Page 25 of Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie: Phlox's Story (Perfect Pixie Series Book 5)

Leon

There was an edge riding all of us tonight. I doubt Dusk’s patrons noticed the change. Lizbeth kept sending Johnny inquiring glances, but she held her silence. Phlox spent the better part of the early night on the phone with the Magical Usage Council. He’d told me they’d called an emergency meeting to discuss the matter. He felt they were appropriately alarmed. Phlox also got the distinct impression they had no idea what to do. I could easily sympathize. We’d barely escaped our last meeting with a djinn. I did not want to contemplate our chances when faced with another, especially one leashed to Arie Belview.

The sad truth was that we hadn’t defeated Aurelia. We had Wendall’s kind nature to thank for our continued existence. I did not believe that strategy would work to our favor this time around.

Phlox slipped by, bin on his hip as he cleaned another table. He shot me a warm grin as he walked past. I wanted to return it but couldn’t muster the energy. I’d stopped just short of begging him to go to Peaches’s orchard and stay there. I’d thought it safer than Phil and Sedrick’s. At least Peaches had a djinn by his side. And Erasmus was there too. No one knew if what he proposed would truly work or not. Understandably, Aurelia had declined acting as guinea pig.

“Stop frowning,” Phlox scolded as he walked past again. “You’re starting to freak out your nestmates.”

I was uncertain if Phlox was correct or not. I did not believe I’d allowed my emotions free enough reign for my fellow vampires to pick up on anything. Lucroy and I’d discussed the situation and felt it best to keep them in the dark. For now. They were as helpless as the rest of us when it came to djinn. Neither Lucroy nor I had any idea if we should attempt normalcy or not. To our knowledge, Arie was unaware of our suspicions. Would changing our routine draw out his attention quicker? And if so, was that a good or bad thing? There were far too many unknowns for comfort.

I followed Phlox to the wash station. Wendall wasn’t scheduled tonight. I wasn’t certain the avenues he and Ray were currently pursuing beyond attempting to locate Arie. And if they did locate him, what would they do? Could Queen Silvidia best a djinn? It was another wholly unacceptable unknown.

“Is there nothing I can say to convince you to move to Peaches’s orchard?” Discussing the situation would be a waste of breath had I required air.

“Are you going?” Phlox asked.

“No. I must stay here and do what I can for the nest. Lucroy would be here as well if it were not for Peaches.”

“Then I’m staying too. End of discussion.” Phlox aggressively cleaned the glass in his hand, slamming it onto the drying counter with more force than necessary. “I’m not leaving you, Leon. Period.” He picked up another glass, repeating the process.

Leaning against the counter, I stared at Phlox’s soapy hands and forearms. They were so slender and appeared far too delicate for comfort. While my pixie was strong, he was more vulnerable than I would like.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Phlox hissed.

“Like what?” I asked.

“Like you’re trying to commit everything about me to memory. Like you’re afraid this might be the last time you see me. Like you think something’s going to happen.”

My shoulders rounded as I slumped into the counter. “Forgive me, but you have never experienced a djinn firsthand.”

“I met Aurelia,” Phlox countered, chin up and jutting out.

“So have I. It is fortunate she was not attempting to kill you when you met her.”

Phlox’s throat moved with his harsh swallow. “I read the report.”

A light grunt escaped my lips. “I doubt the writing did the experience justice.” I also imagined facts were purposefully omitted.

Phlox set more glasses in the soapy water before pulling his hands out and drying them. “I doubt it did too. I’m sorry you went through that. I don’t have a death wish, Leon. I just can’t leave you.” His large, dark blue eyes stared up at me. “Would you leave me if the situation were reversed?”

“Of course not.” I rubbed my hands up and down his arms. Phlox’s wings fluttered, filling the space with dust. “You are my beloved. You are everything to me.”

“And you don’t believe I feel the same?” Phlox cocked his head to the side, his hair falling over one shoulder.

