Witch Fairy Tale
Amazon Kindle Unlimited
This book will be on Pre-order soon
Book 8 A Mackenzie Coven Mystery
Chapter One
“Next on my To Do list,” Lexie said as she shoved herself out of bed, “Ask Octavia to research the Coven Rule Book and find out everything she can about personal gain. If I’m going to lead a life of peril, murder, mayhem and possible retribution, I should profit from this gig. I don’t want to get comfortable ordering coffee with the click of my fingers only to then have the proverbial rug pulled out from right under me.”
Lexie drew in a long breath and took a moment to enjoy the silence only to realize how misleading that could be.
Squaring her shoulders, she strode into the sitting room and found Luna spread out on the couch, her attention fixed on their new roommate, Rebel. The fairy hovered in front of the fireplace juggling blueberries…
“We should try the knife throwing act now,” Luna purred. “Put the blueberries down and hover in front of me. I’ll throw the knives.”
The fairy Lexie had recently been “gifted” blew Luna a raspberry, collected her blueberries and settled on the mantelpiece to eat them.
“Luna? What’s going on?” Lexie asked.
Luna gave her a kitty grin. “If you pick up another stray, we’ll have a full circus act and we can charge admission. I’ll manage the ticket booth and banking. Oh, and the knife throwing. We’ll work on an act for you. I’m thinking we could do something with those fireballs of yours.” Luna’s eyes sparkled. “We’ll be rich.”
Lexie turned and shuffled back into her bedroom. A moment later, she strode out again. “I have a hole in my sock and I’m thinking we need to put up a Gone Fishing sign.”
Luna sat on her haunches and scratched her ear. “We’ve already had some time off. You’re still landing in the closet. Is this a good time for a vacation?”
Lexie rolled her eyes. “Can we get on the same page, please? We need to work together on this.”
“Which one do you wish to tackle first?” Luna purred. “As you have repeatedly told me, I have no thumbs, so I can’t help you with darning your sock or the Gone Fishing sign you want to put up.”
They both turned toward Rebel.
“Are you any good at darning socks?” Luna asked.
“Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on what’s in it for me.” Shrugging, Rebel finished her blueberry and went in search for more.
Luna stretched and yawned. “Perhaps we should make an appointment to see Dr. Mercedes Shrink. One session with her and I’m sure she’ll reach the same conclusion I have. There are too many of us living in this cramped apartment.”
“For the umpteenth time, we are not moving.”
“Fine. Whatever.” Luna sighed. “Come and sit down. Tell me what’s on your mind. Something is clearly bothering you.”
Lexie slumped down on the couch. “What day is it?”
Luna tilted her little head from side to side. “I’ve lost track. We’ve spent far too many days lolling about doing nothing. Not that I’m complaining. I am, after all, a cat and we excel at taking it easy.”
Rebel sneezed.
“Bless you,” both Luna and Lexie said.
Luna turned to Lexie. “Are you in a slump? We could get in touch with Octavia and ask if there’s any news about your dad.”
Lexie leaned back and groaned.
Her dad. She’d been told to sit tight and give him some time to get used to his new circumstances.
Reading her thoughts, Luna said, “I see. You’re still trying to come to terms with the news about him being alive. Well, sort of alive. You’re probably wondering why he hasn’t come around. I’m thinking he’s still trying to adjust to the idea of being trapped in the body of your mom’s evil twin sister.”
Closing her eyes, Lexie raked her fingers through her hair. A few weeks before, she’d been desperate to fill in the gaps and restore her lost memory so she could prove her innocence. Now…
“Now I’m getting mixed signals from you,” Luna said. “Do you want to see your dad or not? Do you want to be left alone, or do you want Octavia to storm in with news about a new assignment?”
Lexie groaned again.
“Would you like me to contrive a way to hit you over the head and make you forget again?” Luna asked. “I don’t wish to harp on about me not having thumbs but I’m sure I could come up with a plan. You could stand outside on the pavement and I could push something off the roof so it falls on your head.”
