He stopped abruptly, one step from bumping into a low-hanging orb. With a grin, he turned the pages toward me before flipping them back.
“So, it says here that pixies are curious and playful creatures, with a distinct mischievous streak. They are known to play tricks and jests and cause trouble, but they are not evil or malicious by nature. They love to dance and gather in large numbers. They will defend themselves when they feel threatened, but they won’t attack unprovoked.” He licked his finger and flicked through a few more pages. “Oh… and they love milk and sweet fruits. In the old days, it was believed that if you left a saucer of milk outside your house each night, then the pixies wouldn’t play tricks on you. They were even thought to bring good fortune on homes that left milk out for them.”
“That’s why she went into your fridge.” With new understanding, I pictured her struggling with the large bottle of milk.
He peered over the book. “Huh?”
“Never mind.”
“Books aren’t always correct, but this is a good starting point.” He snapped the volume shut, looking pleased with himself. “We’ll have to do some more research, considering what you told me about there being a lot of these creatures on the loose.”
I gulped. “Yeah, sorry about that…”
“Why should you be sorry? You don’t have any say over it.” He didn’t look scared, per se, but he certainly looked a bit warier. However, I found myself distracted by the prickle up the back of my neck. It got worse, all of a sudden, turning into a searing burn that made my ears tingle. A quick look around at the Repository revealed the reason. The monsters inside had all transformed out of their mist states and fixed their eyes firmly on me. They watched me with a mixture of expressions: intrigue, caution, disappointment, excitement, to name a few.
Why are you staring like that? I didn’t want to draw Nathan’s attention to it. Had he been less invested in pixie lore, he’d have noticed on his own. The creatures had gone very still, but their eyes spoke volumes, like a thousand cries calling to me in a language I didn’t understand. Oddly, I felt entirely at home among these beings, as though I were somehow attached to each and every one, yet there was this huge divide between us. A fear, a me-vs-them kind of feeling. Plus, on a more literal level, I stood on the outside of the glass and they were trapped behind it. And that wrenched at my gut. I sensed the thrum of their energy resonating inside my chest, and the sadness swelled like a balloon, making my breath hitch.
“Persie?” Nathan cut through my strange reverie. “Are you ready to look deeper into these pixies, so I can help you?”
“No.” The refusal blurted out of my mouth as though someone else had said it. “I caused this; I’ll fix it. I caught one, I can catch the rest. You’ve given me enough to go on.” I bolted away from him, driven by an uncontrollable sense of urgency that spiked in every vein. I owed it to these creatures to be the one to gather them up. Maybe that didn’t make sense, and this wasn’t the time to be a maverick, but my mind was made up.
Nathan ran after me, cutting me off before I crossed the Repository threshold. “Persie, hold on a second. I’ll let you do this, as I can see what it means to you, but I can only give you a brief window before I have to say something.”
“Just… give me until tomorrow.” My eyes widened, imploring him. He was right—it did mean a lot to me, because if I didn’t at least attempt it solo, then I wasn’t sure I deserved my place here. Otherwise, everyone would always be on their guard, rolling their eyes, wondering when my next screw-up would happen.
“On one condition. You come back with every pixie you manage to capture, so I can safely deposit them in the orbs. You’ll quickly run out of space if you don’t,” he said firmly. “And then, come tomorrow; if it hasn’t worked, we’ll discuss our next course of action.”
It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. I would need somewhere to put the pixies, given that I only had a few of the pre-hexed Mason jars. With a subtle nod, I agreed. “That’s fair.”
“And come back here if you decide you want further help. I’ll stay in my study all night so you can easily find me.” He offered a reassuring smile, and he didn’t chase me this time as I took off out the door.
I didn’t want to depend on the Institute’s aid, but there was one person I could call without feeling like I’d handed off my responsibility. Taking out my phone as I ran, I dialed Genie, only to get her voicemail. I remembered the movie, and realized she’d probably turned it off. Still, I’d keep trying while I went after these annoying pixies.
I’ve got a good feeling about you, Nathan O’Hara. You’re one of the nice ones, I can tell. I smiled as I slowed my pace. Genie might not have thought much of him, but I knew she’d feel the same as I did once she got to know him better. And I guessed we’d be seeing a lot more of him now that he’d seen what my Purge ability could do.
Settling into a brisk walk, I roamed the hallways, watching every corner and crevice for the slightest sign of a pixie. I kept my ears peeled, too, if that was a thing, listening for the sound of their fast-fluttering wings. Even if it took all night, I would find those mischievous critters.
An hour later, after circling back to the main common areas
