Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 1, After the Fall (23 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

BEFORE I COULD BEGIN ASKING my questions, I heard a familiar buzzing getting closer.

"Hey, guys, before he gets here, I wanted to mention that a baby pixie is about to show up.  He's the son of my roommate and very good friend, so don't swat him or anything - as tempting as it might be after you meet him."

"And you do not fear pixelation?" asked Garrett curiously, watching Willy's drunken approach.

"No.  These pixies are cool."

Garrett shrugged his shoulders at Shayla, and she did the same in return.

"Hello, Lellamental!" said Willy, hiccuping and smashing into my shoulder.  He fell down into the grass.

"What's the matter with you, Baby Bee?" I asked, picking him up gently out of the tall weeds and dried flower remnants.

"Nothin'," he said, sitting up in my hand, looking around.  "Whooooo-weeeee, what's thaaaaaat?" he asked, looking in Shayla's direction.

She had stood and backed up into the sun, her wings on full display again.  She fluffed them out once, immediately sending Willy into spasms of delight.

"Ooh!  Oooh! 
Oooh!
  Giant momma pixie!  Giant big pretty momma pixiiieeeee!" he squealed, reaching his arms out towards her.   But then he stopped suddenly, getting a confused look on his face, dropping his arms and holding his stomach with both hands.

"What's the matter?" I asked, all of a sudden worried.  He didn't look good at all.  His skin had gone kind of greenish.

"I don't feel so good," said Willy, looking up at me with a sick expression on his face.

"What's the matter?  Did you eat something out there?"

"Just some ..."  He hiccuped and coughed once.  Then he barfed into my hand.  I nearly ralphed too, feeling the warm splat hit my skin.

Shayla giggled.

"Oh, my
word
, that is
quite
disgusting," said Garrett, staring at the pixie in fascination.  "I cannot seem to look away.  How curious."

I looked down at the pixie, aghast at the tragedy that had befallen my palm.  "Oh, for the love of ...
Willy! 
What the
fuck?!"

"What the fuck ..." he said weakly, stumbling to the side and then falling onto his back.  His tiny uneven snores and green complexion told me he was still alive, but definitely not feeling well.

"Oh shit," I said, picturing the look on Abby's face.  "I have to get this little turd back to his mother."

"Yes, you most certainly do," said Garrett.  "He appears to be drunk."

"He always flies like that," I said, walking towards the spot where I knew the door to the compound would appear.

"Would you like us to accompany you?" asked Garrett.

I stopped for a moment, considering it, but then decided against it.  "I think it's better that you stay out here for a while longer.  I'm not sure how the council would react to having Otherworlders in the compound yet."

"We shall wait here for you," said Shayla.

"Yes, we will pass the time comparing notes about our past," said Garrett.  

I didn't even have to turn around to see the scowl I was sure Shayla had for him.  "You do that!  I'll come back after lunch!" I shouted over my shoulder.  I was nearly to the door and didn't want to waste any more time chatting with them.  The quicker I could unload this damn baby the better off we'd all be.  I spoke down at my hand. "I should have known better than to take you out here, you little troublemaker."

He moaned in my palm, trying to turn over.

I tipped my hand and rolled him into my other, non-barfy hand, and closed my fingers around him.  "You're not going anywhere until I have you next to your mother."  I bent down to wipe the pixie barf off in the grass.  "Friggin babies.  You guys are nothing but trouble."

"What the fuck," he whispered, his eyes still closed.

"You said it, Baby Bee.  You said it."

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

I MADE IT BACK TO my room without anyone catching me holding a prone, snoring baby pixie in my hand.  I put him down on his parents' bed and ran to the bathroom so I could wash my hands thoroughly.  I was drying them off when Tim flew in through a crack in the door.

"What's up?" he asked, making me jump.

I had been staring in the mirror at my hair, wondering if I should start trying to do something with it.

"Nothing.  Just washing pixie puke off my hand."

Tim laughed.  "Nice.  How'd that happen?  Was my boy trying his papa's famous barrel rolls?"

"Nope."

"His papa's famous double twist into a quadruple somersault?"

"Nope."

