Page 68 of Pixie Problems
He leaned in closer, probably making it look to others like he was about to kiss me, but I could see the gold dust in his purple eyes dancing in frustration, and I knew better. “Why? Finn has a team of people who’re going in. He doesn’t need you.”
I stopped dancing, and Rhys, probably realizing too late what he’d just said, winced, and said softly, “You know what I mean. He doesn’t need you for backup tonight. It’s safer to just let them handle it.”
“I knew what you meant. I’m sorry, Rhys. I need to go and see this through to the end. I have to see all of them taken down with my own eyes. Besides, Finn trusts me to take care of myself. And I won’t exactly be alone. Like you said, there will be plenty of backup.”
Just as Rhys was about to, no doubt, argue with me some more, Mia came over and cut in with a sheepish smile. I shook my head, nodding at her as I left to hunt down the snack table. I needed something to munch on. Most of it was chocolate, because Mia was addicted to the stuff, but I wanted the savory snacky stuff. I loaded up a plate with a few pigs in a blanket, a doughy, cheesy pull-apart Christmas tree, some cheeseball bites, several meatballs on a stick, spinach puffs, and some ham and cheese pinwheels. At the drink station I filled up a cup of sparkling berry and lemon punch and found a table that was empty.
I didn’t know if I was stewing or pouting. I didn’t normally pout, so I was calling it stewing. I knew Rhys was worried—he had every reason to be—but Finn had invited me to be a part of the arrest, and I wanted to see it through to the end.
I sighed and shoved a spinach puff in my mouth. I really hoped he came to terms with it soon. They were going tonight, and Rhys was invited as well.
“Troubles?”
I glanced up and found Draven hovering over me. I shoved a pinwheel in my mouth and nudged a chair out for him to sit down, nodding to it because my mouth was currently glued together with melty cheese.
I swallowed and drank some of my punch. “Kind of? Rhys is worried about me joining the team tonight.”
Draven nodded as he sat back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. “I’m concerned as well. I can’t be there tonight. You sure you guys will be okay?”
I wanted to laugh but managed to stifle it. Everyone was so protective of me lately. I wasn’t used to it. “Finn and his team are very capable. We’ll be fine.” I eyed my meatball morosely before I took a bite. It was too big to shove in my mouth in one go. “It will probably all go down with hardly any problems and be super anti-climactic.”
“We can hope.” Draven rose, spying someone across the room he wanted to speak to. “Good luck tonight, Dice.”
I waved him away. “Thanks Draven. I’m really happy you and Mia are official.”
Draven’s eyes went soft, and his expression turned tender. “Me too.”
I stared at what was left of my meatball before popping it into my mouth. I sighed. One a.m. couldn’t come fast enough.
* * *
We met backat Finn’s office. Everyone, including me, were wearing black tactical pants and a dark sweater—except for the shifters, they were just wearing short sleeved, dark tee-shirts because they ran so much hotter than the other species.
I wondered if huddling in the middle of a pack of shifters would feel like standing next to a space heater. I was willing to try it until Rhys, showing up late and looking somewhat grumpy, handed me a black jacket. It had dark faux fur lining, and a collar that I could snap tight to keep the wind out. He also brought me black gloves that were warm but didn’t hinder the dexterity in my hands so I could fight, shoot, or anything else I would need to do. After he shoved a beanie on my head, I stood waiting for the others to arrive or load up on extra ammo.
Rhys and I didn’t speak, but I was sure it was because he was afraid I would get hurt, and not because he was actually angry with me. At least, that was what my parasite Michael kept telling me.
When everyone was ready, we all loaded up in SUVs and headed to the south shore. There were a few beach access points there with about five parking lots to choose from. The one we needed had a loading dock.
We got there and quietly, backed the trailer into the water, and unloaded the jet skis. We’d talked about it before. There were a few ways to get there without making any sound, and tipping them off, but we figured, if they were smart, they had someone that was on lookout, watching for this very thing. So the smartest thing to do was to get there as quickly as possible so they couldn’t disappear again.
Rhys and I loaded onto a jet ski together and waited briefly for everyone else to load up. We had fifteen supernaturals with us tonight, most of them cops, but also a few powerful wizards that had volunteered to help the team. I didn’t know what their brand of wizardry was, but I was grateful they were with us.
I wished we had Mesmer, Roark, and Draven, but they all had been unable to come. Oh, and my two shadows, August and Cy, were with us. I’d asked them to watch out for Rhys and I, but also the others if they could. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. And somehow, we had to destroy the stone that Hux was using to leash the pack to him. I think that was the job of the wizards we were bringing along. I hoped one of them was strong in magically detecting an artifact’s strengths and weaknesses, or this fight might be harder than I was imagining it would be.
Frankly, I was imagining Hux taking one look at us and running like the coward he was. But, because he was certifiably crazy, he would likely do something way more idiotic. Like blow up the dome rocks or something with everyone still inside, including himself. I could totally see him trying that.
As we approached the huge dome rocks from the west side, a gigantic opening in the rock appeared. We drove through on the jet skis, and I quickly looked around. None of the pack were in the first room. Under the huge dome rock above us, the ocean water butted up against a sandy beach, and we all turned our skis off and dragged them onto the sand so they didn’t float away with the wickedly strong tide.
A few of the team—the shifters—started casing the room, sniffing as they went, and then one of them growled and shouted, “Bomb!”
Before I could even blink, August and Cy had sped Rhys and I into the next cavern. The rest of our team barely made it in before the explosions started. We all huddled on the other side of the second cavern, watching as massive boulders crashed around us with a huge boom and lots of crashes as the falling rocks blocked, not only our way back to the first room, but also crushed the jet skis.
I’d called it. Pixies and pestles, I’d called it. Hux was insane. And now we had no way back to the mainland except to swim.
Finn, grinding his molars, fired off a quick text. He glanced at me as he tapped rapidly on his phone. “I’m alerting Roark to scrounge us up some more people and boats. We’ll need more transportation, and so will the prisoners.”
I nodded. Seemed like a good idea. We’d brought boats. They’d been attached to some of the jet skis, but they were all gone now, and we needed a way to transport not only the innocent who were tethered to Hux by the stone—because they’d likely be in as good as shape as the two boys, Callum and Waylen, and be very weak, but also because we needed a way to get the prisoners back safely.
