by Sonia Parin
They? Lexie swung around. “I don’t see anyone.”
“There’s only one way to tell.” Luna leaned forward and Lexie sensed her about to jump off her.
“No.” Lexie grabbed hold of Luna and tucked her under her arm.
“You seem to forget I have an excellent sense of smell,” Luna purred.
“Okay. Fine, go ahead, but I warn you, one false move and…”
Luna tilted her little head. “And what?”
“No funny business,” Lexie warned. “Have a whiff and step away from them.”
Both apples looked shiny. Lexie’s mouth watered. With a sigh of resignation, she set Luna down on the table.
Lowering her head, Luna went on the prowl. She edged toward the apples with the caution of a predatory animal out to catch a prey by surprise.
“Well?” Lexie asked.
“Patience, grasshopper, patience.” Luna leaned in and sniffed an apple only to jerk back.
“What?”
“Sorry, kneejerk reaction. It always pays to be cautious and expect something to take a bite out of me.” Luna sat back on her haunches and looked over her shoulder. “Have you ever seen boxers bob and weave in the ring? It’s a technique. The boxer makes rapid movements up and down and from side to side to confuse his opponent.”
“It’s an apple, Luna.”
Luna tilted her head. “Is it? How can we be sure? I suppose you want me to lead with my chin. That’s another boxing term. It means sticking your neck out or leaving yourself wide open and unprotected. Now, you probably think I’m trying to delay putting myself in danger.”
“No, I’m only wondering where you picked up all these boxing terms.”
“My previous companion, the one who enjoyed being tipsy from morning onwards, also enjoyed the occasional bout of boxing. She’d often fly us down to Vegas or wherever there happened to be a big fight. We always got front row seats meaning we were always in the direct path of blood and sweat splutter. She favored heavyweight bouts.” Luna lowered her head and approached the apples from the side.
Just as Lexie thought Luna would retreat again, she lunged forward, took a quick sniff and pulled back. She did this several times until she appeared to be sure the apples wouldn’t suddenly take a bite out of her. Settling down, she took her time smelling them from top to bottom.
“Well?” Lexie asked.
Luna peered at her over her shoulder. “I’m working on it. If I’m going to do this, I need to do it right. Would you hurry a bomb disposal agent?”
Lexie folded her arms. “Go ahead, take your time.”
Luna lifted her paw and made a tentative attempt to touch one of the apples. Five minutes later, she finally tapped one only to jump back. Holding her paw close to her nose, she subjected it to a thorough inspection, sniffing it closely. Luna’s little nose wrinkled and, finally, she licked her paw.
Half an hour later, Lexie wished she could say they were losing daylight but the sun appeared to be in the same spot. If indeed it was the sun. For all she knew, there could be a film spotlight on them.
“They both smell the same,” Luna whispered.
“Huh?”
“There’s no difference between one and the other.”
“But the sign says one will kill.” There had to be an easier way of doing this. She’d never been big on shopping. In fact, whenever she needed something, she asked Octavia to get it for her.
Closing her eyes, Lexie reached for one of the apples and took a bite.
“What are you doing?” Luna screeched.
“Juicy.”
Luna scurried toward her and sniffed the apple where Lexie had taken a bite. Her back curved and she hissed, “Spit it out. Spit it out. Spit it out.”
“Huh?” Lexie’s taste buds came alive and performed a happy dance. Swallowing, she eyed the apple and thought another bite wouldn’t hurt. When she tried to lift the apple, her hand wouldn’t respond.
“Did you just swallow?” Luna shrieked. “Which part of spit it out didn’t you get?”
Lexie’s legs wobbled. They gave way under her and she fell on her butt. “Uhm… Luna, I think I picked the wrong apple.”
Luna jumped several feet off the table. When she landed, she took off on a frenzied sprint around Lexie. After several turns, she stopped. “You’re going to have to make yourself sick. It has to come out but, whatever you do, don’t eat it again. I’ve made that mistake in the past and I don’t recommend it.”
