by Bella Falls
A knock on the door broke the heated bubble around us, and Zeke entered the office without waiting for a response. I squeaked and jumped away from Mason, allowing him to deal with warden business. When he finished, he shut the door again but kept his distance for me.
“Have you told anybody about your problem? Seen the doc?” he asked.
Disappointment seeped into my spirit at the return of the professional warden. “It's not something I want to get around.”
“Especially to your family, I would bet.”
I snapped to attention. “You aren't going to tell my brother, are you?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I don't know yet. I reserve the right if I think you're at the point where you can't handle things yourself. But Charli, you're talking about only two instances. Any others?”
“No,” I admitted. “I’ve been too afraid to try.”
He looked at the box on his desk and back at me. “Listen, I want to help, and I will. But I’m not going to push you. If you want to take a day to decide, then I guess that will be fine. But if you change your mind, and I can’t lie, I hope you do, then call me.” Mason pulled out a spell phone from his jacket and showed it to me.
“Where did you get that?” I asked.
“Lee gave it to Big Willie, but the sheriff didn’t want to take the time to mess with it.” He flipped the phone open, and with a press of a button, the one in my pocket buzzed and emitted that annoyingly loud ring I hadn’t taken the time to change yet. “And now you have my number. Use it,” he insisted.
“I will.” I glanced at him with suspicion. “Why are you letting me off so easy?”
He put his spell phone back in his pocket. “Because you don’t need me pushing you. And I’m pretty sure you’ll call me.”
His satisfied grin amused me. “You’re sure of yourself.”
Opening the door, he ushered me out. “No. I’m certain of your inability to stay away. Talk to you later.” He huffed out a breath when I smacked him in his stomach as I passed.
I almost made it out of the station when Matt caught me. “Hey, Birdy. Everything good?”
For some reason, my short time with the detective had been a salve to my emotional wounds. “Don’t call me that. And yeah, I think it will be.”
“Good.” My brother ruffled my hair. “Then maybe you’ll stop acting nuts, circling the station, and making everyone question your sanity. By the way, Nana’s lookin’ for you. She wants you to stop by her house before you go home.”
“Thanks.” Checking to see if anyone was watching, I punched him in the arm.
“Ow, what was that for?” He rubbed at the spot.
“For being my concerned big brother.”
“You know I could put you in a holding cell for assaulting a warden,” Matt warned.
I bounced my way to the door. “You could, but you won’t,” I sang out to him, waving.
Chapter Fifteen
Nana waited for me on her porch. I would never figure out how that woman always knew things.
“I have something for you,” she said when I joined her.
“Is it more food that you've cooked?” I followed her inside, almost tripping over a furry orange and gray mass in the middle of the floor. Peaches liked to go between the two houses, somehow needing to visit her friend Loki almost as much as wanting to live with me. Since she was almost out of kittenhood, I didn't mind that she had her own life.
Nana called out to me, and I found her in the kitchen. Instead of something yummy, she handed me a glass with dirty gray sludge in it. “Drink it down,” she ordered.
I'd had my fill of her concoction when she was trying to save me from Uncle Tipper’s death curse. Enough for three lifetimes. “Why do I have to drink that?” I asked.
Nana didn’t give me a reason. “I don't have time to argue, Charli. I've got to get ready to go in and help set up for the night's debate at the town hall. So why don't we jump from you whinin’ about it to you drinkin’ it.”
“But there's nothing wrong with me,” I protested.
My grandmother gave me her patented steely glare. “You’ve got exactly ten seconds, young lady.”
The adult in me wanted to slam the glass down and refuse, but the child in me remembered what happened when she ran out of numbers. Pinching my nose, I lifted the glass to my lips and swallowed as fast as possible. It still tasted like mud and dirt or exactly what I imagined unicorn manure would be like. In other words, the exact opposite of sweet tea. I got halfway finished and stopped to take a gulp of air.
“Finish it all up.” Nana tapped the watch on her wrist.
