Pixie Noir (Pixie for Hire Book 1)

by Cedar Sanderson

  She settled back in her chair. “Ah. I knew...” she gestured in frustration, a rare thing for her to not have the words. “You are different. You’re not like any man I’d ever met, and I kept thinking, ‘he’s a Pixie, of course he’s not like a human guy’ but there was more than just that. You always keep your cool.”

  I laughed out loud without being able to stop myself. I was so uncool around her I might as well be the gawky youth who had taken on that first job all those years ago. She had me by the throat and didn’t seem to know it at all. But I couldn’t tell her that. I talked around it, instead. “Practice. Sometimes I’ll see something I didn’t expect,” my mind flashed back to a pair of smoking ogre feet, “But mostly I expect very bad things to happen.”

  “I need to learn that,” she mused.

  “No, you don’t. You never want to learn that.” I retorted. “If all goes well, we show up at Court, endure a couple of uncomfortably formal weeks, and you can go home. You’ll never have to come back Underhill or see me again.”

  That left me with a tight chest, but I knew it was for the best. She needed someone who could be human with her, not an old, sick, Pixie who couldn’t live in the human realm all the time. It was the first time I’d thought about this rationally. I had been falling for her, from that first moment, and it simply would not do. Now I wanted to get up and leave the room, but she spoke and I sat still and listened.

  “It isn’t going to go well, is it? I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I have a bad feeling.” She wrapped her arms around herself and looked small and miserable.

  “I think it will get rough once you appear at court. I think it will be... both easier and more difficult when it is known I am your escort.”

  “How is that?” She looked up and I was glad to see she was keeping the tears at bay.

  “Because I have a reputation. Which I think you understand better, now.” She nodded agreement, and I went on. “But that means that when they do throw something at us, and they will, it will be bad. Hence...” I gestured downward, towards the room we’d just vacated. “Training. You need to be able to use the library. I don’t think Alger had any idea what he was doing, giving you that. I think he meant for you to be able to access the outer layer, the ‘how-to’ books so to speak. But you have the whole damn library in your head, and frankly, that’s a little scary.”

  She looked surprised. She was used to being competent, yes, but the idea of being fearsome had never crossed her mind. “I didn’t mean...” she started to protest.

  I held up a hand to stop her, and leaned toward her. She sat forward in her chair again, intent on me. “It’s our secret weapon. They think you are fresh from human realms, untrained, powerless, helpless. But Bella, you know more magic than they do, any of them. Alger is... very old. I’m not even sure how old the bas... er, old man is. And you have his entire wealth of knowledge,” I reached out and pressed a fingertip to the soft skin of her temple. “Right in there, and no one knows that but us.”

  She leaned her face into my hand, and I had to catch my breath at the touch of it, such a sweet, intimate motion. I cupped her cheek. The temptation was there, but I had a hundred years of practice against that. After a moment, she sat up, and I dropped my hand.

  “And I will miss you,” she told me. “Maybe you could come visit.”

  I didn’t even want to explore that invitation, there was a wealth of meaning hidden there, and I had a fairly good idea she didn’t even intend all of it.

  “Let’s get through this, and I’ll take you home.” I promised. “But I’m stopping at your front door, because last time you threatened me with a shotgun.”

  She threw her head back and laughed out loud. “You have a point. Whatever happened to that paperwork, anyway? Even when you were unconscious, you kept hold of it.”

  “It’s up in my office area. You don't have to sign it, you know.”

  She shrugged. “Is there any reason I shouldn’t, at this point? I’m already committed to doing what they want.”

  I thought about what I had read of it. “I don't think it will be an issue, and it may be a good thing if you are under the protection of the Court, formally, while in attendance there.”

  “Go ahead and get it, then,” she grimaced, wrinkling up her nose, “before I change my mind again.”