Lexie wanted to say something but her eyes kept closing and her face felt numb so she did the only thing she could do.
Luna, if you can hear me… what am I saying… Of course, you can always hear me, at least I think you can… sometimes you pretend you can’t but I know you can…
Luna yelped. “Oh… Oh… You’re delirious.”
So, you can hear me?
“Yes. Why aren’t you spitting it out?”
It’s too late for that. You must go on without me.
“What?”
It’s up to you now, Luna. Take the backpack and hurry. Go through the door and take it back to Mrs. Ellsworth. Hurry. Hurry.
“I’ll… I’ll get help.”
Lexie knew it wouldn’t make a difference. She could feel herself fading fast.
Oh… I can hear whistling. It’s a happy tune. That reminds me, you should go to Jonathan. He’ll look after you.
“Jonathan? He’ll… He’ll make me his mascot. You said it yourself. I’ll be lucky if I get a bowl of milk from him.” Luna took off on another sprint around Lexie. “He’ll have me hunting for mice. We’ve had this discussion before. I’m not fit to eat rodents.”
Promise me you’ll be good to Rebel.
“I’m not leaving you.” Luna butted her head against Lexie’s face. “I know, I’ll… I’ll lick you. That always works for me.”
Ugh! Stop it.
Luna stopped and looked over her shoulder. “There’s someone coming. I can hear whistling.”
Oh… I thought I was imagining it. It’s rather catchy. Hi-ho. Hi-ho…
Lexie yawned and swayed.
You should take the fairy dust pouch. I won’t need it now.
“What are you doing? Don’t close your eyes. Wake up. Wake up.” Luna planted her paws on Lexie’s chest and resumed licking her face.
It’s too late. Before I fade away, you should know, I’ve enjoyed your company… Well, mostly. But this isn’t the time or the place. I know you wanted to be a feline companion to a High Chair. Maybe you’ll get another chance. Oh… Remember to take the pouch of fairy dust.
Lexie swayed again. Her eyes felt so heavy, she couldn’t keep them open.
“What are you doing?” Luna bellowed. “You can’t go to sleep now. Get up. I’ll bite you. Yes, that’s what I’ll do.”
“We’ll take over from here, thank you.”
Luna swung around and hissed. “Who are you? More to the point, what are you?”
“We’re here to take care of Sleeping Beauty. Although… She’s dressed rather oddly. But then, ours is not to reason why. Now, make way. We have much to do.”
Luna sprung forward and drew her claws. “You lay a finger on the High Chair of the Mackenzie Coven and I will shred you.”
“Now, now. There’s no need to get snippy.”
“What are you?” Luna demanded again.
He hitched his thumbs on his thick belt. “I am a dwarf and this one here is also a dwarf. I could go on, but I’m sure you’re a smart cat and you can count. There are seven of us and we’re all dwarves. Now, unless you wish to be trampled on by dwarves, I suggest you move away and let us do our job.”
Seeing a dwarf rummaging through Lexie’s backpack, Luna snarled. “Get away from that. It’s mine.” She lunged for the backpack and sunk her teeth into the strap. A tug of war ensued but she had claws and she used them.
The dwarf put his hands up and backed away, saying, “We’re only here for the witch.”
Dragging the backpack, L
una managed to clamber on top of Lexie. She dug inside the pocket of Lexie’s jacket and, drawing out the fairy dust pouch, she pushed it inside the backpack. Sensing one of the dwarves getting too close, she swung toward him, her claws drawn. “You stay away. She’s the High Chair… or rather, the incoming High Chair. She can’t be dead. She’s not.”
The dwarves shook their heads. One removed his cap and, holding it against his chest, he gave a sorrowful sigh.
The dwarf who’d first spoken to her stepped forward. “We don’t mean any disrespect, but we must take care of business.”
As he spoke, a glass casket hovered toward them. One of the dwarves yanked the backpack, pulling hard enough to send it flying over his shoulder with Luna along with it.
