The Perfect Match

by E. D. Baker

  “How does he want you to help him?” asked Blue.

  “He wants suggestions about how to get the fairies to stop sprinkling fairy dust as they fly overhead. He isn’t sure if it’s an accident or if they’re doing it on purpose, but no one wants to buy his crops now.”

  “Why doesn’t he sell them as novelty gifts?” said Blue. “People may not want to eat them, but they are always looking for unusual things to give family and friends.”

  “That’s a good idea!” said Cory. “I’ll have to suggest that to him.”

  Blue popped a grape into his mouth. Cory winced, half expecting it to scream like Jonas McDonald’s grapes.

  When Blue finished chewing, he asked Cory, “Why are you having another rehearsal tonight? Didn’t you have one just last night?”

  Cory smiled. “I forgot to tell you! Zephyr is going to play at Prince Rupert’s wedding. It’s quite an honor to be asked.”

  “I’m sure it is!” said Blue. “But you’re not leaving tomorrow, are you?”

  Cory shook her head. “Not for a few days.”

  “Good!” said Blue. “Because I got tickets for tomorrow’s matinee performance of the water nymph ballet. They’re here for only one day and the evening show was already sold out. I thought we’d go to Everything Leeks for an early lunch first.”

  “Oh, Blue! That sounds wonderful!”

  Blue smiled and reached for her hand. “Like I said, I’ve been thinking about you a lot. What time do you have to leave for rehearsal tonight?”

  “In just a little while,” Cory said. “I’ll have to take Noodles back and . . . Wait, where is Noodles? He was here just a minute ago.”

  “I think he went that way,” Blue said, looking toward a taller stand of trees. “See the trail of broken bluebells?”

  Cory nodded. “I should go find him before he gets too far. Thank you so much for the picnic! It will be my turn to make one next time.”

  After packing all the food away, they followed the woodchuck’s trail through the meadow and into the woods to the spot he had found so fascinating the last time Cory had brought him to the park. Once again he didn’t want to leave, but Blue finally picked him up and carried him back to the house. Although Cory was disappointed to see that her uncle wasn’t home yet, she didn’t have time to wait for him.

  Blue offered to give her a ride to Olot’s, but Cory could see that he was tired. When she told him that she was all right taking the pedal-bus, he gave her a long, slow kiss before he left. She felt all warm and delicious as she watched him ride off on his solar cycle.

  The pedal-bus was crowded with only one empty seat when it arrived, so Cory rode all the way to Olot’s cave between two full-blooded ogres who made nasty comments about everyone they passed. She had a feeling that they were going to talk about her once she got off the bus, but she didn’t care as long as they left her alone while she was there. However, they had almost reached the stop where she would get off when the ogre sitting behind Cory recognized her.

  “Say!” he bellowed. “Aren’t you that fairy who plays the drums for Zephyr? I like your music! Olot is a cousin of mine, four times removed on my mother’s side.”

  “Really?” Cory said over her shoulder. “That’s nice.”

  “Yeah! You tell him that Itchy Butt likes his music. I got a birthday coming up and I might just have Zephyr come play at my party.”

  “I’ll be sure to tell him,” Cory said, relieved that she could see her stop just ahead.

  When she got off the bus, the two ogres waved at her, so she waved back. It had been a strange encounter, but not nearly as bad as it could have been. And somehow she didn’t think that they were saying bad things about her as they rode away.

  For the first time in a while, Chancy didn’t answer the door when Cory knocked. Instead it was Olot, wearing a dark green tunic and a jaunty cap with a feather. He didn’t look happy when Cory glanced at his clothes.

  “Chancy is making me wear it,” he said. “She’s been finding out everything she can about Rupert’s kingdom, including what they wear. She made me some outfits for our trip. Don’t you dare laugh at me! She made outfits for all of us.”

  “I wasn’t going to laugh,” Cory said, stifling a smile. “I think you look very nice.”

  “At least I don’t have to wear anything as gaudy as the clothes she has planned for you and Daisy,” he said, turning to go back into the cave. “I told her no red sparkles for me!”

  “Red sparkles?” Cory asked, wondering if she should be worried.

  “There you are!” Chancy cried as Cory followed Olot into the cave, where everyone else was gathered. “I don’t have your gowns finished yet, but I’m going to work on them all day tomorrow, so they should be ready by tomorrow night. Come see what I made for Daisy!”

  Daisy looked up from where she was admiring herself in front of a full-length mirror. She was grinning from ear to ear, and her smile was almost as bright as her clothes. The flower fairy was dressed in a revealing gown of filmy red material covered in sparkles and didn’t look anything like she did normally.

  “I love it!” Daisy said, the gown shimmering around her as she turned.

  “It looks good on you,” Cory told her friend.

  “All right, everyone, we’re here to rehearse. You can talk about your finery after we practice. Let’s start with ‘Morning Mist’ tonight.”

  They played one song after another, trying to get each one perfect, and it was later than usual when they finally quit. Everyone was packing up their instruments to go when Chancy called for their attention.

  “Just so you know, I plan to have everyone else’s clothes ready for them to try on tomorrow night. And I’ll find some pictures of the castle so we’ll know what to expect.”