Tim frowned.  "His mother's death-defying super-gravity dive?"

"No.  He was eating shit out in the meadow."

"What?! 
You let him go
outside?!"

I cringed a little.  "Uh ... yeah.  Is that bad?  It sounds bad."

"Of course it's bad, you nincompoop!  Do you have any idea how much trouble a baby pixie can get into out in a meadow?"

"I'm starting to get the idea, actually."  I frowned at the frustration that was causing Tim to ruin his gorgeous hair-do.

Tim shook his head, running his fingers through his hair and scrubbing it a few times.  "I'm not even going to tell Abby.  I'll let her figure it out for herself.  Come on ... we have to get out of here."

I abandoned the towel and pushed through the door, heading for entrance to the hallway.  I felt like a delinquent.  "Are you sure this is a good idea?" I whispered.  "Running away like this?"

"Shhh!  Just shut up and go! 
Go!  Go!  Go!"

I had my hand on the door when Abby's voice came to us from the garden area.  "Tim?  Could you please come here for a minute?"

"Ack!
  She's coming!  Open the door!  Let me out!"

It had only opened an inch before he made it through, disappearing into the blackness of the corridor.  I looked back once at the garden but didn't see Abby or the baby, so I shrugged and stepped out too, shutting the door behind me quietly.  No way was I facing her down without Tim there to back me up.

I tried not to feel guilty as I ran down the hall, putting as much distance between my bedroom and my back as I could.  I caught up to the frantically flying Tim, who kept up a zig-zagging flight path in front of me.

"Why are you flying like that?" I asked breathlessly, slowing to a fast walk.

"So she can't hit me."

"Hit you? With what?"

"Pollen balls.  Seeds.  Wasp stingers.  Whatever she gets into her crazy she-pixie mind to launch at me."

"Daaaamn.  Wasp stingers?  She'd do that?"

"Never underestimate the ire of a she-pixie.  The Underworld hath no fury like a pissed off Abby.  Trust me on this."

"I don't doubt you, believe me.  I hope she's not too pissed at me."

"If you're lucky, she'll never know you were involved."

I frowned, imagining the dining hall door in my mind so it would eventually appear for us in this spelled hallway.  "I'm not so sure that will be possible."

"Why?"

"Because I might have accidentally taught him some new phrases today that she will know came from me."

"Oh, goody.  Do I want to know what they are?"

"No.  Definitely not."

"Oh, well.  If they're any good Willy will be using them when I get back.  Where are we going, anyway?"

"Lunch.  I'm starving."

Tim floated down and landed on my shoulder.  "Goodie.  I'm going to ride the mule so I can save my energy for strawberry murdering."

"I've never known you to run out of energy."

"You've never known me to get busy all night with a wild she-pixie either."

"
Ugh
, total
ew
, Tim.  Please, I do not want to know what you guys are busy doing in the next room, okay?  It's bad enough your baby puked on me today."

"Pixie puking can hardly be compared to pixie sex."

"Yes, it can!  In the grossness department it can!" I insisted.  "Now stop talking about it or I'll launch you down the hall."

Luckily the door to the dining room appeared, sparing me any more of his pixie porn talk.  I forcibly turned my brain away from thoughts of his naked self and focused on the tables in front of us.  My friends were already gathered at one of them, the twins noticeably absent.

"To the buffet, Mule!  Heeyah!  Your rider is hungry!"

I waved to my friends before going to the food line.  

Tim flew off and went over to the table, yelling over his shoulder as he went.  "Get me some strawberries!  And make sure they're extra juicy!"

I was soon joined in line by Aidan the werewolf, standing at my elbow with a plate in hand.  "Hello, Jayne.  I haven't seen you in a while."

"It was just yesterday you saw me," I said smiling.  For some reason he made me feel warm inside - comforted.  Maybe it was because he was so strong or something.  My eyes strayed for a second to his thick arms, but I looked away hurriedly as soon as I realized what I was doing, afraid he would catch me ogling him.

"Oh, yeah.  It seems longer than that."  He grinned back at me.

I breathed in his smell, reminding me briefly of Chase.  It wasn't exactly the same, but it had a sense of strong male associated with it that made my nose tingle.  

