Chapter Two #2
He did as requested, she touched his face, and he tried again. This time, she could breathe, so the kiss continued.
He held her close and rested one hand on her belly.
When the kiss slowed, she pulled away. “Yeah, that was how I remembered it. I have to get back to wrapping up my part in today’s event.”
He sighed. “Well, I know where you are, I know who you are, and I have your number. For tonight, it is enough.”
“Great. Help me stand up.”
He laughed and helped set her on her feet.
They walked back into the event, and the happy couple was still twirling slowly on the dance floor.
Xiroth looked toward them, and when the song ended, the groom jerked his head, and Xiroth went to speak with him.
Jennika went to wrap up the evening’s catering and signed off on the order for the following Wednesday. There were several conventions in the area, and the hotel was hosting banquets. A lot of banquets.
Sable looked at her. “Ready to roll?”
“Yes. Ivy?”
“I will get the order in and then head out. I have to stay until everyone goes home. Go. I’ve got this.” Ivy touched them both and smiled.
With that blessing, Jennika and Sable headed home. Xiroth had given her a bit of energy, but it wasn’t enough to keep her up past her bedtime.
* * * *
X iroth looked at Sern . “Your Highness.”
He waved it off. “Leave that. Call me Sern or Copperwell. Xiroth, it is good to see you. We didn’t know that any pixies survived.”
“We are a delicate branch.” He smiled. “Is the archive around?”
“Teyval? Yes. He’s part of a quint. There was an issue with Toros and Denith, so Teyval and Byron stepped in.”
“I see. Do you have his number? I need to know about polymorph mages.”
“Whoa. Why? Is your mate a polymorph?”
“No. She is not. Right now, I can sense her energy but not identify it. When the baby comes, it should be easier.”
Sern’s eyes widened. “Jennika? She’s yours?”
“She is hers, but I am putting a request in.” Xiroth smiled. “The child was seeded by me.”
“How?”
“The standard way, I would imagine. If she chooses to share details, that is her business.” He laughed. “She did say I was taller standing up.”
Sern paused, and then he laughed. “That is sparking more questions.”
“I am aware. So, Teyval’s number?”
“He’s here. Come with me. It is hard to see him. He is frequently under his pregnant mate.”
Xiroth felt a pang of jealousy. He followed Sern to a group at a table, and Teyval’s eyes got huge, and he handed his mate over to Byron and got up to clasp arms with Xiroth.
“Xiroth, I thought you and yours were dead.”
“Four of us are alive. We gravitate to the vampires for obvious reasons.”
“Ah, right. So if you want me specifically, what do you need to know about?”
“Polymorph mages. What can be done to extend their lifespans?”
Teyval blinked. “That’s a hard one. Is your mate one? If she is, a link with you will stop the degradation.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Our energy holds them, theirs holds us. The male polymorphs have a harder time convincing females to join with them. A female should have less trouble. So, is it your mate?”
“No. My mate is the chef. Jennika. We have just exchanged phone numbers, and I believe she will allow me to go to the physician visits with her. He’s a very strong baby.” Xiroth’s smile was slow.
Teyval blinked. “Jennika? The chef? That’s yours?”
“Yes. She has five weeks to go.”
“Wow. Myrtle is in her last four. She’s cranky, uncomfortable, and clinging to us constantly. But she’s a local elf.”
“Jennika is some kind of mage, but her power is being used now for the baby. I would like to have her drain it from me so I could determine what she is.”
Teyval chuckled. “You pixies are gluttons for punishment.”
Xiroth shrugged. “It’s what we were bred for, and if my son is one of ours, I need to be there.”
Teyval nodded. “What do you know about sex in late-stage pregnancy?”
He grinned. “I am about to research the hell out of it.”
“She won’t move the way she did at first.”
“And she doesn’t bend in the middle.”
Teyval laughed. “Okay. You are paying attention.”
“I have three tabs open on my phone.”
“The internet is a wonderful place. Do you have a home yet?”
“Yes, but Jennika lives with two other mages. There will need to be room for them. They are her lifeline.”