I stilled, the full weight of his words hitting home. “I would not presume to know the extent of your feelings.” I knew Phlox thought of me fondly. He did not wish my death and agreed to feed me. He even found me sexually stimulating, but those things did not automatically mean what I wanted them to, what I felt for him.

Placing his palm over my slowly beating heart, Phlox’s smile was soft. “I’ll admit, I wasn’t certain how I felt when you first told me. I knew you were special, that it broke something inside me to think of you in pain or starving to death.” With a wink he added, “And you’re dead sexy. I knew that from the first time I laid eyes on you.” Inhaling, Phlox shifted close enough to lay his ear where his palm had been. “And then I got to know you better, the kind of vampire you are. You never pushed. You took what I was ready to give and never made me feel like it wasn’t enough.” I felt his grin through my shirt. “I’ve never laid in anyone’s lap before. My inner cat was never comfortable with the idea. Pallas’s cats aren’t very sociable. They’re wary and don’t trust easily. My cat trusts you. Completely. My pixie side just took a little more time to come around.”

I couldn’t speak. I didn’t even want to blink for fear when I opened my eyes again this would all be a dream.

On tiptoes, Phlox leaned up while I bent down, meeting him halfway. The gentlest press of flesh met my lips. Phlox’s tongue flicked against my skin, parting my lips. Heeding his request, I opened my mouth and Phlox’s tongue delved deep. I lifted him into my arms, cradling his body close. Phlox’s wings sped and dust consumed us.

Pulling away, Phlox gasped. I would need to use caution. While I didn’t require air, my beloved did. Now eye level, Phlox’s gaze fixed on mine. “Don’t ask me to leave you again, Leon. I won’t do it. I’ll never leave you. Even when all this shit is done and over with, I’ll still be by your side. I’m not sure what we’ll do about my work, but we’ll get it figured out. Love is too important not to try.”

“Love.” That singular word left my lips on barely a whispered garble.

“It’s all I’ve got. Is it enough?”

“More than enough. More than I could ever hope for.” I squeezed my beloved, holding on for dear life.

“Hey, Johnny told me to let you know we’re running out of glasses, so stop sucking face and get busy.” Lizbeth’s laughter followed her out the door.

Allowing Phlox to slide through my arms, my pixie’s feet landed on the floor while I stared at the swinging door. “Perhaps I should speak with Lizbeth. She is getting a little cheeky for a human.”

Phlox smacked me with a wet towel. “You’ll do no such thing. I like her. So do you.”

My beloved wasn’t wrong. I was pleased Lizbeth felt comfortable enough to jest.

Going back to his glasses, Phlox said, “Why don’t you make yourself useful and take the clean, dry ones out?”

“As you wish, beloved.”

Phlox huffed but his cheeks pinked, and I thought he was more flustered than irritated by my comment.

Doing as told, I refilled the empty areas behind the bar. Dusk had its usual crowd, minus Arie’s wolves. So far, we’d yet to be graced by their malodorous appearance. I mentally berated myself. Werewolves didn’t necessarily smell bad. It was a different odor that didn’t always agree with my palate. I’d gotten used to Sedrick’s musky scent. I simply didn’t care to put as much effort into Arie Belview’s pack.

Heading back to the washroom, I began drying glasses.

“They’ll air-dry soon enough,” Phlox offered.

“It is something to keep my hands busy and occupy my mind,” I confessed.

“I understand. I hate waiting. Especially now that we’ve got an idea what’s going on.” Phlox glanced up and asked, “Do you know if Hamish has made any more headway with Sylvie’s computer? We’re pretty sure Alpha Belview’s the mastermind, but there are other guilty parties that need brought to justice.”

Justice, in this case, would be death. “I am unaware. If the culprits’ names have been discovered, I’ve no doubt justice will be swift. Perhaps that is what Hellfire and Wendall are currently doing.”

Phlox’s washing momentarily halted. “You think Ray would take Wendall with him for that?”

