Pixie of Frankenstein [A Tail Like No Other: Book Two] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)

by Scarlet Hyacinth

  In fact, it wasn’t exactly impossible for this to be case. The three of us had fallen in something that appeared to be pulled out of my memories, although that couldn’t be right. The Forgotten Steppes had almost completely faded from my mind before today, something which I knew better than to blame on the sheer unremarkable nature of the scenery here, as much as I’d have liked to do so. Now, it was all so very vivid, the green of the endless plains so bright it hurt my eyes.

  “Great. This is just amazing. We’re stuck in the middle of nowhere, again. Goddess, at least Kirril had an excuse for being an idiot.”

  I didn’t want to be rude to a member of Victor’s family, but I couldn’t keep myself from saying the truth as I saw it. Indeed, Dineiro’s human mate had made the same mistake, but at least he’d had the excuse of being distracted by my friend’s nakedness. What had Philippe been distracted by? All the pretty colors?

  “Watch your mouth, small stuff.” Philippe growled. “I didn’t have lunch yet.”

  “Just try it, Philippe, and you’ll regret it.” My mate glared at his sibling. “Don’t think I’m afraid of you.”

  Before the situation could escalate into further hostility, Bowie cleared his nonexistent throat. “I’m still here, you know,” he said in an almost put-out tone.

  “And as always, you’ve dropped us into quite a predicament,” I said with a sigh. “Can you at least point us in the right direction?”

  The beautiful bricks suddenly shifted to create a pattern. I arched a brow as the arrow they formed directed us north. I honestly couldn’t tell where we’d been taken anymore, my sense of orientation protesting all the frustrating jolts it had received lately. Nevertheless, I was fairly certain that we were headed the exact opposite direction of the Laughing Forest. I distantly wondered why Bowie hadn’t just dropped us in front of the Fairy Godfather’s residence. Perhaps he aimed to give us a little time to recover. I couldn’t say I didn’t appreciate the thought. In my current state of mind, I wasn’t capable of impressing a powerful wizard with anything except my ability to aim pixie dust at a moving target.

  In the end, arguing didn’t get us anywhere, and I had to admit that Victor’s brother was not to blame for our current circumstances. Beyond being an all-around jerk, he couldn’t have known this would happen. Besides, this path might lead us to the solution to our problems, so I wasn’t about to waste time with anger.

  Therefore, even if it irked me, I decided to be the bigger man—so to speak—and offer Philippe an olive branch.

  As we started to walk—well, they were walking, I’d taken up position on my mate’s shoulder as always—I made a clumsy attempt to begin a conversation. “So tell me about yourself, Philippe,” I said. “Do you live in the second dimension of Merlinia like Victor?”

  “Of course I do,” he answered in the same growly tone that seemed his default voice. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it had nothing to do with his temper. After all, he was a panther. “Surely you must know by now that most cursed and dark creatures dwell there.”

  Yes, I did know that. Although I didn’t like having Victor clustered with beings of suspicious nature. However, I had grown to learn that the dark side of Merlinia wasn’t necessarily bad. Even if there were evil people like Lord Stiltskin, I’d also met interesting ones, such as Count Vlad and his sisters. Even the gargoyles that I’d once mistaken for the spirit hunters turned out to be quite nice.

  Similarly, not everyone in this dimension had good intentions. I wondered how the Fairy Godfather would be like. Would he help us, or would he refuse?

  My mate seemed to guess my thoughts and whispered, “If my parents said this man can help, they must have had a good reason. They’d never allow me to get my hopes up for nothing. Have faith. If nothing else, we’ll certainly get some answers.”

  Philippe scoffed, but I ignored him, instead choosing to relax against my mate’s neck. He smelled good, virile, and familiar. In spite of having washed up earlier, there was a lingering trace of soot in his scent, but I liked that. It was something so…him. My mate, the not-so-mad scientist. How could I not want to be with him?

  I could easily imagine what would have happened earlier had I been human-sized. I’d seen the way Victor had looked at me and naturally realized that he was attracted to me. Of course, this wasn’t in any way news, but today, for the first time, it seemed like we might actually have a chance to pursue this further.

