Phlox
“Damn, I’d forgotten how much I missed Phil,” Johnny lamented as I flew back down to the floor. “Before I spent much time with pixies, I didn’t give a thought about wings and how handy being able to fly is. Makes me wish for a pair.”
Lizbeth snorted. Fisted hands on her hips, Lizbeth’s lavender hair caught in the light. She was small, even by human standards and although I’d known her less than an hour, it was enough time to instill a healthy dose of respect. Human or not, Lizbeth was a force to be reconned with.
“Stop complaining, Johnny.” Lizbeth rolled her eyes. “Wings are great, but I’d kill for your legs.” As if to prove her point, Lizbeth stuck out her shorts-clad leg, twisting the lean appendage back and forth.
Running a hand down a fur-covered leg, Johnny’s answering grin was wicked. “I always said you had good taste, Lizbeth.”
With another eye roll, Lizbeth threw a dirty towel at Johnny before loudly huffing and flouncing away.
Chuckling, Johnny picked up the towel and offered a warning. “Bit of advice, don’t go poking that particular human. First time I met her, I made the mistake of thinking she was a weak, pink bag of human flesh. The boss thought the same. Lizbeth proved us wrong by climbing Bax like a mountain, wrapping her arm around his neck, and putting the big-ass troll in a head lock. Bax passed out and went down like a sack of potatoes. The boss hired her on the spot.”
I grinned, liking Lizbeth even more. My gaze followed her as she wove around the still empty tables, tidying up and checking every last detail before Dusk opened its doors. Leon and Lucroy were nestled together in a corner booth. Johnny told me it was their usual spot, or at least it was Lucroy Moony’s typical area. From what I understood, it was the same space Lucroy, Peaches, Sedrick, Phil, Vander, and Parsnip occupied when they were around. When they weren’t, it was Leon’s spot. In other words, the biggest fish in the building ruled from that little corner.
Leaning an elbow on the bar top, I stared at Leon. His attention was taken by Lucroy. My inner pixie didn’t like that Leon’s attention was elsewhere. Compounding that problem was the fact I was irritated that it bothered me in the first place. Two negatives didn’t equal a positive.
“Got a question?” Johnny intuitively asked.
“Not really,” I lied.
“The way you’re starin’, seems like you might,” Johnny argued.
I hated being so obvious. Adding a third negative in there and I was well and truly in a downward spiral.
Gritting my teeth, I finally settled on a question that might be rude but was relevant where vamps were concerned. “How old is Leon?”
Johnny’s eyebrows shot skyward. Despite his obvious surprise, he answered, “To the best of my knowledge, around three hundred, give or take a couple of decades. If I were a betting faun, I’d say older rather than younger.”
Three hundred. It wasn’t ancient by vampire standards, but it was impressive. It meant Leon had made it through the dangerously moody teenage vamp years. He was considered well-seasoned. Leon also had to be powerful. Not as powerful as Lucroy Moony, but nothing to sneeze at either.
“That all you want to know?” Johnny asked.
Was it?It should be and yet I found myself asking, “What kind of a boss-man is he?” I’d heard Johnny refer to Lucroy as boss and Leon as boss-man.
Johnny shrugged while polishing a glass. “In the simplest terms, the good kind. Leon’s got Mr. Moony’s back. He’s got mine and everyone’s back in this bar too. I’ve worked for Mr. Moony for a lot of years, and I’ve seen a lot of vamps come and go. Lucroy’s a different kind of king. I wouldn’t work for any of those other asshole vamp kings and queens. Trust me when I say the boss didn’t want that shit in a second either. Goddess forbid something happen to Lucroy. But if it did, the nest’s in good hands with Leon. It adds stability and a second layer of protection. That’s a big part of why the Southeast vampire nest is one of the fastest growing in the US.”
Johnny offered up a lot more information than I expected, and I offered a nod of thanks. His reassurance should have settled that twisted feeling in my gut. It didn’t. If anything, my insides twirled and turned a little more.