  When I came back down Ellie was sitting at the table with a steaming cup in front of her. I blinked. I knew it wasn’t coffee, she turned her nose up at that, and she never sat at the table. Well, sometimes, in the lonely years, I had coaxed her into sitting and talking. But she was always fidgety and I never kept her long, unable to torture her. Yet here she was, relaxed and smiling her crooked smile at Bella, who was talking about baking. They seemed to be discussing the relative merits of yeasts and sourdoughs. For the second time since I had gotten home, I lingered in the doorway, fascinated by the sight of two women in my kitchen. it was very... homey. I sighed, and walked the rest of the way in to the table.

  Ellie looked up but stayed where she was, and I smiled. Bella just smiled at me and said, “get on with it, then.”

  I pulled the stack of papers and vellum out and shoved it across to her with a fountain pen on top of it. She bent over it, leafing through until she found the page she wanted. “Aren’t you going to read it?” I asked in curiosity. After her reaction the first time, this was different.

  “No, I read it before. Most of it’s genealogy, anyway.” Her pen scratched across the paper, and she peered at it for a moment. “Little spell there. Must be making sure it’s really me signing?”

  I nodded, tickled she’d picked up on that. “Yes, and another to deliver them when you’re done.”

  “Ok, but will that give us away?” She looked up at me in concern, the pen poised over another page.

  I shook my head. “A little, but it’s not going to give away that you are already Underhill. I’m guessing we will be the last ones to arrive at Court, as long as it has been.” I would be checking on that with Devon later, too. He was doubtless wondering what had happened to me.

  “Ok, then.” Trustingly, she signed the last three times, and collated the papers back into a neat stack. There was a gentle glow, and then, with a quiet pop, they disappeared. She sighed, “now I’m glad I didn’t do that at home. You’d be peeling me off the ceiling about now. So much has changed, so fast.”

  I agreed with her silently, but she went on without expecting a response from me. “So how long now until we go to Court? Will I need clothes?”

  Ellie spoke up, and I detected a hint of humor. “How about dinner?”

  “Yes, Ellie, please dinner.” I told her fervently. Training, talking, and heaven help me, telling Bella about Court Dress, was going to mean I needed more energy.

  “Go away now.” She informed us cheerfully. “Back later, I call.” She stood up and waved us out with both hands.

  Chapter 17 - Lom’s Gift

  Bella beat a giggling retreat. “I’m going to go wash the soot out of my hair,” she informed me, headed for the staircase. I watched her go, reflecting on how nice it was to have company, particularly company that looked like that, walking up stairs. I tore myself away from the sight to go to my office desk and boot up the laptop.

  Again, Devon must have been monitoring for me.

  :Hello, Uncle.:

  :Nephew, very formal this evening.:

  :Not happy. So much gossip. My brain needs bleaching.:

  I laughed out loud in my empty room. He had a point.

  :So, report. We will arrive in Court within two days. You don’t have to do more:

  :Thank Goddess.:

  After a few moments of the cursor blinking at me, the report came up.

  :Of the original expected girls, there are five at court. Two more had “accidents” on the way, and one escort was lost as well. There is much curiosity about Bella at Court, only they don’t seem to know her name, it’s all Lavendar’s progeny when they talk about her. The process do
esn’t get started until you two show up, Lom. There’s no buzz about you at all. I think you are right, they don’t know the King assigned you to her. All the other escorts were knights. I hear that Low Court is quiet, but I didn’t put out feelers there, I was good.:

  I nodded to myself when I read that. He was correct, I would not have risked having him stir up that ant’s nest. It was going to rile up some with the selection of the Queen, and the process beforehand. No point in setting it off prematurely. The report went on.

  :I was able to find out that the King seems unworried, although I know from you that he isn’t, but Court takes their lead from him, so he must be playing to them. No-one at Court seems to show any alarm, they are taking all these “accidents” at face-value. You know, Lom, there are times I really lose hope for our society.:

  :You and I both, Kid.: I typed back quickly. :You done good, thanks. Now drop back to a safe distance and I will take it from here. I was afraid of walking into an ambush.:

  :There are no indications that anyone is aware of a conflict, or planning trouble.:

  Which didn’t mean that no-one was, just that they weren’t being obvious about it. It was interesting that it was business as usual at Court. Presentation, at least, should go smoothly. It was all I could ask for.