  Sooner than I’d have expected, our destination was in sight. I had expected yet another castle—it seemed my life abounded in such structures these days—but instead, what I got was a small hovel, which I might not have seen if not for the fact that it seemed the only sign of civilization present in the whole of the Steppes.

  “That’s it?” Philippe asked, although I couldn’t be sure whom he addressed the question to.

  “Indeed,” Bowie replied. “Go right ahead. I took the liberty to notify your presence.”

  Confirming the path’s comment, the door to the hut opened, and a slender man stepped out of the building. He looked…Well, he looked exactly like a pixie, only human-sized. I gaped at him, wondering if I was dreaming the whole thing.

  “Don’t look so shocked,” the stranger said. “It’s not like anything is normal in Merlinia.”

  For a few moments, I almost thought it was Bowie who’d spoken, because the voice sounded exactly the same. “What in the world?” I asked, gobsmacked. “Are you…Are you Bowie?”

  The man, which I assumed had to be the Fairy Godfather, grimaced. “Please, don’t compare me to him. He chose to amuse himself by using my voice when speaking to normal people.”

  His words were confirmed when Bowie chortled, sounding very pleased with himself. The Fairy Godfather released a sigh, obviously very well acquainted to the road’s antics. “You might as well come in,” he said. “For this conversation, you’re much better off sitting down.”

  Chapter Eight:

  In Which There are Spells, Enchantments, and Revelations

  Living as a Merlinian youth under a heavy curse, I was used to strange things. I knew very well that in this land, anything could happen. My scientist mind had long ago accepted the concept of magic as real, something that worked just like any other force on this planet. In my mind, spells appeared as a consequence of someone using the natural energy of their body to manipulate the fabric of reality. It was a simple matter of action and reaction.

  However, even if I understood this, I was still deeply disturbed at particularly intense manifestations of magic. For that reason, a feeling of awe, discomfort, and inadequacy invaded me when I stepped into the Fairy Godfather’s hovel, only to find myself in the foyer carved out of blinding white marble. An imposing staircase loomed ahead, but it didn’t seem to lead anywhere. Around it, a large river winded like a snake, with fish swimming happily to and fro, as if the current had no effect on them.

  There were fawns, rabbits, and wolves, clustered around a group of trees that grew straight of the marble. There were flames that danced over the tiles as if alive. I could swear I saw two clocks running around and hiding behind two marble columns, peeking playfully at us with eyes made out of numbers. Up above, the stars shone, clearer than I’d ever seen them.

  It was mind numbing, and in spite of the eagerness I felt to ask my questions and make my plea, I couldn’t help but take everything in, trying to figure out just what kind of power could manage to create such an environment. Was it all an illusion? It wasn’t impossible, but somehow, I doubted it.

  Either way, no machine I’d ever invented, fueled by magic or not, could achieve this level of complexity. I ached to learn, to understand, and to share it all with my lovely mate.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” the Fairy Godfather asked. “I really love the world, and I like to have pieces of it here in my home.”

  “Is this real?” Larue asked, sounding a little breathless.

  Our host chuckled. “You know better than to ask that, Larue. You can
feel how real it is.”

  That was probably quite correct, since my mate emanated magic through every pore. Even I could sense the genuine nature of our surroundings, in spite of not being in any way as skilled in enchantments as Larue.

  Either way, whether the Fairy Godfather had truly created the wonderful place or just an fantasy of it, I did believe that he had great power and he could help us a lot if he so desired.

  Our host led us up the mysterious stairs. The gloom vanished as we walked, revealing spacious rooms beyond. Or perhaps the Godfather created them out of thin air as we passed them by. Anything was possible.

  I itched to ask him if he could help us with what we’d come here for, but I held my tongue. In the end, I’d waited so long already. I could wait for a few more minutes, until the Fairy Godfather decided to approach the topic himself.

  My mate seemed just as anxious, as he’d started to glow a little brighter. He clutched my shoulder in an obvious attempt to control himself, but some pixie dust still emanated from his body.

