Page 12 of Perfectly Petite Shorts
“Benign neglect,” Peat answered. “Sometimes, with plants, that’s better than fussing about.” Peat had seen that too manytimes to count. Petal said the same. During their breaks at Dunleavy Botanical Gardens and Estate, Petal and Peat had discussed previous work. Petal said he’d been called in to figure out why a particular plant or garden wasn’t thriving only to find too much micromanagement the cause for its decline.
“Hmm, that is good to know. I am uncertain how the forest feels about the sprites that have been brought in.”
Peat didn’t hesitate when he answered. “Overjoyed.” Goddess, he could feel the happiness running through him like warm cocoa. It was like the forest was waking up after a long slumber. Only, it wasn’t sure how to do so. Peat wasn’t certain that made sense, but it was the only way he could put the feeling into words. A frown tilted Peat’s lips when he considered how much Petal would enjoy walking in these woods.
“Something wrong?” Nirgal sounded genuinely concerned.
“Not really.” Peat shook his head, his hair gliding around his shoulders, catching Nirgal’s gaze. Peat’s cheeks flushed with warmth. Nirgal’s gaze was more than a little appreciative. It had been so long since someone had been able to see beyond what he waslackingand instead focused on what Peat had to offer.
Lowering his eyes, Peat wondered if it was odd that he was still essentially holding Nirgal’s hand. “I was just thinking that a nature pixie would get more out of this than me. They’d love it here.”
The light brush of Nirgal’s fingertips below his chin drew Peat’s attention, and he found himself staring into those not so scary crimson orbs. “Please don’t look away. Your eyes are so beautiful. They shimmer with such light and are so very…alive. And their shade is unlike any I have ever seen. They match the tips of your hair.”
“Deep magenta,” Peat managed to say without stuttering.
A low growl rumbled from deep within Nirgal’s chest. “As I said before, absolutely magnificent.”
Before he could think better of it, Peat said, “And your eye color, I thought vampire eyes only changed to crimson when they were, you know…pissed off. That’s why I got a little upset earlier. But you don’t seem like you’re about to transform into your vampiric state.”
Nirgal’s grin looked forced. “I have always assumed it to be an aging change, although I have no other to compare myself to. I cannot recall when my eyes faded from black to permanent crimson. Do you find them off-putting?”
Did he? Peat regarded the question before answering. “No.” He was surprised how much he meant that. “They’re pretty. Like shimmering rubies.” Peat had no idea why he phrased his answer like that, but found he didn’t regret it. Peat got the feeling no one told Nirgal how stunningly beautiful he was.
Nirgal’s wide smile showed off more deadly teeth. “Thank you. That is, perhaps, the kindest thing anyone has said to me in centuries.”
Peat’s cheeks flushed deeper, and heat infused his neck. “W-well, I—” His words were cut off by the buzz of flittering wings and the bright, fluorescence of a tiny whirlwind headed their way. “Shit!” Peat instinctively ducked when the little orb buzzed him.
“Pixie!” the high-pitched word screamed with joy inside Peat’s ear. Within seconds, that singular ball of light was joined by a dozen more. Peat’s small wings hummed like a bee’s, scattering dust everywhere.
Still crouched low, Peat twisted this way and that as the little menaces dive-bombed him, munching on his dust like starved heathens. It took every ounce of self-control not to swat at them.
“Enough!” Nirgal didn’t exactly shout, but that singularword held enough weight to hit its mark like a scream. The dive-bombing immediately ceased, the little orbs of light hovering a few feet away, vibrating in the air.
Nirgal’s arm rested over Peat’s shoulders, pulling him in close. It was an oddly protective move. “That was very rude,” Nirgal chastised the sprites. “Peat is a guest within this forest, and you’ve made him feel unsafe.”
Peat wouldn’t exactly phrase it that way, but he was uncomfortable and ready to bolt. Peat felt like he should say something, but words eluded him.
“Sorry!” chorused through the air. “We were just so excited.” As if to prove their point, the sprite zipped high in the air and did a twirly dance before joining their colony again.
“Would you like to leave?” Nirgal asked. “I’m sorry. I should have considered this would be too much for them. Setting ground rules prior to an introduction would have been wiser.”
Peat considered Nirgal’s offer and declined. “N-no. It’s okay. I mean, I just wasn’t expecting…that.” While Peat had seen the videos of how excited sprites got when pixies were near, he’d never personally experienced it.
“You didn’t tell us you had a pixie,” one of the sprites said, excitement clear.
“That sounds as if I own Peat,” Nirgal corrected. “Peat is as free to come and go as you.”
“Apologies!”
Peat felt his lips twitch with amusement. Now that they weren’t swarming him, Peat began to see the appeal. The sprites weren’t vicious so much as mischievous. And that made all the difference.
“It’s fine,” Peat said. “I wasn’t offended, and I think I understand what you meant.” Stepping out of Nirgal’s protective embrace, Peat took a deep breath but kept his wings still. If he was well and truly going to be this château’s home-and-hearth pixie, then that included the surrounding lands—and the sprites that lived within the forest.
Bracing his feet wide, Peat allowed his eyes to roam the brightly lit sky. There were a few more of them now, and Peat wondered if he was looking at the whole colony. If so, then Nirgal was correct. There really weren’t that many of them.
“Okay,” Peat started. “Like Nirgal said. We need some ground rules.” Hooking a thumb over his shoulder, Peat indicated the house. “I’m going to be taking care of the house, so it looks like I’ll be around for a bit.” Something inside Peat cringed when he considered leaving. It was similar to every other pang he’d had in the past. That he’d never have a permanent home to bond with. That his time with a property was finite. Pushing past that fear, Peat said, “I don’t mind if you eat my dust. Just try not to swarm.”
“How many?” one of the sprites asked.
