A Tale of Two Goblins - By H. P. Mallory Page 0,37

while I was asleep, she was more than the shit in my books. And, hell, I’d even buy any bridges she was selling.

“I told you I’d come in handy,” she said.

“So, why can’t you protect my dreams all the time?” I demanded, suddenly angry again. “You mean, I could have been sleeping all this time? Why couldn’t you have saved me from totaling my car?” I didn’t mean for my voice to sound so shrill but I really couldn’t help it.

“It takes a huge amount of concentration to maintain the psychic protective walls around you,” Dia started defensively. “I can do it for maybe an hour at the most and afterwards, I’m exhausted for days. It’s not something that’s easy to do.”

I nodded, relinquishing my anger. “Sorry, my nerves are just a little bit shot.”

“No need to apologize, Dulce, I gotcha,” Dia said and winked.

The sound of splashing interrupted our conversation and I craned my neck to the right, glancing at the perpetrator—a Hyacinth Water Pixie sitting on a fist-sized rock in a glass bowl, surrounded by water and lotus blooms. Anger coursed through me—I detested pixies. “What the hell is that and why is it in my room?”

The pixie looked at me with distaste and began pouring water over her back, taking a bath and ignoring my outburst, like she was the bigger person. Ha. That was one reason I despised pixies—they were so damn patronizing. And more so, the pixie I used to work with at the ANC was constantly digging me about this and that—mainly because she’d been in love with Quillan and he and I had been…tight.

“It’s a Hyacinth Water Healer,” Trey said, his tone repeating the “duh” sentiment that must have been going through his head.

“I know what it is,” I spat out. “I don’t want it in here.”

Hyacinth Water Pixies were known for their healing powers and Netherworld creatures sent them to each other to help promote healing. They were like a better version of “get well soon” flowers. Only I hated pixies so it wasn’t doing much of anything for me, other than pissing me off.

Dia laughed and seized the fish tank, the pixie nearly falling off the rock as she grabbed the sides of the tank to stable herself. “Can’t stand these darn things, myself,” she said and headed for the hallway, her laugh trailing after her.

I faced Knight again. “Nice joke.”

He shrugged. “It wasn’t my doing.”

Trey suddenly looked especially guilty and pretended extreme interest in his shoes. Realizing I was acting more than bitchy, I reached for his hand and smiled. “You’re awesome, Trey.”

He grinned from ear to ear and hopefully the pixie was forgotten. I glanced at Knight again. “Since I obviously can’t leave this bed, I need you to do me a favor.”

He leaned forward and eyed me speculatively. “I think I could be persuaded into doing you a favor.”

“Go to the library and get me every book you can on dreaming,” I started and watched his expression fall. No doubt he’d thought I was flirting with him. Sigh.

“Dulcie, I thought we were sticking with the plan?” Knight said grumpily.

“We are,” I ground out. “But, since I’m going to be stuck here with nothing to do and all day and night to do it in, I need some reading material.”

“Trey, are you taking notes?” Knight asked and turned to Trey.

“Of course, I’m the grunt,” he muttered.

Knight didn’t respond and I just shook my head. “Thank you, Trey.”

“Yeah, yeah, Ms. I’m so smart, I read books.”

“Smart and beautiful,” Knight said and threw me a boyish smile.

Trey shook his head and started for the door. “You two just need to do it and get it over with.”

Knight was right behind him. “I couldn’t agree with you more.”

I watched them walk into the hallway and then they were gone. Minutes after Trey and Knight left, Dia entered, minus the Hyacinth Water Pixie, thank Hades.

“You ready to get some sleep, Girl?” Dia asked with a smile as she strode up to my bedside.

I nodded. “Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

She seemed to hesitate for a second or two, her lips clenched. “Can I offer some unsolicited advice?” Dia began and I glanced up at her in surprise.

“Shoot.”

She took another few seconds to collect her thoughts. “I used to have a cockatiel named Tweety, and I loved that bird. He was bright yellow with orange spots on his head and he used to whistle every time I came home.” She had this far away