“Anything more personal and you’ll have to ask the boss-man himself,” Johnny added.
“Understood and appreciated,” I answered easily.
“So, that’s the vampire side of things. What’s your story?”
I blinked, expression doing an excellent vampire impersonation.
Johnny’s chuckle sounded more like a coughed wheeze. “I don’t mean the real story. I mean, what is the bullshit line we’re supposed to tell our customers when they ask?” Pointing his glass in my direction, Johnny assured, “Because they will ask. Trust me on that one. This bar’s got a pixie reputation and now we’ve got a fourth one—all shiny, new, and unattached.”
“Ah…yes, an excellent question.” The council and I’d gone over my cover story. I needed to look like easy pickings and the best way to go about that was to make others believe I wouldn’t be missed.
“We’re gonna take the KISS approach,” I answered.
“Keep it stupid simple.” Johnny nodded.
“Exactly. My backstory is sweet and simple. Or maybe sad and simple. No family. A smattering of loose friends. I’m originally from the West Coast and moved to Rutherford Haven hoping for a new start in life. Feel free to make up some hazy, tragic history that no one truly knows the details of. You can just say it’s not something I like to talk about.” The key to a successful lie is building it around a core of truth and keeping the facts minimal and easily subject to understandable change. No one would think twice when hearing different theories regarding my tragic past. Nearly every species had an innate need to gossip, to fill in knowledge gaps with questionable theories.
Johnny’s eyes momentarily scrunched before he answered, “I can do that. Sounds easy enough. I’ll let Lizbeth know. She’s not aware of why you’re really here. She’s not a gossip and when she tells others to shut up and mind their own damn business, it will add a touch of reality to things.”
In Lizbeth’s case, it would be reality. Unaware of the underlying deception, Lizbeth would an unwitting accomplice.
“I don’t like lying to her, but in the end, she’ll understand,” Johnny stated. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than me.
“Settling in well?” Lucroy asked as he glided toward the bar. Vamps had a way of doing that. They were so damn graceful that sometimes they appeared to float rather than walk. Despite his innate silence, I’d seen he and Leon’s approach.
I nodded, temporarily ignoring Leon. “I am. Johnny and Lizbeth are catching me up to speed.” I’d never worked in a bar before, but I had a fair amount of experience being a patron. “Learning different species’ liqueur preferences will be the hardest part.”
Johnny scoffed. “That and knowing what beverage will get one species high and another dead.”
I blinked.
“Don’t worry about it. Lizbeth and I’ve got your back. You’ll learn quick enough and if you’ve got any questions, just ask. Mostly it’s the humans you’ve gotta watch out for.” Johnny shook his head. “I swear, if I live a thousand years, I’ll never understand humans.”
Lizbeth walked past and uttered a quiet “ditto.”
Ignoring her, Johnny said, “If I had a dime for every time a human came in and asked for some dangerous shit on a dare, I’d be a rich faun. Their lives are short enough, you’d think they’d take a little more care.” With that final lament, Johnny walked away, heading to the washing station and storage area. The washing station was one of my first lessons. From what I understood, it was Wendall’s spot when he was here. When he wasn’t, that would be one of my designated areas.
“Although colorfully said, Johnny, as usual, is correct,” Lucroy said. “Please take care of our less hearty and wise customers. The paperwork is endless when there is a death within the bar. If possible, should someone do something foolish and get themselves killed, please see if you can direct them off Dusk property before they expire.”
Thinking Lucroy was making a joke, I released a light chuckle. It died on my lips when I realized he was dead serious.
“Leon, I will leave Dusk in your capable hands. Peaches wanted to come in tonight, but he was gone from his orchard longer than he should have yesterday. He needs to stay there today. If I linger longer, I do not put it past my beloved to call Phil and ask for a ride into town.”
It sounded like Lucroy knew his beloved well.
