Page 42 of Burn of Obsidian
She couldn’t just leave them. But she couldn’t risk her access to the market, either.
“They’re a pixie for a pixie,” the assistant chuckled. “I also have a few skins available, a rare dragon hide and a – ”
“I’ll take just the pixie, thank you.” Thea begrudgingly handed over the black opal coin, one worth roughly a thousand pounds.
Fuck. She hadn’t brought too many Ravyns with her, and she wasn’t sure how much she had stashed back at home. If Jax was true to his word, she’d have enough money to pay for her father’s treatment. But what about next time?
The assistant nodded, pulling on a velvet glove before slipping a traditional key into the lock. She had no idea what type of Fae she was. Likely a faerie, considering there were about five hundred million bloody variations. Maybe even a relative of the siren if Thea went by the gills and random scales.
“No, you’ll never take me alive!” one of the pixies said, smacking at the assistant’s hand as she reached inside and grabbed him around the waist. “I’ll infect your pillow with itching powder, you nasty old hag!”
“I’ll just box him up for you.” Locking up the cage, she pocketed the key once more. “I’ll only be a moment.” Taking the screaming pixie, the assistant walked him to the side, leaving a trail of glitter.
Thea backed up to the cage, waiting until everyone was distracted before returning her attention to the lock. The wards carved into the walls pulsed, designed to stop any acts of violence. But they also suppressed much of the magic, which meant the lock was simply a lock. One she’d picked a thousand times.
Pulling out her kit, it took her twenty seconds to align the pins. The door opened with a slight creak, luckily not loud enough to be heard above all the other sounds.
“You need to count until fifteen before escaping,” she explained quietly, showing the three remaining pixies how the door easily opened with a slight push. “Do you understand?”
One of the girls stood, hesitantly stepping closer with an outstretched hand.
“Fifteen seconds, okay?” Thea whispered once more, stepping back just as the assistant returned with her pixie.
“I’m going to cut open your skin and fuck your organs!” he screeched, throwing his small body from one side of the box to the other.
“He’s a feisty one,” the assistant laughed. “But just so you know, there’s no returns.”
Of course not, Thea thought.
“Thank you.” Taking the box, Thea quickly made her way back to where the witch was finishing up her embroidered pillow.
A loud gasp, followed by a shout that echoed around the cavern. Turning, Thea smiled at the three sets of glitter trails high up on the ceiling.
“I’m going to destroy everyone you love!” her pixie shrieked.
The witch eyed the box with a raised brow, and Thea simply smiled. “My pillow?”
A thump against the cardboard. “I swear, if you don’t let me out, I’ll curse your firstborn child with a fat head! I’ll make sure your vagina will tear so bad you’ll never – !”
“Shut up!” Thea hissed, politely nodding to the shoppers, who looked over at her, horrified. “I’m trying to save you.”
“Fuck you, you droopy titted twat-muffin!”
Thea laughed nervously as the witch glared. “We’re having some adjustment issues.”
“Hmm,” she hummed, handing over the finished pillow. “Good luck with that.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Thea said, grinning as she brushed her fingers across the thread.
She ignored the threats rumbling from the box, because the pillow was perfect, and she knew exactly who she was gifting it to.
Chapter 17
Thea
The hot chocolate hit her tongue, and she had to stop herself from audibly moaning in the busy coffee shop.
“You’re taking way too much pleasure in that,” Ruhne the pixie said, his voice high pitched and lyrical. Grabbing the rolled wafer straw, he rubbed both his hands up and down in a sexualised gesture. It was almost as tall as him, but that didn’t stop him from trying to fit it into his mouth. His cheeks puffed out obscenely, but he still managed to slurp.