Faerie Dust Dead (The Luna Devere Series Book 2)

by J. M. Griffin

  As she rose from her chair, Stephanie nodded and said she’d be in touch. At the door, she glanced over her shoulder and said, “If we aren’t able to get our hands on this Moreland character, make sure you don’t let him in while you’re alone, Luna. He could be dangerous and that’s the last thing you need right now.”

  Agreeing with her, I locked up as she went down the steps and slid behind the driver’s seat of her cruiser. I heaved another sigh, took some aspirin and poured a cup of tea, which I drank outside on the rear porch.

  The cool breeze fluttered my hair, cooled my skin, and refreshed my spirits. Arianna Gentile was dead. Why? Who would be so cruel? I set the cup and saucer aside, walked to the perimeter of the woods and spoke softly.

  “Sweet faeries, come to me.”

  Nothing, no flutter of wings, not a whisper from them.

  I repeated the invite once more, a bit louder this time, and waited patiently.

  Seconds later, the blue faerie swept forward, her almond eyes sad. I held my palm up, but she didn’t land. Instead, she fluttered in front of my face.

  “The news, you have heard, human?” she sang.

  “Yes, and I’m upset by it. Arianna didn’t deserve to die.”

  The faerie assured me, “Despair not, happier, she is. Do it, we did not.”

  “I thought not. Why would you?” I said.

  “A friend, she was. Death by a stranger, hers was.”

  When I would have asked which stranger, the faerie flicked her glance to the left and then the right, and whizzed away. Just then, Calis came into view.

  “You’ve heard, then?” he asked flatly.

  “I have. How long were you listening to me and the faerie?”

  “A second or two. She doesn’t know who killed Arianna, but I do,” Calis remarked. “The killer will pay dearly for it, as well.”

  A pixie stepped around the bush, rocked back and forth on his heels, and said, “Indeed.”

  His back stiff, Calis turned toward the pixie and stared. He glanced at me and then asked the pixie, “What would you know about this, pixie?”

  “Saw it happen, I did,” he replied.

  To leave them together wasn’t an option I would normally have considered, yet I knew if I didn’t give the pixie a gift, I’d never find out who killed Ari. I wasn’t willing to believe anything Calis said at the moment. Chilled, I stuffed my hands into my pockets and touched upon a small bit of ribbon that I’d tucked in earlier, instead of tossing it in the trash basket. I pulled it forth and offered it to the pixie.

  He smiled, nodded, and caught it mid-air when I tossed it to him. “Speak again soon, we will,” he said to me. His gaze flicked toward Calis. He snorted and then disappeared as quickly as he’d appeared.

  Helplessness crawled over me while I gawked at the spot the pixie had held. His cryptic words echoed in my head, and I turned my attention to Calis.

  Angered, I snapped, “I think I’ve had enough of this entire drama. You’re all out of control, and I’m sick of it. Either tell me who killed Arianna, and why, or get off my land and out of my life.”

  Before I fainted, I saw the ogre step from the grove of trees and reach for Calis.

  The next words to enter my consciousness were, “Wake up, Luna. You must wake up.”

  Chapter 12

  A distant voice accompanied a shake to my shoulder that was repeated again and again, only harder each time, until I slowly opened my eyes. He leaned over me with an expression of relief mingled with something else. What it was, I couldn’t tell.

  “Calis, what are you doing?” I asked as I brushed his hands away.

  “Get a glass of water, hurry.” The words echoed in my head as I came around. Calis stood over me, Dilly hovered nearby, and Annie rushed forward with a glass. Water slopped down the side of my neck, splashed my face, and I quickly brushed the moisture away and sat up.

  “What’s going on?” I asked as I looked around, saw their worried faces, and then realized I was on the ground.

  “You fainted,” Calis said as he forced the water glass into my hand. “Drink this, you’ll feel better.”

  Anger, vied for space while my confusion took front and center. What was going on? Had I truly lost my mind? Why had I passed out?

  “I passed out?” I asked.

  Nods were followed by nervous glances that passed between the three of my caretakers.

  In a quiet tone, Annie said, “You were speaking with Calis before you dropped like a stone.” She gave Calis a cool look and helped me to my feet.

