“All right, I’ll take four.” He reaches for his wallet.
“Very good, sir. Would you like me to throw in a four-leaf clover preserved in resin? They’re 10 percent off since you’ve spent over a hundred dollars.” I flash him my most charming smile and hit him with a bit of luck.
“Oh, why the hell not? Can’t be too lucky, can you?” He chuckles, his eyes dropping to my boobs.
“Never,” I say with a wink. I gather his goods and deliver them all to the counter where my mother starts ringing him up.
I’ve turned back to the snow globes when he taps me on the shoulder, bag in hand. “Are you free later for a drink?”
I shake my head and point to a sign above the cash register:Employees are Prohibited from Fraternizing with Guests. “Thank you for visiting Silver Ember.”
He stumbles out the door mumbling something about stupid theme park policies. Once he’s gone, my mother rounds the counter and hugs me. “$25.99? Last week I sold a dozen for five dollars!”
I huff dramatically. “For these gorgeous hand-selected specimens?”
She peers at me over her glasses. “Your father literally rakes them off the forest floor.”
We share a good laugh, and she returns to the back room and the inventory. When the front bell chimes again, I don’t even look up. “Welcome to the Silver Ember.”
“Is that you in those snow globes or another pixie who can’t hold her liquor?”
“River!” I embrace the satyr. His brown eyes are dancing with mirth, and he’s actually wearing a shirt for a change. This is as dressed up as River gets. “What are you doing here?”
“I have a date on this side of the park and thought I’d bring you a sandwich and some chips for lunch.”
“A date, huh? What’s your date think about you bringing me lunch?”
He chuckles. “Presumably that you must be hungry. What else would she think?”
I laugh. Must be a satyr. I’ll never understand the lack of jealousy. “Who’s the lucky lady, gentleman or gentleperson?”
“Lady. Katy from the education center.”
“Ah.” I try to remember if Katy is the redheaded satyr or the one who never smiles. I decide it must be the redhead. River’s too friendly to be dating a downer.
I take the bag from his hand and set it on the counter. “Thank you. I’ll put this to good use.”
He rocks back on his heels, staring at me.
“Is there something else?”
He sighs. “As your friend, I feel you should see this.” He reaches behind his back and pulls something from his waistband to hand to me. It’s a newspaper.The Daily Hatter, Spilling the tea in Dragonfly Hollow since 1845.
“What exactly am I supposed to be looking at here?”
River’s shoulders droop. “Page six.”
My eyes flick to him and back to the paper as I flip to the location of the gossip section and zero in on Fairly Goodweather’s neighborhood news column. “Prodigal daughter Sophia Larkspur returned to Dragonfly Hollow this week after her life of crime was thwarted by the Fairy Immigration and Rehabilitation Enforcement agency. Although her inappropriate and illegal actions brought pain and suffering on this community (her poor parents!), it appears she will suffer no punishment or penalty. I have it on good authority that she visited Godmother the day after arrival and left with skin and wallet intact!
“Although this reporter was as disappointed as you that justice wasn’t served, she is more concerned with the company Ms. Larkspur keeps. A sixteen-year-old daughter, seemingly half-human, enrolled in Bailiwick’s Academy just yesterday. Lock up your sons, Dragonfly families! If this acorn didn’t roll far enough from the tree, we are surely in store for more heartbreak and drama from the youngest Larkspur descendant.”
My mouth falls open, and I stare at River in disbelief. “Did she? Was that? Pain and suffering! Life of crime! Acorn and tree!” My throat squeezes until my voice is high and tight.
“It’s going to be okay,” River says, holding up his hands. I just thought you should know.
“No! It’s not okay. Where does Fairly Goodweather live, River? You know everyone in this town. Tell me. I’m going tokillher.”
River chuckles and turns over one hand. “While you and I know the best way for you to win over the love and support of Dragonfly Hollow is to commit murder, perhaps that particular action will be confusing to others.”
