Chapter 126
TERESA’S P.O.V.
I clutched the gun Juliette had thrust into my hands, my fingers trembling despite my best effort to appear calm. My babies needed me strong, so strong I would be. But strength was hard to summon when you were about to face a swarm of angry, glowing bugs.
Juliette, standing beside me with her usual no-nonsense attitude, chuckled. “Tiny moving targets, Teresa. Just like I taught you. And don’t worry if you miss; they’re so small it’s embarrassing for anyone to hit them on the first try p>
“Helpful,” I snapped, glaring at her.
And then, chaos.
A piercing wail split the air, and the pixies descended like vengeful sparks of light, their high-pitched chatter a mix of battle cries and colorful curses.
The pixies swarmed around us, buzzing and shrieking, a kaleidoscope of tiny, winged fury. It was like being caught in the middle of an angry glitter storm, and I was seconds away from losing my cool.
“THAT ONE’S MINE!” one shrieked, pointing a tiny spear in my direction.
“Oh no, it’s not!” I shouted, raising the gun and firing blindly.
The shot missed completely, ricocheting off a tree. The pixie froze, blinking its luminous eyes in surprise before erupting into peals of laughter.
“Is this your champion, Leonard?” it cackled, spinning in midair. “I’ve seen squirrels aim better in their sleep p>
My cheeks burned, but Juliette patted my shoulder. “Don’t take it personally. They’re jerks by nature p>
“Positions!” Adrian’s commanding voice rang out, cool and unhurried as if we weren’t being ambushed by angry glowworms. He stood at the edge of the chaos, his impeccable jacket somehow untouched by the pandemonium. He raised an elegant hand and struck down a charging pixie with a flick of his finger, his expression one of mild inconvenience.
“LEONARD!” I screamed, ducking as a particularly vengeful pixie hurled what looked like a glowing thorn at my head. “This is your fault. You seduced their daughters p>
Leonard, perched precariously on a rock with a smug grin, had the audacity to shrug. “It’s not my fault they’re so sensitive. I was just appreciating their aesthetic appeal. It’s not my fault five of them fell for my charm p>
Before I could respond, a pixie darted toward him, jabbing a spear at his nose. Leonard yelped, transforming mid-air into a housecat and scampering away with the pixie in hot pursuit.
“This isn’t a battle,” Juliette muttered, slashing at a pixie with her blade. “This is a circus p>
“Then where’s the ringmaster?” I muttered, trying again to shoot one of the tiny pests.
“Here,” Lucian growled in my head, his wolf taking down three pixies at once with a single swipe of his paw. “Teresa, stay close to me.” He added.
I glanced at him, his lightless eyes scanning the chaos as if he could see every flicker of movement. Even in the midst of absolute insanity, he radiated calm power, a steady anchor in the storm. “I’m not the one they’re after,” I shot back, pulling out a knife. “Leonard is, and I suggest we use him as a bargaining chip p>
“HEY!” Leonard protested, back in human form and narrowly avoiding another glowing thorn.
Another wave of pixies surged forward, their glowing forms blurring into a dazzling display of light. I managed to hit one—not with a bullet or knife, but with the flat of my gun. It went spinning into a tree, its tiny wings fluttering furiously as it righted itself.
“You’ll pay for that, human!” it screeched, shaking its fist.
“Get in line!” I shouted back, my nerves fraying as more of the creatures swarmed around us.
Elizabeth was nearby, her voice rising in a melodic chant as she reinforced the barrier. She moved gracefully, her long hair swirling as she cast a spell that sent several pixies flying backward.
“Why are we not negotiating yet?” she snapped at Adrian. “You’re supposed to be good at this sort of thing p>
Adrian smirked, brushing an imaginary speck of dust off his sleeve. “Patience, my dear. Negotiation requires timing and… flair p>
“You want flair?” Juliette shouted, her blade flashing as she sliced through another pixie. “I’ll show you flair p>
“Do save some for me,” Adrian quipped, his tone smooth as silk. He turned to a particularly menacing pixie, bowing slightly and stepping forward. His cold, smooth voice cut through the buzzing chaos. “Prince Zirath, perhaps a word p>
The pixie prince hovered above the fray, glaring down at us with glowing, narrowed eyes. “Speak fast, vampire p>
Adrian inclined his head, his expression unreadable. “Leonard will issue a formal apology and swear never to set foot in your territory again. In return, I offer you a favor—redeemable at any time p>
Zirath hesitated, his wings fluttering as he assessed the offer.
“I don’t agree to this!” Leonard hissed, only for Juliette to smack the back of his head.
The pixie prince finally nodded. “Very well. But if he breaks his word p>
“He won’t,” Adrian said, his voice colder than ice.
With a sharp whistle, the pixies retreated, their glow fading into the trees.
“Well,” Leonard said, breaking the quiet, “that went better than expected p>
“Shut up,” we all said in unison.
I turned to Lucian, who was back to human form leaning heavily against a tree, his expression unreadable. “You okay p>
He tilted his head toward me, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I’m fine, thanks to you p>
“Don’t get used to it,” I teased, though my chest tightened at the warmth in his voice. “You owe me a spa day. And dinner p>
Lucian smirked faintly. “Anything else p>
“I’ll let you know,” I said, spinning my knife.
Adrian approached, his gaze sweeping over the group. “I suggest we leave before the pixies change their minds p>
“Good idea,” Adam muttered, already heading toward the castle doors.
As we made our way back, Leonard, of course, couldn’t resist one last quip. “You know, for such tiny creatures, they pack quite a punch p>
Juliette smacked him again. “I hope you learned your lesson p>
“Absolutely,” Leonard said, wincing. “Next time, I’ll flirt with something less vengeful p>
I groaned. “Why am I not surprised p>
Lucian chuckled softly beside me, and despite the chaos, I couldn’t help but smile. This might’ve been the most ridiculous night of my life, but at least it wasn’t boring.
As we walked back, Leonard grinned at Adrian. “Oh, by the way, ran into Margaret the other day. Told her you were back home in your valley. She seemed… interested p>
Adrian froze mid-step, and I swear, I saw his already pale face turn paler.
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