Cloaks and Daggers by Annabel Chase

Author:Annabel Chase [Chase, Annabel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Palm Press LLC
Published: 2019-10-22T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

I left the care home and drove Diana home to feed her and put her down for a nap. Gareth and Magpie were only too happy to offer their watchdog services so that I could go and speak to Jim alone. I crossed my fingers that he’d be at Kiss My Glass, which was the new shop in town featuring handblown gifts that apparently opened during my brief convalescence. One traumatic birth and I was out of the loop on all the town news.

I entered the shop and was immediately overwhelmed by the rows of delicate glass trinkets. There were colorful butterflies, dragonflies, mushrooms, dragons, unicorns, narwhals—basically anything that could be made into a glass figurine seemed to be available here. I paused in front of a delicate ballerina. The figurine was a pale shade of pink.

“Pretty, isn’t she?” a lyrical voice said. “I made that one myself.”

I turned to see a middle-aged woman with rosy cheeks and golden ringlets. “It’s wonderful.”

“I’m Greta,” she said, and extended a hand.

“You’re a siren,” I said. There was no mistaking that voice.

“I am. I’m careful with my powers in here though. One wrong note and the goods get blown to bits.”

“Ha! I bet you never hit a wrong note.”

Greta’s rosy cheeks deepened. “You’re too kind. And you’re right. I have perfect pitch. Do you sing?”

“Only if I want to hurt someone,” I said with a laugh. “Apparently I’m not very good.” I neglected to say that my dead undead roommate often complained about my efforts when I was in the shower. It was too weird to share with a stranger.

“I’m sure you have other gifts,” Greta said.

“I like to think so.” I glanced around the shop. “I’m looking for someone who might be here to make his own glass. An elf named Jim Morton.”

Greta inclined her head. “Yes, he’s in the back. Nice enough guy. Doesn’t say much, but he offered me a tidy sum to use the furnaces while he’s in town. Who’s going to say no to free money?”

“Thanks,” I said. “Do you mind if I go back there and talk to him?”

“Just be careful. Gets hot if you’re too close.”

“You have lovely pieces here,” I said. “I’d love to come back another time and browse.”

“You’re more than welcome,” Greta said. “I only moved here recently and was eager to set up shop. I figured Spellbound might be starving for retail.”

“It’s nice to have options,” I agreed.

I continued to the back of the shop and found Jim near the furnaces, looking perfectly at ease rolling a ball of glowing light at the end of a magic wand. Okay, he was making glass, but the process was nothing short of magical. He noticed me watching and brightened.

“Pretty cool, huh?”

“Amazing,” I said.

“It’s made from liquid sand,” he said. “Did you know that?”

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard my grandfather’s voice telling me about the process. My grandfather loved to absorb random facts and shared them with me whenever the opportunity presented itself.

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