deep, cleansing breath; knowing Chace would do all in his power to fix me up.
How do you know, my inner voice asked, with a growl?
I thought about it. He was my Hunter, which meant he had to keep my body safe at all costs. It wouldn’t do if I died .
“He will come back,” I whispered.
I continued to watch the bush, and something strange happened. The flowers separated, and began to flutter upward, like butterflies taking flight. It was beautiful. Once all of the flower s left the bush, the branches looked stark, empty, like a barren tree in the deep of winter. Alarmed, I wondered why they’d abandoned it . The petals continued rising , and headed toward me. Surprised, I tilted my head, to continue watching . A bubble-gum pink f lower fell onto my arm. I shook it , trying to get it to drop , but it wouldn’t budge . Then a periwinkle blue flower landed further down my arm, near my elbow, followed by a mint green one. I peered closer, and the flowers moved. Under the petals were little bodies attached to little heads .
Surprised, I gasped, and shook my arm wildly. T he creatures stayed in place, their little arms and legs tickling my skin. Finally I gave up.
Chapter 6
“W hat do you want?” I whispered.
There was a slight tinkling sound , and I peered closer. There were two females, and one male, their bodies the color of the petals, or I guessed, their wings, and they were dressed in matching cl othes. Both girls wore shimmering dresses, and the guy wore pants, and a shirt.
“You look like Peter Pan,” I said. He placed his hands on his hips, also reminding me of Peter Pan, and I laughed. “What are you? Fairies?” I asked, as the girl in bubble-gum pink flew over and landed on my nose.
She shook her tiny finger at me, and said, in a high, barely audible voice, “We’re pixilettes.”
“ P ixil … ette s ,” I repeated .
“That’s right. We’re in charge of the changing seasons in Sharra, as well as reseeding in the Spring and the Fall.” She bowed, placing one hand over her chest, and the other out behind her. “I’m Arianna.” The periwinkle , and mint colored pixilettes fluttered onto my nose next to her. My eyes started to cross. And the tinkling sounded again. The male slapped his knee.
“What? Are-are you laughing at me?” I asked, trying to be upset, but they were too cute.
The male bowed. “Apologies. My name i s Eon.”
“And I am Pava.”
“Nice to meet you. My name is Snow.” I stacked one fist on top of the other, and rested my chin, working desperately not to shake my head, and uncross my eyes.
Seemingly all at once, hundreds of pixilettes hovered behind the three I’d met.
Pava turned her toes in, and said timidly , “We’d like to help you . Would that be alright?”
“You know what’s wrong with me?” I asked, stunned.
“We do. And between all of us, we have enough to r everse the effects of the poison ,” Eon said.
“I’d be most grateful. Thank you!” The three pixilettes on my nose flew off, and backward. With relief I closed my eyes, giving them a chance to realign. Opening them, I said, “Chace, the guy that was here with me … he left,” I suck ed in a sad breath, “to get ingredients for a poultice . Should someone tell him?”
“He is known as Christopher in Sharra,” Eon said, turning, and flicking his arm. The way he moved made me think that he might be someone of great importance.
Three pixilettes flew off in the direction Chace aka Christopher aka my Hunter had gone.
“Right,” I agreed , feeling tears prick the back’s of my eyes . I was so new to all of this. My life had shifted radically in the last few days, and I felt overwhelmed. I nches from my nose fluttered little creature s with bodies the size of a moth, and the one known as Eon criticized me. Until a few minutes a go, I hadn’t known they existed.
Arianna’s pointy features softened. She flew over, and lifted a tear from my lashes, balan cing it in her hand. She
Jan (ILT) J. C.; Gerardi Greenburg