Page 34 of Perfectly Petite Shorts (Perfect Pixie)

HAMISH MCINTYRE

Hamish

Vaydra was good, but she wasn’t as good as me. Few, if any, fairy lawyers were. Thoughts of crimson hair and wings of fire doused my good mood. Hellfire Rayburn was, perhaps, the exception that wounded my pride. And fairies were nothing if not prideful creatures.

In practically every sense of the word, Ray and Vaydra could not be more opposite.

While Ray ran scorching hot, Vaydra was ice cold.

Frost dusted her wintery pale cheeks, her lips perpetually tinged blue.

One, maybe two hundred years ago, I’d seen Vaydra’s wings.

Their finely intricate crystalline weave was mesmerizing, especially when the sun touched their frozen surface.

Vaydra’s icy exterior was more than surface deep.

She’d all but lost her case. The vampiric judge had yet to declare his verdict, but the outcome was certain.

Regardless of her impending failure, Vaydra sat with her shoulders back and head held high.

Her blue-tinted hair was pulled back and plated into two neat braids that ended at the curve of her ass.

Vaydra’s pointed ears were on full display, as were her frosty eyes.

Even for a fairy, Vaydra’s eyes were unique and gave the impression of cracked ice.

“What’s taking the judge so damn long?” my client complained, his voice too far above a whisper to be proper.

My eyebrow twitched. One did not have to like their client to defend them. Elias Dunfield was an arrogant fool. Elias’s deep pockets almost made up for his stupidity.

Almost.

“Judge Reynard is weighing the evidence and arguments,” I calmly answered.

“Vampires are seldom in a hurry.” It was one of the reasons they made excellent judges.

Older, more seasoned vampires were more difficult to read than fairies.

That enigmatic quality made them highly sought after.

Generally, Fairy law was far less deadly than our games of old.

Words had taken the place of weapons. Strategy was still of the utmost importance, only the playing field had changed.

Far less fairy blood was spilt across the courtroom floor.

Having a judge that gave nothing away and was not easily swayed was an integral part of that game.

Elias huffed, crossing his beefy arms over his equally broad chest. Ogres weren’t small. They also weren’t known for their oral hygiene, and every time Elias found it necessary to huff his disappointment seeded his foul breath into the air.

“This should be over by now, Hamish. You promised me you wouldn’t lose.”

Angered irritation bled into my eyes, and I turned my head just enough that Elias could see my obvious displeasure. His ochre skin blanched, turning a sickly shade of tan. “Are you accusing me of deception?” Unlike Elias, I kept my voice dangerously low.

“N-no.” Elias frantically shook his head while leaning as far away from me as his chair would allow. “It ain’t like that at all. I’m just nervous, that’s all.”

Sometimes, silence spoke louder than words, and I decided this was one of those occasions.

I kept my gaze focused on Elias for a full minute before I turned my attention back to the front of the courtroom.

So far, I hadn’t heard a peep out of Vaydra’s client, and despite the fact she was about to be handed a defeat, I momentarily envied my opponent.

Proving he had a bit more mental capacity than I’d given him credit for, Elias managed to maintain his silence.

His body shifted several times, followed by more huffs and grunts.

I briefly considered pulling the roots from below the courthouse, encircling Elias’s body, and physically holding him still.

Unfortunately, such action would be seen as weakness.

Acting out on my irritation would indicate how much Elias’s actions bothered me.

As an elder fairy, such things should be beneath me.

Sometimes I wondered if that was a line of bullshit fairies inadvertently perpetuated.

I had a feeling we weren’t nearly as calm, cool, and collected as the other species perceived us to be.

Fairy tempers were legendary. Many thought our strict adherence to the law had tamed us.

Such thoughts could not be further from the truth.

Movement caught my eye as Judge Reynard reentered the courtroom. A brownie witness stood to either side of the judge. Judge Reynard’s rosy cheeks made it obvious he’d fed during his deliberation.

“Would the defendant and accuser please rise?” Judge Reynard’s tone was cool and without inflection.

Elias was on his feet first. I followed at a far more sedate pace, as did Vaydra. I noticed Vaydra’s client was even more reluctant to stand.

Elias continued fidgeting as he shifted back and forth. Had it not been so damn addictive and against Fairy law, I would have suggested he take a hit of pixie dust if only to calm himself.

Judge Reynard’s verdict was brief and to the point.