  To bide time, I brushed specks of dirt from my clothes and then gave each of them a serious look. My patience was at an end, and I didn’t know what to think, believe, or trust any longer. Heaven help me – I held on to the thought that Devin would make everything better when he got home. I muttered to myself more than anyone else, “Wait ‘till Devin gets back.”

  Dilly’s eyes widened with what appeared to be surprise. Annie, on the other hand, stood with her hands on her hips and stated, “He’s due back mid-week, and frankly, I can hardly wait.”

  Calis had stepped back from the tableau we made. I reached out, grabbed his shirt sleeve and dragged him forward. “Inside. Every one of you, right now,” I barked, and pointed at the stairs.

  Soldier-like, the trio marched up the stairs and in through the back door. In the corridor, Calis stopped, turned to me and opened his mouth to speak. Saying nothing, I pointed to the dining room and he abruptly made his way toward the table where Dilly and Annie were seated.

  The last patron of the day bid us all a good day and walked out the front door. We all smiled, waved and watched her leave, kiddies in tow. As the door closed, I rushed forward, flipped the window sign to closed and rounded on the group. With my hands on my hips, I stared at a Dilly, Annie, and nearly snarled when I looked at Calis.

  “I haven’t the faintest idea of what’s going on here lately, but I’ll say this only once, I better get some answers or there’ll be hell to pay, Calis.”

  Anger roiled in my stomach. I shook with it, fighting for calm. When I had my wits together, I asked if anyone else had seen the ogre.

  “I didn’t,” Calis offered and glanced at the others.

  “What do you two have to say?” I asked Dilly and Annie.

  “All we saw was you falling to the ground,” Dilly remarked with a nod toward Annie. “You scared the bejeepers out of me, Luna.”

  Annie interrupted when Dilly looked like she would question me. “She’s right, Luna. I think you’re exhausted and shocked over what’s happened to Ari. These past days have been filled to the brim for all of us and,” she tipped her head toward Calis, “he hasn’t made it any easier for you. Such shenanigans, it’s ridiculous.” Annie gave a loud sniff, and would have risen from her chair if I hadn’t put a hand out to stop her.

  “I want answers, and I’d like you to stay.” I slanted a look at Calis and said, “Answers, especially from you.”

  Annie gave Dilly a nudge with her elbow. “As you wish, Luna.”

  Dilly nodded and said, “You’ve been distracted, and working harder than ever. I worry about you and the toll it’s taken.”

  They cared, I knew it, and guilt rolled over me at the way I’d just treated my two helpers. When it got crazy busy, these women could be counted on more than anyone else.

  “Sorry, I’m really sorry for pushing my responsibilities onto both of you. I know you’ve both strive to keep up with the pace here at the Junction, and more so lately.” I tipped my head toward the door and said, “Never mind staying here with me while I question Calis. Go home for the night, and I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Get some rest and be back here at the usual time in the morning.”

  She scrambled across the room and along the corridor so fast, it was a wonder Dilly hadn’t lost her footing and tripped in her haste to get away. Annie was less inclined to leave me alone with Calis. She lingered in the kitchen, made a pot of tea, added cupcakes to a plate and brought the tray
to the table where I had sat opposite Calis.

  “Have a snack and calm down, Luna. Stress isn’t good for any of us, especially you.” Annie’s meaningful stare went from me to Calis. “Don’t upset her, understand?” she ordered him in a stern tone.

  All she got was a silent nod, which must have been enough to satisfy Annie, because she walked away without another word. I sipped tea, chose a cupcake, and watched her walk down the corridor closing the door behind her. When both cars were gone from the lot, I gave Calis a shrewd look.

  “There was an ogre behind you, that’s why I fainted. He’d reached out to grab you, and that’s all I remember.”

  “There was no one there when I glanced over my shoulder, Luna. The fear on your face was incredible, and I knew something had frightened out of you. Sorry that happened, but, honestly, I didn’t see a thing. You’re sure it was an ogre?”

