The Perfect Match

by E. D. Baker

  “When does Stella testify?” she asked as they sat down on a bench outside the door.

  “She already did,” said Blue. “Now the board will decide if this should go to trial. We should know what they decide soon.”

  “I’m glad this will finally be over,” Cory told him. “I’m so tired of the guilds trying to make my life miserable.”

  Blue shook his head. “This isn’t even close to being over. After what happened today, you’ll need protection day and night. If the big jury decides to prosecute the guilds, you and Stella will be the star witnesses. If that happens, the guilds are going to try even harder to make sure you don’t testify in court. If anything, it’s just going to get worse.”

  “But you’ll be there, right?” said Cory.

  “I’ll be there,” said Blue. “Every step of the way.”

  A pair of men in suits walked past, talking about the case they were working on. Cory’s gaze followed one of the men down the corridor. It was the man she’d seen in the vision; the one who was the match for Mary Lambkin.

  “Who is that man in the gray suit?” she asked Blue.

  “Him? He’s a lawyer. I think his name is Watson or Wilkins or something like that. Why do you ask?”

  Cory smiled. Her grandfather had said that she’d know when it was the right time. Somehow, she knew that this was it. “There’s something you don’t know about me, Blue. It’s something I’ve wanted to tell you for weeks. Remember how I lost my fairy wings?”

  Blue nodded. “I have a feeling that this is important. Let’s go down the hall where no one can hear us.”

  He took her hand when he stood up and led her to a bench at the end of the hall, where there were no doors or windows nearby. “All right,” he said once they were seated. “I heard that you lost your wings, but you never told me exactly what happened.”

  “Mary Mary had her men put me in a glass cylinder shot with iron,” said Cory. “Lights flashed and there was a loud hum and when I got out I no longer had wings. The guild had taken away my fairy abilities. I felt awful after that, but the next morning I felt great. My grandfather Lionel was there and he helped me figure out what had happened. You see, my father was like my grandfather, while my mother is a full fairy.”

  “What exactly is your grandfather, Cory?” asked Blue. “I guess I always assumed he was a fairy, too. ”

  Cory shook her head. “He’s not. And the rest of what I’m going to tell you is a secret. Grandfather said that no one should know this except for the people I truly trust. I would have told you before this, but I wasn’t sure how you’d react. It’s kind of big and, well, unusual.”

  Blue looked very serious when Cory paused to take a deep breath. “My grandfather is a Cupid and so am I,” she said in a rush. “That means we’re both demigods. We have wings with feathers when we want them and can make people fall in love if they’re meant to be together.”

  Blue’s eyes grew wide, and suddenly he was laughing.

  “What is it?” Cory asked. “Don’t you believe me?”

  “Oh, I believe you, all right!” Blue said, squeezing her hand. “It’s just that after that buildup, I was expecting something so much worse, like a creature that turns into a snake at night or a flesh-eating monster. But a Cupid! I have no problem with that at all!”

  “What if I had been some sort of monster?” Cory said, not sure if she should be affronted. “What would you have done?”

  “Loved you just the same,” Blue said, pulling her into his arms. “I’ll always love you no matter what you are, but I’m glad I don’t have to deal with some nightmare creature. Imagine waking up in the night and finding a giant snake asleep beside you! What if our children came in at night because they’d had a bad dream?”

  “That’s something else I need to tell you,” said Cory. “Our children will also be demigods and Cupids. ”

  “And? Is that it? Do you think I’ll consider that a problem? I’m half ogre! Do you know all the problems I’ve had because of it? Being a demigod is nothing compared to that, problemwise, I mean. Oh, sweetie, I’m glad you told me. There’s nothing to worry about. We’ll be fine. Hey, does this have anything to do with what you couldn’t tell me yesterday?”

  Cory nodded. “I knew about the highwayman because I’d flown to a tavern and heard his men talking.”

  “Ah,” said Blue. “You could do that because you have new wings. I get it now. So, is that it, or do you have any other big announcements?”

  “There is one other thing,” said Cory. “I have to say that I love you very much!”

  “Of course you do!” said Blue with a laugh. “I’m a real catch!”

  CHAPTER

  19

  Cory knew that something was wrong before she’d gotten off the back of Blue’s solar cycle. The porch was covered with stacks of something, although she couldn’t tell what it was until she got closer. It was trash, and it wasn’t hers or Micah’s. Somebody else’s trash had been stacked in nice, neat rows across the entire porch. More than one person’s, from the look of it.

  “I think this is the work of the Housecleaning Guild,” Blue told her. “I’ve seen how the brownies stack the trash after cleaning the FLEA station and it looks just like this.”

  “So now the HCG is involved?” said Cory. “Who do you suppose will be next?”

  “Oh, Cory!” Wanita called from the street.

  “Hi, Wanita,” Cory said as the witch crossed the front yard.

  “Cleaning house?” the witch asked, eyeing the trash on the porch.

  Cory shook her head. “One of the guilds did this. They’re still harassing me for testifying against them.”

  “That’s what I wanted to tell you,” said Wanita. “A friend of mine is in the WU—Witches United Guild. She told me that the Tooth Fairy Guild and the Flower Fairy Guild have approached them about joining the fight against guild suppression, or at least that’s what they’re calling it.”

