“I thought all the new adults were picked by their familiars like we were at the coast during the ceremony,” I said.

“Nah. Up here in the high country, we approach them early and try to convince familiars to agree to bond with us,” Simon replied, correcting Jase’s assumption. “The ceremony is more of a formality.”

“Think about Meagan and her pursuing Sara,” Lily said.

“Right!” I agreed, snapping my fingers. “I remember Sara turning her down but agreeing to help her find another cougar to bond with.”

“That’s a good example,” Simon agreed.

“Would Isabella know about this?” I asked, feeling concerned about my apprentice’s lack of time searching out a familiar of her own. Izzy had been kept quite busy lately.

“I’m sure she does,” the old merchant laughed. “Asheville does things the same way we do.”

“Her and Willow have been spending a lot of time together,” Lily said.

“I noticed that, but do you really think Willow and her would?” I replied.

“Sure. They seem to get along well enough,” Lily answered. She smiled. “Not as good as us, but we’ve known each other a lot longer too.”

“True,” I agreed, returning my pixie’s smile.

“Another human and pixie bonding?” Simon asked, stroking his chin. He then laughed. “Ama and a few others would just love that.”

“Willow has seemed to be really keen on the idea of having her own human since she found out you were willing to meet Izzy about the apprenticeship,” Lily said.

Simon laughed. “We’re not pets.”

“Neither are your familiars,” Lily retorted.

“Touché,” the old merchant replied, tipping an imaginary cap. Lily curtsied in return. Simon smiled.

“If it happens, it happens,” I replied shrugging my shoulders. “We’ll see you next time.”

“Not coming to the festival?” Simon asked.

“I’m not sure,” I answered as Lily landed on my right shoulder and sat down. “If Isabella doesn’t need to come to bond with a familiar and chooses not to attend, then we’ll probably just get some work done instead.”

“Take some friendly advice and attend the festival,” Simon said.

“All work and no play do make Jase a dull boy,” Lily added.

“Hey! Whose side are you on?” I teased Lily.

“Our side,” my familiar replied kissing my cheek. “But I still love teasing you.”

“Don’t I know it,” I said walking to the shop’s door. I turned back to the merchant. “I promise I’ll think about coming to the festival.”

“Good enough,” Simon said, waving as we exited his shop.

*

“Too bad you can’t teach me to do that,” Izzy told Willow as the pixie finished levitating some jars into the shop from storage for her. She sat the jars down.

“Oh, I could,” Willow replied.

“Really?” an exited Isabella asked.

“Yep,” the pixie replied. She then gasped and grabbed her head before collapsing on the counter.

“Willow are you ok” Izzy asked.

“She’s fine,” Yam said from the rafters. “Willow just promised something that she shouldn’t have.”

“What do you mean?” Izzy asked as she rubbed Willow’s back with her index finger as best, she could.

“There are certain things we cannot discuss with humans,” Trillium said as the elder entered the shop. She checked on the younger pixie. “Yam is correct. Willow will be fine.”

“Good morning, elder,” Isabella greeted Trillium.

“Good morning child,” Trillium returned the greeting. “Or perhaps I should say young adult.”

“I haven’t bonded with a familiar yet, so that’s a bit premature,” Izzy replied.

“Sure,” Trillium replied giving the young woman a knowing smile. She then spun toward the door. “3,2,1”

“Honey, we’re home!” Lily shouted as I opened the door.

“Not so loud,” Willow hissed as I shut the door.

“How did you do that?” Isabella asked Trillium. The pixie elder just smiled again. “Pixie magic?”

“Something like that,” Trillium replied as I walked over to the coin box we had and added the money I received from Simon to it.

“Good morning, elder,” Lily and I said to Trillium. The older pixie returned the greeting.

Lily flew over to Willow and poked her in the side. “What’s with you?”

“She told Izzy something she shouldn’t have,” Yam said from the rafters.

“Oh. Yeah, it sucks when you do that,” Lily replied looking up into the rafters. “Oh! You finished the swing. I want to try it!”

“Not a chance,” Yam said. “Unless the elder wants to go first, I get first dibs since I made it.”

“Have the first go, child,” Trillium replied. “You did the work after all.”

Yam stuck her tongue out at Lily and sat in the swing. Lily shrugged and took her seat on my shoulder again.

“So, what did Yam say?” I inquired.

“Willow was helping me move some jars and I mentioned that it was too bad that she couldn’t teach me magic,” Isabella answered.

“Oh. She promised she could, didn’t she?” Lily replied.

“Yeah,” Izzy answered.

“We can only get away with that after being bonded for a long time,” Lily said. She then slapped her hands over her mouth.

“Wait!” Izzy exclaimed before turning her attention more fully on me and my pixie. “You’ve taught Jase magic?”

“Uh…” I muttered, opening my candy bag, and holding one out to the pixie elder.

“Of course not! Don’t be silly,” Lily replied. Isabella’s eyes widened.

“You have!” she said. Then to me,” What magic do you know?”

“The jig is up!” Yam cackled. “I want candy too!”

“Me three,” Willow said, perking up.

“You should come clean,” Trillium said while accepting a honey drop from me. “Your apprentice was bound to find out sooner or later.”

“Later would have been better,” I replied as Izzy’s eyes tracked from the older pixie to me and back.

“The elder is right,” Lily said. I sighed and went to the door. I flipped the open sign before shutting the door and locking it. “Izzy, take a seat. Guess we need to have another talk about secrets.”

“Oh boy! I get to write up another contract!” Lily exclaimed, before changing into her business attire.