Page 1 of Pixie Problems

Prologue

BRACKEN

We were going to be dads.

The morning after our big Christmas with Rain, Liam decided to schedule a meeting with his brother. I tried to talk him out of it, but he was adamant. After the Winter Solstice, he'd told Rain we wanted to adopt her. When we'd had our big holiday as a family, the girl was obviously excited about the whole thing, but also guarded.

Liam said that was why heneededsomething tangible to show her it wasn't a pipe dream. Foster kids knew the pain of being let down, but rarely the joy of someone truly loving them. He simply wanted to make it clear he was completely serious - enough to tell his own family. On the Sunday before New Year's Eve, he'd scheduled a meeting for him and Rain to go on a lunch date with John and Nancy Sparks. The goal was to let her see exactly how committed we were to making her a part of our family.

I waited until he made it down to the atrium, then headed around the building. I loved that man with all my heart, and Rain was the perfect addition, but I couldn't stop worrying about what would happen if this didn't work. What if we couldn't get the paperwork done?

Neither of us lived in a suitable home to raise a family. We were floor chaperones for an "elite private college." In truth, it was a magical training school for fae and part-fae children. I was the weapons instructor, not the gym teacher. Liam was her caseworker in the foster system. None of thislooked good on paper, but Liam didn't care. He wanted this to happen, so I had to make sure it did.

That meant using my last favor.

When I finally reached the first door on the girls' side of the building, I lifted my hand to knock. My fingers barely rapped on the wood before a horrible cawing came from the other side. Behind that, I could hear someone moving. No more than two seconds later, the door opened.

"Bracken?" Aspen asked, pulling the door wider to invite me in. "Is something wrong? Rain just left."

"I know," I assured her. "I actually came to talk to you."

When she nodded, I stepped in, letting my eyes run across the veritable forest of fae plants she kept in here. The magic from them leaked into the air, making it smell more fresh than anywhere else except the atrium. Behind me, she shut the door, so I took the chance to close my eyes and simply breathe in. She'd perfectly captured the smell of Avalon.

But inhaling the scent of fae flowers wouldn't get me out of this. Turning to face her, I said, "I need a favor."

Aspen's eyes narrowed. "I owe you one. What is it?"

Yeah, this was the hard part. Licking my lips, I tried to ignore how our roles were now reversed. I was supposed to be the teacher. She was supposed to be the student. We both knew that wasn't true, but we tried to pretend otherwise when we could.

"I don't have the power to adjust government-level paperwork out of sight." This time, I pushed my hand over my lips, hoping she wouldn't ask me to grovel - because I would.

I loved both Liam and Rain enough to hand over every last scrap of pride I had left. I might not know Rain well, but for two months, I'd watched her bloom and flourish in my world. The way she and Liam had bonded so tightly, so quickly? I knew she was our little girl. She needed us, and the truth was, we needed her. Nothing else mattered but that.

"What papers?" Aspen asked, moving toward her bed. "Bracken, I've never done anything like that."

There, she reached down to grab her phone and began typing with both thumbs on the screen. I could hear the digital clicks of the keys. I also couldn't convince myself to move from my spot just inside her room.

"Adoption papers," I said. "Liam told Rain we're going to adopt her. That's what they're doing right now: going to tell the Sparks she won't be going back. I need to make sure it's the truth." I almost stopped there, but couldn't. "Aspen, I will pay anything for this."

She pressed the button to send her message. "I can't do that," she admitted.

"Shit," I grumbled, turning for the door.

But a black streak flew between me and it, angling to land on my shoulder. "Jack!" the bird cawed. "Rain-Jack. Rain!"

"That's what I'm trying to do," I assured the wildling. "I just don't know how to make this happen, Jack."

"Jack!" he screeched into my face.

"Hey!" Aspen snapped. "Manners. You might be a prince, but that's my uncle!"

Jack just ruffled his feathers back into place like he was annoyed. What he didn't do was leave, which meant I couldn't go anywhere until I convinced him to get on a perch. As I turned back towards Aspen, something white flashed at the edge of the bathroom door, and then Torian stepped into the room.

No, he didn't come from the hall. Aspen's brother walked in from the bathroom door, which only led to Rain's room on the other side. I knew he hadn't been there a moment before. The guy's eyes landed on me, yet instead of looking guilty for what he'd done, he simply smiled.

"Bracken," he greeted me.

"Torian," I said in the same tone.