The Dragon Falls for the Fairy Godmother

by Larissa Emerald

  It happened so fast, she hadn’t had time to scream. He felt her exhaled breath as he set her feet on the ground. “Oh my stars. What happened?” She turned her face up toward him. “You…saved me from being crushed.”

  People darted from nearby shops, exclaiming how they’d seen the dragon rescue her. They marveled at the way the falling tree had missed them.

  Marshall towered over the female. Above her head he stared at the warlock, who sneered then turned and hurried away. This was his doing. Was he intent on proving a point or throwing his power around? Why?

  The concept infuriated Marshall.

  He glanced down, making sure the woman was unharmed. With an upturn of her face, she gave an uneasy smile.

  As much as he wished to stay by her side and discover more about this female, he knew it wasn’t the wise thing to do. He didn’t need to become the town hero, even if for a day or until something more interesting took his place. Changing into his human shape at this point would surely bring questions.

  Too high a risk. It was bad enough he’d changed into his dragon form where anyone could see.

  He launched himself into the sky and soared past the tree-line into the mountains. Damsels in distress were his weakness. He should remember that.

  * * *

  A dragon! The triangular tip of his tail whipped before her eyes as he flew away. Blessed bedrock, a dragon had saved her. She had trouble comprehending what had transpired. And then he’d left.

  Her body began to tremble and she clutched her arms to calm herself.

  “Are you okay…Are you hurt?…Did it hit you?” The questions came from the approaching crowd. She had a difficult time processing it all.

  Her feet had barely touched Nocturne Fall’s soil and bad things were happening. She swallowed her fear and doubts.

  No, it wasn’t that terrible. She was still in one piece. The tree hadn’t landed on her, right?

  “I’m okay,” she said, shaking off the last remnants of queasiness in her tummy.

  A woman with wild red hair, a shade lighter than hers, stepped forward and shooed everyone. “Go back to your shenanigans and leave her be. She’s fine.” She took hold of Erika’s elbow and ushered her toward the Dead and Breakfast. One by one, the residents returned to whatever it was they’d been doing before her episode.

  “Thank goodness, we’re set back out of the way from tourists.” The woman glanced around again. “I’m Pandora Williams. Here, I’ll walk you inside.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” Erika stammered, her gaze darting to tree branches all around them.

  Erika and Pandora had to traipse around the tree lying on the ground. Her knees threatened to collapse as she realized how close she’d come to being killed. Was that a sign she shouldn’t have come here? Or the universe chiding her for thwarting her parents?

  They passed beneath the sign of The Black Rose.

  A Hobbit woman stood on the porch steps, inquiring, “Are you all right? It’s a good thing Marshall Chadwick was here to get you out of the way. I declare, what a mess this will be to get cleaned up. And the expense!” She threw her hands into the air.

  “Mrs. Turnbuckle, how about we get your guest inside to sit down?” Pandora instructed.

  “Yes, that’s a good idea. But she’s not my guest yet,” she said, seeming as if to distance herself from the tree accident.

  “I have a reservation,” Erika spoke up quickly. She recalled the woman’s name from her receipt.

  “Excellent. We’ll get you checked-in after you’ve rested,” Mrs. Turnbuckle said, grabbing Erika’s red suitcase and wheeling it behind her.

  “Wait. I have another bag. Where is it?” Erika asked, looking around, a pang of dread grabbing her chest. Could it have ended up beneath the tree? “It’s a pet carrier.”

  “Is that it?” Pandora pointed out a large gray bag near one of the porch supports.

  Relief shot through Erika. “Yes.”

  Erika started to retrieve the bag. “I’ll get it,” Pandora said. “You still seem a tad unsteady.”

  “Thank you.”

  Inside the lobby, Erika sat and drew a few deep breaths. This seemed to satisfy Pandora because she eased backwards, presenting a thumb-up gesture to inn’s owner.

  “There. Your color is returning to normal,” Pandora said.

  “You’ve been so kind.” Erika smiled at their concerned expressions.