  “I’m not wearing any goofy hats,” Cheeble said, giving Skippy a pointed look.

  “I like my hat,” said the satyr, patting the tassels that dangled down one side. “I think it looks good in profile, too.” He struck a pose that was so exaggerated that Cory had to giggle. When he turned and winked at her, she laughed out loud and was still smiling as he took the arms of his two girlfriends and started for the door.

  “I didn’t know you were such a good seamstress,” Cory told Chancy, who’d come over to walk her out.

  “I’ve had lots of practice,” the ogre’s wife replied. “When I was a handmaiden to the wicked queen, I had to stitch and embroider until my fingers bled.”

  “That’s awful!” exclaimed Cory.

  Chancy shrugged. “You do what you have to do, but my life improved a thousandfold when I met Olot, and I couldn’t be happier now.”

  “Oh, I forgot! I met an ogre named Itchy Butt today. He wanted me to tell Olot that he really likes Zephyr’s music and might want us to play for his birthday.”

  “I’ll tell Olot,” said Chancy. “That sounds like it might be one of our more interesting engagements!”

  It was dark out when Cory left the cave, so no one could see her fly. She landed in the park across the street in case anyone was taking their pet for a late walk, and waited to make sure the street was clear before she hurried to her uncle’s house. She was disappointed to find that Micah was already in bed asleep, because she had so much she wanted to discuss with him. Noodles was curled up in his own bed as well, his paw draped over his nose. After changing into her nightgown, she brushed her teeth and washed her face, then crawled into bed. Exhausted, she was asleep moments later.

  The house had been quiet for only a short time when Cory began to dream. She was walking down the street in the middle of town when she reached a big stone building. A sign in front of the building announced that it was the Fey Museum and Courthouse. As she climbed the staircase, she knew that she was there to testify against the Tooth Fairy Guild. The moment she stepped inside the building, everything changed. She was no longer in the old courthouse, but was now in the very modern building that the Tooth Fairy Guild claimed as its headquarters. A long corridor str
etched in front of her, and there wasn’t anyone in sight. It was quiet, too; the only sound was her footsteps as she began to walk the corridor’s length. She hadn’t gone far when the lights began to dim. Hearing someone behind her, she stopped to look back. Although she didn’t see anyone, she could sense that whoever was there was coming closer. She stood still, hoping she was wrong, until she heard the scraping of nails on the floor and the panting of something large.

  Cory began to run. She ran until her breath sounded ragged in her ears. She ran until she had a painful stitch in her side. When she glanced back again, there was still nothing there, yet suddenly the walls were mirrored and she could see the reflection of a large creature behind her. It was too dark to see clearly, but the creature was getting closer as she watched.

  She ran faster now, her heart thundering in her chest. Even though she was running as fast as she could, she knew it was right behind her. She cried out when she felt its breath on her neck and the prick of sharp claws on her back, knowing that there would be no escape. Taking one more step, she stumbled and . . . woke up, terrified. Cory’s heart felt as if it were about to beat its way out of her chest as she lay staring into the dark. It was a long time before she was able to go back to sleep.

  CHAPTER

  7

  Cory was still tired when she dragged herself out of bed the next morning. Unlike most dreams, she could remember the nightmare as vividly as if it had really happened. It had left her with a feeling of dread, like something awful was about to take place, so she wasn’t her usual cheerful self when she staggered into the kitchen. Her eyes were watering and she was yawning so hard that she could hear her jaw creak when she took her seat at the table.

  Her uncle looked up from his breakfast and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Late night?”

  Cory shook her head. “Bad dream, and I still can’t get it out of my mind.”

  “Tell me about playing at Rupert’s wedding,” said Micah. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stay to hear more yesterday.”

  “There’s not much to tell yet. His steward contacted Olot and asked us to come. Chancy is making us costumes. She said that she’s going to show us pictures of the castle tonight. We’re leaving in a few days, and rehearsing every night until then. Olot says that this couldn’t have come at a better time. I guess word has gotten around that I’m going to testify against the guilds and they’re getting riled up.”

  Micah handed her a plate with buttered toast. “We knew that already. The candy was a good indication.”

  “Oh,” Cory said as she took a piece of toast. “Mother stopped by yesterday after you left. She told me not to testify and warned me that things are only going to get worse if I do.”

  “That’s my sister for you,” said Micah. “Ready with the dire warnings, but never actually helping. What are your plans for today?”

  “Blue is taking me to the matinee of the water nymph ballet. I’m really looking forward to it. That reminds me—I babysat that nymph who keeps breaking the pipes at your school. She’s actually a very nice girl. Her name is Rina.”

  Micah finished chewing a bite of toast before saying, “I never said she wasn’t nice, just having a little trouble learning control.”

  “I talked to her mother about possibly homeschooling Rina. She said they’d been thinking about it.”

  “Homeschooling isn’t for everyone, but it’s great if it works out,” said Micah.

  “There was something else,” said Cory. “Do you remember when I helped the farmer’s wife with the three blind mice? Their son is Jonas McDonald and he contacted me about a problem he’s been having. The flower fairies working on a neighbor’s farm have been dumping dust on his fields and his crops have been getting weird. He wants me to help him stop the fairies. Could you help me think of something that he could try?”

