Page 7 of Perfectly Petite Shorts
Peat’s hands trembled as he held the innocuous piece of paper. Was he really this desperate? Something in Peat’s soul feared he knew the answer.
Nirgal
The night air was cool and peaceful. The forest surrounding the château was enormous and the sprite colony Lucroy and Peaches sent was small. Nirgal learned they’d once been a much larger colony but had dwindled as their trees disappeared. It was an age-old reason for extinction. Loss of habitat, of feeding grounds. The same could happen to any species. Vampires were just as vulnerable.
For all their power, even fairies and brownies were not immune to destruction. They were magic. If magic were lost…nearly every species would be wiped from the planet, including brownies and fairies. In fact, they would most likely be some of the first to perish.
Such dark thoughts did not belong in Nirgal’s mind tonight. His ancient ears caught the sound of flittering wings, and he moved toward it. The sprites were busy building safe nesting sites. From what Nirgal understood, they’d gone about finding new homes with joyous abandon.
“Nirgal!” A sprite flew toward him, hovering in front of Nirgal’s face, their wings little more than a blur. “It is lovely to see you.” The sprite zipped heavenward before hovering before him again. “We have been surveying the forest and there are some concerns.” The sprite dropped a little but soon lifted back up. “Nothing terrible—at least, not yet—but as you said, the forest is old growth. While that is wonderful, it also comes with a few challenges. Come!” The sprite took off again, and Nirgal dutifully followed.
He was led into a small clearing where several of the sprites were gathered. “I found Nirgal!” the little sprite announced before zooming away. The representative sprite Nirgal first met took their place.
“I hear there are some concerns,” Nirgal stated, gathering his crimson cloak and sitting on a fallen log.
The sprite landed on Nirgal’s knee, sitting. It was such a small, fragile thing. Easily swatted and destroyed should one desire.
“Nothing we can’t manage,” the sprite answered.
“Tell me.” Nirgal sat there, patiently listening as the sprite laid out their accounting of the forest surrounding the château. What he’d told Cassius the day the sprites arrived had been true. Sprites truly had a different point of view regarding what made a forest beautiful.
Nirgal had no idea he’d been so neglectful. “Apologies. I did not know there were so many issues.”
The sprite waved Nirgal off. “As I said, it is nothing we can’t handle. Had we not arrived, the forest would have lived on, but it wouldn’t have thrived, not like it will with us around.” The sprite pushed its chest out with pride before flying into the air. “Don’t worry, Nirgal. We’re on the job.” With an odd little salute, the sprite took off leaving a bemused expression on Nirgal’s face.
“Gashan, I hope you have good news for me.” It was the same query Nirgal had given the past few weeks. As of yet, Gashan had yet to fulfill those futile hopes.
With a low bow, Gashan answered. “Apologies, sir, but we have not had a single inquiry.”
Hands clasped behind him, Nirgal walked to a nearby fireplace. A crackling hum accompanied the warmth that barelypermeated his cool skin. “Do you believe we should rescind the position?” Speaking those words sapped the joy he’d felt while visiting his sprites. In times past, he simply would have captured a home-and-hearth pixie and forced them into servitude. Nirgal still hadn’t totally eliminated that option but had moved it to the bottom of the list. A last resort if you will.
“I could increase the offered compensation,” Gashan suggested.
“I doubt that would affect the outcome,” Nirgal answered while running his finger along the edge of the mantel. Dust gathered on his finger. His nestlings kept their home respectable. The dust didn’t upset him, only that it was yet another reminder of what the château lacked.
Without a glance in Gashan’s direction, Nirgal left the room, heading for his lower chambers and the crypt he’d called home for more centuries than he could remember. The sun would rise soon and with it, his body and mind would rest once more.
Hours later, Nirgal rose with the setting of the sun. While his crypt had no windows, he knew the sun had fled the sky. That knowledge was bone deep.
Before the sprites’ arrival, he would have remained tucked away. Now he dressed and climbed the stairs leading to the château above. His nestlings no longer startled at his presence. Oddly, they seemed genuinely pleased to see him above ground. Perhaps Gashan was correct and he’d been neglecting his duties.
“Would you like a meal before heading out?” Gashan asked as Nirgal entered the useless kitchen. He’d often wondered why they’d bothered updating it as the times changed. Although, Nirgal supposed the refrigeration system was useful. As was the microwave. It made storing and warming blood much easier.
“No. I am not in need.” Feeding had long ago lost itspleasure. Taking a meal now was little more than a perfunctory chore. “You know where I will be should you require my presence,” Nirgal said as he headed for one of the many doors leading to the back patio and the forest beyond.
Nirgal had taken but a few steps when there was a knock on the main door. Nirgal assumed it was one of the human donors, but when his energy touched that of their guest, human was not what came back to him.
Curious, Nirgal stopped and waited for Cassius to answer the door. Ears straining, Nirgal heard what he was sure was the loveliest sound in the world. That voice… There was something in the tenor, something that made his borrowed blood sing.
Turning, Nirgal’s crimson robe flowed around his feet. This many centuries into his second life, Nirgal more floated than walked. Regardless of the means, he quickly found himself standing within the greeting hall.
“The position is still open,” Cassius answered, sweeping his arm wide. “Would you like to come inside and discuss the opportunity? While the cold does not bother me, I’m certain it is unpleasant to your more delicate system.”
Nirgal inwardly applauded Cassius’s warm welcome. That gratitude was instantly overshadowed when he saw the stunningly petite figure gracing their front door. While strictly unnecessary, Nirgal inhaled, filling his useless lungs and pushing out his chest.
“Magnificent,” Nirgal murmured. “Absolutely magnificent.” The word deserved endless repeating, and Nirgal was happy to take up that mantle. Crimson eyes wide with wonder, Nirgal watched the delicate pixie cautiously step into his nest.
“Marvelous.” Nirgal clasped his hands as his heart loudly thumped. The night was definitely lookingup.