  “Are you visiting anyone in town? Is there someone I can contact for you?” Pandora asked.

  “No one that knows I’m in town. Willa Iscovian is from my home town of Rhoswynn. We’re passing friends. She’s the only one I know in Nocturne Falls.”

  Pandora’s brow furrowed. “You must mean Willa Iscove. She’s engaged to Nick Hardwin. She owns Illusions, a beautiful little jewelry store. Are you sure you don’t want me to give her a call?”

  “No, that’s okay. I plan on looking her up after I get settled.”

  “Good. She’s such a sweetheart. Okay, I’ll leave you to check in with Mrs. Turnbuckle. I hope you enjoy your stay in Nocturne Falls,” Pandora said.

  “I’m sure I will. I’m moving here.”

  “Really? Well, if you need help finding a place to live, let me know.” She reached into her compartment on the side of her purse and withdrew a business card. “I’m in real estate. But I must warn you, our small town has become so popular you may not be able to find an apartment to rent.”

  A flush of concern warmed Erika’s cheeks. “I hope you’re wrong.”

  Pandora shook her head. “We have investors building new places as we speak. But as far as I know, an apartment may be impossible to find. Even homes are snapped up as fast as they go on the market.”

  Mrs. Turnbuckle chuckled, her face aglow. “Don’t you worry, dear. Something will turn up.”

  “Optimism. That’s a fine quality.” Pandora smiled and waved as she headed to the exit. “Come see me,” she said and ducked out the doorway.

  “Now let’s get you settled,” Mrs. Turnbuckle said cheerfully. She traveled behind the reception desk and shuffled some papers.

  Erika followed her, pulling out a gold coin from a pouch secured to the inside of her pants. She slid it across the counter. She hoped the form of payment would be adequate and not like in Las Vegas where she’d had to exchange Rhoswynn gold for the human money. Dealing with money was one of the things she needed to get accustomed to. At home, everything was on her father’s account. She’d given little thought to how and where the funds were made available to her.

  The four days it had taken her to reach Nocturne Falls had been eye-opening. She had stayed with her cousin while she’d made plane reservations and travel arrangements. They’d spent one night on the Las Vegas strip. She knew in theory how the outside world worked. After all, she’d watched thousands of TV shows. However, the reality of the human world was a shocker. It was louder, more crowded, and more expensive than her home.

  Her home? She didn’t really have a home any longer. Did she?

  Mrs. Turnbuckle accepted the coin without a word. Perhaps, in a place like Nocturne Falls that caters to paranormal beings, her gold wasn’t so unusual. The innkeeper handed Erika a key, with a tilt of her head that shook her blue-gray curls. “Your room is on the first floor near the back. And the rates get cheaper for an extended stay, if you should need it.”

  “That’s good to know. Thank you.”

  Once in her room, Erika sank into the floral wing backed chair beside the only window. It overlooked the woods east of the building. The forest outside was dense and green, so unlike home. Exhaustion overtook her.

  She blinked back moisture from her eyes. She’d wanted this freedom for such a very long time. She’d almost lost it before she’d even moved in.

  If that dragon shifter hadn’t whisked her from harm’s way, well, she’d be plant food right now. It was a solemn thought. She swallowed and forced her mind to happier deliberations.

  She touched a dragon today
. How remarkable. Absently, she wondered how many dragon shifters resided in Nocturne Falls. Marshall Chadwick. Mrs. Turnbuckle had identified him by name. Erika wondered about the guy who had saved her.

  She closed her eyes and summoned an image of him, the split second before he’d changed. She’d noticed predominantly the blaze in his whiskey-colored eyes and his massive presence. He was a large man with broad shoulders. His brown hair was cut short on the sides and longer on top, and, he was…intense.

  For some reason, she sensed there was no middle ground with him. She bet it was all, or nothing.

  A whiff of his smoky scent lingered in her nostrils. Her pulse ramped up again just thinking about him.

  She was thankful that he’d rescued her.

  Because of him, tomorrow was another day. Now if she could just stay out of trouble.

