After a quick stop for midnight black coffee, stale crumpets, and a shot of something dark and fortifying, Nairo and Ridley arrived back where it had all started: Verdalia bank. It was business as usual, or at least there was an attempt at normal business. Rioting had continued for the third day in a row and now the facade of normality was beginning to crack. The streets were still surprisingly empty. Police had been carrying out checks on anyone wishing to enter the city proper and this had led to massive tailbacks on the main roads. That combined with the blockades everywhere, had brought the city to a near halt. Nothing was getting in and many businesses remained closed due to lack of staff or goods. It was a strange feeling to actually see the cobbles. To feel how big the streets were now they were empty. It was surreal.

Nairo hopped out of the cab after Ridley, blinking in the weak morning sunlight. She threw a surreptitious look over her shoulder, unable to shake the feeling that they were still being watched.

“Did you notice anyone following us?” she asked Ridley.

“There were a couple of cabs, but nothing I could be sure ain’t just paranoia,” Ridley replied, he too was checking out their surroundings, but far more subtle than Nairo. “No one seems to be taking too much of an interest in us.”

They limped up the grand steps to the bank and walked in. Nairo immediately felt how empty the place was. Only one Human teller was working and there were no Goblins or HobGoblins on shift. The bank was still like a stage waiting for the actors.

A tall woman strode across the bank floor, her professionally sized heels clicking as she approached.

“Good morning, my name is Laryssa Velentine, how may I assist you today?”

Nairo turned to face the woman, her mouth already forming around words such as: ‘I’m Sargeant Nairo’ and ‘we’re here investigating’ but then she remembered that wasn’t true.

“Oh Mrs Velentine, they’re with the police!” A familiar voice said from behind the desk. Isabelle, the young receptionist who had helped them track down De Woolf, smiled at them from behind the counter.

“You know these officers, Isabelle?” Mrs Velentine asked, looking down her nose at the bedraggled and bruised duo.

“Yes, maam, they’re on the case about the robbery.”

“Ahh, I was led to believe EIF had taken the case over,” Mrs Velentine said.

“Yeah we’re just following up on some questions,” Ridley said with a bored tone of voice that suggested it was nothing important. “Just crossing the I’s and dotting the T’s.”

“Well I am terribly busy at the moment…”

“That’s fine, I’m sure Isabelle can clarify a couple things for us and then we’ll be on our way,” Ridley said.

“Good. If you need anything I will be downstairs.” Mrs Velentine turned and stalked away, her heels clicking.

“The new boss?” Ridley asked Isabelle, leaning on the desk gingerly.

“Yeah, she’s alright, just a bit… professional.” Isabelle beamed up at them hopefully. “Did you find him?”

“De Woolf?” Ridley asked.

Isabelle nodded eagerly and Ridley looked at Nairo.

“We did,” Nairo confirmed.

“And?”

“We don’t believe he stole the Diamond.”

“I knew it!” Isabelle beamed at them. “Mr De Woolf would never do something like that. So where is he? Is he coming back to the bank? Is he okay?” Isabelle asked, noting the look between Nairo and Ridley.

“He’s currently in the custody of the EIF,” Nairo said.

“What! Why?”

“They aren’t as sure as we are that De Woolf is innocent.”

“But he didn’t do anything!”

“We know and that’s why we’re here.”

“To free De Woolf, we have to find who did steal the Diamond,” Ridley said.

“Of course, how can I help?”

“We need to talk to your Pixies,” Ridley replied.

“The Pixies? Why?”

“We believe they may have seen something or heard something. We need to speak to those that were on duty the night of the robbery,” Nairo explained.

“Oh… I don’t know which ones would have been here. It sounds terrible but I can’t tell them apart,” Isabelle said, frowning slightly.

“Any will do, I suppose,” Ridley said. “They all share the same brain or whatever.”

“Well, that’s the problem, we don’t actually have any Pixies on shift.”

“Really?”

“Yes, they’ve stopped coming since the robbery.”

“Who’s in charge of the Pixies? Someone must rota them on shift or whatever,” Ridley said.

“Yes, it’s done by an outside agency. The Pixies just sort of turn up when they’re supposed to be on shift and leave when they’re done. I have no idea where they go in between.”

“Can you point us in the right direction?”

“Yes, of course.” Isabelle pulled her hefty rolodex towards her and began flicking through with expert speed. “Ahh here! It’s an agency called the Wings of Work. I believe our contact is a lady named Esther Jenkins, her details are here on the card.” She handed them a dogeared card with a name and address on the bottom.

