Page 8 of Perfectly Petite Shorts (Perfect Pixie)

Nirgal’s fingernails turned into unsheathed talons.

They clicked together as his fingers twitched.

His vampiric side waged war within him, desperate to keep this pixie here and yet just as desperate to keep Peat safe.

Those two intentions were seemingly at odds with each other, and Nirgal wasn’t handling it well.

Words little more than a guttural growl, Nirgal asked, “And now? You are crying.”

Peat didn’t appear frightened of Nirgal’s slipping control.

“I am. I was so very wrong. Your home isn’t dead, Nirgal.

In some ways, it’s close. I think a lot of it is resting.

Or maybe it just gave up a long time ago.

” Peat’s left hand splayed out against the limestone, his lavender nails bright against the faded gray.

“But this is the heart. Down here with you. This part hasn’t given up.

It’s tired and hurting, but it’s still there, clinging to life. ”

The fire fueling Nirgal’s transformation faded, leaving little more than warm embers. Eyes tracking around the room, Nirgal considered Peat’s words. “That hits a little too close to home.”

Finally pulling away from the wall, Peat scrubbed the tears from his face.

His red-rimmed eyes nearly matching his magenta irises.

Keeping one hand on the wall, Peat said, “I’m not surprised.

Homes are often a reflection of their inhabitants.

” Frowning, Peat seemed to only now understand what that meant.

“Goddess, Nirgal. Is this… I mean, is this how you feel? I…” Peat’s minuscule wings fluttered, filling the space with pixie dust.

Remaining motionless, Nirgal hardly knew what to say.

Finally, he settled on, “My second life has lasted many centuries.” He had spent some of those long years alone but most he had been part of a nest. Like many vampires, when first turned, Nirgal had thought his long allotment of fathomless years was a blessing.

He thought himself superior to other species who had a finite life.

How incredibly wrong he had been. He was not the fortunate one. Nirgal had come to believe that life should have an expiration. Without an end date, it became increasingly meaningless.

Finally releasing the wall, Peat came closer. His steps were hesitant, his outstretched arm even more so. “May I touch you?” Peat cautiously asked.

Nirgal’s response was immediate. “As much as you like.”

Peat’s cheeks flushed, but he only rested his fingers against Nirgal’s cool cheek. Eyelids fluttering, Nirgal relished the warm feel of Peat’s light touch. Had he required air, Nirgal would have sucked it down, his chest heaving.

“Before coming down here, I was trying to figure out a way to tell you that I couldn’t take the job,” Peat said.

Nirgal’s heart stopped. “And now?”

“Now I don’t know how I could possibly say no.

I’ve never come across a home more in need.

I know I don’t look like a typical pixie, but what I told Gashan is true.

My wing deformity does not affect my ability as a home-and-hearth pixie.

If you can accept the way I look, then I would like to accept the position. ”

Nirgal thought he might melt into a puddle of pure relief. “There is nothing to accept . You are perfect the way you are, Peat. I would be honored and extremely fortunate to have you as a home-and-hearth pixie.”

While there was still an edge of sadness to Peat’s countenance, Nirgal thought he saw genuine happiness there as well.

“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to start immediately.”

Nothing in the world sounded better than those few words. “Yes. Immediately,” Nirgal parroted as he cupped the palm resting on his cheek. “If that is the case, then you must meet the sprites.”

“Sprites!” Peat’s eyes widened, and his hands slipped from Nirgal’s cheek.

“It was posted in the advertisement.” Nirgal had made certain of that. “We discussed it when you first arrived.”

“Yes. I…I’m aware. It’s not a surprise. I mean, I’d kind of forgotten.” Peat waved his hands around. “What with all the drama going on with the house.”

Drama ? Nirgal fought a frown and remained silent.

“Are there many?” Peat asked.

“Not so many at the moment,” Nirgal said while holding out his hand. “Come, let me introduce you. First, you will need this so you can understand them.” The witch had gifted Nirgal with two charmed earpieces. Nirgal handed the second to Peat. “It is witch made.”

Peat fumbled with the small object before slipping it into his ear.

“Perfect.” Nirgal gave Peat’s hand a gentle tug and guided him back out into the alcove, hoping the steps leading up to the chateau did not appear overly daunting. If need be, Nirgal would carry the pixie.

A pixie!

Nirgal found it difficult to contain the joy simmering within. A pixie and sprites. Nirgal could hardly remember a time he looked so forward to waking up. It was such a novel feeling he hardly knew what to do with the emotion.

P eat

The edge of the forest hung in the background, illuminated by the waxing moon.

Peat was used to working in the dark. Sun or not, the plants still hummed the same tune.

Different creatures pitter-pattered about after dark than in the daylight hours, but Peat didn’t find them any more off-putting than the darkness itself.

The hum of the ancient woods sang through Peat’s pixie heart.

Home-and-hearth pixies often had at least some affinity for the nature surrounding the home they worked within, although Peat did not feel the forest as keenly as a nature pixie did.

Tilting his head back, Peat’s waist-long hair flowed behind him, the strands caught on a gentle breeze.

The chilly night air barely registered as an overwhelming flood of information filtered through Peat’s mind and soul.

Unlike the house, this forest was content. It was peaceful and more than that—grateful. Protected by the deadly creatures that owned the land, the forest was old and wise.

“Goddess, this feels good,” Peat said on a happy sigh. “You’ve done well by the land.”

Nirgal’s soft laughter floated through the evening air. “You give me and my nestlings too much credit. I’m afraid the forest has thrived through our neglect.”

“Benign neglect,” Peat answered. “Sometimes, with plants, that’s better than fussing about.

” Peat had seen that too many times 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 was lacking and 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.