Unbaked Croakies: A Magical Cozy Mystery with Talking Animals (Enchanting Inquiries Book 1) by Sam Cheever

Author:Sam Cheever [Cheever, Sam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: New
Publisher: Electric Prose Publications
Published: 2020-06-16T07:00:00+00:00

13

Well, This Is A Bit Of A Damp Squib I’nt?

Sebille and I ducked as another round of energy blasted into the chair we were hiding behind. It blew the chair backward, turning me into a greasy splat on the wall.

Sebille cannonballed skyward before the plant had a chance to refocus and plunged downward, hitting the dirt in the planter and sending it into the air in a tiny brown geyser.

Almost immediately, the dirt lit up in a green haze that sent the plant into paroxysms of vibrating and wobbling. The frantic flailing had the plant’s wooden “arms” banging against the wall in an unsuccessful effort to rid itself of the “bug” infestation.

Energy seeped downward from the surface of the soil, even as dirt continued to geyser upward, painting the floor around the plant in a dusting of dirt.

With a final, violent wobble that nearly topped it to the ground, the plant finally went still, its stalk doubling over and shriveling up as if it had been dead for weeks.

Gasping and coughing up dust, the sprite burst from the soil and flew my way with dirt sifting off her wings.

In a blast of light and flower-scented energy, Sebille popped back into her human size. Wiping mud from her eyes, she headed for the door. “Come on, the alert has gone out. There will be a lot more trouble between us and the door.”

Alice emerged from behind the desk, the suitcase bouncing against her leg as she ran toward the door. I scraped myself off the wall and followed, wondering what in the world I’d gotten myself into.

It didn’t take long for me to find out.

Sebille cracked the door open and glanced around. Then she turned back to us and nodded, holding her finger to her lips for quiet.

She didn’t have to tell me twice. After being nearly drowned by flower petals and obliterated by a potted plant, I’d slither down the hall on my belly if I thought it would get us safely out of that horrible place.

We followed Sebille down the hall toward the stairs. She jolted to a stop on the top step, her body going rigid.

I peeked over her shoulder and gave a quiver of alarm.

The area at the bottom of the stairs was filled with waiting forms, their postures rigid and their gazes sparking with hostility.

The sinister cast to their lips had changed, becoming more menacing as they waited in silence. There were dozens of them, and every wooden face was focused on us.

It was the gnomes that had lined the wall in the lobby. Each one holding a spade, or a shovel, or a deadly-looking three-pronged cultivator in their knobby wooden grips.

Alice peered over Sebille’s other shoulder and grimaced. “Well, this is a bit of a damp squib I’nt?” she murmured softly.

Sebille snorted out a laugh. “A bit. Any suggestions?”

We shared a look. I was at a loss. Alice shrugged. Sebille sighed. “Alice, is that suitcase worth dying over?” she finally asked.

To my shock, Alice seemed to be giving that some thought.

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