“That’s unbelievable and amazing all at the same time!” Izzy gushed after I finished showing her an example of each type of “magic” Lily had taught me.

“It’s just tricks,” Yam said.

“Says you!” Lily countered. “You’re just jealous.”

“Jealous of what?” Yam asked smugly. “Your bond with a human? As if!”

“No,” Lily replied just as smugly. “You’re jealous of my keen fashion sense!”

“Oooh!” Willow said.

“No, she didn’t,” April said.

“She did!” May laughed.

“You… you!” Yam stammered. She flung a spark of electricity at my familiar that Lily easily dodged.

“Missed me!” Lily teased.

“Now you got to kiss me,” the other pixies sang.

“Never! Yam shouted. She took off after Lily. “I’ll get you!”

“No way!” Lily laughed flying away. The other pixies took off after them.

“Children,” Trillium sighed.

“You’re not worried about them?” Izzy asked.

“No Isabella, I’m not,” I replied.

“Me either,” Trillium said. “Listen.”

A few seconds later a bunch of laughter could be heard ebbing and flowing as the pixies chased each other. Sara chuffed, stood, and walked towards the woods.

“Going hunting?” I asked the big cat. She didn’t even turn her head.

“Maybe she doesn’t like you,” Isabella said.

“She likes you both well enough,” Trillium replied. “Sara just won’t deign to reply to what she considers stupid questions.”

“Oh,” Izzy and I said at the same time.

“I’m going home. Jase and the others can explain any questions about his demonstration to you,” Trillium said. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye elder,” Izzy and I replied. The older pixie waved and flew away.

“Let’s get something to drink and retreat to the front porch to talk,” I suggested.

“Works for me,” Isabella replied. She then grinned. “Should I get the drinks master mage?”

“Ha-ha, yes. I’ll have lemonade,” I answered.

“Yes, ol’ wizened one,” Izzy teased, the grin never slipping from her face.

“Keep it up and I’m going to zap you,” I replied as a matching grin developed on my own face. I pointed a finger at her. Isabella mock screamed and ran into the house. I shook my head and headed around the house to the front porch. “I’m surrounded by crazy women.”

*

“As Lily taught me, think of what we call magic as energy that is all around us,” I said. Izzy nodded her understanding, so I continued while gesturing to Izzy and myself, “We, humans, just aren’t attuned to it. Think of it as air. You know it is there, but you can’t see it.”

“That makes sense,” Isabella replied after giving it a little thought.

“Whew!” Lily said as she rejoined us and landed on my right shoulder. A few seconds later, the other pixies landed around us. “Lemonade!”

“We want some,” the other pixies chorused. “Please!”

“Can we have some candy too?” Lily asked as she flew down and landed on my left thigh. “We used a lot of energy playing and need a pick me up!”

“We were just talking about that,” I replied.

“Giving us sweets and lemonade?” April asked.

“No.”

“Aw!” the pixies chorused.

“We were talking about energy,” Izzy said.

“But yes, you can have lemonade and some candy,” I added.

“I’ll go get some small cups,” Izzy said.

“Yay!” the pixies shouted as Isabella went inside for the cups. She returned a couple of minutes later and poured for the pixies while I gave them candy. “Thank you!”

“You were talking about magic and energy, weren’t you?” Lily asked a moment later.

“Yep,” I replied.

“Don’t forget the most important steps,” Lily laughed. The other pixies perked up.

“What steps?” Willow asked Lily. Lily whispered something to her and the others. “Oh yes, those are very important steps.”

“We’re not doing that,” I said.

“Doing what and what steps?” Isabella asked.

“The Cha Cha!” Yam happily answered as the pixies started doing the dance. Izzy and I laughed.

“Izzy can’t do magic,” April pointed out.

“Why not?” Isabella asked. The pixies exchanged a look and then shrugged.

“Because a pixie has to love you very much to do magic,” Lily said flying up and hugging my neck before quickly descending so the other pixies wouldn’t eat her candy. “Even if one of us did love you that much, it could take years before you can harness the energy around us.”

“Really?” Izzy asked. “But you and Jase haven’t been bonded that long.”

“Ha!” Lily replied. “I was a cradle robber!”

“For shame!” Willow exclaimed as Lily started giggling.

“You need to do a shame walk!” May said.

“With us following behind you ringing a bell,” April said.

“And do it naked!” Yam added.

“Wait. Do you mean Lily doing the shame walk naked or us ringing the bells naked?” May asked.

“Both!” Yam replied before falling into a giggling fit.

“Pervert!” the other pixies chorused. That only made Yam laugh harder.

“Lily and I bonded when I was a child,” I explained to Isabella.

“That’s not possible,” my apprentice replied.

“It’s possible,” Lily retorted. “It’s just rare.”

“But how?” Izzy asked.

“The same as familiars and young adults perform the bond. We agreed to be with each other,” I replied.

“Bonding can’t be that simple,” Izzy said.

“It is,” Lily said. “Bonding is more about finding someone that will love you unconditionally and that you enjoy being with for life more than anything else. I found that in Jase when he was a child.”

“Even though I had forgotten it while growing up, I had found that in Lily,” I added. “She accepts me for me and will do anything in her power for me, just as I would for her.”

“Aww,” the pixies chorused. “It was true love.”

Lily blushed and shot sparks at them. The others scattered hiding behind Isabella and me, giggling the whole time.

“That’s actually pretty spot on,” I said.

“I think I can see that,” Izzy replied. “But nobody bonds that young.”

“That’s because parents want to make sure their children are old enough to know what they’re getting into by bonding with a familiar more than any other reason. The bond is for life after all,” Willow said.

“Ok. But what about the magic?” Izzy replied. “If pixies are needed to perform magic, why doesn’t every human bond with you guys?

“We won’t allow it,” Yam answered.

“We learned a long time ago that some humans can’t be trusted,” April said. “So, we started taking precautions.”

“Precautions?” I inquired. “This is the first I’ve heard of that.”

“That’s because we didn’t want to tell you, my silly Jase,” Lily replied.

“As for the precautions, we only bond with people that we know we can trust,” May said.

“And we only teach energy manipulation to those that have proven to earn and keep that trust,” Lily added.

“Ok. That makes sense,” Izzy said. “But I’m still not sure how you can do that.”

“Why do you think we spend so much time around human villages and towns?” Willow asked. “We’re always watching.”

“But who watches the watchers?” I asked.

“We do!” the pixies chorused.

“But you just said you were the watchers,” Izzy pointed out.

“No. We said we were always watching, not that we were the watchers,” Willow disagreed.

“The other familiars are the watchers,” Isabella guessed. The pixies clapped and shot sparks into the air.

“Looks like you guessed correctly,” I told her.

“Yeah,” Izzy agreed. “So, have you guys judged me or whatever”

“Yep!” the pixies chorused.

“You have a good heart,” Willow said.

“And pretty nice boobs too!” Yam said launching herself at Izzy’s chest.

“Aah!” Isabella screamed as Willow tackled her friend.

“Hands off! Those are mine,” Willow said.

“But Willow, they look so soft,” Yam whined.

“And you guys called me a pervert,” Lily huffed.