All eyes were on Zira as Queen Bloom’s accusation and Clary’s question hung in the air. Zira was furious but the rope held her in place like a lock and bolt.
“It’s not like that,” Zira said, straining against the lasso. “They were flowers-”
“Rare flowers holding rare berries we juice for our favorite drink,” the assistant said.
“Are you kidding me, Mother? This is over your pixie juice,” Trixie asked as if she couldn’t believe it.
“Do not mock me, Tri,” Queen Bloom said in a cool manner. Trixie rolled her eyes as Queen Bloom crossed her arms and flew up to Zira with her assistant, Mims, right behind her.
“They were extremely hard to grow, and you burned two trees full of them. Our people depend on the growth of those trees to keep themselves…in the right state of mind, and you murder them,” Mims sneered at Zira.
Queen Bloom just glared at Zira while Mims was talking. She could feel the anger seeping through her skin from Queen Bloom. She wanted to look away, but she knew from experience that it would just cause a riot. Pixies were a prideful species and were always ready for a fight. They would take any small indication as a threat. They were small creatures but get enough of them together and they were a force to be reckoned with.
“I’m sorry, Queen Bloom. Truly, but I wasn’t completely myself. I-”
“That’s it!” Trixie stomped her foot, and her wings shimmered a bit darker than before. She shrank to her pixie size and flew up to them. It was a sight to see a pregnant, angry Trixie. So much so, Zira could feel her anger flying away. Trixie sandwiched herself between Zira and her mother. “She apologized, Mother. So let her go. This is my pack and your rules don’t apply here.”
“She has to pay somehow, Tri. I cannot let this disrespect go unpunished,” Queen Bloom said. It was unnerving how cool her voice flowed.
“And she will,” Trixie said with a smile that Zira wasn’t sure she liked. “She will return to help plant two trees. Make up for the ones she burned. What do you say?”
“What!” Zira and Clary all said at the same time.
Noticing Zira’s reaction, Queen Bloom smiled and looked at Mims. A moment passed between them before Mims flew forward. “The Queen thinks it’s a great idea. She has always thought you were the smartest of her twenty girls, Tri. We will depart for the forest and prepare the portal.”
Queen Bloom looked over her shoulder to her royal guards and the lasso around Zira disappeared. She fell to the ground with a loud thump while Trixie, Queen Bloom, and the assistant came down smoothly. They could’ve just lowered me to the ground, Zira thought but didn’t bring it up. She was just glad to be back on solid ground.
“Now, I have to ask a favor, Mother,” Trixie started as Queen Bloom scoffed at her.
“What would you do for the Queen,” Mims asked.
Trixie grumbled, knowing exactly what her mother wanted. “Fine, if you do this favor then I will reconsider your preposition of naming my first child after you.”
“Hmph.” Queen Bloom smiled just a bit while Trixie shrilled and gave a thumbs-up to Zira.
“Excuse me, Queen, would you mind if we bring company,” Clary asked.
The Queen looked at her with disdain before simply replying with a “Hmph.”
Clary looked at Trixie for a translation and Trixie simply smiled.
“That means yes but...” Trixie said, quickly grabbing Zira’s hand and pulling her toward the pack’s hospital. Zira knew where she was taking her. “...you can’t leave without saying hello and goodbye. If you don’t, you’re going to be pissed at me for not taking you there in the first place.”
Zira cast a nervous look at Clary, who didn’t like the prospect of Zira being somewhere without her.
“I’ll come along too,” Clary said, grabbing Zira’s other hand. “Mal and Eke, can you go get our other guests and we will meet you in the forest. Zira here might need another shoulder to lean on.”
“Aww, aren’t you sweet,” Trixie smiled while bopping Clary on her nose. Clary wrinkled her nose at that. “We have to hurry though. It won’t take them long to mark up a good tree.”
Not long after, Zira stood in front of a tombstone reading James Edward Magus. She traced the lettering and couldn’t help but laugh to herself. She knew how much James hated his last name. ‘It just sounds like I should be a wizard or warlock or something’ he would say, but she loved it. It had a certain weight to it that she found comforting. She stared at the familiar tombstone and somehow still felt out of place. No matter how many times she came here.
