“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Izzy gushed.

“Uh, that wasn’t me accepting you as an apprentice,” I replied. “I was just thinking you would need to start from the basics like I was taught even though you do have a little knowledge.”

“Oh…” a dejected Isabella said.

I caught motion out of the corner of my eye and saw Lily waving the other pixies back. Looking up, I saw them hanging a banner and blowing up balloons. “Really Lily?”

“What are you talking about?” Gabriela asked before glancing up herself. “What are they doing?”

“Come on, Jase. Teaching Izzy could be fun,” Lily said. She then spun towards the younger woman. “Can I call you Izzy?”

“Sure,” a slightly shocked and hopeful Isabella replied.

“Lily, you didn’t answer me,” I said.

“I know,” Lily replied. I gave her my best stern look. She giggled instead of looking chastised but answered, “it’s just going to be a small celebration.”

“That look always works for Trillium,” I muttered.

“You just don’t have her…gravitas,” Lily replied.

“You’re not an elder either,” the other pixies chorused to Isabella’s and Gabriela’s amusement.

“Jase, just accept Izzy as your apprentice already. You know I can feel your desire to share your knowledge,” Lily told me.

“We can pay for Izzy’s apprenticeship,” Gabriela said.

“Why would you pay?” I asked. Gabriela and Isabella gave me a confused look.

“That’s the way it is done,” Isabella said.

“Since you’ve said your mother taught you, she wouldn’t have charged her own son,” Gabriela added.

“I don’t know if mom would have charged anyone she decided to teach,” I said. “She probably would have been content with using the apprentice to gather supplies and run errands.”

“Doing the grunt work, which is what she did with you!” Lily added. I nodded my head. “Oh! Don’t forget selling the wares the apprentice makes.”

“That makes sense,” Gabriela said. “I know I would sell any wares I acquired that in such a fashion.”

“That’s the way it used to be done hundreds of years ago before people realized that they could make even more money by charging for an apprenticeship in addition to those other things,” Lily said. Her eyes then widened, and she slapped her hands over her mouth.

“We’re telling the elder!” the other pixies teased.

“Don’t you dare!” Lily replied flying up to join them in the rafters.

“What was that about?” Isabella asked.

“Yes. Very strange behavior and comment,” Gabriela agreed giving me a questioning look that Izzy quickly mirrored.

“Beats me,” I shrugged. “The pixies often say strange things or act as if they know a lot of stuff about the past.”

“Do they know about the past?” Isabella asked.

“Don’t be absurd, Izzy. There’s no way those tiny beings know about our past. Even our familiars don’t know about human history,” Gabriela stated.

“Anyway, I’ll tentatively accept you as an apprentice, Izzy,” I said.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Izzy gushed once more before hugging her aunt and then me. I awkwardly returned it.

“Hip, hip, hooray!” the pixies cheered while dropping their banner, which said congratulations, and a lot of confetti. Gabriela and Izzy laughed.

I shook my head and looked up at the pixies. “You’re cleaning that up mess!”

They blew raspberries at me.

“Make your apprentice clean up!” Yam said. “That’s what she’s here for.”

“Isabella and Jase haven’t signed a contract yet,” Gabriela told the pixie.

“So?” Yam replied.

“That means Izzy isn’t Jase’s to boss around yet,” Willow explained.

“Oh!” Yam muttered before shrugging.

“No Jase, don’t say it!” Lily suddenly said. I smiled.

“If you don’t clean up your mess, you won’t get any more candy from me,” I said.

“Oh! He did anyway!” Lily exclaimed falling back and clutching her heart.

“That’s not fair!” the other pixies shouted making us humans laugh.

“Sure, it is,” I replied.

“Jase, you can just…” Willow said before Lily silenced her by putting her hands over Willow’s mouth while April smacked her in the back of the head.

“What can Jase do?” Izzy asked.

“We’ll clean up the mess if you agree to give us some candy,” May quickly said.

“No,” I replied. “You made the mess.”

“Come on my Jase, just one for each of us,” Lily tried giving me a sweet and innocent look.

“Alright. One lemon drop each,” I agreed pointing to the confetti all over the floor. “Now please get that up and into the trash.”

“Sure thing!” the pixies chorused.

Gabriela and Isabella watched in amazement as the confetti was blown into a pile before it levitated into the air and then the trash can. The pixies then landed on the counter looking quite smug before holding out their tiny hands to me. I laughed and gave them their treats.

“Pixies really do have magic!” Isabella exclaimed.

“I always thought that was just rumors and tricks,” Gabriela said looking thoughtful.

“Magic is tricks,” May said before licking her candy. The other pixies nodded in agreement. “Hmmm!”

“Are the stories about using their wings for magic potions also true?” Gabriela wondered. She had a gleam in her eyes.

“Aunt Gabby!” Izzy exclaimed. “Don’t be greedy. You taught me that those so-called magic potions only ever sell to the foolish.”

The merchant shrugged as the pixies, except for Lily, took their treats and flew into the rafters, which placed them well out of reach. Lily flew over to me and took her place in my pocket. I sent comforting thoughts and feelings to her.

“No, there is zero truth to that story at all. Magic can’t be ingested,” I replied.

“Then how did the pixies get it?” Gabriela asked. “Familiars don’t have magic powers.”

“Aren’t familiars in general a magical thing?” Lily asked. “You share feelings and thoughts with them as well as talk to each other.”

“Good point,” Isabella said.

“True,” Gabriela admitted before taking on a far off look in her eyes. “Nico says Juan and a couple of others are almost here.”

“Getting back to the apprenticeship,” I said changing the subject and not wanting to admit that magic could be taught. “Lily and I will work up a contract tonight for us to sign tomorrow.”

“Will you provide room and board in this deal?” Gabriela asked. “It’s usually standard.”

“We’ll have to do some remodeling, but yes,” I replied after thinking it over.

“Need any help?” Izzy asked.

“No. We’ll take care of it,” Lily answered.

“Then once the workers are loaded up, we’ll be off,” Gabriela said as I opened the door. We could see Juan and the others entering my yard.