Faerie Dust Dead (The Luna Devere Series Book 2)

by J. M. Griffin

  Here and there, Calis pointed to evidence of faerie dust. Weblike it clung to plants and leaves. In each instance, I worried there’d been a faerie’s demise. Before I could ask, Calis turned his head in my direction and assured me what I was thinking was correct.

  “I didn’t say a word. How did you know?” I asked.

  “Your face shows all, Luna. I can see you’re horrified by thoughts of their deaths,” he said. When he moved on, he said over his shoulder, “Has anyone unusual been hanging about lately?”

  I watched his fluid movements and kept pace. “You mean, other than you?”

  He stiffened for a mere second, turned, gave me a wicked glare and nodded.

  “If you haven’t been lurking in the shadows outside my house at night, then the answer is yes. If it’s you who’s been hanging about, then I’d say yes, again.”

  His face held an aggrieved expression. Calis hadn’t expected me to be glib, and I hadn’t meant to act that way. Something about him and his attitude chafed me, just as a hair shirt would. I found he annoyed, yet baffled, and interested me, all at once.

  “How long has this been going on? Did you notify the authorities?” Calis asked in a controlled tone as we walked side by side.

  I raised a shoulder, stating I’d been unsure if there really had been someone. I hadn’t pushed it because the police already suspected I was a bit daft at the best of times. If I was unsure about a person being there, why would I prove it to them? “I saw the figure once, maybe twice. When I looked again, it seemed to be gone. I couldn’t be sure.”

  “You’ll pay closer attention in the future then,” Calis remarked.

  His sharp comment was meant to goad me. Sure of it, I refused to rise to the bait. Instead, I said, “When I’ve been back and forth through these woods, there’s been a lot of rustling that sounded like I wasn’t alone. It was like someone tried to keep up with me without being seen. Creepy, you know? Anyway, now I wonder if it was you or the lurker who was behind it.”

  We’d cleared the wood and stood on the edge of Arianna’s property. With a grim smirk, Calis gave me an answer that set my teeth on edge.

  “It wasn’t me, but if your lurker followed you, you’re lucky you’re still alive. He – we’ll say it’s a male for the moment – wants something from you and is waiting for his chance to get it. What would that be, Luna?”

  I shrugged and spread my hands out, palms up. “No clue, sorry.”

  “Keep moving,” Calis murmured. “We’ve left ourselves vulnerable here in the open.” He glanced from side to side as we hurried forward.

  Again, I was chilled. Whether it came from fear, or if Calis caused it, I wasn’t sure. Either way, I was seriously uneasy. We mounted the short flight of steps of Arianna’s house, and I knocked on the door.

  Ari peered through the window, gave a start when she laid eyes on Calis, and then cautiously opened the door a crack.

  “What do you want, Luna?” she asked in a tremulous voice.

  “I have to speak with you.” I pointed my thumb toward Calis and then at myself. “We have to.”

  “O-okay. Were you followed?” Ari asked as she peered past us.

  The days had grown shorter and dusk had already replaced sunshine. The trip home would be in the dark and fast and furious, if I had my way, although, Calis might have magical powers of protection. Maybe he’d failed to tell me about his Harry Potter invisibility cloak he could use to protect us. I glanced in the same direction as Ari had. If something was out there, I sure couldn’t see it, so I assured her we’d come alone and had been cautious.

  Ari hastened us inside. She closed and bolted the door, and then guided us toward the warmth of the fireplace. I sat in a rocking chair, Calis stood with his back to the flames, and Arianna gawked at us as though we’d just arrived from Mars.

  Her gaze glued to Calis, Ari asked “What do you want?” Wringing her hands, Ari shivered at his dark expression.

  “The faeries are dying because you’ve taken their dust, Ms. Gentile. How do you justify your actions?” he asked coldly as he stepped forward.

  Startled by his accusation, Arianna stumbled back. Her hands aflutter, she visibly trembled.

