Page 24 of Of Pixies and Promises
Washeexpected to? His nose wrinkled at the thought. She read his expression and burst out laughing.
“No, my sexy mate,” she purred and rose on her toes to kiss him. “Sometimes, I wear woven or knitted fabrics. And I will be queen one day. You can wear whatever the Well you want.”
Thunder shook the ground behind her. With his heart registering danger before his mind, Sid wrapped her in his arms. He glared over her shoulder at a group of pixies landing, spraying sand.
“Did you saymate?” snarled a male.
Nyra’s gasp caused Sid’s stomach to roll. It wasn’t a gasp of fear, but the kind that said she’d been caught doing something wrong. The settling sand cloud revealed three male pixies dressed in natural armor and soft linen. Two were warriors. The one with long, dark hair and piercing blue eyes glared at Sid like he was dog shit. The second, who had scruffy tarnished hair and green eyes, looked at Nyra as though she’d broken his heart.
Sid was pleased to see he was bigger than all, both in height and muscle. They might have wings and magic, but he could take them in a physical fight. He thought Nyra was inflating his ego when she said he was big for her, but now he could see pixies were made smaller than humans. He was at least a few inches taller than the biggest of them.
Sid assessed the third male. He seemed regal and aristocratic. His judgmental gaze belonged to a leader, or at least someone used to giving orders. Nero had that look.
A fourth pixie landed. This one was a colorful female with darker skin, rainbow hair, and a horrified look on her pretty face as she took in Nyra’s state, specifically who she was with.
“We’ve been searching everywhere for you, Nyra!” she chided. Then her eyes landed on Sid’s chest, to where his gaping shirt revealed Nyra’s mating mark.
“Colt…” Nyra said. “I can explain.”
The pixie pushed past the males and walked up to Sid. The soldiers tensed, wary, and ready to attack if necessary. But Colt only swiped her finger along Sid’s forehead. Then she took Nyra’s shoulder and did the same to her wings before rubbing her forefinger and thumb with unreadable scrutiny.
“You dusted for your human kidnapper,” Colt exclaimed.
“Kidnapper?” Sid blustered as Nyra said, “He didn’t kidnap me.”
Colt’s expression hardened, and the aristocratic male lifted his chin and said, “You went missing on your coronation day. This human abused you and defiled your chances for a pure royal harem.”
“He did nothing. This was my choice.”
“You can plead your case to your mother.” He sneered at Sid and then looked down at Nyra. “She will be disappointed that her only daughter is a whore for the enemy.”
Sid’s fist connected with the aristocratic male’s jaw. The smaller pixie rocked to the side, touched his jaw, and glared at Sid as he ordered, “Take him prisoner.”
Sid dangledinside a cage made of twigs outside the hollow of a tree. After he’d punched the male aristocrat, someone had shrunk him. Goddamned bug-sized again. During his disorientation, they captured him and brought him here.
Whereverherewas.
Some forest. Somewhere in Elphyne. The leaves and trees looked similar to the ones where they’d raided for cobalt. If he had to take a stab, knowing Nyra had probably not strayed far from home when she’d attacked the raid, they were now close to that first location.
The dangling cage was a reminder that he would always be on the outside looking in. He gripped the wooden bars and glared into the hollow where Nyra argued with a group of pixies. From the look of the decor, this was an established royal suite. Luxury bathed the room. Food on the tables made his mouth water. They ate only a few foraged berries and nuts during the night. A manabee trapped in a glass jar shed enough light to illuminate the circular floor that made up the bulk of the hollow.
Colorful cushions scattered about a crescent-shaped bench seat. A female pixie with long hair occupied a throne of leaves and ferns at the center. Her glass tiara had more sparkle than her wings. The bench seat was empty, but Nyra kneeled at the queen’s dainty feet.
“He’s mine, mother,” Nyra snarled, her fangs flashing. “You should understand that a single fated mate—even if he is human—is better than a harem of random males I cannot dust.”
Her mother’s brows puckered, and she touched her daughter’s face. “You have responsibilities.”
“You could have picked another harem after my fathers died, but you didn’t. You chose to let your power fade.”
The queen’s eyes flashed. “I did notchooseto be in pain.”
“Exactly.” Nyra stood, her spine straight. “I did not choose him. Our bond chose us.”
“He ishuman, Nyra,” the queen hissed. “The same sort that killed your fathers. He cannot fulfill the requirements of a consort to a queen. He has no mana. He cannot hold it. How can he share the load of this royal tithe from the Well if he can’t carry mana? How can he satisfy your needs? You will burn out or fade, and then we are back where we started—with a gully that needs protection.”
“He satisfied my need plenty,” she replied quietly.
“You… you went into heat?” Multiple gasps rolled over the group, the largest of which belonged to the soldier with tarnished hair.
