Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1
HAVOC
M y wings flutter rapidly as they carry me through the air, twitching with the thrill of the hunt as I dive deeper in the depths of the forest after my prey. The sparrow’s wings beat frantically as it tries to make its escape, but it has not yet realized that it is futile. I lick my lips in anticipation of the meal the bird will make. My wings hum as my flight carries me spinning swiftly amongst the branches. I drop suddenly, speeding through the air just above the swallow. I draw back my spear, preparing to strike the tender spot between the sparrow’s wings when a shadow falls over me and dives. Instinctively, I roll through the air to avoid the strike but fail to escape completely when I am swatted out of the air by a giant feathered wing as a dark bird bursts through the air over head, scattering feathers everywhere in its wake.
I do not get a good look at it, but the large wing strikes with a particularly brutal force, knocking the air out of my lungs even as it drops me like a stone. My spear slips from my grip to spin to the ground below me, but it is the least of my worries. I fight back the numbness stunning my body and flitter my wings uselessly several times in an attempt to slow my fall. It might have worked too—except that I’m rolling in the air and every movement of my wings does little except send me spinning even faster. The only thing slowing my fall at all are the leaves that my body slams into on my way down.
I buzz my wings clumsily in desperation among the falling feathers, my muscles tensing as I prepare for the collision. It is guaranteed to be fatal at this height. Even if it does not kill me outright, I will be significantly injured and easy prey for any of the predators of the Dark Forest. My stomach lurches as the forest floor races toward me. Nothing will correct my free tumble. The rocks and brush spin as I hurtle toward them. I close my eyes as I fight against the air and the numb feeling that is still making my wings stiff and difficult to move. If this is the end, then I do not wish to see it greeting me.
The air moves sharply around me, and something soft and cool plucks me from the air. My head spins from the sudden change in movement, and I fold my wings back while I attempt to control my heaving.
“How curious. It is merely a pixie,” a voice speaks loudly overhead.
I wince at the volume and cautiously squint up at the source. Like all the larger races, the features of the face peering down at me seem grotesquely overlarge but less offensive than usual as it appears to be a smaller species.
From the shape of the features… I am guessing a female. And a fairy at that, given the wings that move faintly in response to her curiosity. Heavily veined and similar to the wings of a pixie, though on a much larger scale, they fan the air lazily as a small smile curls the corner of the female’s pale pink lips. Curious, I allow my eyes to move over her, noting her gray complexion except for what appears to be a white pigment stain of a half-skull with sharp teeth and fangs marked descending around her mouth. Several black feathers cling to her hair, and I hope that means that she killed whatever dove at me.
She slowly cocks her head, sending the small bones tied into her hair and adorning her neck clattering. I shiver in spite of myself, drawing my wings tight against my back. A cunning fairy is not to be underestimated—even worse when it is a bone fairy. There are many bone fairies who catch pixies to peel the flesh from their bones to grind them into ingredients for their magical powders.
I stare up at her warily as I wait for the blood to refill my wings. I am not proud to play the submissive part at this moment, but it serves my purpose. The instant my wings are strong once more, I will burst from her hand before she even has the opportunity to close her fingers over me.
Her lips quirk as if in response to my private thoughts, and she lifts her cupped hands closer to her face.
“Indeed, a pixie,” she murmurs to the companion I had not noticed standing behind her until now—a male with a distinctly bored expression on his face as he leans against a tree.
“This forest is full of pixies. I do not know why you are surprised,” the male replied with a sigh. “I’ve caught my fair share in these woods, so I do not understand your fascination.”
I watch as the female rolls her eyes momentarily before refocusing on me with an intrigued smile. “Look at this, Dorian. It’s a male, I believe. Do you think his colony is near here.”
“What does it matter, Zora? You will not find it anyway. Pixie colonies are as difficult to locate as fairy hills,” he replied drolly.
She casts an annoyed look over her shoulder at the male. “You misunderstand me as usual, brother. I am curious how far he has traveled since I was clumsy enough to accidentally knock him out of the air. It was merely to assuage my guilt. I have no interest in locating the colony.”
