Patchwork pixie, p.17
Patchwork Pixie, page 17
Marshall said, “She keeps saying that you will get to see her decently dressed for once, even if it is as a giant pixie. Rayden looks striking, as always.”
Emmy grinned. “I already have my tickets for closing night. I know the narrator that is pitching in, and she is going to be something. She’s a beacon of goodwill for the next year.”
They set her on her feet, and to her surprise, Uncle Leon hugged her, kissed her, and touched the new braid. James and Derrik hugged her, and finally, Grey stood in front of her. “The past can’t be changed, but the future is wide open.”
She grinned. “You started therapy.”
He laughed. “Smartass. How do you always know what is needed?”
“I just do. If folks would listen the first time, it would be easier. Be kind to yourself and encourage Dane to get into therapy. It’s been years, but part of the growing alpha big brother was ready to take care of a baby, and then she didn’t appear.” She squeezed his hand and said, “I am glad you finally accept the trauma. Now you can get working on the healing.”
She looked over at Marshall and Rayden talking to Dane, Gerald, and the uncles. Emmy was busy with her phone.
“I am very sorry that I missed out on having the daughter that was given to me.”
“Hmm. Do you feel too old to raise another little girl, but this time you won’t be a dick?”
He frowned. “Leon hasn’t had a heat in years.”
“Oh. I know. I also talk to a lot of people who have had security needs. Let me know the day that you are going to be at the performance, and I am going to have a beta meet up with you. After that, have a driver take you home. Straight home.”
“What do you know, Ruby?”
“I know people who want to help people. We will get this pack its little girl.”
“Why would you help us?”
“Because, despite all efforts, you still helped me when I was most in danger.” Ruby smiled. “Just get me that date so I can make sure that she is there.”
Grey blinked. “We will be there the first matinee and last night.”
“Excellent.” She pulled up her phone and contacted Nora. Sabin’s company had had her as a subcontractor before in new buildings with security needs. They were looking forward to taking their daughter to the event, and several family members were doing the same with their little ones for the matinee.
Nora asked for a picture of Leon, and Ruby took a picture.
“I don’t understand how that would work. But thank you for the hope, Ruby.” He nodded formally. “Somehow, I am certain that if you have said it, it will come to pass.”
“That is fucking formal, Uncle Grey.”
He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Where was that mouth all these years?”
“Locked up by the Elite, and it took another to let it out. So, I am finally whole and getting used to it. I understand transition and know when it is working.”
Uncle Grey frowned. “You had a heat? Are you okay? It took Leon days to recover.”
“Yeah. They were very kind, and we got through it together. The next one is going to be a bit of a free-for-all, but no more shadows, no more echoes of the past.” She smiled. “And Leon will take any excuse to be held and caressed. He was probably fine on day two.”
Grey smiled. “What about you?”
“Me? I have shit to do. The cuddling can wait.” She grinned. She turned her head and whistled sharply. Marshall and Rayden’s heads turned toward her.
Leon stifled his snort. “I need to learn that.”
Derrik said, “No, you don’t.”
Ruby smiled. “It comes with the pointy ears. They are tuned to every sound I make.”
Rayden walked over and wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing her neck. “Let’s get you to bed.” He lifted her off her feet as she squeaked.
“Okay, I may have overdone the whistle,” she said as they hauled her to the front of the house, put her shoes and coat on, and then they were outside in the cool air, laughing at her expense with promises of making it up to her.
* * * *
Emmy was grinning. “Well, I am going to head out. That was a delightful bit of entertainment. Cousins, Uncles, it was nice seeing you. I have some things to do before my food truck rolls tomorrow.”
Her Uncle Derrik said, “What? How did we miss that?”
Emmy smiled. “We were all so happy that Ruby got laid and Dane is a recovering dirtbag that it got glossed over.”
James snorted. “Yeah, that was distracting. What do you sell?”
“For the event, we are working with canapés that are themed to the main characters. A BBQ beef for the troll king, a whipped mouse with crackers for the patchwork princess, and shredded curried chicken for the narrator. Then we have the desserts. The trolls are dark chocolate, the pixies are cupcakes, and the narrator is caramel. The kids are going to be covered in glittery sugar by the time they leave.” Emmy smiled. “We are going to be selling sets of three and sliders in beef, pork, and chicken.”
Derrik groaned. “I just ate, and I am hungry again.”
Emmy chuckled. “That is what we are counting on. Also, there is one more dark Elite there on the ice and two more Elite omegas involved in the production.”
She looked at them. “So, which one of you is going to bring her flowers? It’s her first time public skating since she was fifteen. I would do it, but I am going to be watching through binoculars at the food truck.”
Leon said, “I will bring the flowers.”
“Remember that she has to carry them on skates.”
They laughed, and when Emmy had finished chatting with her family, she took her leave. It was going to be a big holiday season if she had heard Ruby correctly. Her sister wouldn’t lie about anything to do with Uncle Leon. He was just the sweetest and deserved all good things. Tomorrow, the same would begin for Ruby, or Emmy was going to start cracking heads.