There were times she thought she would wake up and he would be staring at her with his beautiful green eyes and a smile that made her heart flutter. Then guilt would rush over her as if she was betraying Isaiah, betraying their bond. Her mother once told her that living in the present doesn’t mean forgetting the past. ‘Just make sure you’re constantly moving forward’ she would say. ‘Move forward to find that life, that passion, that love again.’ Her mother was always great with advice, but at the time in Zira’s heart, she knew it was easier said than done. She loved James and she knew she would always love him, but she also knew Isaiah was her future.
“He’s still with us, you know,” Trixie said, walking up with Clary right behind her.
“I know,” Zira said, meekly. She closed her eyes and welcomed the gust of wind that surrounded them. “I feel him every time the wind blows.” Trixie placed a comforting hand on Zira’s shoulders.
“I have to go and prepare. These little ones will be coming out soon,” Trixie smiled as she gave Zira a hug. “Don’t be a stranger and don’t drink the mushroom tea the pixies give you. Actually, I would be wary of everything they give you.”
Zira laughed and watched as she disappeared over the hill. Clary moved to her side when she turned back to the tombstone.
“He was your mate,” she asked.
Zira just looked at her. She contemplated talking to her but figured out what was the harm. It wasn’t like she was going anywhere.
“I know all too well about loss. I haven’t found a way to get over it. What happened to him,” Clary asked.
“He saved me and my son from this crazy hybrid, half-witch-werewolf. Saved my life at least two times before that. He is so…was so amazing. Always willing to help, and made stupid decisions, but was so lovable I would completely forgive him. I…I didn’t have much time with him.”
“What happened to the hybrid?”
Memories of that day flooded Zira’s mind. The image of Alaia with black eyes and black spider veins ran all over her body as she loomed over them. She remembered the way Deacon, James’s wolf, kept her at bay and the way her heart felt as if it was being squeezed to death when Alaia caught him. Zira shook her head to get rid of the painful image.
“She was killed,” Zira said, “but not before she did enough to badly damage his heart. He didn’t survive the night. I almost went with him.”
There was a comfortable silence between them.
“How,” Clary asked. Zira looked at her, surprised at the softness in her voice. “How can you live through the day without breaking down?”
Zira laughed at that. “It was hard at first. I felt like my heart was breaking over and over. I couldn’t see out of the darkness, but I had my family and friends, and my son was there to pick me up. Then I realized waking up each day started to hurt a little less. Don’t get me wrong, I still love James. Always will, but I have to keep living for him, at least. I’ve been blessed with a son and got a second chance mate. What else could I ask for?”
“Peace,” Clary said more to herself. “Inclusivity. Not to be treated like a monster.”
Clary had a far-off look when she said it. Zira wondered if this had something to do with what she wanted to do with the book. What are you planning, Zira wondered.
“Well,” Clary said, shaking herself out of her reverie, “we should get to it. Don’t want to make the Queen wait too long.”
After a few goodbyes to Alpha Fiona and Trixie, they met Queen Bloom and her entourage in the forest near a huge oak tree with carvings marked with chalk. The other three white wolves, Zed and Arias, met them there. Queen Bloom went up to the tree and touched it. A portal appeared instantly. Her entourage walked through, and Queen Bloom’s eyes found Zira’s. With a small smile, she turned and went through the portal.
Clary walked beside Zira with a huge smile on her face. “Can’t believe that in one day I have met the Queen of the pixies and now we’re going to the Pixie Lands. I’ve only seen this in books. I might need to start hanging out with you more often, Zira. I feel like we’re going to be in for a treat.”
Clary walked forward as Malachi ushered Zira toward the portal. Before going through, Zira took one last look at the Ancient Walkers Pack, hoping that Isaiah would catch up to them soon. She knew all too well that whatever Queen Bloom had in mind for them wasn’t a treat.