Page 86 of Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie

Aurelia didn’t comment. She simply stared at the space Janus had recently inhabited. “Janus will not act as I did. He has always enjoyed bloodshed and the violence that causes it. He will not attempt to find work-arounds to Arie Belview’s orders. He will enact them with gleeful expediency.”

I swallowed hard, feeling that lump of saliva ache down my throat. Leon was statue still at my side. Only his lips moved when he said, “We must find a way to remove Janus’s object of attachment from Arie’s possession.”

Peaches’s wings fluttered faster. A few sprites dove in and munched on his dust, but most had disappeared back into the surrounding woods. If they were smart, they’d remain there for the foreseeable future. “But how do we know what that even is? It could be anything. It took a minor miracle for us to figure out what Aurelia’s object was.”

Lucroy asked, “Aurelia, do you know what Janus’s object is?”

Silence descended again. Aurelia’s arms crossed under her ample chest. Staring Peaches in the eye, she asked, “Is that an official wish?”

Lips parting, Peaches appeared momentarily torn before finally shaking his head. “No. I won’t make you do anything. I would appreciate your help, but I won’t force you.”

Head tipping to the side, Aurelia inhaled deeply before releasing it in slow measure. “It is a dagger. By today’s standards, I assume it would appear ancient and I do not know its current condition beyond the assurance that it is still intact. If it were not, then Janus would be no more.”

Now that we understood a djinn’s soul, their very life essence, was woven into the fabric of their object of attachment, that fact made more sense.

“Arie Belview will not need to have the object on him to control Janus,” Aurelia reminded all of us while pointedly staring at the amphora clasped within Peaches’s fist. “It is merely important he be the last to touch the object. Arthur Stover was far too paranoid for it to be out of his possession. That is not always the case. As long as it is stored somewhere safe, where no other knows its location, those who do not carry our object are wiser than those that do.”

“Point taken.” Peaches glanced at Lucroy and said, “I’ll be right back,” before flying into his orchard. When he returned, no doubt the amphora would be gone.

I turned to Sedrick and asked, “What do you think? Will Alpha Belview have it on him or not?”

Sedrick’s facial muscles tightened as his hands fisted. “I give it a fifty-fifty chance. Sorry, but I’m not sure. Arie is paranoid, but he’s also deviously smart. He’ll figure out holding onto the object isn’t smart.”

“Indeed, Alpha Voss is correct.” We all turned when Ray and Wendall joined our group. I wasn’t certain where or when they entered Peaches’s protective boundary.

Immaculate as ever, Ray strode forward, a slightly more rumpled Wendall by his side. “Hey everyone,” Wendall offered a small wave. “Sounds like we missed something.” Trinket hopped on Wendall’s shoulder, flicking her wet tail. Water droplets flew from its tip, landing on Sedrick.

“Sorry about that.” Wendall blushed before turning his attention to Trinket. “I can hear the children in the orchard. Go on. I’m sure they’d like to play with you. Just be mindful of your teeth. Okay?” Trinket skittered down Wendall’s body, leaping to the ground when she reached his hip. Tail flying in the wind, she scurried into the woods, heading toward the sound of the children’s playful yips and howls.

Wendall’s turned back gave us all a view of his soaking shirt.

“What happened to you?” Parsnip asked, flying closer and inspecting the sopping shirt. “You look like you did a trust fall into a lake and Ray let you down.”

Ray’s eyes narrowed and Wendall’s cheeks flared. Glancing down at his feet, Wendall shuffled back and forth a little before raising his oceanic eyes and answering, “I’ve been trying to get in touch with my fairy side. Aunt Silvidia thinks I’ve got more potential than originally thought. I was working on manifesting my wings while Ray filled Aunt Silvidia in on what’s going on with Alpha Belview’s pack.”

“And that made your back wet?” I asked, sharing a confused glance with Parsnip.

“Yeah. My wings are water.”

My head jerked. “Water?” rang out in questioning unison.

Ray answered, “Fairy wings reflect our innate nature. Mine are fire. Hamish’s are plant life. Wendall’s sire, Prince Hanon, had an affinity for water. The ocean rolls through his eyes as it fills his wings.”

Wendall’s flushed cheeks deepened. “Ray used a lot prettier words than I would have, but essentially that’s it. I’m just not very good at it.”

“Yet,” Ray corrected. “You are very young and new to your fairy side. Queen Silvidia is most impressed with your progress. As am I.”

Wendall’s blush turned atomic. “That’s very nice. Currently, all I seem to be able to do is manifest a wet shirt.”

“You will improve,” Ray said with utmost confidence.

“Thank you.” Wendall’s words were whisper soft, his rolling eyes filled with affection. That affection dwindled as he returned to the topic at hand. “Aunt Silvidia’s even more pissed than before.”

“She is quite angry,” Ray agreed. “Out of courtesy, my queen will contact the Magical Usage Council, but she has directed Hamish and me to rectify the situation with all due haste. Currently, the only issue tying our hands is an unknown djinn.”

“Not unknown,” Sedrick growled before waving a hand in Lucroy’s direction. “Mind filling him in?”

In answer, Lucroy gave Wendall and Ray the rundown on what had just happened. As he spoke, it occurred to me that Aurelia was no longer present. Her appearances and disappearances were beginning to grate.

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