rain and clouds.”
Azuria fumbled at the neck of her tunic. “We’re not finished yet. I’ve had this farseeing ball for fifty-two years and it’s never failed me.” Pulling out a golden chain, she showed Millie a small crystalline ball held in place with a clasp shaped like a pair of tiny blue hands. Holding the ball up so everyone could see it, she murmured something and breathed onto the clear surface. Nothing happened for a moment, and Millie was sure it wasn’t going to work, but then an image began to form. She leaned forward for a better look. The image was blurry, and Millie was willing it to become clearer when the farseeing ball suddenly filled with clouds. Azuria frowned and shook the ball. Rain slashed through it, seeming to splash and run down the ball’s inner surface.
“Drat,” said Azuria. “That’s never happened before.” She sighed and replaced the ball under the fabric of her tunic. “You know what it means if none of us can see what happened, don’t you, ladies?”
Oculura nodded. “That storm wasn’t natural. Whoever took the baby created that storm to block anyone from seeing what he was doing.”
“Or she,” said Dyspepsia. “I know a few witches who could have done this.”
“We need to call for help.” Azuria grunted as she reached down to her wicker basket and took out one of the blue butterflies. Holding it carefully between her cupped hands, she whispered to the insect, then opened her hands and set it free. The butterfly fluttered around her head before flying to the window and out into the sunlight. “I laid a compulsion on that butterfly,” said the old woman. “She has to go find the fairy Moth and ask her to come here. Moth goes out at night. She might have seen that strange light you mentioned. If she did, it would have drawn her like, well, like a moth to flames.” Azuria chuckled to herself as she sat back on the bench.
“Do you mean she might be able to tell us who took Felix?” asked Audun.
Azuria nodded. “I hope so.”
“While we’re waiting,” said Oculura, “would anyone like a fruit tart or a slice of pie?”
“No thanks,” Dyspepsia replied, making a face. “Watching you cook has put me off food.”
Oculura had put vivid green eyes in her sockets. They seemed to get darker when she glared at her sister and said, “I thought you liked my cooking!”
While the two sisters argued, Millie joined Audun by the window. The sky had cleared and the rain had washed away the dust, leaving everything looking fresh and clean. Droplets sparkled in the sunlight, but Millie soon noticed that one sparkle seemed bigger than the rest and was moving toward them. It drew closer until she could make out the tiny figure of a fairy.
Millie and Audun stepped back when the fairy flew through the window and landed on the floor. In an instant, she turned from a fairy no bigger than half of Millie’s little finger to one who was human sized. Her soft white wings and pale blue hair were very pretty, but Millie thought it was her large, dark eyes that made her look unusual. She seemed shy at first and uncomfortable at the scrutiny of so many people.
“Moth, I’d like you to meet our good friends Millie and Audun. Millie’s mother is Princess Emeralda, the Green Witch.”
Moth smiled and visibly relaxed. “I know your mother, Millie. She’s a good friend to fairykind. From what I’ve heard, you are as well. Thank you for helping my friends Trillium, Moss, and Poison Ivy. If there’s ever anything I can do for you …”
“Actually, we need your help right now,” said Millie. “My mother is away and someone stole my baby brother during the night. We’re trying to find out who took him.”
“Did they leave another baby in his place?” the fairy asked.
Millie shook her head. “His crib was empty.”
“Then it wasn’t a fairy who took him. We always leave changelings to take the place of human babies.”
Both Audun and Millie looked surprised,
Azuria fumbled at the neck of her tunic. “We’re not finished yet. I’ve had this farseeing ball for fifty-two years and it’s never failed me.” Pulling out a golden chain, she showed Millie a small crystalline ball held in place with a clasp shaped like a pair of tiny blue hands. Holding the ball up so everyone could see it, she murmured something and breathed onto the clear surface. Nothing happened for a moment, and Millie was sure it wasn’t going to work, but then an image began to form. She leaned forward for a better look. The image was blurry, and Millie was willing it to become clearer when the farseeing ball suddenly filled with clouds. Azuria frowned and shook the ball. Rain slashed through it, seeming to splash and run down the ball’s inner surface.
“Drat,” said Azuria. “That’s never happened before.” She sighed and replaced the ball under the fabric of her tunic. “You know what it means if none of us can see what happened, don’t you, ladies?”
Oculura nodded. “That storm wasn’t natural. Whoever took the baby created that storm to block anyone from seeing what he was doing.”
“Or she,” said Dyspepsia. “I know a few witches who could have done this.”
“We need to call for help.” Azuria grunted as she reached down to her wicker basket and took out one of the blue butterflies. Holding it carefully between her cupped hands, she whispered to the insect, then opened her hands and set it free. The butterfly fluttered around her head before flying to the window and out into the sunlight. “I laid a compulsion on that butterfly,” said the old woman. “She has to go find the fairy Moth and ask her to come here. Moth goes out at night. She might have seen that strange light you mentioned. If she did, it would have drawn her like, well, like a moth to flames.” Azuria chuckled to herself as she sat back on the bench.
“Do you mean she might be able to tell us who took Felix?” asked Audun.
Azuria nodded. “I hope so.”
“While we’re waiting,” said Oculura, “would anyone like a fruit tart or a slice of pie?”
“No thanks,” Dyspepsia replied, making a face. “Watching you cook has put me off food.”
Oculura had put vivid green eyes in her sockets. They seemed to get darker when she glared at her sister and said, “I thought you liked my cooking!”
While the two sisters argued, Millie joined Audun by the window. The sky had cleared and the rain had washed away the dust, leaving everything looking fresh and clean. Droplets sparkled in the sunlight, but Millie soon noticed that one sparkle seemed bigger than the rest and was moving toward them. It drew closer until she could make out the tiny figure of a fairy.
Millie and Audun stepped back when the fairy flew through the window and landed on the floor. In an instant, she turned from a fairy no bigger than half of Millie’s little finger to one who was human sized. Her soft white wings and pale blue hair were very pretty, but Millie thought it was her large, dark eyes that made her look unusual. She seemed shy at first and uncomfortable at the scrutiny of so many people.
“Moth, I’d like you to meet our good friends Millie and Audun. Millie’s mother is Princess Emeralda, the Green Witch.”
Moth smiled and visibly relaxed. “I know your mother, Millie. She’s a good friend to fairykind. From what I’ve heard, you are as well. Thank you for helping my friends Trillium, Moss, and Poison Ivy. If there’s ever anything I can do for you …”
“Actually, we need your help right now,” said Millie. “My mother is away and someone stole my baby brother during the night. We’re trying to find out who took him.”
“Did they leave another baby in his place?” the fairy asked.
Millie shook her head. “His crib was empty.”
“Then it wasn’t a fairy who took him. We always leave changelings to take the place of human babies.”
Both Audun and Millie looked surprised,
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