As she landed on top of the backpack, she swung around and saw Lexie had already been put inside the glass casket. Luna leaped toward it and clawed at it yelling, “Let her out. Let her out.”
“It’s no good now. It’s sealed. You can come back tomorrow for a viewing. Now, run along.”
With a loud mewl that had all the dwarves covering their ears, Luna rushed to the trestle table, snatched the uneaten apple, and carried it to the backpack.
“This is not the end of it, dwarf. I’m coming back with reinforcements.”
Chapter Thirteen
The journey home
Luna scampered away as fast as her legs could carry both her and the loaded backpack. Fear and panic mingled with determination.
“Door. Find the door.” She followed the pebbled road, her mind fixed on the door she needed to reach. The fields of wheat, the dark forest, the meadows… all faded as she fixated on her destination.
Luna filled the longest and loneliest journey with endless chatter about everything she would say to Lexie when she next saw her again. In her mind, she knew she would see her again.
“The journey home.” Luna decided she would begin her tale with the ending. Everyone would want to know how it had all started but she would keep them enthralled and on the edge of their seats by forging ahead with the end. After all, great stories needed happy endings and this one would be no exception.
The sky darkened, the wind picked up, sending tree branches swaying and swooping down. Every step she took became a test of endurance. Her little shoulders tensed. Her face tightened. Her tongue lolled out. Her mind wandered and played tricks with her, teasing Luna with pictures of her lounging at home, spread out on her favorite custom made fainting couch.
Grumbling, Luna stopped only long enough to rearrange the backpack on her shoulder. She knew Lexie would tell her to ditch the gold, but she had come this far, she wouldn’t give up now.
She tried pacing herself but that meant slowing down and she knew time remained of the essence. Forcing herself to focus on her destination, she managed to take her mind off the knots in her shoulders. Then, reason intruded, telling her she could cover twice the distance without the excess baggage.
“Ditch the gold,” she spat out. “Don’t ditch the gold.” She dragged the backpack for as long as she could and then she stopped again. “Fine. Ditch the gold.” Sputtering her misgivings, she lightened the load by removing one of the bags of gold.
She set off again.
The darkness lifted, the wind died down. Her legs continued to pump hard and fast. She kept her head low and her mind on the prize. The door. She had to reach the door.
“I can do this. Yes, I can.” Luna pushed herself as hard as she could but her legs and paws protested every step of the way, while the burden of her load became heavier.
“All right already,” she growled and again stopped to remove one of the bags. During their journey, they hadn’t encountered anyone along the road so, with some luck, she’d be able to retrieve the bags when she returned with the cavalry.
She didn’t dare take a shortcut. Not until she reached the Crone’s garden and who knew when that would be. All the trees looked the same. She had lost track of time and didn’t dare stop again for fear she might not get up again. She’d never known weariness. Fatigue, yes… But not drained to the bone tiredness.
The changing landscape became a blur as she kept her eyes peeled on the road ahead. “And the door.” Emitting a disgruntled mewl, she stopped, scrambled inside the backpack and removed another bag of gold. “There, are you happy now?” she growled.
She tried to take a step but her legs protested.
“No,” she gave a mournful cry even as she dug out the last bag of gold.
With the last of the gold discarded, she surged ahead. Reaching the rise in the road, she saw the path leading to the Crone’s garden.
Ignoring the warning about not straying off the path, the moment she cleared the road, she bounded through the Crone’s garden, dragging the backpack behind her.
“Yikes,” Luna yelped as she caught sight of the sharp end of a garden trowel descending upon her. Taking a massive leap, she managed to avoid losing her tail.
“Mangy cat. I’ll show you, flattening my flower beds. When I catch you…”
Thwack.
The trowel missed her by a hairsbreadth.
Risking a glance over her shoulder, she saw the Crone’s gnome, Mr. Snub, waving his fist in the air and chasing her. Behind him, two other gnomes joined in the chase.
“There’s gold in them hills,” Luna hollered.
One gnome slowed down. Another one scratched his head. But the one with the trowel kept coming at her.
