A Mistletoe Wish, page 5
“I’m not going to give up,” she said. “I’ve got several other artifacts that the Fae have left around the mortal world to visit and see if they can help.”
“The wishing well sometimes takes more than one visit to work,” Ben said. “You don’t want to leave too soon.” It wasn’t quite a fib. Very rarely did someone wish to be rich and then get hit by a pile of money seconds later.
“How long do you think it could take?” she asked, frowning.
Forever. “You should know within a few weeks,” his conscience made him say.
“That was longer than I had considered,” Selena said. “I’ll have to find some temporary work and a place in the forest to camp.”
“Actually,” Ben said. “I have an alternative suggestion. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to speak with you tonight. I was impressed with how you handled yourself this evening. You took care of Avery and his louts very quickly.”
“I let one get away,” she said apologetically. “And you took care of Avery yourself.”
“Be that as it may. I’m hoping to solve this problem with Izina Broome before Yule. I could use a bodyguard to keep me safe during that time. I would provide you with room and board. You could stay here.” Ben added casually, hoping she couldn’t sense how much he wanted her with him. But if she wanted to go back to the Grantmore, he’d pay for it. “And a decent salary.”
“That’s very generous of you,” Selena said.
“It’s worth it to me to have someone with your skills to keep me safe against a band of irate witches and pesky vampire hunters. I do have my own staff, of course. The town itself is guarded by gargoyles and werewolves. I have a small group of ghouls who are in charge of security at the office and official events. You would be my personal guard, though. We would be spending a great deal of time together.” A great deal, if he had anything to say about it.
Selena considered his words as she continued to demolish her plate. “Do you eat like this every night?”
“We could,” Tess called from the kitchen.
So much for privacy.
Selena gave him a small smile. “And I could stay in the Duran Duran room?”
“Yes,” Ben said. It looked like she was considering it.
“I imagine going up against a coven would be dangerous.”
“Not to a warrior of the Dawnstar tribe,” he said.
Her smile faded, and he could have kicked himself. “Former warrior.”
“For now,” he said, hoping to make her feel better.
“I would still need to make the pilgrimage to the wishing well.”
“Naturally,” he agreed.
“I did have a dream tonight, or maybe it was a vision. A sunsidhe appeared in my dream and said she would grant me my wish.”
His heart sank. “Can you describe the sunsidhe?”
“She looked like a human unicorn.”
Candace.
“How did she seem? Was she with a moonsidhe?” He wondered if Roderick was still with her.
“She was alone. She seemed whimsical and mysterious.”
“That was Candace, all right,” he muttered.
“You know her?”
Ben nodded. “Candace Juniper. She and a moonsidhe named Roderick Stone created the well. If she said the well would grant your wish, you’ll be out of here soon.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Selena frowned.
Hope flickered like a butterfly inside him, and he hated that he still had hope after all these years. Ben should have been used to disappointment and banished it out of existence by now.
“She said I needed to spend time away from the Faelands.”
Thank you, Candace.
Ben kept his expression neutral. “Staying here would allow you to do that.”
“And she said that when I find what I’ve been missing all my life, the well will grant me my heart’s desire.”
“What have you been missing all your life?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know, and she wouldn’t say.”
“How very much like a Fae goddess.”
“I know, right?” Selena’s mouth twisted in annoyance.
“Then it seems we can help each other out. I can provide you with a place to stay and a job while you look for what you need to find. And you can help me with my little witch problem.” Ben was cautiously optimistic.
“I’m hesitant to accept the position,” she said reluctantly.
Panic like he had never known gripped him. “Is there anything I can do to sweeten the pot? The salary is quite generous. I was thinking of five thousand dollars a week.”
Selena dropped the roll that she had been about to take a bite out of. “That is very generous.”
“I could open up a line of credit for you in my name for any business expenses you might need.” Ben knew he sounded desperate, but he couldn’t help himself.
“It’s not the money,” she said. “It’s my curse. I’m afraid that just by being near you, I could help your enemies.”
“You didn’t help them tonight when you were protecting me.”
“That’s true.”
“And nothing bad has happened while we’ve been talking.”
Selena winced. “I wish you wouldn’t tempt fate by saying things like that.”
Ben didn’t believe in fate. He also didn’t believe in curses, even though he knew some witches could cast strange incantations. “It’s possible that if the well doesn’t grant your wish, that there might be a cure for your curse in Izina Broome’s spell books.”
That appeared to have made the decision for her.
“Perhaps that’s what I need to find. A witch spell to cure me would be what I’ve been missing all my life.”
Or it could be a soulmate. He wasn’t sure how to ask the question if there was someone special waiting in the Faelands for her. A rare twang of jealousy reared in him, and he fought to keep the scowl off his face at the thought of her with another man. If she wasn’t involved with someone, it was possible she could fall in love with him. And even if she wasn’t the answer to his wish, they could still have a good time. He didn’t think he was alone in feeling this strange attraction.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity,” she said.
“It is I who am grateful.” Ben wondered if he would make a fool out of himself, believing in the wishing well yet again. He comforted himself that at least he’d be well protected and in the company of a beautiful woman for a little while.
