Faerie Dust Dead (The Luna Devere Series Book 2) (3 page)

I’d no sooner walked into the
dining room when I was bombarded with questions and compliments from the
tourists. I smiled, made the right remarks, and answered questions until the
bus driver reminded the group it was time to move on. The crowd took their
boxed and bagged cakes, along with treasures purchased from the gift shop, and
headed for the bus.

Several people turned and waved
before they climbed aboard. As the bus lumbered onto the road, I stacked cups,
saucers and plates from tables onto trays and brought them to the kitchen for a
pass through the dishwasher.

The dining room faerie clock
struck the hour. I encouraged the two women to break for lunch while I cleaned
the rest of the room. As per usual, both women gave me a thumbs-up sign and
took seats at a corner table to share their lunch.

By the time I’d finished
sweeping crumbs, straightening tablecloths, restocking napkins, and making
another urn of tea, Annie and Dilly had finished eating.

The lone cucumber sandwich in
the refrigerator was mine. I sank into the chair nearest Annie and chewed
thoughtfully. The morning’s discussion at Arianna’s skipped through my mind. I
pushed the thoughts aside and glanced at the women.

“Whew! That was quite a nonstop
morning. How are we doing with cakes?” I asked.

With her elbows resting on the
table, Dilly said, “We’re in good shape. Those extra ones you had downstairs
should do the trick for the rest of the day.” She shook her head. “I can’t
believe we had such a crowd, and so early, too. Customers asked a lot of
questions about the faerie gifts, and bought a slew of them. I’m afraid the
shelves need to be restocked, Luna. We just didn’t have time to do that.”

I grinned at her, and said I’d
take care of it while they managed the next round of cupcake fans that had just
arrived. Passengers exited a mini-bus that had rolled to a stop out front. The
portly driver chatted alongside his passengers as they began their trek inside.

In unison, Annie and Dilly
offered sighs, quickly packed up their lunch debris, and headed for the
kitchen. I replaced gift stock while listening to Annie order Dilly around
while Dilly groused about the crowd. Annie’s remark hit home as she said, “No
crowds, no job. Be thankful, Dilly.”

Noting that Dilly had slid the
storm window down to stop the wind from blowing through the missing pane, I
gazed at the interior window and wondered how to fix it. A handywoman, I am
not. Thank goodness for Devin, he could do practically anything when it came to
repairs.

I thought about him as I filled
the remaining empty spots with merchandise. As much as I disliked having him
away, Devin had promised to do some work on a home that his former
mother-in-law and my attorney had purchased after they’d gotten married last
summer. Even though Devin’s wife had passed away in a car accident several
years ago, Devin and his former mother-in-law remained close friends.
Interestingly enough, I adored the woman too.

With giftware artfully
arranged, I stood behind the counter and rang up sales. Hand-carved wooden
toads, faeries alighting on toadstools, and faerie imprinted journals neatly
wrapped, tied with a bow, and bagged for convenience, were carried out the door
by customers.

Most merchandise had a faerie,
or nature motif to it, which tended to lift my spirits. And because the shop
was so close to my heart it bothered me that someone had broken in and stolen
artwork. I’d never heard a thing, other than the sound of glass breaking, and
that bugged me even more. Why did they steal that particular art? For what
purpose was it taken? Who was the perpetrator? Without any answers, the
questions continued to nag at me.

The day swept by as swiftly as
clouds scudding across the sky on a windy day. Stragglers left the shop with
fond farewells, combined with laughter, some fairie ware, and boxed cupcakes. I
smiled wearily, waved as they drove away, and hoped to lock the door and hang
the
closed
sign before one more person stepped onto the porch.

“Go ahead, go home you two,” I
ordered Dilly and Annie as I flipped the sign over. “It’s been a day of days. I
can handle it from here, the closed sign is in the door, and I’ve locked up.
Just be here on time tomorrow in case we have another day like this one.” I
sent the women on their way with a sigh of relief.

Loud meows from the upper level
let me know Riddles waited impatiently to be set free to chase birds, or
whatever else he found outside to catch his interest. I hiked the stairs and
opened the door. A yellow blur sped past without so much as a glance in my
direction and I raced down to where Riddles stood scratching and yowling to
open the back door for his escape.