  Chapter Two

  As light streaked between the blinds forming horizontal lines along the far wall, Erika sprang from bed full of energy. What to do first?

  She didn’t know. She’d had zero experience going it on her own. Sure, she’d longed for and dreamed of this day. But she’d never thought she’d actually be here.

  At least she had Whitwell to accompany her. Remembering the hedgehog, she dug through the covers, peeling back the bedspread until she found the ball of soft quills. He sat, rubbing his eyes and emitting an unhappy whimper, that sounded a lot like why’d you have to go and do that?

  “Come sit with me and help me decide what I should do today.”

  He rolled his face into the sheets.

  “Please.”

  After a moment, he turned and waddled into her awaiting arms. She curled him against her chest and sat on the bed. Stroking his back filled her with comfortable, familiar warmth.

  “What do you think?” she whispered. “Tour the town? Start looking for an apartment? Search out Willa?” Since they were both from Rhoswynn, she thought maybe Willa could offer a few pointers about living in Nocturne Falls.

  She kept secret the notion of finding the dragon shifter, Marshall Chadwick, in order to personally thank him for saving her life. Her heart ached at the thought of meeting him.

  Whitwell chattered something that Erika took to mean apartment. He couldn’t really talk, however she seemed to be able to interpret his sounds without a problem.

  “I agree. A place to live should come first. Then I’ll get in touch with Willa and maybe find employment.” Even though she had funds, she wasn’t willing to deplete them. They wouldn’t last forever. Besides, people in the human world worked jobs and earned their own way. She would, too.

  Without warning, pinpricks of pain pinched between her shoulder blades. She jerked, arching her back, then set Whitwell on the bed. “What the heck?”

  She stood and stretched, but the discomfort remained. This seemed to be more than sore muscles. Then a thought occurred to her. No…not now.

  Dashing into the bathroom, she peeled off her nighty top and turned to view her back in the mirror. Sure enough, four groupings of welts blemished her skin between her shoulder blades. A soft gasp escaped her lips. Her fairy wings were finally presenting themselves.

  It was a rite of passage for fairy godmothers. It meant fate would soon reveal her chosen darling. She sighed. Of course, it would happen now when she had so many other new things to learn.

  There’d been a time when she checked every day to see if the change had started. When months and months had passed without a hint of the change, she gave up looking, and thought her mother had been mistaken, that she wasn’t a fairy godmother. She’d wondered if she was a fairy at all.

  She wasn’t worthy. She didn’t deserve to be one of the most treasured and rare fairies.

  Her gaze slid to the reflection of her back in the mirror. Confusion clouded her thoughts. Why now? She’d always assumed her chosen would be in Rhoswynn. But evidently not.

  Now she wished her Aunt Rita moved in the circles of the human world of cell phone communication. How she’d love to text or FaceTime her aunt for advice.

  But, once again, her life couldn’t be that easy.

  She showered, dressed and gave Whitwell a scratch on the head before refilling his food and water dishes. Satisfied he was taken care of; she went downstairs to get some information from Mrs. Turnbuckle. She needed to know where to look for an apartment. In the end, she decided it was better to consult a professional. She’d begin with Pandora Williams.

  The real estate office wasn’t hard to find, Mrs. Turnbuckle had given excellent directions. Erika slipped the business card back into the side pocket of her purse. Now, if Pandora wasn’t too busy to see her.

  “Hello,” she said, stepping inside.

  Pandora came around the desk and clasped Erika’s hand with both of hers. “How are you? Okay after yesterday’s incident?”

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  “I stopped by to get some suggestions on where to begin my great apartment hunt.”

  Pandora pursed her lips, appearing to consider the options, then jotted a short list on a scrap of paper, grabbed a Nocturne Falls map, handing them to Erika. “I’ll be surprised if they have any vacancies, but try these first. If you don’t have any luck, come back, and I’ll be glad to help. I’d take you myself, except I have a client arriving in a few minutes.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.” More than she could say. “I’m sure I’ll find something,” she said brightly, chasing away her doubts.