  :Good night, Devon. Got your homework done?:

  :Ha! very funny. KThanksbai!:

  He signed off, leaving me puzzling over the last word construct. Impertinent whippersnapper. Ellie’s dinner bell rang, distracting me. Food would be good about now, I couldn’t remember last time I’d eaten, off hand.

  Over dinner, Bella wanted to talk clothes. I put down my fork for a moment and thought about it. I have two really good Court outfits, but I hadn’t been to a formal affair for a few years, and as much as I hate to admit it, I know my limitations.

  “Um, they need to be formal, and er, feminine.”

  She looked at me like I had lost my mind. I could agree with that assessment. Fortunately, I could call for backup.

  “Ellie!” I bellowed, startling Bella. Ellie appeared at my elbow with a small pop and a slight smile. I gave her a dirty look. She was enjoying this whole thing entirely too much.

  “Could you please fill Bella in on what she will be needing for Court Dress? I need to go make my own preparations, we are going in two days.” I picked up my plate and beat a hasty retreat. I really did have work to do. Ellie’s voice, raised abnormally high, rang in my ears as I went.

  “Two days?!”

  I spent the next day and a half in the armory. I’m not sure what they were doing, I had Ellie send me plates at mealtimes. One of them arrived with a scrap of fabric on the rim, so I was sure they were happily getting Bella ready. It was after lunch, with me planning on leaving after breakfast the next day, when I next found myself in the kitchen doorway.

  “He’s in the armory. No-one goes down there but him, so it’s a good place for him to retreat.”

  That was Ellie’s voice, I hadn’t heard what she was responding to. I listened hard, curious what they had to say about me.

  Bella spoke, “oh, he took me down there that first day he was up.”

  “He took you to the armory? He never takes anyone down there.” Ellie’s distinctive sniff, “not even I’m allowed to go in there. Must be dirty as anything.”

  Bella chuckled. “It was interesting, but not too dusty. He’s really never let anyone else down there?”

  I stepped into the room, clearing my throat to let them know I was coming. They looked up from the kitchen table. There were piles of fabric in what seemed like every color in the rainbow. Bella was casting small, marble sized spells with matching colors onto heaps of it. Ellie was rocking in a chair by the fire, a pipe in her hand.

  “How is it going?”

  Bella stuck her tongue out at me. “It’s going, which you would know if you’d bothered to check.”

  “I’m checking now.” I pointed out, a little stung. This was not my forte.

  “I won’t let you down,” she promised, “You can be sure that everything I wear at court will be both formal and feminine.”

  Now I was sure I had stepped in it somewhere along the line. “I don’t doubt you will be the loveliest Fairy there,” I assured her. Ellie snorted loudly.

  “Will presentation be in the morning when we arrive, or...?”

  She was ignoring my sally. Ok, I was fine with just the facts, ma’am. “It will be in the evening, and then a formal banquet for the participants to all meet one another.”

  She looked up at that, suddenly wide eyed. A spell clung forgotten to her fingers like a ruby droplet. “Will I have to give a speech?”

  The horror in her voice made me smile. “No, that’s the King’s job. I don’t think you will be called on to do any public speaking.”

  “Good, because I suck at it.”

  She went back to her task. I spoke over her head. “I’ll go pack, then. I suppose you will want your weapon when we go?”

  “What weapon? I didn’t bring a weapon with me.” She was distracted into her task. The red fabric was... shimmering. I decided not to look too closely.

  “The Ogre-Killer?” I teased her gently, “how quickly we forget that which saves our lives.”

  “Oh,” she looked up again with a big smile. “Did you rescue that? I thought it had gotten lost when we came Underhill.”

  “When you have a moment, I’ll show you what I did with it.”

  She stood up. “That’s the last of it. Ellie, want me to clear it out of your way for dinner?”