The cat leapt off the top step
of the porch, landing flat out on a bush where titters of laughter arose.
Faeries winged away from him. He was no match for their speed though. Seconds
later, dust sprinkled and glittered across the cat’s face – faerie dust to be
exact. I rushed to rescue Riddles, but not before he had a nose full of the
glamour dust. He closed his eyes, and then opened them slowly, a Cheshire smile
seeming to form on his lips. The beast lolled in my arms, a fat mound of mystified
fluff. Thinking it served him right for chasing the faeries, I chuckled as I
set him on the porch.

The cat sprawled in place, at
least that’s what he was doing when I left him. There was work to be done
before I went back to Ari’s. I set about straightening the Junction and within
an hour or more I finished, just as the sun dipped toward the horizon, leaving an
early dusk following in its wake.

I shrugged into a jacket, then
retrieved a flashlight and tucked house keys into my pocket. When the phone
rang, the Caller ID offered up Devin’s name. Pleasure swept over me at the rich
sound of his voice when I answered the call.

“Hey, beautiful, how was your
day?” he asked.

“Busy – and yours? I really
miss you. When will you be back?”

A chuckle filtered over the
line and I melted on the spot.

“Unfortunately, I won’t finish
here for another few weeks. I can’t wait to get my hands on you, by the way.”

“I was hoping you’d be done
sooner than that.”

“Me, too. Are you all right?”
Devin’s voice held a curious tone.

“There was a minor mishap this
morning.”

“That doesn’t sound good. What
kind of mishap?”

“Someone broke in and stole
Ari’s work.”

“Arianna Gentile?” Devin asked.
I heard a tense note in the timbre of his voice.

Curious, I asked, “Yes, why?”

“Just wondered if that’s who
you meant by Ari,” Devin said. “Have you spoken to Arianna?”

“Briefly this morning. I
couldn’t stay long, since I knew we were likely to have a busy day, what with
all the leaf-peepers we’ve had of late.”

“How’d she take the news?”

“I went over to her studio to
break the news to her myself. I felt like we weren’t alone in the studio, and
when I asked her about it, she rushed me into the house to talk. She rambled on
about auras not being right, and mysticism being off. Do you know her very
well?”

His lengthy silence alarmed me.
“Hello? Are you still there?” I asked.

“Yes, yes, I am,” he said, and
then he murmured, “Just be careful, Luna. Promise me.”

“Careful of what? Or of whom?”

“I’m not sure, just do as I
ask.”

“Okay, fine. It would be easier
if I knew what you were concerned about, and what Ari was talking about.”

“I can’t explain, but Ari is a
bit strange. Take care, and don’t do anything rash,” Devin said.

“You’re scaring me. I’ll
consider taking your advice but are you sure there’s nothing you’d like to
share with me?” I asked sensing he was holding back something important.

He didn’t answer the question,
but said good-bye with a promise to come home as soon as he could. I set the
phone in its charger, let Riddles in, and locked the back door on my way out.
By this time, the sun had set.

Chapter
3

With only a flashlight as a guide through
the soft blanket of darkness, I walked the wooded path toward Ari’s house.
Bushes rustled and gave me the willies again as I hurried along through the
tiny lights flickering here and there. The faeries were about, but was there
someone else with them? Uneasy, I tried to keep my panic at bay.

It was unusual for me to enter
the forest at this hour, and I wondered if I was asking for trouble. I couldn’t
tell so was nervous as hell.

When I saw the welcoming glow pouring
out from Ari’s kitchen window, I was reminded of a Thomas Kinkade painting. The
only thing missing was a thatched roof, to replace her wood shingles. Through
the window, I saw her moving busily back and forth. Relieved to have left the
forest behind, I took the two stairs to her front door in one stride and rapped
on the windowpane.

When she peered through the
window and saw me, Ari smiled and swung the door wide open in invitation.

“I worried that you lost your
way,” she remarked. “You didn’t have difficulty keeping to the path in the
dark, did you?” Ari glanced nervously over my shoulder.

