“Why did you insist we go to the village so early?” I asked after yawning again as we walked on the trail to Stonecroft. Lily yawned from my shirt pocket and dropped out of sight. Telepathically I said, “Slacker…”

“Don’t be jealous. You would go back to sleep if you could too,” Lily replied.

“Touché.”

“Because Aunt Gabby and her crew are arriving this morning, or at least they should be,” Izzy replied as Lily chuckled softly before nodding off. “And what do you mean early? It’s already after 8.”

“That’s early when I was up after 2 last night,” I complained.

“You weren’t working. You were reading,” Isabella retorted.

“That’s work,” I replied as a smile touched my lips. My apprentice had a good point, even if I wouldn’t admit it.

“Izzy, you need to start wearing shirts with front pockets like Jase does,” Willow said aloud.

“Why?” Isabella asked.

“So, I can ride in them or go to sleep like Lily is doing right now,” the pixie answered. She then grinned mischievously. “Plus, I would be much closer to your bosom!”

“I knew it!” Izzy exclaimed. She turned to me. “How come I got the perverted pixie?”

“You didn’t. Yam is the pervert,” I replied as Willow nodded her head in agreement.

“Jase speaks the truth. I’m just messing with you,” Willow said.

“Izzy!” Yam squealed as she flew up to us and right into Isabella’s chest and hugged as best, she could. “I missed you!”

“Get off my human!” Willow huffed from Isabella’s right shoulder.

“You guys called me,” the other pixie replied as she flew up and landed on Izzy’s left shoulder.

“We didn’t call you,” I pointed out.

“Just speaking her name is summoning her,” Lily said.

“Enjoy your nap?” I asked.

“Nope. It wasn’t anywhere near long enough and I got woken up by a certain someone,” my familiar replied as she flew up and settled on my right shoulder.

“Sorry Lily, not sorry,” Yam said. The pixies took flight and started chasing each other.

“They’re crazy, but I wouldn’t give Lily up for anything,” I said as we stopped walking to watch the pixies play.

“I know what you mean,” Izzy replied. “The only thing I don’t get is some of what she says.”

“Got an example?” I asked as we started walking again.

“Yeah. Willow said she was upset last night that we hadn’t partied like it was 1999 and I have no idea what that means. Then she satisfied herself my sleeping on my boo…chest,” Isabella replied. I laughed because I understood that reference. Izzy flushed. “Why are you laughing at me and my perverted familiar?”

“I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at the 1999 line. It’s from an ancient song,” I explained. “And remember what she said a few minutes ago, she’s just been teasing you. Sounds to me like she’s been taking it too far though.”

“I think I get that. The teasing I mean, not the song,” Isabella said. “Does Lily take things too far?”

“Yeah, all the time. Even before I realized we were bonded, she would prank me a lot more often than anyone else,” I answered and shrugged my shoulders. “It’s part of living with a pixie.”

“But pixies prank everybody,” Izzy protested.

“True!” Lily laughed as she flew by us.

“But we prank and tease the humans we love most the most,” Willow added as her and Yam flew by us.

“But why do they pick on me about my… bosom and not you about any of your physical parts?” Isabella asked.

“No idea,” I replied. “Maybe they just don’t find me as attractive.”

“You’re wrong my Jase,” Lily said as she circled us. “The answer is quite simple.”

“We tease my boob… I mean my Izzy because she has them and you don’t,” Willow explained as she joined Lily in circling us.

“Not me. I do it because I like those big soft mounds of flesh,” Yam said in a creepy voice making grabbing motions with her hands as she stopped in front of Isabella. Willow zapped her kin, and the pixies started their play again.

“Just great. I get teased about my body because I’m a girl,” Izzy huffed.

“At least they don’t set traps to dump things on your head or mess with your underwear,” I said.

“They’ve done that?” Isabella asked.

“Yep!” the pixies chorused as they flew overhead. I nodded my head.

“Yeah. Perhaps being a false object of desire is the better option,” Izzy said.

“There’s one other reason we’re doing it too,” Willow said flying back up.

“Oh?” Izzy wondered.

“We’re trying to make Jase jealous,” Willow told Izzy telepathically. Isabella blushed as the pixies flew off again.

“What did she say?” I asked.

“Nothing!” Izzy quickly replied.

I shook my head as we kept walking to dismiss whatever. “Anyway, remind me to play that 1999 song for you when we get home.”

“Play the song?”

“Yeah. Since you’re bonded with Willow now, we can show you the rest of the gadgets at home,” I said giving my apprentice a smile.

“There’s more besides the kitchen and shop?”

“Yep.”