I considered the question. Wendall’s nature was gentle, however, he was aware of the consequences of the pixie ring. “I believe Wendall would agree with the punishment. However, I believe he would also make certain the sentence is fulfilled quickly and without the level of pain others would undoubtedly inflict.”

“Wendall’s version of mercy. I understand.”

While Lucroy and I had an agreeable relationship, I do not believe I’d ever found another’s company this easily companionable. Not even my maker, Marian. It was oddly humbling and immensely calming. Being around Phlox was so incredibly easy. It was as if we’d known each other for centuries instead of mere weeks.

“Have any of Arie’s wolves shown up yet?” Phlox asked, pulling me from my peaceful mental space.

“No.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“I do not know.” I was not even certain why they’d been coming before. Lucroy thought it was a way of keeping an eye on us. Dusk was a hub of activity for the different species. With Wendall still working part time, Ray was often here. Sedrick and Phil made the occasional appearance, as did Vander and Parsnip when they were in town. While Lucroy wasn’t in Dusk as often as he once was, he stopped by enough that any given week he was here at least two to three times.

I wasn’t sure what knowledge Arie Belview hoped to learn. Perhaps he was simply making certain our routines did not deviate from the status quo. That made the most sense to me. Arie wanted a heads-up if we figured out what he was doing. If that were the case, then perhaps it was good we were keeping up the peaceful fa?ade. Not that Arie had sent any of his minions into the bar tonight to make certain.

Reevaluating my earlier statement, I amended, “I believe it might be a poor sign.”

Enough time had passed that Phlox gave me a quizzical glance. His eyes widened when he caught my meaning. “Bad that Arie didn’t send any wolves in tonight?” Phlox rightly guessed.

“Yes. Although I am frustratingly uncertain.”

Phlox’s sigh sounded soul deep. “You and me both. Scratch that—you, me, and everyone else in the know. The Magical Usage Council feels just as impotent as the rest of us. I got a text earlier. They can’t find Alpha Belview either. So far, they’re trying to be discrete in their inquiries. If Arie’s really got a djinn at his control, they don’t want to give him an excuse to use it.” Phlox frowned. “I think maybe I just insulted djinn by calling them it. Do you think that’s the right way refer to them?” Phlox shook his head. “I’m still not really sure what djinn are. I mean, Aurelia’s alive—”

“More alive than vampires or zombies,” I offered.

Phlox gave me a withering stare. “That’s very debatable. What I’m getting at is that according to Erasmus, Aurelia’s original essence is tied up in her object of attachment. I know we’ve only got her to go on, but most likely that’s the case with all djinn. Goddess, those witches murdered others to form djinn. It’s hard to believe.”

Given the witches of today, Phlox’s disbelief was understandable. There were always rotten apples in every species’ barrels. Letty Fox was proof enough of that. However, as a general rule, I believe witches learned their ancestral lessons where craving more power was concerned. Djinn caused far more death and grief than expected. It was a price their community continued paying for.

“I wish Matilda knew more,” Phlox lamented. “Or any of the witches on the Magical Usage Council for that matter.”

Vander spoke with Mattie earlier. She’d been just as horrified as the rest of us to learn where a djinn’s body came from. While Mattie knew more than the average current witch regarding djinn, that damning fact had been carefully hidden or, perhaps, completely erased.

“As do I. Perhaps it is for the best that knowledge has been lost.”

Phlox nodded slowly. “Yeah. I can see that.” He blew out a breath, shifting his hair from his face. Without thought, I ran my fingers through his hair, tucking the troublesome strands behind a pointed ear.

“Thanks.” Phlox shot me a shy but grateful grin before leaning into my cupped palm. A rumbling purr rose from deep within his chest.

“It is my pleasure,” I easily answered.

Phlox’s purrs increased, the sound filling the small washroom and bathing us in a brief, peaceful, reprise. It wouldn’t last. Both of us knew that. Regardless. We drowned ourselves in the moment of contented bliss, willing it to hold as long as possible.

Will and fate are often two opposing foes, constantly battling against each other. Unfortunately, will is rarely the victor.