Persie Merlin and the Witch Hunters - Bella Forrest Page 0,17
down yet, have I? I’ve had them for half a day, and I’ve taken them to all sorts of places around the Institute, and nobody has ever caught on. Please, Nathan. They understand the risks, too. They’ll do their disappearing act if anyone comes near.” The pixie trio nodded effusively, Boudicca displaying the action by vanishing in a puff of greenish smoke, then puffing back again. “Do it for them. They saved you, they saved Genie—the least you can do is give them one measly day out of the Repository.”
Please don’t let this be a grave mistake. I glanced from Persie to the pixies and back again. All of them wore the same imploring expression: wide eyes, hopeful smiles. The pixies even put on a glowing light display for me, their luminescent spots pulsing in soft pink flashes. I’d already known that I wouldn’t be able to refuse, but when I saw Genie’s gray eyes filled with an intangible faith, it cemented the fact.
Grimacing, I approached the orb and placed my hand on the glass. “Do you have your puzzle boxes, just in case?”
Persie shrieked happily. “Yes, and I promise I’ll keep them on me at all times!”
“Very well, but please, don’t make me regret this.” I whispered the spell that opened the orb. A glimmering iris twisted open and the pixies soared out, making a beeline for Persie. They smothered her with love, fluttering around her head and twittering animatedly. Boudicca swept toward her face and landed a sweet kiss on the tip of her nose, while Spartacus and Cynane cooed affectionately.
They really do love her… I envied her, in many ways, for she had an ability that I couldn’t even begin to comprehend. I knew she had a love-hate relationship with her ability, but it resulted in some incredible moments. Truthfully, I was honored to be a spectator, finding nuances in her relationship with her creations that I would never have thought possible.
“You won’t regret this, I promise.” Persie assured me, as she encouraged the pixies to hide away in her martial-arts outfit, Spartacus and Cynane finding comfortable spots inside her lapels, while Boudicca perched boldly on her shoulder, hidden only by Persie’s hair. “I’ll send you so many updates that you’ll turn your phone off, okay? And I’ll bring them back at the same time tomorrow.”
I sighed. “Okay. Call me if you have any problems.” I passed a hand over the orb, conjuring a ‘glamour’ spell across the glass that showed a scene of three sleeping pixies at the bottom of their enclosure, in case anyone else happened to come by and wonder where they were. I’d done this so often it was second nature to me now.
“Thank you so much!” She was giddy, already turning to leave with her stowaways. I waited for Genie to follow her, but she didn’t budge.
“You’re… uh… not going too?” I asked Genie. Persie liked to make quips about me having certain affections for Genie, but she’d never outright left us alone together before. And it had an undeniable aroma of ulterior motive about it, though perhaps I was imagining that.
“Not unless you’re sick of me already?” Genie replied, cool as a proverbial cucumber.
Did I miss some telepathic discussion? I looked to Persie, but she’d already gone. Persie definitely knew I was very… fond of Genie, but did Persie know something I didn’t? Something along the lines of Genie returning my affections? I didn’t dare put words in absent mouths, or read more into this situation, in case I was grossly misinterpreting. But why would Persie have left us both here like this, if not to… set some kind of stage? Was I expected to do something? Say something? My nerves rattled, my tongue tying itself up good and proper. Still, I couldn’t deny that the prospect of time alone with Genie was nice, even if I couldn’t put on the anticipated play Persie might’ve been hoping for.
I swallowed my anxiety. “I doubt that’s even possible. If you kept me any more on my toes, I would have to seriously consider a career with Riverdance.”
She burst out laughing, the uncomfortable tension dissipating. “You really did check out that book on humor, huh?”
“It was an excellent recommendation.” I tried to relax. “I know it’s not massively thrilling, but would you like to help me finish the evening feed?”
“Can we put on some music?” she asked, trailing her fingertips absently across the glass orb, inching closer to my own hand.