  Bolting from the chair, I stepped between them and faced Calis. “If this isn’t a fact-finding mission, but your idea of taking revenge on Ari, you may as well get out Calis. I won’t stand here while you accuse her of being a murderess,” I snapped.

  I turned to Ari and asked if she’d make coffee for us. She nodded and rushed away. While she was busy, I murmured softly, “Back off, right now. Arianna is our ally, and you’ll treat her with care… Understand?”

  His dark blue eyes grew a shade deeper as he held my gaze. Calis finally nodded and turned to the warmth of the fire. “She didn’t deny using faerie dust, Luna.”

  With a grimace, I countered, “No, but it doesn’t make her guilty of murder, either.”

  He slanted a dangerous sideways glance in my direction. “It’s unwise to mess with faerie dust in any measure. If she’s guilty of that, she’s culpable where their deaths are concerned.”

  I gave him a grimace and whispered, “She’s coming.”

  Ari lowered a wide tray onto the coffee table and offered us each an earthenware mug of brew.

  I sipped appreciatively and waited for the next round of trouble to begin. Calis accepted the cup, but didn’t drink from it. Instead, he studied the room until he noticed a leaded glass window that glowed softly, hanging in the lamplight.

  “There’s faerie dust in that,” Calis said and pointed to the piece. “You’ve no right to use fae creatures for your own gain, Ms. Gentile. I warn you, it’s dangerous for you and harmful to them.” He’d managed to keep his attitude in check, but I heard the underlying steel in his voice. Whether Ari realized she was on shaky ground, I couldn’t tell.

  Calis’s face grew colder than I’d seen it thus far, as we both stared at Ari in turn.

  “They willingly gave me minute doses of dust to make their images more inviting. I didn’t realize it would hurt them.” Ari glanced at each of us and uttered plaintively, “I wouldn’t harm the creatures, not ever.”

  His temper took over. His jaw muscles pulsed and Calis slammed the coffee mug onto the table. “What did you think would happen when you messed around with faerie magic?” Calis thundered. “It isn’t of your world, and should never be taken for granted. Tell me how it started, and why there’s been a pixie in your workplace with you.”

  How did he know Ari had a pixie watching over her? Was there anything he didn’t know? Surprised, I gave him a quick look and then stared at Ari, whose astonishment was also apparent.

  “Who the hell are you?” Arianna demanded.

  Calis flicked his hand. “Never mind that, just tell me what I want to know.”

  Her face reddened before Arianna took a deep breath and blustered, “I-I don’t have to explain myself to you, or anyone else. Who do you think you are, coming here and bullying me about?”

  She stood beside me as though I gave her courage. Having little of my own, I had none to offer others. After all, I was all bluster.

  Not to be put off, he assessed Arianna for a moment. Then Calis countered, “You’d better tell me or we won’t be able to save the faeries. How would you feel about that? They’ll all die, Ms. Gentile, all of them. It’s just begun – we’re not too late, but I need both of you to aid me in this.”

  With a lightening change in his attitude, Calis had made headway with Ari. I wasn’t so sure I could, or even wanted to give him my assistance, but somebody had to step up and work to save the creatures. A sudden thought struck me.

  I asked, “If the faeries die, whoever is in charge of them, will avenge their loss, won’t they?” Holy cow, how would humanity survive such a plague as faeries, wielding power greater than anything mortals could ever fight off? It was surreal to even consider such a notion. I shook my head, tucked the idea into the back of my mind, and waited for his answer.
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  “I’m hoping it won’t come to that. The three of us need to work out a way to stop the problem before it grows out of control. Fae creatures have magic on their side, but truly, they aren’t strong enough to survive the total loss of dust.” Calis took a seat near the fire, I resumed my place in the rocker, and Ari settled on the farthest end sofa, well away from Calis.

  “It all started when I made a delivery to Luna’s shop a few months ago,” Ari said. “As I walked through the woods, I saw shimmering faerie dust splayed over a tree stump. I hurried to Luna’s, dropped off the artwork and then rushed home for a container to collect the faerie dust. It was the first time I’d ever seen it like that.”