“Cobalt Alley,” Nairo read.

“That’s not far from here,” Ridley said. “We could hoof it there in ten minutes.”

“Thank you Isabelle, you’ve been a great help as always.”

“You’re welcome. Is- is Mr De Woolf going to be okay?”

“As long as we find the Diamond he will be,” Nairo replied.

Isabelle nodded and wished them luck as they turned and walked back out of the bank.

“You know the way?” Nairo asked Ridley.

“Yeah, but we’re going through the back alleys. If anyone is following us, they’re gonna have to do it on foot. Will make it much easier to sniff ‘em out.”

Ridley led Nairo through the urine fouled back alleys of the city proper, his preternatural sense of direction making light work of the snaking alleyways. They all seemed to connect at one point or another and there was barely a road sign of place name on any of them. Every now and again Ridley would stop as if pondering their next move, but Nairo knew he was making sure no one was tailing them. After almost fifteen minutes of trotting through alleys, doubling back, and checking for pursuers, they came to a pristine white fronted building no larger than a modest home. On the front of the building was a placard that read: Wings of Work, charitable home for Pixie Folk.

“Looks like this is the place,” Ridley said.

“Do we knock?” Nairo asked.

“Usually how you get into a place.”

Nairo stepped up to the unassuming blue door and rapped her knuckles on it.

“You still knock like a copper,” Ridley snorted from behind her.

“And how does a copper knock?” Nairo snapped at him.

“Like they expect to be let in.”

They waited in silence for a few moments. Nairo knocked again and stepped back from the door.

“Nobody home?” Ridley said, standing on his tiptoes, trying to peer into one of the ground floor windows.

“Where else would they be?”

Nairo stepped back up the door.

“Ms Jenkins?” she called. “We’re here to ask a few questions. Ms Jenkins?”

There was a creak of floorboards from inside but the door remained shut. Nairo turned to look at Ridley and then saw a twitch of the net curtains.

“Ms Jenkins! We know you’re in there! We only need a few minutes of your time!”

They heard the creak again.

“Looks like she don’t want visitors,” Ridley said and Nairo noticed him sizing up the brick wall next to the house.

“We’re not breaking in!” Nairo hissed at him.

“Why not? Not like we ain’t done it before.”

“That was different!”

“How?”

“That was… a public building, this is someone’s home!”

“What? Are you a vampyre that you can’t cross a threshold?”

“Don’t start with the vampyre talk again…”

“Go away!” a small, frail voice said from the other side of the door.

“Ms Jenkins?” Nairo shouted through the door.

“We’re not open today!”

“Ms Jenkins, we’re not here for business, we just need to speak to one of your Pixies.”

“Speak to the Pixies? Why?”

“It’s regarding an ongoing investigation…”

“Are you police?”

Nairo bit her lip and Ridley swooped in.

“We’re here about an ongoing investigation! It would be obstructing the course of justice if you refused us access!”

Nairo cast Ridley a dark look that he pointedly ignored. There was more creaking of floorboards behind the door before the sound of heavy metal thunk as a latch was drawn back. The door cracked open and a tired, pale blue eye looked at them.

“Ms Jenkins, we just need a few moments of your time.”

“You’re not going to hurt them are you?”

“Hurt them? The Pixies?”

Ms Jenkins nodded, the door still only cracked a few inches.

“Of course not Ms Jenkins, we just need to ask a few questions.” Nairo smiled reassuringly at the old woman.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

The door closed again and then opened all the way. Standing in front of them was a woman well into her sixties. She wore a heavy grey cardigan that made her stooped frame look too large and ponderous. Her hair was a tousled mess, as if she had just woken up, but the fine lines of her face told Nairo this was unusual for her. She seemed fastidiously clean in every other aspect but she looked exhausted.

“Ms Esther Jenkins?” Nairo asked, smiling warmly.

“Yes that’s right,” Ms Jenkins said, trying to smooth down her wiry grey hair.

“My name is Sally Nairo and this is Ridley, we’re investigating a possible robbery at the city bank…”

“I thought so,” Ms Jenkins said wearily. “You better come in sweetheart.”

She turned and shuffled away, letting them close the door behind them. The house, much like its owner, was old but well kept. Everything was made of sturdy wood and full of little knick knacks. There were paintings, carvings, models, and clay works of Pixies everywhere. The house had a lived in smell, as if the windows were rarely opened. It wasn’t unpleasant but it was slightly cloying. Nairo and Ridley followed Ms Jenkins into the kitchen.