  “What did the guilds say?” asked Blue.

  “As far as I know, they’re still thinking about it,” Wanita replied. “Do you need help cleaning this up? If we move it into your yard, I could burn all this trash for you. I love a nice bonfire. I know! I could get my cauldron and we could have a good, old-fashioned cookout.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I think Blue needs it for evidence against the guilds,” said Cory. “Isn’t that right, Blue?”

  “Huh? Oh, yeah. I was just wondering how I’m going to get it back to the station. I guess I’ll have to send a message for trash-removal backup.”

  “If you don’t need my help, there are things I have to do at home,” said Wanita. “See ya!”

  Cory watched Wanita return to the street while Blue used his special leaf pad to send a message to the station. She was wondering how long it would take before someone arrived to help Blue when she spotted a hot-air balloon descending into a clearing in the forest. She wasn’t surprised when Jack Nimble and his mother, Stella, came out of the woods and crossed the street, waving hello.

  “We’re on our way out of town, but Mother insisted that we stop and warn you before we left,” Jack told Cory.

  “I testified before the big jury early this morning,” said Stella. “When I got home, someone had cut down my beanstalk and covered the stump with salt. Things with the guild are getting worse, Cory. I’m leaving and maybe you should, too.”

  “I’m buying Mother a cottage in a land far, far away,” Jack added. “She’ll live there until this whole thing blows over. I can get one big enough for both of you, if you’re interested.”

  Cory had to admit that the offer was tempting. It was obvious that the guilds weren’t going to leave her alone. Although some of their efforts had seemed halfhearted, like putting other people’s trash on her porch, some were actually dangerous, like the kidnapping attempt today and the frost fairy who had tried to freeze her in the carriage. But running away wouldn’t solve anything, not if she was going to really stand up to the
guilds and make them stop trying to control their members’ lives. If she was going to do this, she was going to stay here and see it through. Besides, she didn’t want to leave Blue behind again.

  “I appreciate the offer,” she told Jack and Stella, “but I’m staying right here. With my family and friends to help me, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

  “I thought you might say that,” said Jack. “After I take Mother, I’ll be back. I can’t leave my business to stay with her. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

  “I will,” said Cory. “Thank you.” After hugging Stella and kissing her cheek, Cory watched them return to the woods. The balloon was just rising over the tops of the trees when two FLEA officers rode up on a long, solar-powered cart. It was a powerful vehicle with a double row of solar collectors on the roof. Even so, when all the trash had been loaded onto the cart, it was riding much closer to the ground.

  Blue made a preliminary report then, promising to make a more complete report when he went into the station the next day. “I don’t want to leave you until I’ve arranged for guards day and night,” he told Cory.

  The officers were still there, securing the load on the cart, when Noodles and Weegie ambled across the street and plopped down by Cory’s feet. “We were going to tell you that Noodles is moving out,” said Weegie. “He’s a full-grown chuck and it’s time he settled down and had a family. He already asked me to be his mate and I accepted, but I can’t live in a two-legger’s house. We changed our minds about leaving when we saw the commotion here. We knew this wasn’t the right time for Noodles to leave his mother. You need him now, so we’ll stay and help out.”

  “Does that mean you’re moving in, too?” asked Cory.

  “Yes. And you’re welcome,” said Weegie. “I wouldn’t do this for just anybody. Come along, Noodles. You can show me around now.”

  The woodchucks were sniffing the plants at the edge of the porch when Blue put his arm around Cory. “Imagine that, you’ve gained two new housemates in one day—me and a woodchuck. Do you think your uncle will let me sleep in the main room?”

  “Do you really think it’s necessary?” Cory asked him.

  “Absolutely,” said Blue. “I just messaged some friends and they’ll be coming to help out after they have their affairs in order.”

  “More ogres?” Cory asked with a smile.

  “Some of them,” admitted Blue.

  While Blue waited on the porch to see the two officers off, Cory went in the house to change out of the dressy clothes she’d worn to court. When she went back outside, she took a broom with her to sweep off the porch. The floor was surprisingly clean, almost as if the housecleaning brownies had washed it before piling the trash. The only dirt was from the FLEA officers’ shoes. Cory mentioned this to Blue when he climbed the steps.

  “House brownies are like that,” he said. “I don’t think they’re capable of making a mess. It’s odd that someone brought them into this . . . What did Wanita call it?”

  “Guild suppression,” said Cory. “Which is funny considering the guilds are trying to suppress my free speech.”

  “So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?” asked Blue. “I don’t think we should go anywhere; it would be too hard to keep you safe. Even being outside probably isn’t a very good idea.”

  “So I’ll be stuck in the house on a beautiful day and for who knows how many days after this. Maybe I should have taken Jack up on his offer.”

  “If you’re serious, I could always—” Blue began.

  “No, no! I didn’t mean it. I suppose I could clean the house. Uncle Micah didn’t clean at all while I was gone.”

  “Lead the way,” said Blue. “You’ll have to get used to me being close by wherever you go.”

  “I think I can handle that!” Cory said with a smile.