  I dipped my head and said, “It was large and disgusting, like those in my father’s journals. You were about to be attacked, and I froze on the spot just before fainting. You really didn’t see, or smell, him? He had an awful odor.”

  A chuckle met my words. “No, I have a poor sense of smell. What else has you on edge? Let me help, Luna. That’s what I’m here for.”

  A shrug, followed by a tired sigh, was all I could give him as I strove to make sense of what had happened in the past week. Had it only been a week? Silently, I ticked off the days since Calis had walked into my life, realized it was indeed a mere week, and said, “Something has gone wrong, seriously wrong, Calis. It began with the break-in and continued on from there. When you showed up on the doorstep, my life became crazier than usual. Now Arianna is dead, and Stephanie thinks I’ve gone round the bend. I haven’t, you know – gone round the bend, I mean.”

  “I know. If you’ll just listen, I’ll make sense of it for you,” he said.

  “The faeries and pixies have been brewing trouble. Every now and then they go to war using the simplest of excuses. This time, the pixies were jealous of the dust offered to Arianna by the faeries. In turn, the faeries gave more and more dust to Arianna in order to increase the pixies’ anger and jealousy. That is how wars begin in the fae world.” Calis slumped back in the chair, sipped tea that had cooled in his cup, and proceeded to pick at a cake.

  “Let’s get some things straight. First, Arianna was taking dust from the fae, secondly, a pixie or something stood watch in the studio, and now Arianna is dead because of it?” I asked.

  Calis leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “Not quite. The dust played a part in her demise, but not the way you think. I believe Arianna was killed by this Carlos person. She knew he wasn’t really Carlos, but an imposter. Since I’ve never met him, I wouldn’t have known. The Blue Faerie saw him strike Arianna down. She said he then went to the studio, took the jar of dust Arianna had stored and slimed it over Ari’s body. When dust sits too long it becomes a slimy, a bit faded, yet it still sparkles. The faerie said this Carlos fellow left Arianna near the woods.”

  “I’m surprised the faerie told you anything. They aren’t very forthcoming with me. Besides, what would he have to gain by killing Arianna? Unless it was because she would know he wasn’t the real Carlos and he worried she might tell someone?”

  “He’s got an agenda I can’t figure out. My concern is the war that’s coming.” Calis toyed with the spoon next to his teacup. “Has Devin mentioned the fae when you two have spoken?”

  “He has. It’s possible he may have been dusted, because one time when we spoke he wasn’t his usual self. Devin was all about moving to Massachusetts, living with the faeries there, and it didn’t make any sense. He enjoys living here and has never considered living elsewhere. It was Annie who brought his actions to light. She’s not a believer, but doesn’t dismiss fae as nonexistent either. She mentioned Devin might have been dusted into silliness, which in turn is what happened, I’m sure of it. Regardless, he’s back on track and is his sensible self once again. Devin never mentioned trouble was brewing there, so maybe it’s just the fae here that are acting up.”

  “Faeries are precocious little devils, as are the pixies. It doesn’t take much to stir them up, but once that happens, all hell breaks loose and humans are fair game for them. I was mistaken when I said the faeries were being drained of their dust. I think they might give it up freely,” Calis said with self-disgust and a shake of his head.

  I smirked at his actions. “The blue faerie said as much. She was most adamant that the pixies were well aware of the faeries behavior. It seems pixies and faeries live co-exist with one another, but there is tension between them. I’ve come to realize they don’t trust one another very much. Honestly, the whole affair has been stressful for me, beginning with the robbery, Ari’s weird ideas and then her death tops off the stress.”

  I thought of Arianna, her bright smile, peculiarities, and tears rolled down my cheeks. “Ari should be alive and designing lovely glass pieces, not lying dead and alone with nobody to mourn her.”

  As Calis reached out and covered my hand with his, he murmured, “She had a good friend in you, Luna. She was very fortunate, in that. I’m sure she never felt a thing when she was killed by this stranger, or she’d have fought for her life. While I think she was wrong to use faerie dust, she was a true friend of the fae and appreciated by them, too. She made her allegiance to them clear when we first met, remember?”