“Would you like some tea?” Ms Jenkins asked them, motioning for them to sit at the small table in the corner.

“That would be lovely,” Nairo said.

“Hildy, could you make three cups of tea please?” Ms Jenkins asked.

Nairo looked around to see who she was speaking to. A small Pixie hovered into view from behind the kitchen counter. It gave Ms Jenkins a dreamy, unfocused smile, and then busied itself with the tea.

Nairo sat down at the table while Ridley leaned against the wall, watching the Pixie. Ms Jenkins eased herself into a chair and sighed.

“Ms Jenkins, do you supply Pixies for the city bank?” Nairo asked once she had settled.

“I do, yes dear. The bank pays a fee for each Pixie and I use the money to feed and house them here.”

“And were your Pixies working the day of the bank robbery?”

There was a rattle of cups as the Pixie’s head perked up.

“Yes they were.”

“Do you know which ones were working?”

“Of course I do,” Ms Jenkins said bristling. “Everyone else might see them as interchangeable tools of work but I know my Pixies. Each one of them is as unique as you or I.”

“I’m sorry Ms Jenkins, I didn’t mean any offence.”

“No, but it just comes so easy when speaking of Pixies.”

Nairo nodded, abashed, and pushed on.

“We believe that the Pixies on shift that night may have seen something that will help us uncover who committed the robbery.”

Again there was a rattle of china but this time followed by a smash.

“Hildy!” Ms Jenkins gasped. “Are you alright?”

The Pixie turned to them and now its eyes were focused and present. It looked terrified.

“I’m sorry, Ms Jenkins,” it said in a small, quivering voice.

“No, don't be my darling. Are you alright? You haven’t hurt yourself have you?”

Ridley bent down to help the Pixie pick up the smashed pieces of china.

“Was it Hildy?” he asked.

The Pixie flinched and then nodded slowly.

“Were you on shift that night at the bank?”

“No she wasn’t!” Ms Jenkins said sharply. “Hildy you don’t have to answer…”

“Yes.” Hildy whispered, unable to make eye contact with Ridley.

“You saw it, didn’t you?” Ridley asked, squatted down in front of her, his tone gentle.

Hildy nodded her round head.

“Could you tell us what you saw?”

Ms Jenkins made an uncomfortable noise.

“Please, you’ll upset her. They’ve all been so upset.”

“Ms Jenkins, I assure you we don’t wish to cause any upset, but we need to know what the Pixies saw that day. People's lives are at risk here. Some have already been killed.”

Ms Jenkins clenched her jaw, her eyes wet.

“Go on Hildy,” Ridley said softly. “You’re not in any trouble… and neither is the other Pixie, we want to find it and help it.”

“The Unspoken,” Hildy whispered. Her eyes went wide and her whole body trembled.

“Oh heavens,” Ms Jenkins whispered, a hand drawing towards her throat.

“That’s right. The Pixie that’s been trying to talk to you…”

“No! No! It’s not right! It’s Kaba!” Hildy almost screamed this and then vanished.

Ridley blinked in surprise and looked around.

“Where’s she gone?”

Nairo looked at Ms Jenkins. A single tear rolled down her weathered cheek.

“Oh heavens, it’s too cruel.”

“Ms Jenkins, where did Hildy go?” Ridley asked her.

“Back to their nest. Pixies have many abilities we Humans don’t bother understanding. Retreating to their safe place is one of them.”

“She’s gone back home?” Nairo asked incredulously.

“Oh dear no. They have a nest out back. It’s their safe place. Oh they’ll be so scared. You really shouldn’t have come here.”

“Ms Jenkins, we need to find out about this Pixie.”

“Is the Unspoken a Cut Pixie?” Ridley asked and Ms Jenkins gasped.

“It’s so cruel,” she whispered again, wiping the tear from her cheek with a scrunched up ball of tissue. “What they do to those Pixies, ripping them away from their own species. It’s inhumane.”

“Is that what made the Pixies so afraid?” Nairo asked.

Ms Jenkins nodded. She took a deep breath, sighed and cleared her throat noisily.

“It started the night before the bank robbery,” she began. “The Pixies all woke up terrified. They kept muttering about something unnatural and using that phrase, Kaba. I’d never heard of it before. I thought at first they might be sick or that some shared dream had disturbed them. Pixies are very sensitive creatures, they feel emotion very keenly. But they kept repeating the phrase and they wouldn’t settle for the rest of the night. Then when morning came and it was time for the Pixies on shift return, no one came back. I went looking for them and found them strewn about the alleyways, muttering and crying. I took the poor things home as quickly as I could but they were even worse than the Pixies who hadn’t gone to work that night.”

