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
“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
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