  She decided to clean the kitchen, but had just gotten started when she heard Blue’s stomach growl. Instead of cleaning, she ended up making cookies, and then, because she already had most of the ingredients out, she made a cake as well. When the cake finally came out of the oven, it was almost time for Micah to come home, so she began to cook dinner.

  The first thing Micah said when he walked in the kitchen was, “Something smells good in here!”

  “I spent the afternoon baking and dinner is just about ready,” said Cory. “Why don’t you wash up and come have a seat. As you can see, Blue will be eating with us.”

  “I’d like to spend the night here, too, if you don’t mind,” Blue told him. “I thought I’d claim a piece of floor in the main room. It seems that the guilds aren’t going to let up on Cory, and I want to be here when they come back.”

  “Uh-huh,” said Micah. “How did it go at court?”

  While Blue told her uncle about the attempted kidnapping and the trash on the porch, Cory set the table and started serving. Micah was washing his hands at the kitchen sink when he told Blue, “I’d appreciate your staying here tonight. What about tomorrow?”

  “I have to go to the station in the morning, but I’ve set up a schedule with some friends to guard Cory. I won’t leave until the first one gets here.”

  Micah took his seat at the table and reached for his cup of cider. “How long do you think this will be necessary?”

  “The big jury should have its decision soon,” said Blue. “If they take it to trial, it could be weeks or even months before the guilds leave Cory alone.”

  “Maybe I should get the baby dragon back from Jonas McDonald,” Cory said as she helped herself to salad. “No one would bother me with her around.”

  “Baby dragon?” said Blue.

  Cory nodded. “Princess Lillian didn’t want her, so she gave her to me. I gave her to Jonas because I couldn’t keep her here.”

  “And you still can’t,” said Micah. “No one would bother you, but I bet it wouldn’t be long before we didn’t have a house to live in if that fire-breathing dragon came back.”

  “It seems that a lot more happened on your trip that I haven’t heard about,” Blue said.

  Cory told them about her trip then, and this time she didn’t leave anything out. She was still talking when they finished dinner, so Blue cleared the table and her uncle made them all hot chocolate while she continued. When she described her dilemma in deciding what to do about Goldilocks and Rupert, Micah raised an eyebrow.

  “I told Blue about being a Cupid today,” she said.

  Micah nodded and sat back. “Good. It was about time.”

  “You didn’t tell me about your visions, though,” said Blue.

  She described her visions then, from how she used to get them when she was in Junior Fey School, to how clear they became when her fairy abilities no longer made them murky.

  “Did you see me in a vision when you thought about yourself?” Blue asked her.

  “It doesn’t work that way with Cupids. We get sick to our stomach when our true love is around. I hate to say this, but just being close to you used to make me really nauseous.”

  Blue let out a big belly laugh. “So that’s why you kept pushing me away? I don’t still make you sick, do I?”

  “Not since our first kiss,” she said, taking his hand across the table.

  Micah cleared his throat. “You were telling us about Goldilocks and Rupert?”

  “That’s right,” Cory said, and continued her story. She had to stop at one point when Noodles scratched at the door, but then she came back to describe her trip home. It was dark out by the time she finished and she found that she couldn’t stop yawning.

  “I think it’s bedtime for you, young lady,” said Micah. “Don’t worry about making up a bed for Blue. I’ll take care of that.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Micah,” she said, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. The kiss she gave Blue was on his lips and lasted a lot longer.

  “Good night, you two,” she said, and yawned again as she left the room.

  Cory had been asleep for a few hours when a thump
in the hall woke her. She thought it might be Blue bumping into something on his way to the bathing room, but the sound of an object being dragged across the floor made her sit up and listen. There was another thump, closer this time, and the dragging sound seemed to be right outside her door. Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps and a high-pitched squeal that sent shivers up her spine.

  “Cut that out!” she heard Blue say, and she bolted out of bed. Flinging her door open, she found Blue wrestling a creature with long, dark fur and enormous feet.

  “What is that?” Cory asked from her doorway as Micah came out of his room.

  Her uncle had turned his lamp on, and the light spilling from his room allowed her to see the creature better. Its fur was a deep orange, and when it turned its head she saw that it had beautiful, tear-filled eyes.

  “I’m not a what, I’m a who,” the creature said.

  “Okay, then who are you?” asked Cory.

  “I think I can answer that,” said her uncle. “I’ve never met one before, but I’ve seen drawings of them in books. I believe this is a Thing That Goes Bump in the Night. They’re generally members of the Itinerant Troublemakers Guild, or ITG.”

  Cory gasped. She had heard about the guild, but had hoped she’d never see any of its members. They were known to frighten people in various ways. Some were fairly passive, but others could be quite nasty.

  “I’m so embarrassed,” said the Thing. “No one has ever caught one of us before. People usually pull their blankets up over their heads when we’re around.”

  “You’re not going to do anything else, are you?” Cory asked it.

  The Thing let out a sob and shook its head. “All I do is make scary noises, but it’s not very scary if you know it’s me. I don’t know how I’ll ever live this down.”

  “I think you can let him go now,” Cory told Blue as a tear rolled down the creature’s cheek.