Who or what was she looking
for?
I shook my head in answer and smiled. “No, no, I brought a flashlight,
but still, the undergrowth has taken over, making the path a challenge.” I
tossed my jacket onto the nearest chair and stood in front of the fireplace,
stretching my hands toward the warmth of the flames.

Arianna’s aged but comfortable
cottage had slightly uneven floors. Wood planks held a patina that spoke of long
use and good care. The fireplace generated enough heat to warm the entire first
floor. Fire tending instruments hung neatly on a rack to the left of the hearth.
The decor was interesting, well worn, and Ari’s selection and appointment of unique
furniture appealed to my artistic senses.

“You are staying for supper,
aren’t you?” Ari asked as she handed me a mug of hot, mulled cider. I inhaled
the sweet fragrance, sipped the pleasant brew, and sniffed the fragrant stew
bubbling in the kettle sitting on the stove. I was surely in for a treat, since
Ari made the best soups and stews I’d ever tasted.

With a wide grin, I nodded.

“The rolls are nearly done, and
we have time to talk,” Ari said and sat in an old Morris chair.

I gave her a nod, and nestled
into a cushioned chair made from woven blueberry wood. While it appeared frail,
the gnarled wood had been intricately woven, giving it strength.

She seemed to consider her next
words carefully.

“You must know by now there’s
something bad in the wind. I feel it’s not healthy for the faeries, or for us,
either. We’re in danger, almost as much as they are. You must be wary, Luna.
Take care. Don’t trust anyone.”

Her cryptic words sent alarm
tingling along my spine, even more than Devin’s had. I choked back the panic
that threatened to overtake me.
Oh dear, here we go again.

“Who, and what, are you talking
about? And why should I take such care?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. Someone will
make their presence known, and we’ll all be in danger when they do.”

Skeptical, I asked, “What kind
of danger, Ari?”

“I think someone might try to
steal the faeries.”

I snorted my disbelief. “You’re
joking, nobody can steal faeries. They’re too wily for that.” I laughed at the
idea.

Her eyes widened and Arianna
grew still. “It’s no laughing matter. There are those who will do whatever they
can to collect every speck of faerie dust from them, leaving them defenseless.
Dust offers power over others. As you know, pixies have it, too, but they’re
more resourceful and devilish than faeries are.”

The oven timer sounded, and Ari
rose to retrieve the rolls. As her words filtered into my brain, I watched her
pile luscious rolls into a cloth-lined basket. Hunger pangs squirreled through
my stomach, and suddenly I was distracted by the flavorful essence of fresh
baked bread.

Tearing my thoughts away from
food, I realized Ari’s information was surprising to me. I’d never given faerie
dust much thought where power was concerned, though I remembered how woozy it
had made Riddles earlier in the day. I didn’t see them as villains; Faeries I’d
known throughout my life had seemed harmless, delightful creatures that had
treated me with the same respect I’d given them.

I leaned back and pondered my
father’s study of the elfin world and all that entailed. Somewhere in his
belongings, lay journals of notes depicting these beings and their habits. I
wracked my brain for something pertinent to the discussion, something I might
have seen in them. I’d been quite young when he’d studied the fae folk, and
hadn’t paid much attention.

I wasn’t even sure where I had
stored his papers and books, though they were somewhere at the house. My
oversized bungalow was roomy on the ground floor, but the second-floor loft
left little storage space for personal belongings. I’d used the eaves for what
I didn’t readily need.

As Ari ladled stew into bowls
and declared supper was ready, I eagerly looked forward to the meal. After a
second bowlful, I knew I’d have to stop eating. The food was delicious, the
rolls exceptional, and I’d eaten too much already.

Our conversation throughout the
supper consisted of discussion about the work Arianna had done and included talk
of the faeries who had offered a smidgeon of faerie dust for inclusion in the
leaded glass window hangings Ari made. I came to the conclusion that although
Ari was strange, I had no room to talk since I carried on with faeries, too.

“What was the problem in the
studio, this morning?” I asked her.

She hesitated and then said, “I
think there’s a pixie watching over my work. He’s scary and brooks no
foolishness. I was afraid he’d cast a spell on you, so I thought it better to
talk here as I know he won’t come inside this house.”