"So what's new?" I asked, trying to ignore his yumminess.  "Any news from the council?"

"Nothing from the council, but word on the street is you've a big fight on your hands."

"You probably know more about it than I do," I said, spooning some fruit onto my plate.

"All I know is that it's tomorrow and the fae are all placing their bets," he said, stabbing a giant forkful of meats to add to his plate.  They were the kind I always avoided - the wiggly ones.

"Are you serious?"  My hand froze over the tongs for the salad.  I shook my head.  "That's just ... wrong."

"My money's on you," he said.  "In fact, most of the money's on the elementals.  If Maléna wins, there will be a few fae who will take enough tokens from the rest of us to retire."

"Do fae even retire?"

"Nah, it's just an expression.  But they'd be able to lord their victory over a hell of a lot of fae if they win."

"So the odds are in my favor."

"Weellll, not exactly."

I turned to face him fully.  "Out with it, Aidan."

He wasn't smiling.  He looked uncomfortable, his expression almost apologetic.  "The betting is split between the three of you - not just elementals against silver elf."

"So people can bet
for
Ben and
against
me?"

"Yeah.  Pretty much."

"Where's your money?"  I didn't mean to test him, but his answer was important to me for some reason.

He grinned.  "It's all on you, babe.  No pressure."

His confidence in me warmed me to the bone, as did his handsome smile.

"I appreciate your vote."

He shrugged.  "What can I say?  I've always been a fan of the underdog."

I shoved him lightly before going back to the food.  "You're a jerk."

"Nooo, come on," he said, nudging me back.  "It's all in good fun.  Ben wouldn't let you get hurt."

I looked over at the table with my friends, trying to find him, confused when I didn't see his familiar face there.

"You looking for him?  For Ben?" asked Aidan softly.

"Yeah.  Isn't he here?"

"Yeah, he's here.  But not with your friends.  He's over there."  Aidan gestured with his elbow to the table that Ben had wanted me to sit at before - the one at the front of the room.  

He was there, but he wasn't alone.  He was sitting with someone else.  A girl.

My blood started to boil when I realized who it was.  "What the fuck is
she
doing sitting there with him?" I gave them both a death stare, but neither of them were paying any attention to me, so it was wasted on them.  But I noticed other people looking at me and cringing.

"Well, the rumor is that you weren't interested in what Ben was offering.  I guess she is."

I turned away from them, trying to focus on the food again, but I'd suddenly lost my appetite and wanted nothing to do with the things I had already chosen.

"I'm done here.  See you later, Aidan."

"Yeah.  I'll catch up with you later," he said.

I could tell from his tone that he was feeling sorry for me, and that only made it worse. 
What do I care if Ben wants to be with that ho-bag?  They're a perfect match.  A couple of jerks who think they own the world and think they can make decisions for everyone else.

I got to my friends' table and took the empty seat next to Becky and Scrum.

She smiled at me brightly - maybe a bit too brightly.  "So!  Jayne!  What have you been up to today?!"

"Ease up on the manic, Becks.  I'm not in the mood."

"Hey, Jayne," said Scrum, smiling warmly.  "Long time no see."

"Yeah.  Hey."  He was too cheerful as usual.  Sitting between him and Becky was like being stuck in a friggin happy-sandwich.

"Don't be jealous-a-them," Finn said, glancing meaningfully over at Ben.  "It don't mean nothin'.  He didn't invite her there or anythin'. She just went over there, brazen as hell, and took the chair."

I shrugged, trying not to look at them, but unable to stop myself.  I felt like barfing when she leaned into him and laughed.  He smiled back at her, making my stomach churn.

"What do I care what he does?  He and Samantha can go screw each other silly for all I care."

"Jayne," scolded Becky, "don't say that.  You two are bound.  He's not going to screw her or anybody else for that matter."

"I wouldn't be too sure 'bout that if I were you," said Finn, still looking over at them, now with his eyebrows raised.

I didn't want to look but couldn't help myself again.

She had her hand on his arm, and he was patting it while he smiled.

"Fuck me," I said under my breath, tearing my eyes away and jabbing my fork into a piece of melon.