“Gold coins,” she yelled. “Scattered on the road. Bags full of it.” Great, Luna thought. Not only did she have to ditch her gold, now she had to give it away.
The next time she risked looking over her shoulder, she saw the gnomes disappearing into the flower beds, their red caps bobbing from side to side as they went searching for her gold.
When she looked ahead, she saw the forest growing darker, a sure sign she was getting closer to the door. Throwing everything she had left into making her strides count, she scurried through the darkness. When she finally reached the door, she lunged for it.
Luna landed inside Jonathan’s inner sanctum on all fours. Before she could think of catching her breath, the backpack crashed into her.
Wheezing, Luna glanced around.
“I’m right under you,” Jonathan growled.
Luna looked down and wheezed right into Jonathan’s face. “What are you doing on the floor?”
“You plowed in and crashed into me.”
“Oh…” She rolled off him, and slumped down, her legs spread out. “I thought I’d never make it,” she managed between short gasping breaths. “Certainly not in one piece. I nearly lost my tail and I lost all my gold.”
“Where’s Lexie?”
Luna wheezed the word out, “Dead.”
Chapter Fourteen
The witch is dead
Jonathan sprung to his feet. “What?” He plunged his fingers through his hair. “Impossible. I don’t feel anything. I… I would have known.”
Luna rolled to her side, her breath still coming hard and fast. “I’ve traveled far and I bring bad news. The incoming High Chair is currently lying in state.”
Jonathan bent down and grabbed Luna by her little shoulders. “What are you talking about?”
Luna gulped and struggled to remove the backpack strap.
Jonathan eased it off her and set it aside.
“Oh, that’s much better but I can’t feel my shoulders.”
“Make sense, Luna.”
Nodding, she said, “First. You must get the fruit and vegetables to Mrs. Ellsworth. It all cost me bags of gold and Rebel’s life depends on getting it all.” Scooping in a big breath, Luna’s eyes widened. “She’s dead. She’s dead. But we must save Rebel.”
Jonathan grabbed the backpack, tucked Luna under his arm and headed upstairs.
“No, what are you doing?”
“You just said I need to take this to Lexie’s.”
Luna took a big gulp, “There’s no time. We must rescue Lexie.�
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“So, she’s alive.”
Luna shook her head. “Yes. I mean… I don’t know. Possibly. I hope so. Fine, I’m in deep denial.”
Jonathan tipped his head back and bellowed, “Octavia.”
Several seconds later, Octavia appeared but she hadn’t come alone.
“I found Random O’Rourke hovering outside the apartment,” Octavia said. Swinging around, she eyeballed the detective. “And I thought I’d left you there.”
Jonathan tossed the backpack at Random. “That needs to go back to Lexie’s apartment right now.”
“Wait,” Luna screeched. “The fairy dust. We might need it.” When Jonathan gave her a puzzled look, she said, “I’ll explain later. Just get the little pouch.”
Random searched inside the backpack and tossed the pouch at Jonathan who pocketed it.
“So, where’s Lexie?” Octavia asked.
Jonathan clamped his hand over Luna’s mouth. “She’s been held up. You two need to get going.”
Octavia and Random both turned and strode away, disappearing through the door.
Jonathan growled. So much for setting up wards in his inner sanctum.
“Right,” he said. “Now, start from the top. What happened to Lexie.”
“I’ll tell you on the way.”
“On the way? Where?”
Luna nudged her head toward the small fairy tale style door. “You have to go through.”
Jonathan shook his head. “I can’t do that. I’m… I’m the guardian. I’m supposed to make sure no one goes in or comes out that door.”
Luna rolled her eyes. “Right. And how is that working out for you? We come and go as we please.”
He set Luna down and crouched in front of the small door. “I’m not even sure I can go through.”
“It’s easy. You just go through. If Lexie can do it, so can you. Don’t think about it.”
Jonathan gave her a lifted eyebrow look.
Luna huffed out a breath. “This is no time to fake it. I know what you are.”