“Thank you. No. And I don’t know how I feel about seeing my dad again. I need more time to get used to it all. I’m just afraid I won’t know what to say.”
“You can always fake amnesia,” Luna suggested. “If he finally decides to come around, just look confused. If that doesn’t work, speak in a foreign language. He hasn’t seen you in ten years and he’s still trying to get used to walking around in the body of a woman. The man has a lot on his plate. I think he’ll buy it.”
“I’m going to grab a shower.” Lexie pushed herself off the couch. “When I come out, can we please start the day again? We’ll go to the Kitty Café for breakfast.”
Rebel cannoned into the sitting room. “Did someone mention breakfast? I’m famished.”
“Where does she put it?” Lexie didn’t even make it to her bedroom door when the front door opened and Octavia strode in.
“Sorry, I forgot to knock.” Octavia gave her a bright smile. “I’m still getting used to coming in the conventional way through the front door.”
“Octavia!” Luna leaped off the couch and raced toward her. “Oh, that’s the most active I’ve been in ages. And, look at you! Still a blonde.”
Octavia flicked her blonde locks back and grinned. “Yes, I’m rather attached to it now.”
A month. Lexie had only asked for a month of peace and quiet. She looked heavenward. She’d asked nicely. She’d even put on her extra sweet smile. At least her cousins had been staying away.
Looking over Octavia’s shoulder, Lexie realized she’d spoken too soon.
Cat’s orb hovered behind Octavia. It turned a light shade of pink as Cat greeted her. “Hello.”
The last time she’d seen her down under cousin, she’d been stuck in her enchanted forest for the duration of the lunar cycle.
Had it already been a month?
Something else whizzed into her sitting room. “Mr. Ellsworth?” The gnome Lexie had met at Cat’s cottage came to a sudden stop and turned to clay.
“Oh, dear. Mr. Ellsworth. You promised you wouldn’t.” His wife, Mrs. Ellsworth whizzed in and tapped him on the head.
Lexie shifted her narrowed gaze to Octavia.
“I can explain,” Octavia said.
* * *
Lexie took her time showering and would have stayed locked up in the bathroom for a lot longer but Luna barged in to demand she hurry up and tend to her guests who were still wary of her.
“Octavia asked me to step into the bedroom. For the record, I resent being asked to leave and seeing Rebel poke her tongue out at me because the gnomes are okay with her. I don’t understand why they’re afraid of me.”
“You could have made yourself invisible,” Lexie suggested.
Luna blinked up at her. “Oh, I forgot.” She disappeared. Moments later, she returned. “No, it didn’t work. Mr. Ellsworth sensed me and turned to clay. When are they leaving? You need to throw them out. What are they doing here? They don’t like the city. We should move to a penthouse apartment where no one can find us. Just listen to me, I’m on edge. This stress will make my fur fall off. I’ll look ridiculous walking around with bald patches.”
“Did they say anything?” Lexie asked.
“No. They’re sitting in silence, waiting for you to come out.”
Lexie checked her reflection in the mirror. Instead of seeing her regular clothes, she saw the chain mail dress her mom had recently given her. At the time, the situation had called for it. She’d dealt with the menace that had taken over Mackenzie Hall, but the dress had remained. She hadn’t stopped to think what that might mean.
“Come on. I’ll explain to them you’re harmless. Just stick close to me.”
When they strode out into the sitting room, Lexie saw Mr. Ellsworth freeze. His wife shook him out of his catatonic state and warned him to behave.
Before Lexie could speak, Octavia rushed to her side and whispered, “I can explain. They had nowhere else to go—”
Luna purred. “Okay. This is already headed in the wrong direction. Have you tried the YMCA?”
“Let Octavia speak,” Lexie said.
“She’s already said enough. They’re here to stay.” Luna yelped. “They brought luggage with them.”
Luggage and furniture.
