Page 71 of Perfectly Petite Shorts
“No. I know that.” Had I truly thought his arrogance was soothing a moment ago?
“Then how was ringing it now a mistake?”
I waved my hands in the air. “I was upset and lost control. One of my stupid blossoms landed on the thing. I was still trying to decide if I wanted to call you or not. Why did you even come this time? Last time it took, like, fifty rings to get your attention.”
Ignoring everything else, Hamish walked around the reception desk, getting in my space as he asked, “Why are you upset?”
“I—” My mouth opened and slammed closed. “It’s probably nothing. I mean, I could be overreacting.”I wasn’t.
“Overreacting about what? What has happened?” Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Hamish sounded genuinely concerned. “Tell me everything.”
I’m not exactly certain why, but I did. I word-vomited all over my lawyer. Hamish allowed me to pace. He stood there, stoic as an oak as he listened, never once interrupting. I could barely look at him as I rehashed what Sage and Jessop said. When I finished and finally glanced his way, my pacing immediately stopped. Stock still, eyes wide, I stared at the beautifully transformed fairy.
“Gaia, you really are stunning.”
Hamish
How dare they!My blood burned as it vibrated inside my veins. Those Neanderthalic humans had dared threaten my dryad.
Wings unfurling, large leaves surrounded me as armor covered my body. While the green and brown covering might appear delicate, it was sturdy and could withstand nearly any blade. Nature pulsed around me. While I might be standing within a building made of brick and mortar, life abounded below and all around. Every imaginable plant was at my beckand call, ready to heed my every whim and desire. My eyes burned with the need for vengeance. My twin hearts agreed and my mind, now fully cognizant of where my physical discomfort last night stemmed from, could not have been more in tune with my instincts.
Those paltry humans needed to die. I would eviscerate them. I would impale them on the very plant life they found so unworthy of existence. I was vengeance personified, and my wrath would not be denied. I would—
“Hamish.” That small, wounded and worried voice cut through the violent haze coating my insides like tar. “Hamish. Come back to me.”
The intoxicating scent of cherry blossoms filled my senses, lifting the rage filled haze from my eyes. Fingertips, gentle and soft, comfortingly lay along my forearm. Their touch was simple and yet potently grounding.
Inhaling brought that soft scent deeper into my lungs and body, soothing me and washing away the righteous malevolence radiating within.Todrik. My mind released the name, and it swam through me.
Eyes slipping closed, I pushed my warrior self to the side. “Forgive me, Todrik.”
“I don’t think there’s anything to forgive.” Todrik’s tone was soft and placating. “I get the feeling all that powerful rage wasn’t directed at me.”
“No. Most certainly not.” I wouldneverharm the dryad before me. I would rather cut off a limb than do such a thing.
“That’s good to hear because, not gonna lie, you’re kind of scary when you’re in your ‘grrr’ fairy mode.” Todrik made little claw shaped hands when he made hisgrrrsound.
My lips twitched with humor. “My warrior form is not meant to inspire images of rainbows and kittens. If you believe that impressive, you should see Hellfire Rayburn when heis in his true form.”
Todrik shivered. “No thank you. I’ve heard the name before and some rumors to go along with it. I think I’d like to stay away from fire as much as possible, thank you very much.”
“Hellfire can certainly be intimidating.”
“So can you.”
Todrik’s words stroked my ego. Unfortunately, ego alone would not solve this problem. Fortunately, I knew what would. Fairy law did not allow me to physically slaughter Sage and Jessop, but it did allow me to annihilate them in court, and that is exactly what I planned on doing now. Those fools had no idea who they had pissed off. They would learn, and the lesson would be exceedingly painful to the one place I thought would harm them most—their bank account.
“Come, we have much to do.” I held out my hand, my pristine suit crisply back in place.
Todrik did not hesitate to take my hand. “I don’t understand. What do you need me to do?”
“I require nothing more from you than your safety.” I opened a tear in the atmosphere and stepped through. Understandably, Todrik was hesitant to follow. “It is perfectly safe.”
He swallowed, his gaze not on me but the blackness surrounding me. “I don’t know. Maybe I could take the bus or something.”
The very thought of Todrik out of my sight brought my warrior side precariously close to the surface again. “Nonsense. This is much faster. It is no more than stepping through a door.”
“Yeah, a door to nowhere.”