  As she stepped out onto the street, her phone chimed a text. She glanced at the screen. Saniyya was checking up on her, asking how things were going. “Fine,” she replied.

  Her cousin shared how according to Aunt Rita, her parents were quite upset about Erika’s disappearance. Well, it was their fault for being so overbearing.

  She stood on the corner and opened the map. Nocturne Falls wasn’t a large town. Tourists traveled mainly on foot. It was her understanding that the town was fairly quiet during the day with most of the “Halloween” activity the town was famous for happening at night. She glanced from the fountain across the street to the map, locating it as a point of reference. The D&B must be on the other side because the fountain was visible from there also.

  Down Jack O’Lantern Lane was Illusions. She would stop by there later this afternoon. The apartments were set back off the main streets. But how would she get there? She didn’t drive. In Rhoswynn, there had been no need. So that meant she either needed to walk, catch a Ryde, or…She glanced around. She noted a shop across the way renting bicycles and smiled to herself. Now that, she could do.

  She walked over to the store, energized once more, and rented a lime-green bike. The clouds pulled away from the sun. The day shown bright and new as she peddled down Main Street and turned onto Crossbones Drive where, back off the main drag, sat some apartment buildings. She marked an X over the apartment complexes.

  She went from one X on the map to the next then to another.

  Three hours later, she was hungry and disheartened. Pandora had been right—there wasn’t even an efficiency unit available.

  It had never occurred to her that she wouldn’t find a place to live.

  Parking the bike along the street, she trudged into Mummy’s Diner, trying to push aside the setback. She ordered a burger and ate alone. The people were friendly enough, but she just didn’t’ feel like talking at the moment. The idea that moving to Nocturne Falls may not have been her best strategy began to play in her mind. Perhaps she should have stayed closer to home. What if she couldn’t find a place? The thought of going back to her parents defeated streamed unbearable doubts through her head.

  She’d left her mom and dad a note. They’d responded by calling her, a rare occasion for her parents, and trying to get her to change her mind. Eventually, they’d said they only wanted her to be safe and happy and maybe she needed to get this craziness out of her system. She’d been surprised with how understanding they’d been. Had she misread them? No, they were probably using reverse psyc
hology.

  Could she trust anything she was thinking and feeling right now? Were her motions going wacky with the appearance of her wings?

  It was conceivable.

  She plopped the last French-fry into her mouth and licked salt from her fingers. Licking her fingers infuriated her mother. Mom couldn’t stand the unsanitary habit. Erika ripped open the little cleansing wipe stamped with a cute Mummy’s logo, cleaned her hands, and dropped it on her plate.

  After paying the waiter and then pushing from the table, she felt her spirits revived upon exiting. She returned her bike rental and headed for Illusions on Jack O’Lantern Lane.

  Time to find Willa. Perhaps she’d discover something good with her. And that would make her feel a lot better.

  Chapter Three

  Marshall Chadwick turned into Illusions, Willa Iscove’s shop, carrying a cardboard box of carefully packaged glass creations.

  He pushed the door open with one massive shoulder. A chime rang as he entered. “Hello,” he called as he strolled into the empty store. Neither Willa nor her assistants, Ramona and Valerie were in sight.

  The sound of female voices drifted to him from the next room. Perhaps they were in the back storage area.

  Willa hustled around the corner, stopping between the display cases. Her blonde hair swished as she halted. “Sorry, I was showing a visitor around.”

  A gorgeous woman with dark auburn hair stepped through the doorway behind Willa. He met her vibrant blue eyes as she grew near, immediately realizing he’d seen her lovely face before. She was the woman he’d rescued from the falling tree in front of the inn.

  “This is Erika Tschanz. She just moved here from my homeland of Rhoswynn.” Then to Erika she said, “May I introduce Marshall Chadwick. He creates the beautiful glasswork you’ll find in the shop.”

  Marshall nodded a greeting, his hands still occupied with the box. “Pleased to meet you.”

  Her beautiful eyes grew round. “You. You’re the guy who saved me.”

  “Saved you?” Willa asked, looking between them.