Lexie could have sworn the small wooden stools Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth sat on hadn’t been in her apartment before. Cat hovered in front of them, bright sparks shooting out of her. Mr. Ellsworth’s plump hands were clasped in front of him, his thumbs busy twiddling. While Mrs. Ellsworth clutched a large travel bag against her chest. Her bright red curls poked out from under her red cap springing up and down as she nodded at something Cat said to her.
Lexie focused on breathing and remaining calm. “Octavia, you were about to explain—”
Rebel sneezed.
Everyone said, “Bless you.”
Octavia wrung her hands together and bit the edge of her lip. “I can see you’re not pleased about this.”
Lexie’s shoulders slumped. “It’s not that I’m unhappy. Of course, if someone needs a place to stay, I’ll do my best to accommodate them.” Glancing over at the gnomes, she saw them casting furtive glances her way. “They don’t look comfortable here.”
“That’s good,” Luna whispered. “Play that angle. They’ll be happier elsewhere. And, if push comes to shove, loosen your hold on the purse strings and offer to pay for their alternative accommodation.”
Rebel sneezed again.
Putting her little hand to her forehead, Rebel said, “I think I’m coming down with a cold.” She wafted down like a feather and landed on the table where she curled up into a tight ball. “I’m shivery.”
Mrs. Ellsworth rushed toward her, jumping on the chair and then onto the table. “Oh, dear. You are feeling hot.” She looked up at Lexie. “You haven’t been looking after your fairy.”
Lexie frowned. “She just sneezed.”
“It’s this city,” Mrs. Ellsworth grumbled. “It’s full of germs. What sort of witch are you? You’re supposed to live within nature, in a forest or a small village. When did she last fly around a tree?”
Lexie shrugged. “We haven’t been out of the apartment in days. Is it essential for her to fly around trees?”
Mrs. Ellsworth rolled her eyes. “She should be in bed. Poor dear. Look at her. She’s shivering. Where’s her bed?”
“I’ll bring it over.” Lexie went in search of Rebel’s bed and brought it back to the sitting room.
“What is this?” Mrs. Ellsworth shrieked.
“It’s… It’s a soap dish.”
Mrs. Ellsworth shook her head and turned her attention back to Rebel. “You poor, poor dear. You’re so far away from home and she makes you sleep in a soap dish.” The gnome clambered down from the table. “Show me to your fireplace.”
Lexie led the way and watched as Mrs. Ellsworth rummaged through her bag. “I’ll make her a broth. That should make her feel better soon.”
“You carry the ingredients in your bag?”
Mrs. Ellsworth gave her a lifted eyebrow look, which seemed to suggest she didn’t know much about gnomes. “And keep that cat away from me. She looks hungry and I have no intention of being her next meal.”
Lexie swung away and searched for Octavia. She found her in the kitchen with Cat’s orb.
“Would someone please tell me what’s going on?”
“I’ll leave you to it,” Cat said. “Nice seeing you again. Bye.”
Before Lexie could say anything, Cat disappeared in a shower of bright sparks, leaving Octavia clearly floundering for an explanation.
“Do I need to sit down for this?” Lexie asked.
Octavia scooped in a big breath. “Cat’s forest is under siege. Everyone had to flee for safety and Cat wanted to make sure Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth found a safe place to stay until order is restored to her forest.”
“Under siege? By whom?”
“By refugees from Mackenzie Hall. Mirabelle has yet to restore the grounds to their former glory. Creatures are scared she-whose-name-they-don’t-dare-speak-out-loud will return.”
“Is this something I need to fix?”
“No, Cat has everything under control, but this is all too much for Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth. A few goblins stowed away and infiltrated the refugee camp. A curfew has been imposed and Cat is sure she’ll flush them out in no time.”
Luna gulped. “No time? Exactly how long will that be?”
* * *
Amazon Kindle Unlimited
Copyright ©2018 Sonia Parin/All Rights Reserved