  I agreed. I was at a loss for words, and wished to be alone even though there were still unanswered questions. I withdrew my hand from his, poured tea in my cup, and offered to do the same for him. He shook his head, pushed the chair back and stepped away from the table.

  “Should you need me, I won’t be far away. Besides, you have the beasty to protect you,” Calis said with a wry snicker.

  “Wait a minute, I have a couple more things I’d like to know.”

  “Not now, Luna. Rest… We’ll talk tomorrow.”

  Calis strode away, the rear door shut with a snap, and I was alone. The beasty could be heard yowling upstairs, and I scampered upward to let him loose.

  Riddles gave me a haughty glare, pranced past, and imperiously waited to be let outdoors as if he were royalty. He swept through the open door and pounced on an unsuspecting leaf skittering in the breeze across the walkway. I chuckled, left the inside door ajar, and locked the screen door. The shop would get its nightly airing, and I would hear Riddles if he wanted to come inside after his hunting energy ran out.

  The Junction needed straightening, table cloths had to be laundered, and I could use a decent meal. Cupcakes alone didn’t satisfy me like a good meal did. It wasn’t long before I’d started the washer, pulled the next day’s cupcake ideas from the notebook I kept handy, and then began to set the dining area to rights. Awaiting Riddles’ return, though he was nowhere to be seen or heard while I worked, I kept going until I’d nearly finished.

  His mew called me as I set the last table cloth in place. I’d let Riddles in, scrambled up the steps behind him into the loft, when a loud knock sounded on the rear door. “I’ll be right back, Riddles,” I murmured and scooted downstairs.

  Another knock came as I reached the rear door. Devin stood on the porch, looking around and then at me with a wide smile. In a flash, I unlocked the door and threw myself at him, adding kisses and hugs aplenty as I welcomed him home.

  “I thought you wouldn’t be back until next week,” I said.

  “The days grew longer and longer, I couldn’t wait, so here I am. Whatever needs doing at Ida’s will have to be done by someone else.” Devin kissed me soundly and held me tight.

  Having him in my arms was the best feeling ever, the only way I wanted to live my life, and I silently vowed never to let him wander that far away from me again. I giggled at the thought, and then said, “It’s about damn time you came home, mister.”

  His laughter rang out, bounced off the dining room walls and he nodded in agreement. “I think I’ve been misused by the faeries. Dusted, if you
will.” Devin chuckled. “So tell me, what’s been going on here? You sounded pretty desperate when we spoke last.”

  “Can we go get some dinner before I launch into all that’s come about while you were away?”

  “Sure thing. Grab a sweater and we’ll be off.”

  When I joined Devin on the porch, he asked, “What’s happening with the faeries?”

  I snorted and said, “You’re not going to believe it. I’ll be right back with a sweater and I’ll tell you everything.”

  Chapter 13

  Stars dangled in the night sky as we stood on the deck of the local clam shack overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Snuggled close against Devin’s body, I relished being in his embrace as the wind blew in off the water. The lights that hung from the porch danced in the breeze.

  Our dinner had been filled with good food, stories of western Massachusetts, and the situation that had taken over my life and Arianna’s this past week. Aghast, when he learned about Ari’s death could have been by the hand of the Carlos imposter, though there was no proof of it, Devin stared at me.

  “I had my own issues with Arianna, but I know she was your friend, Luna.” Devin held my hands in his. “Ari had many problems. Her parents’ deaths, then Carlos leaving her for a new life, and rebuilding the new house over the ashes of the old one – it was quite trying for her. I always believed she’d somehow been involved in my wife’s death, but there was no proof. She wasn’t always herself, you know, so it was hard to believe most of what she said.”

  “I’m told she had another personality, even though I never witnessed that side of her. She was an admirer of the faeries, and would never have harmed them – of that much I’m certain. The faeries and pixies have been misbehaving lately, and I’ve heard there’s a possible war coming between them if they aren’t taken to task over their actions. They like to fight with each other and over silly things, as well. Maybe Arianna’s death will put a stop to this foolishness and I can back on a reasonable track. Ari would call at the busiest time of day and ask that I run over to her house. The help was left on their own more times than they should have been which I’m ashamed of, but it won’t happen anymore.”