“Jase, it’s time to get up,” Lily said while poking my cheek. She giggled.

“What time is it?” I asked not lifting my head from my pillow.

“I don’t know. Maybe six. The sun is just starting to rise,” Lily answered. She poked my cheek again and then kept doing so until I sat up.

“Alright. I’m up,” I said waving hand in front of my face to get her to stop poking me.

“Humph!” Lily replied flying up into the rafters.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and yawned. I glanced up toward the rafters. “Good morning, Lily. I love you.”

“Good morning. I love you two,” my familiar replied. She giggled again. I got up and got dressed. I opened the drawer I kept socks in and frowned.

“Why are all my socks tied in knots?” I asked holding up two socks. The giggling turned into laughter. I looked up as I heard a second voice laughing. I spotted a brunette pixie beside Lily. I lowered my arms, pushed the drawer shut, and sat on my bed to untie the socks. I looked up at the pixies. “Whose idea was it to prank me this morning?”

The brunette pointed at Lily with a surprised look on her face. Lily pointed at the brunette with a surprised look on her face. They laughed again. I chuckled after untying my socks. I put them on and stood. “Lily, are you coming with me?”

“Nope. Going to stay here for a little while longer. I’ll be along for breakfast though.”

“Ok, enjoy the time with your friend,” I replied. My door was partially open, but I didn’t think anything about it. I pulled the door the rest of the way open only to be showered by water. “What the heck?” I yelled and looked above my head. A bucket was hanging from a string.

Laughter was my answer. Lily laughed so hard she fell off the rafter, which made the brunette pixie laugh even harder. Mom and dad came running down the hall and spotted me soaking wet. Kyra and Rust joined my parents. I looked from my parents to my familiar and back again. Mom tried to keep a straight face and failed. Dad just laughed.

“Sorry son, but that is funny and an extremely old prank.

“I’m afraid your dad is right,” mom said and laughed some more. “I’m afraid pranks are something that you will have to deal with your whole life.”

“Just because Lily is your familiar doesn’t mean she can change her nature,” dad added while Kyra and Rust made noises that sounded like laughter to my ears as well.

“I know,” I replied. “Lily and her friend tied my socks into knots too.”

“Get dry and change clothes,” mom said while laughing again and heading back into the kitchen.

“I’ll get some towels to get the water up with,” dad said.

“Thanks!” Lily called out for me.

*

I shut the door and stood there while the pixies got themselves under control. An idea came to me. “Lily?”

“Yes Jase?”

“Could you do something about the water?”

“Maybe,” Lily said slowly after giving it some thought. The other pixie looked shocked. “What do you have in mind?” Lily turned back to the other pixie. “Jase knows about our magic already.”

“Drying it up and drying me off,” I answered ignoring Lily’s comment to her friend.

“We can do that,” Lily replied. “Come on Peanut, let’s do this quickly.”

“Peanut?” I asked.

“What? Did you think all pixies were named after flowers?”

“Sort of,” I admitted.

“Pfft. There is way too many of us for that. Sometimes we are named after food, colors, or whatever else.”

“Oh. Thanks for the info,” I said as I felt a warm breeze. A moment later I was dry and so was the floor. “How?”

“Magic,” Lily answered wiggling her fingers at me. If only I suddenly thought.

I reached into the pouch on my belt and pulled out a honey drop candy I had made. I held it up in Peanut’s direction. “Thanks Peanut. This is for you.”

The pixie flew down and took the candy. She turned toward Lily, nodded, and then flew out the window.

“She thanks you for the candy,” Lily told me.

“Why wouldn’t she talk to me?”

“Because we don’t talk to humans.”

“You talk to me.”

“That’s different. We are bonded together.”

“I see. At least, I think I do.”

“Good. Where’s my candy?”

“I’ll give you one after breakfast.”

“No fair!”

“Consider it payback for the pranks,” I replied as I opened the bedroom door.

“Jase!”

“What Lily?” I asked turning to look over my shoulder.

“But I helped get the water up and dry you.”

“That is why I’ll give you the candy after breakfast.”

“Meanie!”

“Really?”

“No! I love you.”

“And I love you. Still, no candy until after breakfast.”

“Jase! It’s not fair.”

“It’s fair,” I said and started walking to the kitchen. Lily followed.

*

“Lily?”

“Yeah?” my familiar asked as she ate some of the honey candy. We were sitting on the beach, and I was watching the boats in the distance.

“Could you teach me magic”

“No. Don’t be silly…”

“Ok.”

“Wait. Maybe.”

“What do you mean?” I asked as my hope yo-yoed.

“Humans can’t do magic, but no human has ever bonded with a pixie before, so maybe in time I could as our bond strengthens.”

“Is this more of that odd, yet old knowledge you possess?”

“Yep!” Lily answered enthusiastically nodding her head. I smiled as I was once more suddenly struck with how childlike Lily could be. She ate the rest of her candy and started cleaning her mouth and hands with a tiny cloth that had appeared. She could also act more like an adult at times, which surprised me. Perhaps our bond was making my familiar mature. “Those are so messy, yet so yummy!” Then again, maybe not.

“If you could teach me magic, how would we start?”

“Why the sudden interest in wanting to learn magic?”

“Because magic!” I answered wiggling my fingers at her. Lily stuck her tongue out at me and laughed. “Seriously though, being able to move things with telekinesis, heal myself or others, or maybe even fly is the stuff humans dream of.”

“Plus shooting fireballs or lightning at those that make fun of you would be a great bit of revenge,” Lily added with a grin on her face.

“That too!” I agreed and laughed.

“I’ll think about how it could be done. But you will have to promise never to use magic to hurt others and to keep it a secret!” Lily told me with steel in her voice.

“I promise to never use magic to hurt others if it is possible for me to do it and keep magic a secret no matter if I can do it or not,” I replied. Lily nodded in agreement, and it felt like something clicked in my head. “Did you feel that?”

“I did. You have made a vow to me, and it is a scared thing.”

“I understand. We must keep it or suffer the consequences.”

“Exactly. I’m going to ask some of the others about teaching you magic.”

“Will they object?”

“No, I don’t think so. We are bonded, so this is a unique situation.”

“Plus, it might not be possible.”

“That too,” Lily agreed and started to fly away.

“Be careful and stay safe,” I told her feeling like my dad all of a sudden. Lily flew back and kissed my forehead.

“I will. I promise!” the pixie promised before flying into the forest.