  Calis interrupted her. “Was anyone around? Were there other fae present?”

  Ari shook her head. “There were no faeries or creatures of any kind in the area. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take the dust for use in my leaded glass creations. When the faeries saw what I’d done, they were excited and offered small bits of dust. One of them told me they weren’t allowed to do so, and I promised not to tell. They are quite mischievous, and like to break the rules whenever they think they can get away with it. We made a deal and I kept their offerings to myself. They spread their dust around and let me know where to find it.”

  Even though his eyes never warmed, Calis offered a half-baked apology. “There was more evidence of dust in the woods today. I may have jumped to conclusions about your part in their demise, but I must insist you discontinue using faeries dust.”

  I smirked over how it must have pained him to admit he was mistaken. I gave Arianna a slight nod. She took a deep breath and agreed to Calis’s request.

  “I’ll get rid of the dust I have. As for the pixie, I don’t exactly know how that came to be. One morning I went into the studio to fire up the furnace and there he was,” Ari said with a shrug. “He came out of the shadows, claimed he’d protect me while I worked with the dust and that I should gather as much of it as I could...” Ari’s voice trailed off, then she said, “Now that I think about it, there’s been less dust available to work with these past few weeks. The faeries drop the dust in the woods, I collect and cover it immediately so it doesn’t fade. With the pixie present for longer periods of time, I’ve been reluctant to leave my work.” Ari locked eyes with Calis. “Is he dangerous to the faeries? If so, why?”

  Calis ignored her questions with one of his own. “He’s ferocious, you say?”

  Ari nodded. “I was sure he’d spell Luna, so we left the studio the day she came over.”

  “Does this pixie have a name?” Calis asked.

  The conversation had taken a leap into a place I wasn’t sure I wanted to go. Magic, pixies, and the death of faeries were subjects for story tellers, not for reality. I shivered slightly and then turned my attention back to the present.

  “Does his name matter? We aren’t going to invite him for tea, are we?” I asked drily.

  “It matters; believe me,” Calis said in a sharp tone.

  Arianna wrung her hands before she admitted to not knowing. “It never occurred to me to ask. He is scary and I wasn’t about to push my luck. I might be in as much danger from him as the faeries are.”

  Calis agreed with a nod. “Find out what he’s called, if you can. I have an idea who he is, I just need to know before we move ahead.”

  I glanced at my watch. Work awaited me at the Junction. Glass cases needed to be washed and readied for the following day, floors had to be scrubbed, and stock replaced. That was just the beginning of what had to be done.

  “Can we wrap this up? I have to get back to the shop,” I said.

  “As long as I know you’ll both work with me on this, I feel confident the faeries can be saved.” Calis glanced at each of us and said, “Keep what we’ve spoken of to yourselves. It’s as much for your safety, as it is for the faeries.”

  In agreement, I gave him a nod, and Arianna muttered something about hard work for naught. I glanced at her over my shoulder as Calis and I reached the door and said, “If things get any more serious, there’ll be no recovering from what could happen to all of us. There’s magic afoot, Ari. You and I both know it.”

  Abashed, Ari assured me she understood. With a heavy sigh, she closed the door behind us and I heard the lock click into place. As we walked away, I glanced back and saw her peering out the small window framed in the door.

  Calis walked alongside me on the path. The time had flown and the dusky evening had settled into darkness. Tuned to hear any noise that might come from what lived in the trees and brush, I was surprised when there was no sound at all in the woods.

  The faeries were absent… I saw no critters, and I could only put it down to the company I kept. If I found Calis a bit fearsome, then perhaps he exuded enough power to strike fear into the hearts of all who lived in the wooded acres between me and Arianna. Before I could open my mouth, Calis said, “Strangely, there aren’t any creatures about tonight. Any idea why, Luna?”

  “No, but I was thinking the same thing. Maybe they know you’re here and why. Maybe they want to avoid you at all costs, and maybe I should take that as a sign.”