My wings stir with surprise. That is unexpected. I slowly lift my upper torso from its defensive curl, the action allowing me to scrutinize more carefully. Her smile spread across her face in apparent delight. Despite the needle-sharp teeth filling her mouth, my cock irrationally twitches in response to her smile. It catches me by surprise since I have not even entertained the idea of mating in some time. And yet, with the way her eyes drift over me in a lingering way, I wonder for a moment if she would use her fairy magic to make it possible for us to lie together and be bound together. Tryst would abhor the very thought of it, and I feel a little guilty for even entertaining the possibility of mating with the fairy without him, but a pleasant heat rises and begins to curl within me as my light suddenly winks to life in my abdomen. My chitin shifts to chime playfully, and a small laugh drops from her lips.
“You are charming,” she purrs. “And an unmated specimen if I am not mistaken, given all of your current displaying.”
Her male companion groans and swipes a hand over his face. “You cannot possibly wish to breed with that . Be serious, Zora.”
I glare at him indignantly, my wings flaring defensively. Despite my unfortunate coloring and wing shape, I am not lacking in any way. In fact, my build is considered admirable among many females who glance my way even if they would not dare take me into their bed unaltered. My ego takes a nosedive, however, when she suddenly laughs.
“Do not be ridiculous. I merely have thought of the perfect way to make amends. An unmated pixie in his prime surely hopes to locate a female for his nest, so I will just offer him the best chance in finding the perfect one.”
My eyes snap to her in surprise as she lifts a pouch from her belt. She turns it in her hand and there is a flare of magic that leaves a small pixie-sized sack in the center of her other palm. My wings flutter with excitement, and I hop quickly from her one hand to her other. I waste no time in picking it up and allowing the weight of the magic contained within it to run over me. Potent fairy magic, indeed.
“Now be careful with this gift,” the fairy murmurs. “It is permanent, so you will only have one chance to use it. Dust the eyes of the female you desire and its magic will make her perfectly pixie-sized.” Her lips pinch thoughtfully for a moment, and my wings rustle with interest at what she might say next. “I would recommend a human. Pixies of the Dark Forest have the advantage of moving effortlessly between worlds so you will have no trouble finding good hunting ground. A human female will be much more accepting of whatever issues have prevented you from mating up until this point. I have heard of a hive in the troll forest who gained a human mate with great success.”
I nod slowly in agreement. I have not heard of this development, but news travels slowly between the isolated colonies. In any case, what the fairy says makes sense.
“There is one tiny little thing, however,” she interjects so hesitantly that it brings a concerned frown to my face. “No, no, it is nothing for you to worry about,” she hastens to reassure me with a flicker of a smile. “Considering that this gift far outweighs my error, there is to be a small condition upon accepting it.”
A condition? My heart sinks. What can I possibly offer a bone fairy outside of one of my own bones, which is a bit extreme, even for me.
“It really is just a small thing,” she explains. “Just a tiny favor once you have secured your queen. You see, I lost someone dear to me, but fairies, like many fae races, have restricted parameters for our movement. The night elves rule this forest, and they are even stingier and more suspicious with their portal than most and possess a particular grudge against bone fairies. If you could help me enter the mortal world to find my loved one, I would consider any remaining debt between us paid.”
My eyes drop to the sack as I consider her offer. It is not an unreasonable request, and she is being considerate enough to not demand payment immediately. In truth, it is a very small thing in exchange for what she’s offering. She is, in every sense of the word, offering us our future. Tryst will be ecstatic once he hears since he has been moping ever since his sister’s mating flight. It is finally our turn. We finally have the opportunity to accomplish what so many within our colony have managed.
A mate. A queen of our own!
I nod my head, my chiton trembling with exuberant chiming as I hug the sack to my chest, eager to depart with it. I’m eager to not only show this treasure to Tryst but to jump between worlds immediately and begin our hunt.
The bone fairy’s lips tip slowly, her eyes glowing with her own satisfaction at our bargain. “Excellent,” she purrs, her hand flattening as she lifts it into the air. “Go then, pixie, but remember your word. Just summon me by name and I will come.”
Giving her another nod, I hum my wings and rise from her hand. I barely allow myself to gain any height into the air before I am zipping away with my prize, leaving the bone fairies watching after me in my wake.
I won’t forget my oath. A pixie portal to find a loved one is a small price for what I am about to gain. My hunger for a mate consumes my every thought as I fly through the woods and back to my nest.