“Frost, Peaches wanted me to tell you he’d like to visit, get to know you better. I do not believe I can keep him at home two nights in a row. Most likely we shall both see you tomorrow. As I said before, do not hesitate to let Johnny, Leon, or myself know if you require further assistance.”
“Thank you, Mr. Moony.”
“While appreciated, your thanks are not needed. My beloved is most distraught regarding this pixie smuggling ring. If your sacrifice gives him a modicum of peace of mind, then it is I who owe you thanks.”
I thought I caught a flash of crimson in Leon’s eyes but couldn’t be certain. Maybe he was as disturbed by the word sacrifice as me. I didn’t plan on dying on this mission. Fading had stolen my mother. I refused to follow in her footsteps.
“Have a good evening, Leon,” Lucroy said before heading toward the parking garage, leaving Leon and me alone again.
Silence stretched between us, widening to an uncomfortable gap. Music started from somewhere. The sound was low, little more than a background murmur. I stood there, twiddling my proverbial thumbs, wondering if I was supposed to say something or not. Leon was statue still.
Irritated at myself for expecting more from this odd vampire, I swallowed a huff. The hair clips Byx gave me fed off my poor mood, reflecting my exasperation by standing on their hind legs and barking their distress.
My irritation only grew when Leon responded to my hair clips while he’d all but ignored me.
“Is that some kind of canine?” Leon asked while leaning forward, obsidian eyes fixated on my head.
“Meerkat.” Touching one of the clips, I inhaled deeply, forcing calm into my core. The hair clips responded by backing down. “According to Byx, they’re one of her new creations. They’re supposed to bark out a warning when a predator is nearby.” Reflecting on the choice, I grimaced. “Probably not the best option considering my current working environment.”
A single crimson eyebrow soared. “And they believe I am such a threat?”
I shrugged. “No idea.” I wasn’t about to tell Leon they’d probably fed off my unsettled mood rather than his lurking presence. “Vander pulled me aside and informed me some of Byx’s creations don’t always go to plan. Like I said, this is a new one. I offered to be the guinea pig.” The hair clips were adorable. I’d go to my grave before admitting that was the reason I’d agreed.
“Interesting.” Leon leaned back into his own personal space, evidently nothing more to say.
Tired of whatever the hell this was, I said, “If that’s all, I’ve got work to do.” I didn’t get far. Leon’s hand shot out, latching onto my wrist. His grip was just shy of painful. With a pointed glare at his hand, I slowly shifted my eyes until our gazes locked. When he didn’t release me, I asked, “Is there a reason for this?” I pointedly glanced back at his vice-like grip.
“You are not a sacrifice,” Leon stated, tone so cold I thought the bar top might turn to ice.
“No, I’m not. On that we can easily agree.”
Leon’s grip eased and his fingers slowly slid from my skin. I hid my shiver, absorbing it into my body. Interestingly, the meerkats didn’t so much as twitter.
Leon didn’t seek forgiveness for his rash act. “I am pleased we are on the same page.”
Pulling my arm to my side, I narrowly avoided rubbing the tender flesh he’d touched. Tilting my head to the side, I studied this odd vampire and stated, “You’re worried.”
Leon’s apathetic mask remained firmly in place. “Worried would be a strong word. I am…concerned. I do not relish the thought of any weaker species placing themselves in such a position.”
“Weaker?” My lip twitched, my emotions battling between humor and pissed off. “Because I’m a pixie,” I flatly stated.
“I did not mean to imply pixies are incapable. Recent events have offered me the opportunity to interact with your species enough to learn you can be very stubborn and protective. However, pixies are not known for their offensive abilities. You are a peaceful species by nature.”
While that was true of most pixies, I wasn’t most. Tapping my fingertips along the countertop, I allowed a very unpixie-like grin. “Oh, Leon. I think you’ll soon learn I’m not your average pixie.” With a flirty wink, my wings fluttered to life. Spinning, I flew in the direction of the washroom, leaving a very flummoxed vampire in my pixie dust wake.