34. Phil #2
I almost didn’t recognize Sedrick’s home.
My home. It was colder than the first day I’d stepped through the door.
I shivered, and the fireplace came to life, roaring in the living room and already putting off heat.
With every step I took, I felt better, as if I could breathe again.
Tension left my shoulders, flowing out of my body and leaking into the air.
Walking around the space, I touched every surface and felt the same gratitude and relief wash back into me.
“It already feels better in here,” Peaches sighed. “It was awful being in here before, when you weren’t here. I don’t know how Sedrick and the children could stand it.”
My eyes wandered the kitchen. The dishes were clean and put away. It wasn’t the disaster I’d first walked into weeks ago. “I swear, I didn’t know.” I felt incredibly stupid. “How could I have bonded with the house and not even realize it?”
Peaches fluttered near and drew me into a hug. “It’s okay, Phil. It’s not like you’ve had a whole lot of home-and-hearth jobs before this one.”
“I haven’t had any,” I corrected.
“Peaches is correct, Phil.” Mr. Moony stayed on the other side of the room, hands clasped behind his back and resting at ease.
I figured he’d be bored, but if anything, he appeared bemused.
“It’s not like you had a lot of experience.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but pixies rarely make mistakes when it comes to bonding.
The situation called for a bond you were more than happy to oblige.
” Mr. Moony waved his hand around the room.
“This house needed you. Mr. Voss needed you. The children needed you. And dare I say it, you needed them as well. It is a perfect marriage.”
I wasn’t sure Sedrick would agree. “It’s rude to bond to someone else’s house without their permission. Without even discussing it.” I stared down at my boots and asked Peaches, “Was Sedrick mad when he found out?”
“Mad?” Peaches sounded incredulous. “Far from it. Worried. About you and the fact you’ve been gone so long, but not angry.”
At least that was something.
“I hate to rush things, but I believe we are on a tight schedule.”
“Mr. Moony’s right,” Peaches agreed.
“Please, call me Lucroy.”
Peaches blushed. Maybe it was because he was my boss, but Mr. Moony had never made that same offer to me.
“Thank you, L-Lucroy,” Peaches stumbled. “How are you feeling, Phil? You just got back so—”
My stomach growled loud and proud. I rubbed the offensive object and felt hunger gnaw at me for the first time in days. “I guess that’s a good sign.”
“Go get changed, and I’ll see what I can find for you to eat.” Peaches headed for the kitchen, mumbling to himself about nasty carnivores.
“All my clothes are back at the boarding house. I don’t have anything besides what I’m wearing.”
Peaches didn’t turn around from his mission in the kitchen. He waved an absent hand in my direction. “You can’t go into court claiming to be a home-and-hearth pixie in that. There’s a box on the end table. Take that into the bathroom and pick something to wear.”
“A box? For me?”
“It’s something Sedrick asked me to take care of a few weeks ago before both of you turned into stupid idiots,” Peaches ended with a snort of irritation. His voice sounded muffled like he’d shoved his head into a cabinet.
Sliding the ribbon off, I gasped when I glimpsed what was inside. I started to reach in but pulled back at the last second. It couldn’t be what I thought it was.
“Are you going to change or just stare at it?” Mr. Moony asked over my shoulder.
He gave me an indulgent smile and motioned toward the hall.
“I’d think you’d be eager to get out of those heavy clothes and into something far more suiting for a pixie.
Besides, we don’t want to keep Hellfire Rayburn waiting. ”
I blinked, running the name through my head. “Who?”
Mr. Moony gave that faint hint of a smile that oddly put me at ease.
“You would know him better as Ray, Mr. Voss’s fairy attorney.
” Mr. Moony’s lips thinned. “You’re young, Philodendron, and the young don’t remember the days before fairy law.
It’s easy to forget what fairies truly are, buried beneath their finely honed veneer of law-abiding civility.
I’ve known Hellfire Rayburn for centuries, yet he is centuries older than me.
Hellfire is not a fairy you want to disappoint by being late. ”
Swallowing hard, I said, “I thought Ray was your friend.” Or at least I’d gotten that impression.
This time, Mr. Moony’s smile was anything but ease-inducing.
“You’re not completely incorrect. Mr. Rayburn and I are friendly.
” When I was still confused, Mr. Moony added, “Mr. Rayburn is predictable. Playing by fairy law is a game to him, and fairies hate to lose. I trust ‘Ray’ the lawyer to follow the law.” A kitchen cabinet shut a little too loudly, drawing both our attention.
“Go on. I’ll keep Peaches company and help where I can. ”
Grabbing the box, I sprinted down the hall.
Only I didn’t go to the bathroom. I went to Sedrick’s bedroom and scrambled out of my drab t-shirt, dark, heavy jeans, and even heavier boots.
When I finally touched the fabric, it was even softer than I’d dreamed.
Spider silk. Honest-to-goddess spider silk.
A riotous array of perfectly pink explosions.