  “Relax,” the Fairy Godfather finally told us. “Of course I’m going to give you what you seek. After all, you’ve come all this way.”

  I could already hear the “but” in his voice, and alarm bells started to ring in my mind. “There’s a price, isn’t there?”

  “Not one I charge, but yes, there is one,” he answered. At last, he stopped in front of a closed door that, to me, seemed completely innocuous. When he pushed it open, though, the space beyond had me in complete awe. In this place, the stars seemed even closer, so much so that if I outstretched my hand, I almost thought I could touch them. In this case, I very much doubted that it was possible, so I shook the irrational desire and focused on my own bright star, my lovely Larue. What price could possibly exist for bringing Larue to a human size?

  The Fairy Godfather gestured us to some armchairs thrown around the room in a seemingly random pattern. “Please, make yourselves at home. We have much to discuss.”

  Naturally, we complied. Philippe had some trouble fitting in his seat, and upon noticing that, the Fairy Godfather waved a hand, providing him with a couch instead. Given what we’d seen so far, I couldn’t say that display shocked me too much.

  I relaxed in my armchair, or tried to, at least, with Larue still on my shoulder. “What exactly did you mean earlier?” I inquired.

  “Well, it’s quite easy,” he answered, crossing his legs and plopping down on…thin air. “I can make Larue your size. It’s actually very easy. However, before I do so, I must point out that if the two of you fully bond, the enchantment on you will pass onto him as well.”

  I went rigid. In spite of the fact that I’d gotten used to my shape-shifting nature, I didn’t want the curse to fall onto my mate as well. “How is that possible?” I asked. “Who did this anyway?”

  Had it been Lord Rumpel Stiltskin after all? My parents had investigated his possible involvement, but in the end, they’d decided it wasn’t possible. The man had countless years completely focused on his son, Rapunzel, something unfortunate for the young man, but somewhat comforting for the rest of the world. A link did exist between the powerful mage and our curse, but we hadn’t been able to figure out what it was.

  “I’ll give you a hint,” the Fairy Godfather said. “It wasn’t a Merlinian.”

  Not a Merlinian? That couldn’t be right. Merlinia had dozens of provinces, many of which I’d never gotten to see. I’d naturally assumed that the witch who’d cursed my father lived in one of them.

  Of course, there were many other lands beyond ours. Some of them lay beyond the Steppes, though, and contact with them was limited. No one from there would have ever bothered to come to Merlinia just to cast a spell on a prince.

  A map appeared out of thin air, revealing the image of the whole of Avalon. It was far more complete than what I owned at home, something which didn’t surprise me at all. To the north of the Forgotten Steppes lay the Mountains of Sorrow, the only place where someone could physically step from one dimension of Merlinia to the other. Further beyond, more countries were mapped out. I recognized three in particular, Grimoire, Mentalia, and Necro Valley. Grimoire was a known source of witches, and the natural conclusion would be that they were the ones guilty of our misfortune. Still, I didn’t quite buy that. To my knowledge, they had their own problems and were unlikely to pay Merlinia any heed at all.

  Then there was a huge section in which the only visible thing was blue. Merlinians called that the Ocean of Nowhere, because we’d never figure out where it led. Some people believed it simply marked the end of Avalon. Apparently, that wasn’t the case, as after the ocean ended, there was a whole section tainted in red. It didn’t have any name on it, though, and when I glanced inquiringly at the Fairy Godfather, he just shrugged. “Some things you should find out on your own.”

  He was right. Knowledge had little value when it was just handed to you with no effort. A person didn’t fully realize how priceless information could be unless he or she struggled for it. As such, I didn’t insist on it, and instead looked over the rest of the map. I was missing something. But what?

  The answer struck me like a lightning bolt. I’d scanned Merlinia’s neighbors from the part with the Forgotten Steppes, but I’d forgotten about two very important factors. On Merlinia’s other side lay Morganna and Arthuria. Arthurians had no magic, as evidenced by Prince Kirril, but Morgannians did.

