It was nice to be able to see the joy in the faces of the pixies. Alex knew she had made a difference. (Not that she thought she hadn’t before.) Seeing the pixies safe and well was different, though. It wasn’t an abstract concept like the Dark One was. This was tangible. And sometimes that was all Alex needed—just be able to hold on to something, to know it was real.
One of the sentries flew up to Alex’s face, smiling and glowing bright yellow. “What brought you into the forest anyway?” the pixie asked. “Humans don’t usually come out this way, even if the Wasp’s Nest is so close. We hardly ever see humans.”
Alex figured that made sense. “That’s because there aren’t many other humans around the Nest,” Alex said. “Have you met any of the other dragonriders?”
“Oh, yes, many. There are a few elves who come to our woods, and pixies. Also, a young drow…he is the quietest of all. Sometimes we don’t even know he’s among the trees.”
Jim laughed as he shook his head. “That would be Gill,” he said mostly to himself. “Only quiet person I know who’s able to make that kind of impression.”
The sentry flew closer to Alex’s face. “You still haven’t told me what brought you to the forest.”
“Oh, yeah. Well, we were trying to get someplace,” Alex said. “But I’m not sure where it was we’re going. It was supposed to be a surprise.”
The sentries looked at each other, confused by how awkward the two humans were being. “What are you doing in the forest?” one of the sentries inquired.
Jim bashfully scratched the back of his head. “Uh, well, we’re on a date.”
The sentry still seemed to be in the dark. “What is ‘a date?’”
Jim’s face went red as he cleared his throat. “Guess it’s like a pre-mating ritual. I mean, kinda like an equivalent for pixies.” He turned to Alex, throwing his hands up. “Not saying that’s what I’m trying to do or anything. It’s just that pixies don’t do dates, but they have those rituals.”
Alex couldn’t bring herself to meet Jim’s eyes, and he turned back and started talking to the pixie sentries, who had flown closer to speak more quietly. When the sentries finally gave Jim his space, he was shaking his head and blushing slightly. “They want to escort us on our date,” he explained. “As a thank you.”
“Why would we want a pixie escort? This isn’t my high school prom.”
“Alex, you were homeschooled. You didn’t have a prom.”
Alex shrugged off Jim’s critique of her wit. “Doesn’t matter. You get the point I’m making,” she retorted.
Jim came over to Alex and smiled that smile that had recently started to make her stomach flutter. “Trust me, it’s totally gonna be worth it. Sun’s about to set and everything. It’s a great idea.”
“All right. As long as this doesn’t turn out to be anything weird.”
The sun had set, and darkness had settled over the valley. The moon hung crooked and swollen like a giant white eye peering at that which could not be known. Alex had always loved full moons, but although tonight’s was gorgeous, it was nothing compared to what she was a part of.
The pixies were glowing as bright as they could, surrounding Alex and Jim as they made their way through the forest and down to a meadow of wildflowers. Those were glowing as well, although in muted tones.
The parade of lights continued through the meadow, past the flowers and up into the hills. Alex couldn’t take her eyes off of the pixies, who were also singing quietly, a low and solemn tune that added an air of gravity to their short journey. Alex would not have connected it with pixies. Gone was their lightheartedness; instead, there was a weight in the song that hung as heavy as heartbreak.
It was a sobering experience, almost like a meditation. Jim was right; it was a great idea.
As they traveled under the moonlight with the song of the pixies filling the air, they descended into the valley. At the bottom was a pond roughly thirty feet across, surrounded by an outcropping of trees. There was sand around the lake, and even from far away, it looked soft. Steam was rising from the water. “You brought your bathing suit, right?” Jim asked.
Alex had thought Jim was joking about swimming. It had been freezing the last few nights, but she had worn it under her armor just to be safe. Even though Jim joked a lot, he rarely advised doing something unless it was important.
The pixies continued down the hill with Alex and Jim until they stood before the lake. Alex dismounted from Chine, and Jim exited his mech. They stood on the shore of the lake, watching the steam rise. “How hot is it?” Alex asked.
“Gill said it’s about ninety degrees on a night like this. He thought it was weird we were bringing bathing suits. Apparently, drow skinny-dip.”
Alex put all her mental effort into not letting her imagination run wild with that idea. Instead, she hit her dragon anchor, and her armor slid up into her anchor. Jim did the same, and they both walked over to the lake. Alex dipped her toe into the water. Gill hadn’t lied. The lake was practically the temperature of a hot tub.
Slowly Alex lowered herself into the water, the heat shooting up her legs as if it were fire. At first, it was too hot, but the water instantly became relaxing. She oozed into the pool as if she’d become water.
Jim wasn’t too far behind her. He took a little more time to get his legs wet, but once he was knee-deep, he waded farther into the lake.
The two swam slowly around each other, circling in silence. The moon shone down on them as if