“Because she didn’t have you.”
“I believe it predates my involvement. Her friends helped her escape a plunge off a cliff.” He paused. “You think a link would help the polymorph?”
“It would. It would stabilize the extra power that she generates, just as it would for one of ours. Getting her to agree to it is another matter.”
“Ah, they are stubborn?”
“Their bodies don’t identify us as likely partners. With Myrtle, she was a light elf, so that was a huge clue. I think she would have told us to fuck off otherwise, and she was dying, so that tells you that power and stubborn go hand in hand with this generation.”
Xiroth tasted Teyval’s timeline, and he smiled. “Stubborn. Got it.”
Teyval blinked. “I forgot about that.”
Xiroth sent out a request, and he paused when he got three responses. The others were nearby and would be with him in the morning.
Teyval grinned. “Did you call the other pixies?”
“We are used to unstable power. We are best suited for this. We also have the shortest life span when mated, so it is best that we are in a place where our people can support our family lines.”
“What happened to the others?”
“We were hunted. We live with the vampire communities, so there are territorial disputes. They mated, and they died. Their children didn’t carry our genes.
It has been eight hundred years, Teyval.
We are a flaring torch when we find partners, but we are no longer needed.
The exploration we engage in can be done by satellites now. ”
Teyval paused. “Who are the other survivors?”
“Xanit, Xao, and Xletl.”
“Oh. Interesting. Xao has a stone aspect, right?”
“Yes.”
“He is the best candidate for a polymorph. He would hold when she changes.”
“Interesting. I will speak to Jennika about it and see if she recommends mentioning it to Sable.”
Teyval froze. “Sable? Sable is the polymorph?”
“You know her?”
“She helped out with catering on the movie shoot. She’s a beta.”
“She had four arms with four knives when I got too close to Jennika for her liking.”
Teyval blinked, reclassifying the woman in his mind. “I see.”
Xiroth laughed. “Your mate is glaring at me. So, shall we exchange information, and you can tell her what I am at your leisure?”
“Oh, she will love that. She writes romantic fiction. Paranormal beasts appear frequently, and you qualify.”
“As do you, cousin.”
They nodded and swapped information. If Teyval learned anything else about polymorphs in colony worlds, he would send the information to Xiroth.
Xiroth nodded. “Congratulations on your partner and your offspring.”
“Thank you.” Teyval blinked. “And to you as well.”
“She is not yet a partner, but I have courage and determination, and she has an elevated sex drive. I may be able to make some headway.”
Teyval nodded. “Good luck.”
Xiroth nodded. “I will need it.”
Teyval paused. “Are you driving or flying?”
“Flying.”
“May my mate watch you to get a new set of ideas in her head?”
Xiroth nodded. “Of course. I will wait for you to take possession of your beloved.”
In a minute, Teyval had his Myrtle in his arms, and they walked to the open doors and wide fields.
“Lady Myrtle, Teyval and I have known each other for a very long time. He wishes me to tell you that the dark elves have pixies as well. I am one of them.”
She stared, her eyes going wide. “No way.”
“They are not what your people consider pixies, but we are winged elves that move fast. I am about to depart, so he wished for me to transform in front of you.”
Myrtle’s eyes were enthusiastic. “If you wouldn’t mind.”
“Very well. I am sure Teyval will tell you all about my kind this evening.”
Her feet started twitching, and her males smiled.
Xiroth nodded and brought out his wings. He could see she was taking in the energy markings under his skin and the array of six wings on his back. He bowed and then launched skyward.
He made his way to the home that he had purchased on Auredel Lane.
It was a six-bedroom on ten acres and was just what he needed.
The rest of the neighbourhood was filled with women who lived quietly.
His home was also one at the end of the block that hadn’t been snapped up when someone had purchased eight of the homes at the end of the block.
They were all large lots, and everyone on the street was quiet.
It was a nice place to live, and he was wondering how long it would be before he could lure Jennika into his home.
He hadn’t needed to consume blood since they were together, and every pixie knew what that meant.
Life as they knew it was about to end, and the possibility of love was beginning.