Page 42 of Perfectly Petite Shorts (Perfect Pixie)

Dropping to the ground, I blinked back unshed tears. There was no way I was reverting back to my tree form. Not with the threat of dismemberment hanging in the air.

T he next morning found me standing in Hamish McIntyres’s empty office once more.

I swear the bell on the reception desk was silently mocking me.

I’d lost count of the times I’d crossed the floor, pacing back and forth.

My legs were wobbly, and my body exhausted from worry and lack of sleep.

I’d been up all night thinking and still couldn’t figure out what to do.

I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to keep fighting. But was it worth my life? Maybe Sage and Jessop had only offered up empty threats, but I didn’t think so. There was something in the malicious gleam of their eyes that told me those threats were brimming with intent.

Glancing again at the quiescent bell, I reached out only to pull my hand back at the last second.

Would Hamish come with only a single ring?

He’d been so irritated that I rang the thing multiple times before.

I had no idea how the bell summoned him.

As Sage had unfortunately pointed out last night, dryads didn’t have a lot of magical juice.

Our magic was in our transformative abilities.

What was I supposed to do? Throw cherry blossoms at them?

Swat them with my twiggy arms? Fat lot of good that would do if they had an axe or, Gaia forbid, a chainsaw.

My body shivered at the thought. I’d considered contacting Lilibeth.

I knew she liked me, and she’d loved Jamila as a friend.

Had Jamila talked to Lilibeth about her sons?

I wondered if Lilibeth knew what heathens they’d turned out to be.

She’d be infuriated to hear what they’d said.

Not only to me, but about Jamila herself.

But what could a brownie legally do? Currently, the land was still in their names.

Had they wanted, they could have kicked me off last night.

I’m not sure if they simply didn’t consider it or if that was too low of a threat level.

There was a chance that neither of them knew that I wouldn’t survive without access to the soil I’d been born into.

I didn’t need it every day, but I did need it.

I’d heard that some dryads scooped out heaping piles of earth to cart around with them so they could travel.

That allowed more leeway, but one always had to come back to the blessed earth they’d first gained sentience within.

It was the same with born dryads. Their parents were particular with where they first allowed their children to spread their roots. It was an important decision that no dryad parent took lightly.

No. I didn’t want to involve Lilibeth. It might get her in trouble with Fairy law and that was the last thing I wanted. I would not be responsible for an ensuing war between Fairy and brownies.

As my stress levels rose, my control lessened. The scent of cherry blossoms filled the air, and when I looked down, my fingers had transformed into twigs. With a heavy sigh, I flicked my hands, scattering blossoms and leaves as my woody structure reverted to pink flesh.

My blossoms scattered in the air, drifting down to the floor.

All but one. That one had a much more targeted projection.

My hand shot out, ready to grab the petals, but it was too late.

That single blossom landed on the bell, a ting reverberating through the air that sounded far louder than it truly was.

I squinted my eyes. Hamish hadn’t come after a single ring the last time. There was no reason to believe he’d do so now. He was probably busy and—

“I do not remember a scheduled appointment,” Hamish’s cool, calm voice said. The hint of arrogance always coating his words was still present, and while I’d found it irritating before, today I found that confidence comforting.

“We, uh…we didn’t have anything planned.” I twisted my fingers together. Had they been branches, I would have become hopelessly entangled.

“I see.” Hamish was silent before he asked, “Is there a reason you called for me?”

I tried waving off his question. “Oh, not really. I just… Ringing the bell was kind of a mistake actually. I’m still trying to decide if…” I didn’t know what to say. I was truly torn.

Oddly rubbing his chest, Hamish’s eyes narrowed. It was amazing being on the receiving end of that intense gaze. “A mistake ? How can one mistakenly ring a bell? It does not ring itself.”

“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.”

H amish

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 beck and 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 would never harm 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 his grrr sound.

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 he is 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.”

“It is a door to my home.”

Todrik’s wide eyes blinked. “Your home? Really? Why?”

“Because that is where you are going to stay. We will obtain the necessary containers, collect a good amount of dirt, and return to my home. ”

Biting his lower lip, Todrik asked, “For how long?”

I wanted to say forever but kept that word inside. Instead, I uttered, “For as long as it takes.” When Todrik hesitated again, I asked, “Do you trust me?”

“I’m not sure why, but yes.”

“Good. Then come with me.”