Vanilla Bean Vampire by Selina J. Eckert

Author:Selina J. Eckert
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: witch, pie, baking, magic, cozy, cozy paranormal, cozy urban fantasy
Publisher: Selina J. Eckert
Published: 2021-08-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

I PULLED MY coat tighter around me, though I was burning with rage, and turned toward Pie-Jinks. Again. I clicked my way all the way past the park and down my street.

I let myself through the gate, crunching along the stone and gravel of my footpath, then breaking off and going around the outside of the house instead of up the front steps. The quickest way to Forrest was behind my house, in the aspen grove bordering the larger forest that surrounded Cider Hollow.

He was in there. He had to be.

I made my way through the crunchy grass of my back yard and out the back gate, hurrying up the hill toward the tree line. I only began to slow as I reached the woods, my brain catching up with my feet.

I’d never once been to the Court. Or rather, the demesne. It wasn’t technically a Court yet. Not until his parents approved it and the magic began taking root.

But that still left me with the problem of finding it.

“Reese?” came a small, familiar voice to my left.

I turned toward it, crossing my arms over my chest defensively. “Cardamom?”

The sprites popped out from behind a couple of trees, heads first, then their whole bodies. Had they been inside the trees?

I blinked back my distraction. I was on a mission. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We could ask you the same thing,” Oak said.

The sprites came to stand in front of me, hands behind their backs.

The wind gusted, and a strand of hair blew in front of my face. It was fire engine red.

“We’ve never seen that color before,” Cardamom said, dropping her hands to her sides. “What does red mean?”

I felt my nostrils flare, but I reined in my fury. The sprites hadn’t done anything, this time. “Anger, Cardamom. I’m angry. Where’s Forrest?”

“I... I don’t know.”

I turned my gaze on her brother. “Oak? What about you? Do you know?”

Oak took a step back, face wary. “I assume he’s in the Court.”

I uncrossed my arms. “Great. I need to talk to him. Will you take me?”

“We’re not supposed to take humans,” Cardamom said.

“Yeah,” Oak added. “We’d get in big trouble.”

I took a deep breath, counting before I responded. “Like you haven’t been in trouble before?”

The sprites glanced at each other, but they still seemed unconvinced. But that was fine. I knew how to convince those sweets-loving troublemakers.

I sighed dramatically. “Fine. I guess if no one will take me to see Forrest, then I’ll have no one to test my next recipe out on.”

The sprites froze, their faces uncertain. Just as I’d hoped.

“Um,” Cardamom began. “What’s your next recipe?”

“Oh, a little of this, a little of that,” I said. “I have all kinds of new honey from Clover, and thought I’d try out some new custard pies...”

I glanced at them out of the corner of my eye. They had each taken a step closer to me, licking their lips.

I clasped my hands in front of me. “If I have no help, I guess I have no recipe testers either.

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