“What were they saying?” Ridley asked.

“They kept repeating about the Kaba, the Unspoken, and then…” Ms Jenkins dabbed at her eyes again. “They started to talk about murder.” She whispered the word as if it had physically strangled her.

“Murder,” Nairo repeated, looking over at Ridley, who was watching Ms Jenkins intensely. “Did they say who?”

“No. Just that they had killed someone, a bad creature they had said. But my Pixies wouldn’t hurt anyone! They just wouldn’t!” Ms Jenkins wept.

“We know,” Nairo said, patting her arm. “We don’t think they’ve hurt anyone. We think they’ve been getting visions from another Pixie, a Cut Pixie, who has been trying to reach out to its own kind.”

“But they can’t,” Ms Jenkins said. “It’s not possible.”

“What do you mean?”

“Cut Pixies can maybe whisper a few snatches of thoughts if it is close proximity to another Pixie, but there’s no way it could communicate images to Pixies from any sort of distance. That’s why the Cut Pixies in the city don’t affect my Pixies, they’re too far away. But even if they were in the same room, it would be like hearing a whisper from ten feet away. Just a snatch of a word here and there. But they saw it! They saw the murder! They saw it so vividly they thought they had done it. And ever since, they’ve been seeing things that are impossible! They haven’t left their nest since that night but they have spoken to me about all sorts of crazy things.”

“Like what?” Ridley said.

Ms Jenkins swallowed.

“More murders,” she croaked. “Boys in an alleyway being blown to pieces. And then… and then I read about those young men that were killed by the Goblins in that alleyway. And they’ve spoken about other creatures and parts of the city they’ve never been to! It’s driving them mad! Hildy was one of the only ones who hasn’t become a gibbering wreck…” Ms Jenkins broke down into silent sobs.

“What does Kaba mean?” Ridley asked, his voice barely above a croak.

Ms Jenkins looked up at him with frightened eyes.

“Its… it is… the closest translation would be an evil spirit or demon.”

Ridley’s eyes widened.

“Ms Jenkins, I know this is a lot to ask, but we believe that a Cut Pixie has done all of these things, and we believe it is in possession of a very dangerous magickal item,” Nairo said. “We must find that Pixie before more creatures are hurt or killed. Do you think your Pixies would be able to tell us where it might be?”

Ms Jenkins blinked wetly.

“I don’t want to cause them more stress. I’ve had to sedate them as it is.”

“I understand that but if we find this Pixie we can stop this. We can stop it from trying to contact your Pixies.”

“Oh the poor thing,” Ms Jenkins wept. “It’s just trying to be with it’s own kind!”

“We know. But it has hurt a lot of people and we’re afraid it’s going to hurt a great many more by accident. If we can find it, we can get it some help and we can stop it from doing any more harm to your Pixies.”

Ms Jenkins took another shuddering breath and swallowed hard.

“I can try,” she said finally. “Follow me.”

Ms Jenkins heaved herself to her feet with Nairo’s help and then shuffled out of the back door. She led them down the little garden path to a squat wooden shed. She withdrew a key from her cardigan and unlocked it.

“Please, be gentle, they’re so frightened.”

Nairo nodded and followed Ms Jenkins into the gloom of the shed. There was only one light source, a glowing flower in the middle of the shed that gave off a pale blue light. It pulsed gently. The shed was hot, almost uncomfortably so. As her eyes adjusted, she saw dozens of Pixies laid out on little shelves. They were all curled around each other, as if clinging to one another for protection. They slept but it was fitful. They made distressing little squeaking noises as they twitched. In the middle of the shed was a small figure, hunched over, hugging her knees to her chest and staring into the glowing flower.

“Hildy, sweetheart?” Ms Jenkins whispered as she crossed the shed. “Are you alright my darling?”

Ms Jenkins eased herself down next to the Pixie and then wrapped her in a warm, motherly embrace. Without a word, the Pixie climbed into her lap and buried her face in Ms Jenkins cardigan, clinging to her like she was a piece of driftwood on a stormy sea. Ms Jenkins stroked her ears gently and made soft humming noises. She looked up and motioned for Ridley and Nairo to approach. They sat down opposite to them around the other side of the glowing flower.

“Hildy, my dear, these two people know what has happened. They know all about the… the Pixie that has been trying to talk to you.”

