Chapter 21
Kaylee
Sammy appeared behind Porter as I turned my head slowly to look behind me.
Sure enough, sparkly, rainbow wings had spread up behind me.
The gossamer material was somehow opaque and see-through at the same time.
Along the top, bones held them up and flapped slowly, too slowly to lift me into the air.
They looked so flimsy I doubted they could lift me at all.
“Calm down,” Sammy whispered.
Her voice brought me back to reality and I recognized that I was panting, nearly hyperventilating. Porter walked toward me with his hands out. “Are you okay?” he whispered. “You look awfully pale.”
Sammy moved around him and closer to me, but that made me more nervous. My wings flapped harder as my heart rate sped up. “Stop!” I yelled. “Get away from me.”
Something more than nerves and anger was pulsing through me. One time, in my younger days, I’d tried a pretty strong drug. I’d hated the way it made me feel, out of control and incapable of pulling it together.
This was similar, but… I sucked in a deeper breath and let the feeling wash through me, then I focused on it, honed in. This, I could control. Like being high and in control at the same time.
Oh, that was cool as shit.
“Someone is coming,” Sammy said.
“What someone?” Porter said in a scared voice. “Who is coming?”
Sammy glared at Porter, shutting him up. “I’m guessing you’re the reason she’s raining glitter and grew wings?”
“We had an argument,” I said. “I was pissed.”
I moved my hands and watched them shimmer in front of my face. The magic coursing through my veins was actually visible.
Sammy cocked her head, drawing my attention. “They’re here,” she whispered.
I expected the doorbell to ring or for someone to knock, but all I heard was tinkling bells and then a small man appeared in the room, floating in mid-air in front of me.
Hysterical laughter tried to bubble up my chest.
“Hello,” the small man said in a surprisingly deep, masculine voice. “My name is Vlad.”
He waved at me and cocked his head. “And you shouldn’t be able to do that.”
“It might have something to do with that.” Sammy pointed at the necklace she’d given me. “I gave it to her for protection, but I think it’s drawing out her magic.”
“Would you mind taking it off for me?” Vlad asked. “Let’s test the theory.”
I nodded and lifted the chain over my head. As soon as it stopped touching my skin, my wings and all the glitter and rainbows disappeared. So did the high, floating feeling. I breathed in deep and relaxed.
Porter rushed forward and put his arms around me. “Thank you,” I whispered. “That left me weaker than I would’ve thought.” Especially considering how strong I’d felt with the magic coursing through my veins.
The little man, with his bright green suit and red beard, floated along with us as Porter helped me to the sofa.
“Where do you come from?” I asked.
“I was a friend to the Bluewater pixie triune. Your bloodline, Kaylee. They were earth pixies, where I am a water pixie.”
Sammy sighed and sat in my desk chair. I would’ve sworn I saw her roll her eyes, but she turned away too fast. “And what happened to the earth pixies?” she asked.
“They’re long gone. But I made a pact with your bloodline to protect each other’s descendants if this ever happened.” He floated to the floor, then walked closer, holding out a hand. “That necklace really did a number on you.”
“What about the shield?” Sammy asked. “At her apartment.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Am I in danger?”
Vlad shook his head. “No, it was just a precaution. We’ve shielded you all your life.”
“What?” I asked. My stomach churned. “You’ve been watching me all of my life?”
He nodded. “We have.”
“Why did you leave me with my parents?” I asked as tears filled my eyes. “Why didn’t you save me from them?”
Vlad’s face softened, and sadness filled his eyes. “There was only so much power we could inject into human affairs. We kept them from physically hurting you, but that was all we were allowed to do. Magic has a price. Protection spells take a lot of magic.”
“So, she’s safe?” Sammy asked.
“As safe as she’s ever been.” He turned his gaze back to me. “I’m glad I was able to meet you at long last. Your troupe were lovely pixies, and it pains me that they are no longer around.” His smile lit up his face and the rainbow in his skin intensified. “They would’ve loved you.”
He tipped his hat and disappeared in a shower of glitter.
“How is this possible? How did a pixie, small like him, have a baby that grew up big like me?”
“Pixies can take human form to procreate with humans, but they outlawed the practice long ago. Which is why you having enough pixie blood to be recognizable is a conundrum.” She pursed her lips. “Someone had a fling when they were not supposed to. It’s the only explanation.”
I wasn’t in any danger. As long as I didn’t put the necklace back on, I wasn’t going to pop any more pixie wings.
That meant Porter and I needed to finish our conversation. Breathing deep, I looked at Sammy. “Thank you. Thank you for helping me.”
Sammy saluted me with a wink and disappeared.
“We have an argument to finish, now that I’m not in danger of turning into a brownie or sprite or something.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said in a low voice and pulled his arm away from my shoulders. “I just want you to end the show.”
He looked exhausted, and sounded it too, but so was I. I didn’t want to fight, but there was no way in hell I was ending my show before I decided I was ready.
“I think we need a few days apart,” I said. “I’m going to go back to my apartment.” He didn’t stop me when I walked out of the office and went upstairs. The last thing I needed to pack was my laptop, but it was back in the office. Fuck it. I’d come to get it later.
With one hand on the front door, I waited to see if he’d stop me.
He didn’t.
Tears coursed down my cheeks as I drove myself to town and my apartment. My heart ached, knowing my job was more important to Porter than my love. He was willing to risk it all.
I piled my bags on my shoulders and traipsed up the stairs, ready to get into a superhot bubble bath and cry my heartache out.
As distracted as I was, I didn’t notice that my apartment door was cracked open until I was about to put the key in the doorknob. Shit. I tried to back away slowly, holding my breath, but the door jerked open and a hand reached out to yank me inside.
I screamed, but KayleeFan slammed the door shut behind me. All the soundproofing I’d done on the apartment so that the deli downstairs didn’t hear my moans meant they’d never hear me scream either.
“You’re going to give a special performance for your followers,” he said. His eyes were wide and crazed. He’d lost it. “And I’m going to be your co-star.”
Anger coursed through me. “I’m not going to do shit with you,” I snarled. If I could get to my bag, I could get that necklace out. Who knew what kind of magic I’d be able to do with it on?
But then KayleeFan pulled a gun from behind his back and pointed it straight at me. “Do as you’re told. Set up the cameras. Get ready to put on a show.”