  My gaze fixed on the country in question, the question already on my lips. “Very good,” the Fairy Godfather said. “Your witch is indeed there, and she is extremely dangerous.”

  “Morganna?” my mate inquired, sounding dismayed. “But Kirril’s family wants to make an alliance with that country. His brother is all set to marry the Morgannian princess, Anelah.”

  “Is he?” The Fairy Godfather arched a brow. “And do they really want that?”

  The implications of his words boggled the mind. Kirril and Dineiro had to be warned. The Arthurian might have left his country for Dineiro, but that didn’t mean he didn’t value it.

  Personally, I’d never met Kirril’s brothers, but Larue had confided that the middle son, Medwin, the one who was betrothed to the princess, had shown a lot of interest in Stiltskin’s son, Rapunzel. I didn’t blame the man. Rapunzel had briefly stayed at my castle, and he’d struck me as a truly beautiful person, in every way. However, I wouldn’t have touched him with a ten foot pole, because I had Larue. Could it be that Medwin had fallen under some sort of enchantment as well, one that had lost its potency due to Medwin’s natural attraction toward Rapunzel? Still, I didn’t want to draw rushed conclusions. From what I knew, the princess was very young, and likely wouldn’t have been able to do anything like that. The queen, then? It wasn’t impossible.

  In the end, I decided to deal with each matter at a time. “So where did that leave us?” I asked. “Is there no way to break the spell? Wasn’t true love supposed to do it?”

  To me, it sounded like true love would make the spell fall onto Larue as well, which confused me. Granted, something similar had happened to my parents. The curse hadn’t been fully lifted, only changed shapes. While my father had stopped changing shapes, Philippe and I had ended up paying the price for his freedom.

  “You amuse me, Victor,” our host said. “Yes, your witch told your father that it was the cure for the curse, but why would you believe her? No, my dear. To speak in scientific terms, love is only a reagent for this enchantment. It adds onto the original material of the spell, making it mutate.”

  “Wait a minute,” Philippe piped up, speaking for the first time. “As I see it, you’re very powerful. The whole point of our visit here—the pixie’s size aside—was to break the curse. You’re saying you can’t help us?”

  “I can point you in the right direction and tell you what you have to do, but I can’t break it myself, no,” the Fairy Godfather answered. He didn’t seem very upset or self-conscious about it, but then, he probably didn’t care either way. “Tell
you what,” he added. “I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

  He paused and when he didn’t say anything else, I prodded, “What offer?”

  “Ah, it’s nothing,” he answered after a few moments, almost sounding thoughtful. “I’ve just always wanted to say that.”

  I had the urge to hit my head against the walls, but I realized the room didn’t have any, so I reined my temper in. It didn’t take a genius to figure out where Bowie had “inherited” his whimsical nature.

  “In any case,” he finally said, “you two must decide. I can change Larue, make him your size. He’ll look…well, somewhat like me, really. Of course, he’ll still be himself, just bigger. But if you consummate your mating, the curse will have an effect on him.”

  “I’m not afraid,” my brave mate said. “It’s what Victor and I have been waiting for all this time. I want to do it, if Victor agrees, of course.”

  It touched me that my mate didn’t want to rush into this without consulting it with me first. I knew how much Larue was giving up to be with me, and yet, he worried about what I thought and felt. How could I not love him? How could I not want him?

  The Fairy Godfather’s gaze went to me. “Victor?”

  I took a deep breath, trying to figure out what would be best. If I’d been the only one involved, I wouldn’t have hesitated for a second. But that was the whole point, after all. Both Larue and I were wrapped up in this, and I couldn’t protect him. The spell could backfire in any number of ways, and if something happened to him, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to live with myself.

  “Perhaps we should go to Morganna first. If we defeat the witch, the spell breaks, right?”

  “That’s true,” the Fairy Godfather confirmed. “However, I’d like to urge you to take something very important into consideration. This witch is very old, and knowledgeable, and in his current form, Larue is very vulnerable. For crying out loud, all someone has to do to take you out is sit on you.”