"Perfection" in the Masks Off Too! Anthology

The world of the fey is one that cares about appearances to an almost pathological degree. Imperfection is rarely tolerated and those who are less than perfect are stigmatized and excluded. As an energy vampire who bears the scars of a life long-persecuted, August feels an intruder in their world. That is, until he meets another outcast, a fairy named Daniel with broken wings and a most un-fairy-like attitude to both the world he lives in and August.

You can buy the individual story here for $2.49.
Or the full anthology here for $6.99.


Extract:

August sought solace in the buffet table. It was curiously deserted but August wasn't about to question that when it meant more food for him. Apart from the various petals and honeyed insects that were for fairy consumption, there were pumpkin pastries, fondant fancies, cupcakes sprinkled with icing flowers and edible glitter, lemon tarts, and little baskets of sweeties. There was an unfortunate lack of alcohol; the only thing to drink here was sugar water, so August piled his plate high and ignored the glasses. He turned around to watch the ball and leaned against the buffet table for support.

He popped food into his mouth and watched the fairies dance. Their perfect bodies twined around each other. They drew each other in for sugary kisses, silk and tulle fluttering around their thighs. Their bare chests pressed together, breasts against muscles, breasts against breasts, muscles against muscles. Necks were nipped and buttocks palmed. 

August averted his eyes. A fondant fancy melted in his mouth.

"What are you doing here?" a voice said.

August turned his head to look at the speaker. He was another fairy, flawless like the rest of them. He had dark, dark skin and curly brown hair cut to his chin. His huge brown eyes were almost lucent in the light from the paper lanterns that had floated upward to gather in the ceiling of the arches. His muscles gleamed along the breadth of his torso, made more prominent by some powder that glittered along the edges of them. He wasn't wearing a mask. In fact, he seemed to be doing his best not to be part of the proceedings at all. He sucked at a huge lollipop, popping the red dome of it into his mouth, then pulled it out to lap at it. The sight of his tongue and the lollipop painting his lips red was powerfully distracting.