With a moan, I obeyed, downing the entire contents in record time. I wiped my lips with the back of my hand and shuddered. “How did you know?” I asked.
“You know better than to ask me that. Have you seen my lucky necklace anywhere?” she asked, pushing past me and rushing up the stairs.
I followed behind, puzzled. “No, but I haven't been here that much.”
I spotted Moss coming out of my old bedroom and greeted her. My presence surprised the small fairy, and her wings quivered, gray-green dust falling on the floor.
With a sour face, she floated down and cleaned up her mess. “I left a pile of papers for you to go through on the coffee table in your parlor, Miss Charli,” she said while cleaning.
“Thank you, Moss.” I listened to my grandmother rattling around in her room. She emerged looking harrowed and anxious.
“Well, I can't find it anywhere.” She stomped down the stairs, and I followed in her wake.
“Nana, slow down.”
My grandmother stopped in her tracks. Turning around, she gripped both my hands. “The debate tonight has to go well. Everything about the election is hanging by a thread. If anything else goes wrong, who knows how the town will react? Big Willie tells me they’re no closer to solving Mrs. K's death.”
I hugged my grandmother tight. “That's a lot of weight on your shoulders. There are a lot more people in this town that you can rely on. You don't have to take on the problems all by yourself.”
For once, I provided the stable foundation for my grandmother to lean on. Wrapping my arms around her, I forced her to take a timeout. She slumped into my embrace and gave in.
“You have grown wise in your old age,” she joked, patting my back and letting me go.
“I had a good role model,” I said, smoothing out a strand of her hair. “I don't think a hug will be seen as the solution to world peace, but it's about all I can offer you.”
“I don't know,” chortled my grandmother. “We have to get all the world leaders, both human and magical, in the same room and try it before we could test that statement.” She cupped my cheek and gazed at me with love. “I’m sorry I haven't been here for you lately. You know you can tell me anything, right?”
I nodded. “There's nothing to tell,” I assured her, wanting to keep my troubles away from her.
She kissed my forehead. “Good. So then it doesn't matter whether or not you drank my stuff or whether you’re telling me the truth. It won’t hurt you, and if you need it, it’ll help.”
I rubbed my stomach and wrinkled my nose. “My taste buds disagree. I'll see you at the debates tonight. Do you want me to lock up the house when I leave?”
“No,” Nana said through the screen door. “Juniper’s here with her crew. She’ll finish up and fix everything. Oh, and there’s a pineapple upside down cake in the refrigerator if you want to take it home with you.”
“Still cooking away your troubles?” I called out to her.
My grandmother waved at me as she left. “It's medicine for the soul.”
“Better than gray sludge,” I teased. Picking up my sassy little orange cat, who stretched in front of me and wrapped herself around my ankles, I listened to her incessant meows. “What’s that? You want to go home with me?”
She purred in my hands, and I cuddled her little body next to my ear, listening to the rolling soun
d. “Okay, we’ll go home in a second. I want to go check something in my room,” I told Peaches, setting her down.
Bounding up the stairs and skipping the noisy ones, I made my way to my old room. Standing in the doorway, I caught a glimpse of something shiny dangling from Juniper’s hand. “Good luck tonight at the debate,” I said, startling the fairy.
Whatever she held clattered to the floor. She zipped down and picked it up. “I-I f-f-found this,” she defended, holding it out to me.
I opened up my hand and received what I identified as Nana's lucky necklace. “Thanks.”
Juniper’s eyes widened, and her wings trembled. “You're w-w-welcome,” she stammered.
A heavy weight anchored my heart. Why had she been holding my grandmother's necklace? More importantly, why did she look like a cornered animal? “Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Y-y-yes,” she stuttered. “It's just nerves.” She coughed. “And now that Horatio is no longer running, I will be representing both of our issues. It's a lot to take on.” She dipped in the air as if her worries physically weighed her down.
“If it's too much, I'm sure Horatio would support you if you wanted to drop out,” I said.
