“The djinn is correct.” Ray came to my side. “When my queen asked the Master of Beasts for aid, she specifically requested scuttlebutts. There is no better hunter where skeets are concerned.”
“Damn.” Johnny’s hooves tapped along the surface of the bar. I wasn’t sure when he’d jumped on top but was glad he and Lizbeth were out of the way for now. Of course, skeets could easily scale the bar, but they were safer there than on the floor. “Is that what you were after in the storage room?”
“What happened in the storage room?” Leon asked.
Johnny waved him off. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now, I’m thinking you’re not going to be nearly as pissed as Ithought. Sorry I scolded you, Trinket.” Johnny waved a hand at the skeet. “By all means, do your thing.”
“You’re going to kill it?” Phil asked. “I…I mean, is that the only way or…”
“You do not keep a skeet as a pet,” Ray firmly answered. Aurelia’s Caribbean-blue eyes flared with interest. “Skeets are wild creatures and extremely dangerous, even to those that live in Fairy. Vander, if you would be so kind as to release the skeet.”
“Go get ’em,” Vander said right before the cage fell away.
I darted forward, mouth unhinged and open wide. The skeet made to jab me, but I leapt on the wall, pushed off and twisted midair. The skeet couldn’t maneuver quickly enough. I chomped down, slicing the skeet in half and immediately ending its life. One did not play with their food when said food was a skeet.
The poisonous tip of its tail fell to the floor. That was part of the skeet I didn’t eat.
“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Phil said as he drifted back to the floor and into Sedrick’s waiting arms. Pixies were vegetarians by nature.
“Itwaskind of vulgar,” Peaches agreed as he too headed for his mate, his beloved King Moony.
“It was necessary,” Parsnip said as he drifted down.
“You guys are weenies,” Phlox huffed. Striding forward, he took a piece of broken chair leg and poked at the poisonous tip lying on the floor. “I wonder if the Magical Usage Council can use this for anything. Hey, Leon, can you get me a jar or something to put this in?”
Job done, I pranced to Dillon and Ruthie. They were still in their wolf forms. They both nudged me, pressing against me. I cooed my gratitude and regret for being harsh earlier. Dillon rumbled low and nudged me again.
“Come here, you magnificent scuttlebutt.”Wendall was down on one knee, arms outstretched and grin pulling his lips. His eyes swam with the sea.
Tottering over, I scrambled into Wendall’s arms. Standing, he lifted me close, nuzzling into my fur. “Always my protector.”
Ray’s fingers wound their way into my fur. “Indeed. You have done exceedingly well, Trinket. I am proud to be a member of your tribe.”
Ohhhh, those words…I could do nothing short of preen. My tongue darted out, licking the last of the skeet’s blood from my fur. Cooing, I pressed into Wendall’s chest again before making my way to the top of his head and settling in. I had another good vantage of the room, and it was…alarming. Dusk was trashed.
“Not what I had in mind when I offered Dusk as a venue for your reception,” Lucroy calmly said as he came to stand next to Ray. Taking a few more steps placed the vampire king in front of Wendall.
I could feel the heat of Wendall’s flush through my tail wrapped around his neck. “I’m sorry, Mr. Moony. I’ll clean it all up and find a way to pay to—”
“Things can be replaced. This will be cleaned up and replaced in time for tomorrow evening. I am most grateful for Trinket’s services.” His coal-black eyes glanced toward the top of Wendall’s head as Lucroy asked, “Are there more skeets present?”
“An excellent question,” Ray agreed.
I shook myself back and forth.
Lucroy allowed a single eyebrow to raise. “Am I to assume that is a no?”
I happily danced on top of Wendall’s head.
“I believe Trinket has taken care of all the skeets,” Ray answered.
“That is good to hear.” Turning his attention to Ray,Lucroy’s tone became noticeably frostier. “I assume there will not be a repeat in the future.”
Ray maintained his cool, expressionless mask. “It would be unfortunate if there were.”
Lucroy’s black eyes momentarily ringed crimson. “That is not the no I would like to hear.”
“As you well know, Southeastern Vampire King, we do not always get to hear what we wish,” Ray answered.