Chapter Six
Selena
Since Ben slept during the day, Selena had to readjust her own sleep patterns. But although she slept in this Saturday, she couldn’t rest anymore and was out of bed by noon.
“Aren’t you going to have lunch?” Tess said. She was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her, holding a tray with what looked like a leftover turkey sandwich on it. How long had she been standing there?
“Thank you,” Selena said, following her into the dining area. A formal place setting was laid out for her. “You don’t have to go to all this trouble for me,” Selena started to say and then saw the affronted expression in the goblin’s eyes. “Unless you want to,” Selena finished softly.
Tess plunked the sandwich down in front of her. The turkey sandwich had a layer of cranberry sauce, gravy, and stuffing. Selena ate it like she hadn’t had a meal in months. It was the best sandwich she’d ever had. In her tribe, they foraged for what they ate and cooked efficiently with an eye for making the food feed a large number of people. An individual sandwich was a luxury, and to have someone serve it to you was only something the elderly or infirm indulged in.
“Thank you,” she mumbled, a little appalled at how quickly she had scarfed that down.
But Tess looked gratified. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Would you like beef stew for dinner tonight?”
Selena refrained from saying if it’s not too much trouble and nodded instead. Beef was also in short supply in the Faelands. They ate venison or bison because those were the animals that tended to overpopulate the areas if they weren’t kept in check.
Tess beamed. “I’ll pack you a snack box to take with you for your outing today.”
Selena wasn’t even sure where she was going, but it didn’t hurt to have snacks. “I was thinking of perhaps hiking up to the wishing well.”
Tess shuddered. “Not on a Saturday. You’ll never get close to it, and the people are terrible on the weekend.”
“Okay,” Selena said. Ben had mentioned to wait until Monday. It was just she wanted to make sure that Candace knew what wish Selena had in mind. She knew from experience that the Fae tended to be very literal and needed things specifically spelled out for them. Even though she had asked the sunsidhe for a way to break her curse, she wasn’t sure if she had made it clear that was her heart’s desire. She didn’t want to receive a fine new scabbard for Artegenos instead of being cured of her bad luck.
After being handed a backpack of food that would have fed her for a week, Selena wrapped her scarf snugly around her neck and stepped out into the frosty morning air of the small town of Hope. Snowflakes danced around her, settling gently on the ground and creating a soft blanket that hushed the sounds of life around her. She stopped to admire the quaint charm of the place. It wasn’t the Faelands, but it felt like a close community.
As she walked down the main street, her breath misting in the cold air, she passed by several shops with their warm, welcoming lights beckoning her inside. It looked like they had restored the town's power while she slept. She decided to stop in at the local bakery, drawn by the delicious scent of freshly baked bread wafting from its doors.
"Good morning. I’m Adelaide,” the plump, rosy-cheeked baker said from behind the counter. "What can I get for you today?"
"Hello," Selena replied, her eyes drifting over the array of mouthwatering treats displayed before her. "I'm new in town, just getting to know the place. Everything smells wonderful. I just had a big lunch, but I’m tempted to try that maple doughnut.”
"Thank you, dear," Adelaide beamed. "I've been baking since I was a little girl, and I put my heart and soul into every treat I make. Here you go. The first one is free.” Adelaide reached under the counter and handed her the doughnut with a waxed paper.
“Oh, I couldn’t. Please let me pay you.” She had money from Avery if she didn’t want to dip into Ben’s line of credit.
“Nonsense, you’ll be back. My doughnuts are addicting.”
“Thank you,” Selena said, taking the doughnut. It smelled divine, and the first bite melted immediately on her tongue into a sweet layer of goodness. She nodded in approval at Adelaide. “Wonderful.”
“We take pride in our craft here in Hope, whether it's baking or protecting our wishing well." There was a vague warning in Adelaide’s tone. Selena figured that was probably because she was openly carrying a sword around town.
“Do people try to attack the well?” Selena asked.
“The well, the town, the townspeople.”
“That’s awful.” She had thought that the attacks from last night were a fluke. Ben hadn’t mentioned that there had been other occurrences. A nagging thought that had been bothering her was that Ben had been attacked twice since she had come to town. If it turned out her curse was making her a danger to him, Selena would have to leave.
Adelaide shook her head. “There’s always some intolerant idiot who wants to cause pain and destruction. Sometimes, it’s because they hate the magic of the well. They say we’re devil worshipers. Other times, it’s that we’re consorting with beasts. Then, they want to round up all the shapeshifters and get them to leave the area. Lately, they’ve taken offense that our mayor is a vampire.”
“And they don’t like that because?” Selena had a hard time trying to follow the logic of hatred that these intruders harbored on the peaceful-looking town.
“They think he’s going to seduce their daughters or kill their livestock.” Adelaide cocked her head. “Or maybe it’s the other way around. But Mayor Ben isn’t like that. He doesn’t drink from the unwilling.”
Selena knew otherwise, but she supposed Avery had it coming. After all, he did try to kill Ben.