  “I’ll think about it,” said her uncle. “Would you like more cider? We have enough for one more glass apiece.”

  Ping! A message had arrived in the main room. Cory took her toast with her when she went to get the message. She recognized the writing right away.

  Cory,

  The date was a bust. Jack H. isn’t at all what I expected. Find me someone better next time!

  Goldilocks

  Cory started spluttering in disbelief before she’d even finished reading the message. Goldilocks had been the one who had insisted she meet Jack Horner, even though Cory had known that they wouldn’t be right for each other! It didn’t matter who she found; no one would be right until Cory matched Goldilocks up with her true love. If Cory hadn’t already seen him, she would have wondered if anyone would be right for the girl. Her reply was brief, the most she could manage.

  I’ll look into it.

  Cory

  She was on her way to get dressed when her uncle said good-bye and left for work. He was back before she’d even reached her bedroom door. “They’ve been at it again,” he announced. “This time it must have been the Flower Fairy Guild.”

  “What happened?” Cory asked, already dreading the answer.

  “It looked as if they sprinkled weed seeds and used their magic to make them grow. Weeds are sprouting up everywhere. Look and you’ll see what I mean.”

  Cory stepped onto the porch and gasped. He was right—there were weeds everywhere. There were more Queen Anne’s lace, cornflowers, clover, buttercups, daisies, and dandelions than there was grass, and all of them were blooming. Although they were thickest in the lawn, they were also growing in the cracks in the path, around the rosebushes, on top of an overturned bucket, on the bottom porch steps, and all over the toys Noodles had left outside. “You know, I kind of like it,” Cory told her uncle. “It looks like a meadow in the country. Do you mind if we leave it like this for a while?”

  “Fine by me,” said Micah. “They are pretty when they bloom all at once like that. You can leave them until they finish, although you might want to remove the flowers from the steps and Noodles’s toys.”

  “Don’t you think it’s odd that they used plants with pretty flowers? I mean, if they really wanted to send a nasty message, wouldn’t they have used nastier weeds with thorns or prickers?”

  “One would think so, but I think it depends on who planted the seeds,” Micah told her. “I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the flower fairies support what you’re doing. You’re not the only one who dislikes the way the guilds try to control their members’ lives. Someone higher up probably told them to weed our garden, and they chose to use seeds for the nicer plants. Uh-oh, I’m running late again. I can’t have my students there before I am!”

  Cory waved good-bye as her uncle hurried down the steps, then went inside to change out of her nightgown and robe into slacks and a comfortable shirt. She took Noodles with her when she went back outside and began clearing off the porch steps. After pulling up the weeds growing too close to the roses, she cleaned off the bucket and Noodles’s toys. The woodchuck dropped his rope toy in the hole he’d been digging. Cory was collecting his other toys to put on the porch when Blue rode up on his solar cycle.

  “Is it time to go?” Cory asked, surprised. “I’m not at all ready.”

  “Then I’ll play with Noodles while you get ready. Hey, buddy, that’s some hole you’re digging,” Blue said as he crouched beside the woodchuck.

  It took Cory only a few minutes to put on a soft blue dress and brush her hair. Slipping on her sandals, she locked the door and helped Blue put Noodles into the woodchuck’s enclosure. The ride to the restaurant didn’t take long on the cycle. Cory grimaced when she saw her reflection in the window as they walked inside.

  “My hair is a mess,” she said, running her fingers through the tangles.

  “You look beautiful,” said Blue, and gave her a kiss that made her forget all about her hair.

  When Blue gave his name, they were led to a table in a quiet corner. Cory thought the flowers on the table were especially pretty and noticed that they were nicer than those anywhere else in the ro
om. When she pointed this out to Blue, he smiled and said, “That’s because I had these sent over for you. I made the arrangements yesterday when I stopped by for the soup. This is for you, too,” he said, taking a small box from his pocket and handing it to her.

  Cory gasped when she opened the box and saw a golden bracelet decorated with emeralds and sapphires. At first she thought the stones made a design, but when she looked again she saw that they repeated Cory and Blue around the entire bracelet.

  “This is lovely!” Cory exclaimed, and got up to kiss Blue. After he helped her put the bracelet on her wrist, she kissed him again.

  When she finally sat down, the waiter came running over. Smiling, he served them glasses of sparkling grape juice and left without saying a word.

  “Did you ask for the juice?” Cory asked, taking a sip.

  Blue grinned and raised his own glass. “I did. I placed our order yesterday. You get the same thing every time we come here, so that’s what I got for you. I hope that’s all right.”

  “It’s perfect,” Cory said, pleased that he cared enough to notice. She’d dated her old boyfriend, Walker, for years, and he never could remember what she did or didn’t like.

  While Blue dug into a plate of smoked trout and sautéed turnips, Cory enjoyed the leek soufflé that was the restaurant’s specialty. It was more than she normally ate for lunch, but this had turned into a special occasion.

  When they were finished eating, Blue glanced out the window at the position of the sun. “We should get going so we can find our seats before the ballet starts.”