Chapter Thirteen
Three wardrobe emergencies, one last-minute replacement of the narrator, and the skate sharpener broke an hour before they were to start. All in all, Ruby thought that they had done spectacularly well as they lined up for their final bows. When the narrator began to sing Miracle, Ruby teared up.
She squeezed Rayden’s hand as the pixies, forest imps, and trolls cruised past the crowd for their applause, and when she and Rayden began to move, there was a thunderous roar that nearly drowned out the song, but Ruby still heard it. It vibrated along her skin and let her breathe easier.
She moved past the crowd and saw all the excited little girls and boys with wide eyes asking their parents for skates. She smiled and waved at them, and the kids went wild.
The first time Rayden slowed her, there was someone holding a bouquet. She smiled and then saw her Uncle Grey’s smile above the flowers while Leo clung to his arm, his eyes shining. She stopped and threw her arm around Leon, and then Grey with the flowers clutched in the crook of her left arm. Nora was approaching, so Ruby winked and continued on her way. Things would take their course.
They moved on down, waving and smiling, and another bouquet was held out to her. Dane grinned with suspiciously damp eyes, and Nia grinned and applauded wildly. She took the flowers and said, “Thank you.”
Dane nodded. “You were amazing.”
“Thanks. Don’t forget to stop for hot chocolate.”
Nia smiled. “I have my eye set on those desserts.”
“Enjoy.”
Rayden laughed and swept her away on one final swirl past the audience. They bowed and then backed away until the forest decorations swallowed them up. They joined the others in the back, and with the mics off, they cheered and hugged each other for a solid first performance.
Rayden kissed her, bending her back, and there was a lot of laughter. When he righted her, she sighed. “That was nice. Now, we have four hours, and then we need to do it again. Now, who the hell was that narrator?”
One of the pixies rubbed the side of her neck and tried to look innocent.
Ida muttered, “Just tell her already. She could hear the difference in her voice.”
“Uh, it was my aunt. Ida told me that Abeline had been in a car accident, and the backup had gone out of town, so I called my aunt. She used to read me the story when I was little, so she came. She was really good, wasn’t she?” The green pixie looked eager.
Ruby smiled. “Yes, she was really good. Can she finish this season?”
Green blinked. “Really? Are you sure? She’s really shy and doesn’t like being stared at.”
“We can deal with that. There’s a hood on the narrator’s costume, right? She can just wear it up.”
Green cleared her throat. “This time of year, she needs more square footage.”
Ruby grinned. “How much?”
“Uh...” She walked up to Ruby and said, “An inch taller than you, and the hood has to be super light, or it hurts her ears.”
Rayden tensed and said, “You have got to be kidding.”
Ruby looked up at him. “You heard her. What did you think those undernotes were?”
He blinked. “I know one dark Elite who’s into music. He’s touring in Asia right now.”
The other dark Elite shook his head. “Nope. He’s coming in for the final performances with some of his relatives. Distant relatives but relatives nonetheless.”
Ruby asked Green, “Why doesn’t your aunt like being seen?”
Green swallowed. “That form has a scar. She hates it, but she needed it for the voice.”
Ruby made a sound of commiseration, but Rayden was stiff.
Rayden asked, “Is she near thirty?”
Green blinked. “Yeah. She’s eight years older than me. She’ll be thirty this year. How did you know?”
“It’s a long story. But, if she is who I think, your aunt is an incredibly strong woman. She is also the reason that so many Elite omegas are gathering here. She’s the beacon.” Rayden held Ruby close. “The Elite think she’s dead.”
Green nodded. “She said that the Elite part of her needs to stay dead, or she isn’t safe, but I knew her voice would be magic. We can’t have R. Lest in the production and not have the best voice we can guiding folks through it.”
Rayden said, “She’s coming back?”
Green nodded. “She will be here until a replacement can be found.”
Ruby blinked and looked at the coach. “I don’t want a replacement. She’s the voice of the fairy tale.”
Coach nodded. “She won’t be replaced. I was crying while she was reading. It was amazing.”
* * * *
From the corner of the backstage area, Meira smiled and pulled her sweatshirt hood forward. She couldn’t hide the slow trickle of energy that leaked out of the slash mark that had been left on her face.
She had survived the Elite’s attempt to abduct her, but her mate had rejected her damaged form. He required a perfect mate. An ideal match. She wasn’t either. That had been years ago, and now, she was content with her life. Her position as an art teacher in a private school paid the bills, and as none of the dark Elite were nearby, she wasn’t triggered into the form she was currently stuck in. Every year, she changed in the week before winter solstice, and she was able to look like a beta at New Year’s. The same cycle for the last twelve years.
Meira walked up to the food trucks and got some snacks and sliders along with hot cocoa. She sat down and ate, joined by Genevieve with her face scrubbed clean but her hair still decorated with tinsel and decorations.
“You were great today, Genny.”
“Auntie, how much did you hear?”
“They will let me narrate but leave me alone.”