“Oh no,” she gasped in her tiny voice. “I could never do that to him. I would do anything to keep him from being disappointed.” Juniper frowned in determination when she said that last sentence.
“Then I hope everything goes well for you tonight. I'll be cheering you on.” My sincere sentiments didn’t lessen my growing suspicions.
She brightened at my good wishes and then drooped again as she gazed at the chain of the necklace falling through my fingers. “Thank you,” she muttered almost too quiet to be heard. “I should help finish the job so I can spend the rest of the afternoon preparing.” The fairy fluttered away, leaving me with my concern.
I forgot what I'd come in to look for as I pondered if what I’d just witnessed meant what I thought it did. Had I caught my friend in the middle of taking one of my grandmother's prized possessions or was she being a conscientious cleaner, finding the necklace in some odd spot? And why was she in my old room?
If I wanted answers, now was the best time to confront her, but my doubt stopped me. If she were my friend, didn’t I trust her? If I made accusations and was wrong, I could ruin our relationship. The poor tiny being had enough on her plate with tonight's event. For now, I didn't need to add to her worries.
I pocketed Nana’s necklace, determined to give it to her before the debates started. Walking back downstairs, I headed to the kitchen. Instead of taking the cake home with me, I pulled it out and cut a slice, eating it one slow bite at a time, waiting for the fairies to finish.
After two slices, I surprised Juniper again when she popped in. “Oh, Charli, you scared me. I was getting ready to close everything up and didn't know you were still here.”
I pointed at the plate. “Couldn't pass up Nana's upside down pineapple cake. Do you want to take some home to Horatio?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, thanks. I'll see you later.” With the flapping of wings, she left.
Putting the cake back in the fridge, I took careful steps to the front door and made sure Juniper and Moss were gone. Before I left the house, I visited every single room and examined as many nooks and crannies as I could. I was looking for everything and hoping I found nothing.
Without my grandmother's confirmation, I couldn't be sure, but for the most part, I didn't see anything out of place or missing. A small bit of relief eased my doubts about my friend.
Picking up my cat, I closed up the house and retrieved my bike. Peaches hopped into her normal spot in the front basket.
After today's events, I deserved a much-needed nap. The motorcycle parked outside my house and the muscled bearded man rocking on my front porch stood in my way. Unfortunately, I couldn’t bypass him and bound inside like my kitty.
“I’m sorry I was such a witch to you today, okay?” I said, unwilling to play any games.
“Thank you,” Dash accepted in his gruff voice. “Me, too.”
Apologies traded, I expected him to leave. When he didn’t, the awkward silence grew between us. I blew out a breath. “And?” I pushed.
He picked up a helmet from beside him and pushed himself up from the rocking chair. “And I thought maybe I could make it up to you by taking you for a ride.”
I’d fantasized about riding behind the wolf shifter more than once with my arms wrapped around his waist, leaning into his solid back. And I missed the speed of a real bike. Taking the helmet from him, I planted it on my head in response.
Dash chuckled but didn’t say anything else. We approached his motorcycle, and he straddled it, holding it steady for me to hop on. He took the helmet draped over the handlebar and secured it on his head.
“Hold on tight,” he instructed.
My hands detected the ridges of his muscular abs through his shirt. He squirmed under my touch. “Don’t tell me you’re ticklish,” I giggled.
“Just another secret revealed.” With a flick of a switch and a kick, he started the motor. The bike vibrated beneath me, and I tightened my grip.
He took us to the road with slow care, but as soon as we hit the pavement, he revved the engine and took off. The wind whipped around us, and the rumble of the bike filled my ears. It had been a long time since I reveled in that sound of freedom. I let out a thunderous war whoop, and Dash shifted gears.
“Let ‘er rip,” I yelled.
We traversed the edges of town away from any traffic. There weren’t many opportunities to fly, but speed wasn’t the whole point. My stomach clenched in excitement, and I couldn’t suppress the effervescent giggles that kept bubbling out of me.
