Page 23 of Pixie Problems
“Medicinal names are cheating!”
“How?” Draven’s question was mild, and I liked that about him. It took a lot to rile him. In fact, in all the years we’d been acquaintances I’d only seen him riled when Mia was nearly shot at The Tea Hobbit. He was patient with her, which I knew wasn’t easy because shehatedlosing at games and wasnota good sport about it. But his expression indicated he found her amusing—and attractive. I wasn’t worried about this new development, and I was pretty sure Mia couldn’t see it yet.
I actually really admired Draven and thought he would be a good match for Mia. For a vampire, Draven had a strong moral code that he’d adhered to for as long as I’d known him. He was calm, kind, a little bit tortured, older than dirt, savvy, confident, brilliant, and obviously hedidandwould continueto treat Mia well, but I also sensed a loneliness from him. Mia was young-but-wise, fun, kind, spunky and she adored Draven. You could see it in the way she looked at him. Personally, I wasn’t really a betting kind of person, but if I were, I’d give them four months to figure all this out and get together.
And I was happy for them.
Iwas.
If my heart twinged a bit in jealousy, well, that was probably to be expected. I’d been alone a long, long time. As a matter of fact, before Mia had come into my life, I’d avoided people altogether. It had just been easier for me to deal with. But, after Mia had kind of bombarded my life, I’d realized how sad my life had become. I basically worked and served on the PNW council, and that was it. I didn’t go out with friends or go on dates. I had no hobbies that gave me joy and a sense of peace or fulfillment. Basically, I was a workaholic.
I was a one hundred and forty-one year old workaholic.
You’d think I would have learned by now.
Nope.
“I’m adding it to the list.” So saying, Mia pulled out a long sheet of lined paper, and addedMedicinalNamesto it. Medicinal Names was numberseventeen.
I started laughing.Man,she hated to lose! “You can’t change the rules to suit you, starshine. He’s beating you because he’s ancient. You’d be better off accepting you won’t win this game with him.” I smirked at Draven. “Try something he’s too old for.”
Draven rearranged some tiles on his tile-holder, looking up at me from the corner of one eye. “What am I too old for?”
I shrugged. “You’re old and frail, so anything active would work.”
Draven gave me a predator’s smile—one that fully expressed his absolute confidence in his supremacy, and in no way, shape, or form needed to rise to my bait—while Mia just threw a pillow at me. I laughed and held my hands up in surrender. “Sorry, sorry, he’s not old and frail.” I felt my nose to see if it was bleeding and glared at her. “You have wicked aim, starshine,” I said, grabbing the pillow from her. “And you shouldn’t be doing anything physical! The doctor told you to rest!”
She sat back grumpily and grabbed another pillow to snuggle with, muttering dire things under her breath.
Draven chuckled and sat back, watching Mia and I like we were the best entertainment ever. We probably were. We fought like brother and sister. I winced,and for a second a vice cinched around my throat, blocking my air. My eyes burned, and I had to look away from a keenly observing Draven who missed nothing, blink a few times and clear my throat before I pasted a smile on my face and turned back to them.
Draven gave me a measured look that I read clearly. He would be checking in with me about this later. Whether I wanted him to or not. He’d somehow come to think of me as part of his family, lumping me in with family, employees and friends that were under the umbrella of his protection.
Well, he could ask. Didn’t mean I’d tell him anything.
I was very adept at burying my past and leaving it in the past.
* * *
Later,I was asked to come into Draven’s study after Mia conked out, and I plopped myself unceremoniously on the couch by the fire. I hated to think of what my swix was doing. I’d left veggies out for him with his lemon water, but that didn’t mean the little terror was tamed. He’d probably already chewed the seat out of all of my pants. Or else he was making friends with more magical animals that would eat me the moment I opened my door.
I sighed.
Life sucked sometimes.
Draven sat in a chair opposite me, and if looks could be described as drilling into someone’s head, that’s what he was doing at the moment. But I sensed it was because he actually cared, not for any nefarious purposes. Besides, what nefarious purposes could he have for me? I was Mia’s best friend, and he’d looked like he was well on his way to being in love with her earlier. As best friend, I think that should earn me a certain amount of latitude.
Hopefully.
I glanced at him, and then looked back at the fire blazing merrily. Because in a contest of power, I might win one-on-one, but I was a lone elf, without family or powerful friends to fight by my side.
My eyes burned, and I drew in an unsteady breath. I didn’t know why this was affecting me so strongly lately. Since Mia had come into my life, it’d made me remember my past … my family. And the hole in my chest that never seemed to really go away no matter how much time or distance separated us, threatened to cripple me. It hurt enough to choke an elephant, and I was an elf that could tolerate high levels of pain. I didn’t know how Virion handled the loss of his family so well.
Draven waited me out. Literally. For close to an hour he sat comfortably with me, while I tried to get the courage to talk to someone about what I was going through. He didn’t push, and he wasn’t in a hurry. As a matter of fact, he was giving off seriousI have all nightvibes.
I’d done him a disservice for the last few years I’d been on the PNW council. He’d reached out several times. I’d thought … for a long time, that he had reached out to me because he sensed how gaping the loneliness I felt was. It turned out, Draven had been just as lonely, and I could’ve had a friend for the last few years instead of fighting alone the black hole I struggled with on the daily.
I swallowed and looked at him. His eyes were kind. But it wasn’t the kindness that killed me. It was theknowing.
