I've been working on a dark mystery short story, but I wanted to post something more in keeping with May Day. This is from my mystery series featuring fairies. I hope you like it.
Fairy Corps: Faye
Faye Green paused under the fragrant canopy of purple
clematis twined through the white arbor which separated the parking lot from
the business of Green Gardens. She enjoyed the way green flowers and blue sky
set off the flowers. Visitors often complimented Faye on how well the entrance
piqued their interest for what lay beyond.
She glanced around to make sure no one could see her
open the door set in the south side of the arbor and step through. Not all who
visited saw the door; those who did were like Faye.
The warmth of the May sun faded as Faye stepped down
into her office. She was most at home in this space, able to be herself in a
way she couldn’t be in the public space of her business.
Sunlight came through a skylight, filtered by the
arbor and surrounding hedge. The desk and chairs were made from branches and
twigs, the desk top fashioned from a shard of slate paver, the chair cushions
white and fluffy pussy willow catkins. It smelled fresh, lightly scented by the clematis now high above her.
Faye sat behind her desk and looked at the monitor.
Where others might simply see a polished pebble, Faye saw a world above and
below.
Above was her business, her pride and joy. Below was a
reminder of what her life was before she pranked a human and caused a death,
leading to her banishment from Fairy.
Above was after; below was before.
She sighed, knowing she needed to deal with the here
and now. She had one opportunity to return to the Seelie Court and needed to
focus on how helping her newest employee would accomplish that.
Her cell phone trilled, and Faye answered. “Hello?”
“Faye, you must help me. I did what you did and now
I’m banished too.” The sound of sobs came through more clearly than the muffled
words.
Faye grimaced. I
don’t need this now. Taffie. When would she learn to look first at who was
calling instead of just answering the phone? Taffie always had a problem that
needed solving, always ate for comfort, and always called Faye to help her out.
Faye leaned back in her chair and put her feet up on
the twigs she’d fashioned into an ottoman. “Start at the beginning and stop eating.
If things are so bad you can surely put down whatever you’re spooning into your
mouth and just tell me.”
Faye heard metal against china. Muffled sobs slowed.
Taffie hiccupped. “I didn’t do anything I haven’t done before. I pulled a prank
on someone. How was I supposed to know he was allergic?” Taffie drew in a
shuddery breath. “It was his decision to eat the pie. It had nuts in it. He died.”
“Was it really that simple?” Faye asked. “You didn’t
do a glamour on the pie to make it look like something else?” Faye sat up in
her chair.
If Taffie was truly banished, could they team up and
work together to get back to the Seelie Court?