“How do you protect the townspeople from the newcomers who want to do you harm?"
“I poison the doughnuts.”
Selena stopped chewing, her eyes wide.
“I’m kidding,” Adelaide said.
“I would have told you if I had detected poison,” Artegenos said.
“Tasty poison.” Selena finished her doughnut and licked her fingers clean.
"Seriously, though, we have werewolf guards patrolling the streets at night.”
Nodding, Selena said, “I’ve met one.”
“And gargoyle sentries do fly-bys during the day, but the mayor keeps us safe too.”
“In what way?”
“He’s a powerful vampire. He can hex a mob into putting down their torches and pitchforks and buy doughnuts instead. He has a good staff of workers that keep the town running.”
And Selena was going to be one of them for a short time.
“Have you made a wish from the well?” Selena asked.
“Almost all of us in Hope have. We’re either descendants of the people who had their wishes granted, or we asked the well for our heart’s desires, and they were granted. A long time ago, I wished for a successful business.” Adelaide waved her hand. “And you can see it has come true.”
“You were worthy,” Selena said. “Did you have to prove that to the well, or did it know right away?”
“It was touch and go that first year. I baked from sun up to sun down. The hard work paid off.”
Selena wondered if it was the well’s magic or just Adelaide herself that made her so successful.
“Have you seen a lot of miracles happen?”
“Not as many as I’d like. I’ve seen a grown man in a wheelchair get up and walk again. I’ve seen a terminally ill person wish for death and then pass peacefully in the bed and breakfast the next morning. One person even found a rare postage stamp in a book he purchased at the bookstore, and he was able to purchase a Maclaren automobile with it.”
“And the other wishes?” Selena asked.
“I don’t get to see any of the quiet wishes or the more private ones. But a lot of people leave here happy.”
“What about the wishes that don’t come true?”
“The mayor helps a little out with that as well. Some people forget there was even a town named Hope. Others think they got their wish and leave here happy, even if they couldn’t remember what their wish was.”
“There must be some people who remember being hexed and perhaps have a grudge against the mayor?” Selena wondered if that was why the witch was attacking him.
“I haven’t heard of it happening, but I suppose anything is possible. The townspeople try not to burden the mayor if they don’t have to. He takes on a lot for us. We’ve learned to rely on each other. We're all a little different from the normal, even us humans. For example, Isaac, the cemetery caretaker, is a bit of an odd one, but his heart's in the right place."
"What’s he like?”
"He’s been here for as long as I can remember," Adelaide continued. "He's always been something of a loner, but we all adore him. He's got a soft spot for animals, you know. Sometimes, he even brings them back to life if they've passed on too soon, just so they can have a second chance."
"Really?" Selena murmured, her interest deepening. "Do you think the wishing well granted him that ability?"
"Who can say?" Adelaide shrugged, smiling kindly at Selena. "Now, dear, why don't you try one of these apple turnovers? They're my specialty."
"Thank you," Selena said, accepting the flaky pastry with gratitude. This time, she handed Adelaide a five-dollar bill to pay for it. As she took a bite, the sweet, warm filling melted in her mouth, making her sigh with contentment.
"Delicious," she praised, her eyes meeting Adelaide's. "You truly are an artist."
"Thank you, dear," Adelaide beamed. "And welcome to Hope. I'm sure the wishing well will grant you your heart’s desire."
Selena hoped so, but she was definitely going to visit the bakery again to fatten up to prepare for the long winter just in case she had to move on.
As she continued her exploration of the town, she stumbled upon a small shop that caught her eye. The sign above the door read "Hope's Armory" in delicate lettering. Intrigued, she pushed open the door and was met with the faint scent of leather and oil. Inside, she found an array of weapons and armor, from swords to bows to shields—everything a warrior could need. Selena was about to put a serious dent in the mayor’s line of credit.
“Finally,” Artegenos said. “You will not leave here without procuring me a scabbard.”
Selena knew better than to argue.
"Welcome." A burly man greeted her as she came through the door. His voice was warm and inviting. "I'm Orin. I’m the blacksmith here in Hope. Looking for anything in particular?"
“Yes," Selena replied, her eyes scanning the selection. "I need a scabbard for my sword."
"Ah, let's see what we have." Orin led her to a rack displaying various scabbards, each crafted with intricate designs. Selena carefully examined them, searching for one that would suit Artegenos. She finally settled on a sleek, black leather scabbard adorned with silver filigree.
“No,” Artgenos vetoed.
She bit back a sigh. “Well, you choose then.” She thought at the sword.
“I need to be free to take a better look.”
“People tend to get the wrong idea when I draw you just to peruse the goods.”
“So, explain it to them.”
Yeah, because that always went over well. But she needed to get this errand done, or Artegenos would drive her batty, so she risked being thought of as a nutjob who talked to their sword. “I’m Selena. I’ve taken a temporary job with Mayor Whitlock.”
Orin straightened up from where he had been stacking iron billets near the forge. He smiled eagerly. “I heard about the attacks. Is there something special that you’re looking for? I can see that you do not need a sword.”