“This court finds in favor of the defendant. The plaintiff’s suit is hereby dismissed.

” With nothing further to say, the judge stood, turned, and left.

Our brownie witnesses stuck around long enough to make certain there were no histrionics to deal with.

Considering Vaydra’s client did little more than sigh, they departed as well.

“Hot damn!” Elias’s meaty palm foolishly slapped my shoulder.

It seemed his joy overrode even the barest hint of self-preservation.

“You said you’d win and—” Elias’s words cut off when a sturdy root blew through the floor, wrapping tightly around his throat.

One did not touch a fairy without our express permission.

Vaydra would not see my response as weakness. It was fair retribution.

“Careful, Elias.” My tone was biting. “Apologize.”

Releasing the pressure on his neck just enough to allow my client to draw breath, Elias gasped, “S-sorry.”

I kept the pressure up for a few seconds longer before releasing him completely. “Apology accepted. There will be an additional fee tacked on to your final bill for the inconvenience of teaching you a lesson.” I ignored Elias’s sputtering as I gathered my belongings.

“That’s unreasonable. I’ve already—”

“What is unreasonable is the way your heathenistic brain works. You will pay the extra fee and be pleased I am releasing you with no further damage. The contract you signed clearly allows me to charge compensation as I see fit. Ignoring the charges will be in direct violation of Fairy law. Do you understand?”

Elias’s thick fingers rubbed over the bruise forming on his neck. With a heavy nod, he wisely answered, “I understand. You’ll have your payment as soon as I get the bill.”

My smile was brittle. “Wonderful.” Dismissing Elias Dunfield from my mind, I turned and faced Vaydra. While she’d been no match for me, Vaydra had done the best with the case she had. It would be disrespectful to ignore her now .

“One day, I will be the victor,” Vaydra said, her cool breath washing away the decaying odor of Elias’s.

“You believe so?” I taunted.

“Of course,” she confidently answered.

“I look forward to the day.” I wasn’t simply blowing smoke. I enjoyed a challenge. Every fairy did. The desire to prove ourselves—to conquer—sang through our blood. It was one of the reasons so much of that blood had been shed over the centuries.

Vaydra’s head tilted to the side as she studied me. A hint of a smile graced her lips. “As do I.” Unlike other species, fairies didn’t often shake hands upon greeting or departing. “Happy hunting,” Vaydra offered by way of farewell.

I stood there, watching as Vaydra walked away, leaving me alone within the courtroom. Or perhaps not as alone as I’d thought.

“The damage is minimal,” one of the brownie witnesses said, drawing my attention to the hole in the floor I’d created.

“It is easy enough to repair,” the other agreed.

A shiver of unease attempted to roll down my spine.

Only a fool would judge a brownie by size alone.

While small and unassuming in appearance, their bodies thrummed with magic.

They were the only other creature that truly posed a threat to fairy.

Maintaining cordial relations was in everyone’s best interest.

“Apologies for the damage,” I offered.

The brownie on my right didn’t so much as turn to glance my direction. Waving me off, she answered, “It is nothing and easy enough to repair.”

“Still, it will take effort on your part. I am happy to offer compensation.”

“The offer is appreciated but unnecessary. Be at ease and go in peace, Hamish McIntyre.”

Having been kindly dismissed, I took my out and retreated from the courthouse. Another case won. That thought should have made me happier than it did. While Vaydra had argued well, my latest case had been far too easy. My victory felt hollow.

Frustrated, I opened a tear in the fabric of space, creating a portal, and stepped through, heading back to my home in Fairy.

T odrik

This is a terrible idea. It was a persistent thought that wouldn’t leave me alone.

Tumbling over and over again in my mind, my doubts continued in an endless loop.

Twisting my fingers, I stared at the unassuming words gracefully painted across the window.

Hamish McIntyre’s Earth-bound office was so boring, nestled amongst a litany of businesses on the bottom level of a high-rise.

I wasn’t certain what occupied the floors above.

Most likely, they were apartments. I wouldn’t know.

As a dryad, living in a city was anathema to me.

My shoulder was nudged, pushing me forward. I had to place a hand on the pristine window so as not to fall through it. Twisting, my eyes narrowed, and I shouted, “Watch it.”

The human who’d run into me didn’t so much as turn around. They kept walking, phone pressed to their ear. I swear, humans had the least spatial awareness of any species.