The Pixies’ Chosen (Mated to the Monster: Season 2)

Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

HAVOC

S hadows spill in around the tree faster than any natural shadow can move and from their twisting depths crows fly forth, the caws echoing among the trees as they congregate in the branches of the fairy apple tree. Trepidation rising bitterly from within me, I clasp Ammayi close and slowly tuck her behind me. My mouth parts and my tongue curls as I breathe the spark of a flame from between my lips. My queen jumps at the fire hovering there, her fingers digging into my arm, but I cannot afford the distraction to reassure her, so I entrust it to Tryst as the male murmurs soothingly into her ear.

The shadows are still moving with something alive at their heart. It is thickening and twisting on itself, and my wings stiffen alertly in preparation to take to the air and strike at a moment’s notice. Pixies do not have many defenses against zaabi , but even a massive ogre will suffer from taking pixie fire directly to the eyes. If it can help us escape with our queen to safety, it will be enough.

The air howls evilly, stirring spirits of the night and death. At this moment it is as if I am in the heart of the Dark Forest, in the midst of the bone fairy court where the bones of pixies rattle in their trees and upon their eaves. The largest of the crows hops to a lower branch and then to another until it perches parallel to me, its beak gaping and feathers puffed out alertly. I angle my body slightly to shield my queen from it, but its eye aligns with the shadows unexpectantly as power rolls brightly within its gaze.

Dread settles deeply within me as something flutters and moves forward, stepping out from that darkness. It is like something from one of Ammayi’s movies and the grimmest imaginings of the inner Dark Forest. I am ready to die for my queen and nest brother, and my muscles tense as the caw of the crows resting in the trees erupts all around us.

“Ah, Havoc, there you are,” Zora says as she steps from the heart of the shadows and smiles. “I see that you have found your queen.”

I blink at her, my fire dying on my lips. I glance toward the crows warily, but they merely flap their wings and preen themselves as the shadows slowly retreat and with it the sense of threat that had risen.

“Ah, yes,” I say slowly as I exchange a confused look with Tryst. I feel Ammayi shift as she tries to peek around me, but I keep her solidly behind me as I give the bone fairy a polite smile. “Did you happen to find whom you were seeking?”

“Oh yes,” she replies flicking a hand in the air. “That useless son of mine got himself caught by a human female and is currently engaged in something productive… or reproductive perhaps. Much like you were,” she points out with a chuckle.

“Havoc, who is this?” Ammayi whispers, and I groan.

“This is Zora?—”

“The bone fairy queen and gifter of the extraordinary shrinking powders which made all of this possible. Well, that and some exceptional help from my crows to keep you all moving on the right path. Especially you,” she says, giving me a pointed look.

“Your crows?” Ammayi echoes and she pushes past my wings with a frown. “Your crows scared the shit out of me.”

“Ah, but they were effective,” Zora counters. “That part was actually my brother’s idea, but a good one. Everyone is so determined to do things their own way that they don’t realize when they need a good push to commit to moving in the right direction.”

“Your crow made me spill the powder on Ammayi,” I point out.

“And made me run in a panic across the yard,” my queen says sourly.

“Chased us every time we left the nest,” Tryst adds, and the bone fairy grins at that observation.

“Well, we did want to make sure that you actually did the deed and not just waste time frolicking around. It is a good idea, therefore, to assure that you spend a lot of time clinging to each other.”

“But why?” I demand with a confused shake of my head. “Why do all of this?”

“Compensation,” she says shortly.

“It was your crow that knocked me out of the air that day,” I say slowly as realization dawns and she giggles eerily.

“Of course. The compensation was not only for you, dear boy, but on a much broader scale. For all the harm bone fairies have done to pixies, I had to do something once I overthrew my brother and assumed the rule of the kingdom. He is still pouting about it, but all in good grace since he decided that he hates ruling anyway and it gets tiring being a villain. Hence, he was delighted to champion love.”

“Through terror,” my mate points out.

“Well, as you humans say… Happy Halloween,” Zora replies with another mad giggle.

I think for a moment and nod as I realize exactly what day it is as a group of costumed children burst out with a rush of laughter on the streets nearby. Happy Halloween indeed.