Double Double Royal Trouble: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Magical Renaissance Faire Mysteries Book 9) by Trixie Silvertale

Author:Trixie Silvertale [Silvertale, Trixie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Faire Ladies LLC
Published: 2023-08-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

Thornton and I had time for one more errand before we visited the royal family.

“I’m going to stop in and see Vern.” Before my familiar could complain, I added, “And I won’t hear a word about it. He may have gathered some further evidence from the charred samples he was testing. It could help me convince the king.”

Disagreement gurgled deep in my toad’s belly, but he didn’t voice his concerns. His objections were softening — ever so slightly.

I marched toward the Dungeon of Despair and knocked lightly at the rear entrance.

Distant footfalls grew nearer.

“Good morning, dear one. I was on my way to find you.” Vern had shrouded himself in a thick gray cloak with a deep hood that would shield him completely from exposure to sunlight.

“Vern, I’ve never asked you, but why aren’t you able to use the sunscreen that keeps the trolls from turning to stone in the sunlight?”

Vern shivered with repulsion and gestured for me to lead the way to the laboratory. “I shall pretend you didn’t just compare me to a troll, dear one. Aside from that terrible tidbit, I’m not one who relies solely on magic for any aspect of my existence. Spells, hexes, curses, and workings of all kinds can fail.” He gestured widely to indicate our surroundings and continued. “The very curse that holds us all captive can possibly be broken. A remote possibility at best, but the potential exists, does it not?”

I nodded. “I understand. Why were you looking for me?”

He inhaled deeply, lifted his nose in the air, and sighed. I pretended not to notice.

Thornton grumbled under his breath but held his tongue. Even my stalwart toad had to admit that Vern truly respected my station.

Vern reached for a beaker and held it aloft. “Queen Coriander, what do your fairy senses reveal?”

I had hoped for a report, not a quiz, but I took a deep breath and attempted to connect with my crown. As my eyes focused on the liquid within the vessel, I could see layer upon layer. It reminded me of oil on water — a strange shimmering rainbow in the driveway of my human parents. Once I acknowledged that thought, the memories of the crown consumed me and images whirred past at lightning speed.

When the flurry of information stopped, a beautiful golden dragon stood before me. As it turned in the sunlight, its scales shifted from blue to purple and back to shimmering gold. Before I could report this vision to Vern, the creature before me transformed into a beautiful flaxen-haired woman. My breath caught in my throat as I whispered the unbelievable word, “Weredragon!”

Vern raised the beaker higher as though it were a simple toast at the tavern. “My tests are confirmed. I came to the same conclusion, My Queen. We were all chasing the truth, as we suspected dragon magic. However, none among us could imagine a weredragon existing in our midst undetected.”

“What does this mean? Why would a weredragon come to our Faire?” I shook my head slowly.

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