  The wood elf shook her head, her eyes half closed. Whatever she smoked she enjoyed, but it wasn’t tobacco or anything I recognized. “I will pack for you.”

  “Oh. Thank you.” Bella looked as surprised as I felt. Ellie never did anything for anyone but me, anymore. Even that had taken some negotiation at the beginning. I hadn’t wanted her help, and she was determined to not let me lift a finger. We had compromised over the years, and it seemed Bella had made an impression.

  Bella followed me out to the armory door. “Ellie was just telling me you don’t let anyone come down here.”

  “There’s a spell on this door, and now it’s keyed to let you past.” I unlocked it, and she followed me down the stairs. At the bottom where there had been a small landing and the single door, there was now a second door across the landing from it. I pointed to the old door. “I keyed the spell on that to not be triggered by you, but it’s still locked. This one,” I pointed now at the new door, which was still fresh enough to smell of the wide pine boards it was made of, “is yours.”

  “Mine?” She sounded stunned. I handed her a set of keys. “Yours, and here. You’ll want to set a spell ward, I’ll help if you want.”

  She looked at me, serious. “Lom, are you mad at me?”

  I rocked back on my heels. “No, I’m not mad. Yes, this has gotten... complicated. But that happens.” I shrugged. “Now go on and open it, I worked hard on this for you.”

  She opened the door and stepped in. I followed her silently, I wanted her to take it in. It wasn’t as big as mine, but she had her own workbench on one side, and a single rack of shelves on the other. Ogre-Killer hung on one, and a few weapons I thought she could make use of were there as well. She walked around it, lightly touching a few things, and circled back to me, her face solemn.

  “Do you really think I will be here long enough?”

  “I don’t know. But I was hoping it would help you with the feeling girly thing.”

  She grinned. “Oh, yeah! It’s a great gift, Lom. Thank you!”

  She reached out, and I remembered the last time she had thanked me for a gift. This time, to my half-disappointment, she just gave me a big hug. I found that I missed the comfortable pressing of her chest to my face. Now that she was shorter than I, I had to settle for their pressure against my chest. I hugged her back, and then she was off to look more closely at what I’d given her. She came back with a small gun in her hand,
and a oddly shaped holster. I laughed at the choice.

  “Is that what you’ll be carrying tomorrow?”

  She nodded, “I want to be inconspicuous.”

  “Better to surprise them than going in with horns and trumpets. I approve. Now, I’m going to teach you how to attach a summoning spell to a weapon, so you don’t have to carry it with you.”

  “Oh, goodie.” She bounced a little, but it didn’t distract her, even though she was definitely sparkling.

  Chapter 18 - Arrival at Court

  The next morning she was demure in slacks and a button-down blouse. I did a double take, because I had never seen her like that before. Her face fell. “Is it not ok?”

  “Well, you look like someone’s idea of an executive, but you should be fine. We’ll arrive quietly and you will have plenty of time to change. Remember protocol?”

  She nodded. We had spent the previous evening going over how she would let me take point and be protective, and what she could expect from me, and floor plans, and it had been a very late bedtime. I, for one, needed coffee. Ellie materialized at my elbow with a steaming mug. I eyed her suspiciously. “Are you reading my mind? I don’t advise it, it gets ugly in there.”

  I sipped appreciatively at the coffee.

  “Who needs to read minds? I know what you want.” She handed another mug to Bella. “Breakfast before you go, not leaving with empty bellies.”

  We obediently followed her into the kitchen. With this spread, we’d be lucky to arrive conscious. Ellie was worried, I translated it as. I followed her into the pantry, where she was fussing over jam pots.

  “Ellie,” I stopped her with a gentle touch on her coarse hands. “It’s going to be fine. I can take care of us, and Bella’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Me too, if it comes to it.”

  She looked away from me. “I like her. You like her.”

  “This isn’t...” I rubbed my face. Memories I’d locked up for a long time were flooding back. “She’s not part of our life forever. She hates it Underhill, and she will go home and forget about us. Which is as it should be.”