Hildy gripped her cardigan harder and buried her face deeper into her cardigan.

“They think they can help. They can take the bad Pixie away and it won’t bother us anymore. But they need you to help them first. Okay?”

Hildy kept her head buried but nodded slowly.

“Hildy, do you know where this other Pixie is?” Nairo asked her gently. “Has it told you anything about what it is doing or why?”

Hildy shook her head.

“Is there anything you can tell us? Any images you’ve seen, anything you’ve heard, that might give us a clue as to where it is?”

Hildy froze for a moment. Slowly, she withdrew her head and looked at them with bright, wet eyes.

“It is always dark and-and scary.”

“Is the Pixie still in the city? Do you recognise anything from what you’ve seen?” Nairo said.

Hildy nodded.

“It is in the city but I don’t know where.”

“No landmarks? Big buildings? Is it by the river?”

Hildy shook her head and Ridley let out a small frustrated growl.

“Anything you can tell us, Hildy, would be really helpful,” Nairo said.

“The smells.”

“What?”

“The smell… it’s so bad. It’s rotten. All the time. It makes us sick.”

Nairo sat back for a moment, her eyebrows drawn together.

“Does it stink all the time? No matter where the Pixie is?”

Hildy nodded her head. Nairo took a deep breath through her nose and chewed her lip.

“Is the Pixie alone? Do you know if it has spoken to anyone?” Ridley asked.

“It has a friend,” Hildy whispered.

“Who?”

But Hildy just shook her head.

“What does this friend look like?” Nairo asked.

“Horrible filthy little creature,” Hildy said.

“Oh you have to be shitting me,” Ridley breathed, he sat back a look of almost wonderment on his face as the final piece fell into place.

“What?” Nairo said.

“There’s another creature with the Pixie? A dirty one?” Ridley said to Hildy.

Hildy nodded.

“And it stinks?”

Hildy nodded again.

“And have you seen any images of like heaps of trash or like mountains of garbage?”

Hildy nodded.

“I don’t believe it,” Ridley whispered.

“Hildy doesn’t lie,” Ms Jenkins said.

“No, I believe her. I just don’t believe that that was the missing piece all along. Ms Jenkins, thank you so much for your help. We’ll find this Pixie and we’ll end this today.”

Ridley stood up and Nairo followed, still only half sure she was on the same page as Ridley.

“It hurts,” Hildy whispered.

“I know sweetheart,” Ms Jenkins said, stroking her head.

“No… the Kaba, it hurts so much. It wants to be whole again. It wants to come back to us. It hurts.” Hildy broke down and began weeping. Ms Jenkins wrapped her up and clutched her close to her chest, rocking her back and forth, silent tears falling down her cheeks,

“Please,” she said to Nairo and Ridley. “Please put a stop to this.”

“We will.” Ridley nodded at her, his mouth a grim slash as he turned and walked out of the shed.

Nairo stopped and knelt down next to the weeping Pixie. She tenderly stroked her head. The Pixie looked up and saw tears glistening in Nairo’s eyes.

“I’m sorry this has happened,” Nairo whispered to her. “But I will make it stop and I will help the Pixie.”

“You promise?” Hildy whispered.

“Yes. You have my word.”

The Pixie reached up to her own tear streaked face. She wiped her tears and then gently stroked a wet finger across Nairo’s cheek. Ms Jenkins gave a small gasp and then swaddled Hildy again.

“She’s marked you as a friend,” Ms Jenkins whispered, wiping her own tears. “Pixie tears hold a power of their own. You will be blessed with good fortune.”

“Thank you,” Nairo said, touching her cheek where the Pixie had wiped her tears, before standing up and straightening her tunic. She wiped her own tears away, careful not to disturb the Pixie’s, and followed Ridley out of the shed.

There was a back exit to the garden that led straight back to an alleyway. Ridley made a beeline for it and didn’t stop until he was sure there was no one following them or close enough to listen in.

“It can’t be,” Nairo said, when they finally stopped. “Surely not.”

“Fuckin’ is,” Ridley growled, kicking a pile of trash. “All along! All this time we’ve been chasing dead ends and nearly getting killed! It was him! It was fuckin’ Oz!”

“But why? Why would a bin demon be protecting the Pixie?”

“Fuck knows! But I’m gonna find him.”

“How?”

“The Pixie said she saw mountains of trash. Where else do you think a bin demon lives?”

“Oh no,” Nairo groaned.

“Yep. We’re going back out to the Wasteland.”