Genny smiled. “Yes. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t going to look at you.”
“I will conceal myself as best I can. I was right in the room with you, and no one saw me. I have practice.”
Genny sighed and stole a slider. “How did you get the mark on your forehead?”
“I took a sword to the face. You know, the standard way.”
“Did you want one of the dark Elite? There are going to be some in the audience during the performance.”
“No. I met my match once and showed myself to him, and he wasn’t impressed.” Meira sighed. “I get to be one of those fun omegas who survived mate rejection. That was my last experience with a dark Elite and the last one I care to have.”
Genny kept eating her food, so Meira sighed and went to get another round. The crowds were already dissipating, so the lines were short. She ordered and saw the female Elite in the truck. The woman with the blue stripe in her hair was staring and handed the food over numbly. There was an extra pack of desserts. “I didn’t order this.”
The woman smiled. “Keep it. It’s on the house.”
“Thank you, and happy holidays.”
Meira took the tray back to Genny and fed her niece while getting enough sustenance to last her until the evening show.
* * * *
Ruby followed the image that Emmy had sent her and locked on to the woman in the neutral beige sweatshirt with the hood pulled all the way forward.
“Rayden, what was the story behind that woman?”
“The woman who fought the Elite and won?”
“Yes.”
“We heard about it from the Elite who were trying to impress how formidable the Elite omegas were. She was a late developer, and they tried to take her from her high school. She fought them with such resistance that they pulled weapons on her. Her body responded and developed blades for defense, but she couldn’t stand up against trained warriors.”
Ruby’s eyes were wide. “But she did.”
“She killed two, but the third slashed her across her face, and she stumbled back. He returned to the Stronghold but died of his injuries. The Stronghold declared her dead, and no one was to look for her... ever.”
“So, what happened when the dark Elite got loose?”
“We developed careers and personas that matched them.”
“She doesn’t have mates?”
Rayden looked and said, “Her energy doesn’t reach out of her like yours did for me and Marshall. Her body is perfectly calm.”
Ruby said, “But when she speaks, when she sings, you can hear it. She’s so lonely my heart breaks.”
Across the field, the hood lifted and turned toward Ruby. A light whisper came to her. “I am sorry. I will try and keep it to myself.”
Ruby jolted as she saw under the hood for a moment. A beautiful face with a slash of multicoloured energy went from eyebrow to jaw. The face disappeared, and the woman turned her head back to Green.
She and Rayden went to get some food, and Emmy provided them with heaping trays. Emmy said, “Did you see the other omega?”
Ruby nodded. “I did.”
“It hurts to look at her. She’s so sad.”
When Rayden turned with the tray, Green was sitting alone. Ruby walked up to her and asked, “Where did your aunt go?”
Green sighed. “She said that she makes Elites sad, so she left. She will be back for the evening performance.”
Ruby started to eat. “Do you know why she’s sad?”
“Oh. She said she found her mate and tried to show herself to him, but he got a look at her face and was grossed out. He rejected her. It sucks really. Why are guys so fucking fussy?”
Rayden paused. “She said she repulsed him?”
“Yeah. He couldn’t stand her face.”
“Then it wasn’t her mate. It could have been a sibling. There are a few sibling sets that made it out during one of the escapes.”
Green sighed. “Whatever it is, she’s sad. She’s also scared that she’s going to frighten people during the last show. Something happens to her during the solstice. Things get bright.”
Ruby blinked. “Oh. Okay. You’ve seen it?”
“The neighbours used to think it was fireworks, so she started to do it in a cave outside the city.”
“She’s not worried about Elite?”
Green nibbled at a cupcake. “She says that those whiney bastards piss themselves when they see her, so no.”
Ruby stared. “Right.”
“No more questions about my auntie. She’s a good person, and people like her.” Green finished her cupcake.
The audience went crazy with shining eyes and bright smiles for the cast and crew. Once again, the hooded narrator disappeared.
Ruby sighed as the pattern went through day after day. News from Leon and the pack was good. He had been slammed into a heat and was fairly confident he was pregnant.
In the final performance, alphas and their families filled the audience. The narrator shook them to their cores, and when the final bows were being given, something new happened. Light. Everywhere.
Ruby turned and looked at the bright column of the narrator as she sent a blast of light skyward. Every colour she could name and some she couldn’t blast into the starry sky.
When the song ended, the light faded. The narrator should have come out to take her bow with the other crew, but she disappeared.
Green emerged from the back, and she pushed her aunt forward while the crowd applauded hard and cheered. The tall woman was trying to get away from the attention, but Green and then Rayden held her so she could take her bow.
The last task of the evening was a wrap party hosted at a local hotel.
Ida grabbed the narrator and hauled her to the back, her boots sliding easily along the ice. Ruby and Rayden bowed one more time, and then they headed to the back to remove their skates and get ready for the party.
A success deserved to be celebrated.
Ruby stood next to Rayden and Marshall while the cast and crew filed in. It was fun to see them in formal wear for the holiday party, but when the narrator came in with Green, everyone froze.