Sunlight dappled through the trees when we turned down my favorite road. Live oaks lined either side and Spanish moss hung down, creating a canopy effect. Finding a long straightaway, Dash hit the gas. I trusted him with my life, knowing he would never let anything happen to it whether on the back of a motorcycle or not.
The gatehouse loomed closer and closer, and the wolf shifter slowed down. He pulled off to the side of the road before we reached the edge of Honeysuckle, and he let the bike idle.
Taking off his helmet, he checked on me. “You doing okay? I can feel you laughing.”
“I’m absolutely perfect.” My worries had been left behind in the wind.
His own chuckle vibrated under my palms. “Good. I know we’ve got the debates tonight, so I have to take you home.”
“As long as you take the long way back.” I bit my lip and batted my eyelashes.
He revved his bike to life and shouted, “As you wish.” His genuine smile should be listed as an eighth deadly sin.
Turning us around, he waited for me to squeeze him tight one more time. When we raced back toward town, I swore I heard him howl with happiness.
Chapter Sixteen
The bells on the door of Sweet Tooths Bakery tinkled when Lee led Ben and me inside. A long line of people waited to buy out the rest of the baked goods from the former tooth fairies who buzzed about behind the counter filling orders. Discussions about the night’s debate peppered the air, and I listened in to catch anything alarming.
Alison Kate approached us and kissed Lee on the cheek. “Sprinkle and Twinkle said we could all stay after they close up. If you want to wait inside, I think Lily and Lavender are seated over there.” She pointed to a far corner.
“Excuse me, Miss Charli.” A gentle hand pushed on my back to move me out of the doorway.
“Henry, I’m surprised you’re not at the cafe with Flint,” I chastised the elder jokester.
He nodded at the display case. “If you want pie, you go to the cafe. But if you want a slice of red velvet, you have to come here. Sassy may be good with her pie crusts, but she has a devil of a time with her cakes.”
“I’ll go grab you a slice before they’re all gone, Mr. Henry.” Alison Kate disappeared through the noisy crowd.
&nb
sp; “Much obliged,” the older gentleman called out to her. He touched my arm. “It’s a flyin’ shame that there troll dropped out. If anyone coulda given the vampire a verbal whoopin’, it was him. That Horace was a longshot-and-a-half, and his timid giddy girlfriend isn’t going to get anywhere even with the troll coaching her. It may be a tight race between the one with a pointed hat versus the one with pointy teeth.” He tapped his own enamel in his mouth for emphasis.
“Horatio. That’s the name of the troll,” corrected Lee. He left with Ben to join the cousins at their table.
“Whatever his name. I don’t think he’d hurt a fly. A fella who can talk like that doesn’t need to use his fists.” Henry accepted a small white box from Alison Kate and handed her some money. “Keep the change. Y’all have a good night. I’m gonna enjoy givin’ Sassy some grief by eatin’ this at the cafe.”
As the baked goods disappeared, so did the number of people until Twinkle locked the doors. Alison Kate got up from the table to help her bosses clean up and prep for the next day. I stared at the empty space next to me where Blythe usually sat. She had gleefully joined Damien afterward to celebrate with Raif’s team. It felt like a betrayal of everything I ever knew about her, even up to a few days ago.
“Does it bother anyone else that Blythe isn’t here?” I asked the table at large.
“She’s having fun with her new crush. I don’t see anything wrong with that.” A new recruit to love, Lily touched Ben’s hand.
“It just feels unnatural that she’s hanging out with Raif, my aunt, and the Hawthornes.” That would include my cousin and Tucker as well. “It’s like she’s switched teams.”
Lavender clicked her tongue at me. “It’s not an us versus them scenario. You used to hang out with most of those people before.”
“I used to be engaged to Tucker. I find myself much happier in my present company,” I declared, smiling at my friends. “All except Lee who can’t be bothered to participate in the conversation because he’s too busy with his nose buried in his spell phone working on something with his tongue sticking out. And I bet he smells and picks his nose and farts rainbows like a unicorn.”