it up, Lizbeth was off, her lavender hair reflecting the overhead lighting and making her glow. Despite my original misgivings and despite her unfortunate humanity, Lizbeth was an excellent hire.

Now that my appetite was sated, I savored my second glass. I might have a third before the night was over. I would be fine without it, but I saw no reason for hunger. A hungry vampire did not make congenial conversation.

Another employee stood behind Johnny reluctant to interrupt, and patiently waiting for our conversation to end

“Duty calls,” I told Johnny before slipping out of my chair and into the crowd. I might not be Lucroy Moony, but as his second, most of our nestmates took comfort in my presence. Vampires could be solitary creatures, but we often retained our living, human personalities. As such, some vampires were sociable and required interaction with others. Dusk was here to fulfill that need. Lucroy had a few simple rules. No nestmates went hungry. No nestmate lacked for a safe place to sleep during the day. No nestmate need pay tithes. No nestmate had to perform any task they did not wish. Vampires within the Southeastern United States had luxuries other nests did not and are ranks were growing because of it. Lucroy’s style of leadership was very appealing, and our increased diversity strengthened our nest.

I spent the rest of the evening being available to nestmates in need. Most of that need came from small, nearly insignificant requests or inquires. The evening turned into night which rolled into early morning. The bar cleared as patrons found their way home. The group of brownies stayed until nearly three in the morning. I was staring at them when they suddenly blinked out and were gone. That was the way of brownies and I’d seen it enough over the centuries that I barely found it disturbing now.

Johnny, Lizbeth, and a handful of other staff went around the bar, cleaning tables and putting the bar to rights. Sliding out of my corner booth, I decided to make a final round, making certain all was well, and I was no longer needed. Most nights, I felt as if my presence was little more than window dressing. Lucroy was right, as long as Johnny was present, Dusk basically ran itself.

“You headed downstairs, boss-man?” Johnny asked.

“Soon.” I’m not sure why I lingered. Johnny didn’t need me. Being alone didn’t bother me. Maybe it was staying in Lucroy’s home. Maybe I should have left earlier so I could sleep in my own den. Only that space wasn’t as comforting as I’d once found it.

I was unsettled, had been since Lucroy found his beloved. I didn’t begrudge Lucroy his happiness. In fact, I was relieved he’d found Peaches. Before Peaches, I’d begun observing disturbing habits. It was early, but I was wary. I’d lost my maker to depression and ultimately, the sun. She’d walked out into the early sunrise, finding a level of peace she’d lost in her second life. I did not want to lose Lucroy the same way.

A vampire at loose ends danced a fine line, one that did not always end with centuries but a pile of ash.

“Leon.” Lucroy’s cool voice danced across my skin. He wasn’t my maker, but he was my king. He was also a good friend.

I turned, surprised when I didn’t see Peaches by his side.

Aware of my gaze, Lucroy said, “My beloved was away from his orchard too long this evening. I took him home before stopping by Dusk.”

“Is he well?” Concern tickled my brain. As a bonded nature pixie, being away from his orchard could kill Peaches. A few hours were fine, any longer and the consequences would be devastating. We all knew that firsthand.

“He is fine. A small headache and decreased energy, but nothing being back on his land won’t cure.”

The tightness around my chest eased. While I cared for Peaches, my larger concern would be his death’s impact on Lucroy. Depending on the circumstances, Lucroy would either lose himself to madness, becoming a danger to everything in his path, or he would simply cease to exist. Neither outcome was desirable.

Before I could inquire further, Lucroy turned his head, tilting it just so as he listened to the hall leading to the parking garage. Seconds later, I heard what had caught his attention—the flutter of pixie wings.

I blinked before my eyelids managed to glue themselves open. My heart thudded, a dull drum that reverberated through my body and yet I remained statue still. I’d seen my fair share of pixies. All of them were beautiful. None of them had ever caught my attention like this.

“Leon, this is Agent Frost. He is the representative the Magical Usage Council sent. Frost, this is my second, Leon McMillon.”

“Nice to meet you, Leon. Looks like we’ll be working together for a while.”

Tingles swept through my body like shards of ice. Frost was extraordinary and yet the only thing that managed to exit my mouth was an insulting “fuck, you’re tiny, even for a pixie.”

ChapterThree

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