  Soft laughter met my words as he closed his hand around my upper arm. “You’ve given me your word that you’ll help me out; don’t go back on it now. I’m not from here, which means you have information that may be useful when it comes to dealing with others and moving through the surroundings.”

  The pressure of his fingers seemed to burn my skin. Unwilling to let him know I found him disturbing, I came to a halt and faced him squarely. “If you aren’t from here, where are you from?” Did he mean he wasn’t from Earth or was he just from another part of the country? The United States is quite large.

  He smiled full-on and I stepped back. He said, “Don’t worry about where I’m from, but worry about where we will end up if we don’t straighten out this faerie matter.” He moved on.

  We’d made it to the clearing outside the house in a matter of seconds. I heard Riddles yowl loudly. In a rush to find him, I tripped over my own feet, fell to the ground with an oomph and skinned my knees on the brick garden path.

  Calis grasped my arms and dragged me to my feet. “Are you always this graceful?” he asked as he inspected my knees in the light from the porch. I thanked my lucky stars that I’d had motion sensor lighting installed when I’d first moved into the Junction. It had come in handy more than once.

  “Your knees are scraped and bleeding. You’ll need to deal with that immediately. The cat will be fine, he just knows I’m here and doesn’t like it one bit. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, sometime,” Calis said.

  I leaned over and gently touched the scrapes with my fingertips. When I straightened up to answer him, I found I was alone at the edge of the path. Riddles sat gawking at me on the top step of the porch. He no longer yowled and screamed, but appeared quiet and serene.

  With my hand on my hip, I scolded him. “Sure, now that I’ve injured myself trying to save you from God knows what, you sit there like the Lord of the Manor. You need a serious attitude adjustment, Riddles. I thought you’d come to harm only to find out you don’t like Calis and you’ve made that quite plain.” I topped the stairs, entered the house with Riddles on my heels and locked up behind me.

  Once my knees were cleaned and bandaged, I set about cleaning the cooler cases before I readied the shelves for the round of cupcakes that would make their debut in the morning. Annie and Dilly had done their part in setting up for the next day, but I had floors to wash and stock to set out. With Riddles nearby, I worked my way through it all. He lolled on the countertop while I placed new trinkets on shelves and filled a rack with books on faerie lore. It was wonderful how the gift shop merchandise fairly flew out the door. With a smile, I thought of the many people who poured over faerie folk illustrations and read the captions handwritten by the authors. It was a pleasure to see others as rapt as I was with a very real fascination for fae life.

  Finished for the day, R
iddles and I headed to our small flat. He munched cat crunchies from his bowl while I made an omelet for supper. All the while, I considered the events that now plagued me worse than a bad rash.

  At the table, I made my way through the omelet and flipped pages of my father’s journal. I had started to scour it when I’d first pulled the bunch of them from the storage closet. I’d reached the section on pixies and found myself enthralled with what he’d written and illustrated. I studied each picture and read paragraphs of information, amazed at how in-depth his knowledge of fae folk had been. Why hadn’t I realized before now, that this was here to educate me? Had I not wanted to believe there was more to the fae than I could see, or was aware of? How foolish I’d been to let this precious research fall by the wayside, untouched and unread.

  After I’d gleaned what I could from the pages of one journal, I moved to a soft cushioned chair, plucked another book from the pile and began skimming it. I was unsure what to look for. If I’d seen the pixie who had lingered in the shadows of Ari’s studio, I might have a better idea of what would be useful. I set the book aside and was leaning back in a wide yawn when the phone rang.

  Devin’s voice filtered over the line, swelling my heart just to hear him speak. Goodness, I missed him.

  “You wouldn’t happen to be home, would you?” I asked.

  “I wouldn’t be on the phone with you if I was home,” he answered with a chuckle. I’d be in bed with you, right now.”

  “Crap. I knew it was too much to hope for. Any idea on the exact date of your return?” I insisted on knowing.

  “Like I said, it’ll be awhile. Charles has come up with another project or two he’d like me to do before I leave, so you’ll have to hang in there. You could come down here for a visit, you know, Western Massachusetts isn’t that far away,” Devin said.