Manic Pixie [18+]

Chapter Three

Nyx miraculously kept her mouth shut for the whole drive back to the city, sprawled out on the dashboard on her back with her legs propped up on the radio console, crossed at the ankle.

Now that her wings weren't moving at breakneck speed, Magnus could see their sheer size in comparison to her body. They draped across the dashboard like silk blankets, sheer and silvery with every colour of the rainbow glinting in the sunlight. The edges looked like they were encrusted with millions of tiny sparkling diamonds, reflecting like prisms around the inside of the car.

When he entered the city limits, he pulled over in a gas station parking lot. "Out," he said gruffly.

"Jeez, really?" She curled her arms behind her head, but otherwise didn't make any move to get up. "You're just gonna kick me out here?"

"I'm not a taxi service."

"Just take me where you're going, then," she insisted. "I'd rather get dropped off downtown or wherever than all the way out here."

He grunted and popped the car back into gear, peeling out of the parking lot. He took care not to drive recklessly, as without fae cloaking the humans would be able to see his car. The same type of cloaking he passed under when he pulled up to the precinct.

To the outside observer, there was nothing there but a nondescript apartment door, but to the supernaturals of Lazarus City, it was the opening to the police HQ. He parked out front, screeching to a stop, and a pug-nosed goblin scurried out to meet him at the driver's side door.

"Thanks," Magnus said to the stocky green-skinned creature.

"Valet parking at the cop shop?" Nyx flitted out, surprising the goblin as he was about to get into the car. "Fan-cy!"

The goblin muttered to himself as he got in, slamming the door behind him.

Magnus strode inside, attempting to leave the pixie on the sidewalk, but she buzzed by his head into the lobby.

"What, I save your life and you're not even going to say goodbye?" She shook a tiny finger at him. "Not nice, mister."

"I said thank you, gave you a ride, and now I have to work." He sighed. "Goodbye."

"Carver!" Alastair called from his office door in a hearty singsong. "You didn't call in after you checked that lead."

Magnus turned towards his superior, a seven-foot-tall beast of a centaur. His ebony skin matched the onyx hair of his equine half, long silky tail swishing back and forth. His head was completely bald, and his high cheekbones crinkled as he grinned.

"Ah, I see you've met your new partner," Alastair said brightly, spreading his arms. "You left without her this morning!"

The hair on the back of Magnus' neck stood on end, and his gut dropped to the floor. "No."

"Whaddya mean, no?" Nyx tittered, swooping down to land on Alastair's rump. "We were vibing. Banter and everything."

"We were not vibing," Magnus insisted.

"Nonsense." Alastair raised his hands, palms out. "We're short on fairy staff, and Calantha happened to drop into our realm rather unexpectedly."

Magnus growled. "How convenient."

"It is, isn't it?" his superior quipped, and glanced over his shoulder at the pixie primly perched on his hind. "She's got quite a few abilities up her sleeve in addition to the fae cloaking, and will be a valuable asset to the squad."

"I've known her for five minutes and she's already a pain in my ass," Magnus protested.

Alastair clucked his tongue, but before he could speak, Nyx raised her hand.