“It’s strange,” Daniel said, almost to himself. “Last time the scent disappeared. This time, it’s growing stronger.”
I wanted to ask him what that meant, but he was trying to concentrate, so I kept my mouth shut as we continued through the woods.
The trees were thick here, and a light mist clung to the air, making everything more mysterious and magical. The sun was starting to get low in the sky, which was a deep purple-blue. The stars would soon begin to twinkle in the night sky. It was absolutely breathtaking. I wished I was walking through the woods for any other reason.
Eventually, we came to a small clearing. There, in the center of the clearing, was a pile of gnomes. Several of them with broken pieces.
Nespos Bunnyhop raced up to them. “Awaken. Awaken. It is safe.”
The gnomes sprang to life, but most of them groaned as they did. They glanced at their broken pieces, and Nespos reassured them. "The Glue of Life will be used to make you whole again." Hugs were given. Tears were shed. Nespos Bunnyhop looked at me like I was the one who'd fixed this all, even though without Daniel and Beth these gnomes wouldn’t have been found.
When everything calmed, Beth knelt and asked, “Did any of you see what happened to you?”
All of them shook their heads, but I noticed the gnome with the broken hat didn't. Instead, he glanced around as if expecting something to come jumping out of the shadows. I didn’t address him in front of the others, I simply let Nespos Bunnyhop lead them back to the garden and lingered at the back of the group. The gnome with the broken hat locked gazes with me, and he slowed his pace.
“Karma?” the gnome whispered, glancing around the shadows of the woods again.
I nodded.
“An old woman. A witch perhaps. I saw her over several days, and she was the one who took all of us.”
It was strange. I'd already expected as much but hearing him say it made my stomach turn.
He motioned for me to kneel. I did as he asked, and he whispered in my ear. “Be careful. I got the sense that she put together a trap for someone. I don’t know who or why, but I wasn’t always in my stiff state when I was supposed to be, and I heard more than I should have. She was using us as bait, but the only people she could have been after are other gnomes or you and your friends.”
I wanted to ask him more, but he hurried to catch up to the others, a clear sign that our conversation was over. When we returned to the garden, the missing gnomes were greeted with more hugs and tears. Beth, Daniel, and I accepted their gratitude for returning their missing people, but none of us looked happy.
There was definitely something rotten in Mystic Hollow.
8
EMMA
Brrr.I should've checked the weather before leaving. The night was unseasonably chilly. The walk from the office to Deva's cafe wasn't strenuous, but I was freezing now.
Beth was back there, finishing paperwork and sending out invoices. That woman was incredible. When I'd run a business with my ex, I'd handled all of the paperwork, employees, payroll, and day-to-day stuff, but my ex had done the rest. With Beth, we switched off. I trusted her as much as I trusted myself with numbers, which was saying a lot.
It also meant that when I needed a night off, I could have one. Daniel was busy talking to his mysterious library connection about Karma. I had nothing better to do than slink off to Deva’s for some of her amazing cooking, and her even more amazing company.
The back door to Deva's Delights was open a crack, which was the norm in the evenings to help cool the kitchen. As I slipped inside, Deva looked up from the pot she was stirring and smiled.
Oh, good. It was so much warmer in here.
I couldn’t hear her over the bustle of the busy kitchen as they got dinner out to their packed dining room, but her lips moved to her sous chef, Lucas, then he nodded, and hoped that meant we'd have a little time together. One thing about Deva was she rarely took a real break from the cafe. She would, however, make sure to take small breaks any time we needed her.
“Come on,” she said as she hurried over. I followed to her little office off of the kitchen, but not before she stopped beside one of the junior chefs, Noah. “I’ll have the ham and mashed potatoes.” She looked at me.
“I’ll have the same,” I said. "Sounds good."
“Also bring a couple of pieces of whatever dessert is selling the least,” Deva told him with a wink.
He smiled. Noah was a nice kid and one of the new staff members. What was more, he was a wolf shifter. We’d struggled a bit with the wolves when I'd first come to Mystic Hollow. Now they all seemed to be doing better. Not only were they all working or going to school, but they were also cleaning up the pack lands too. Deva hiring Noah had definitely been a risk, but one that was paying off.
She opened her tiny office door and waved me in, like the office was something spectacular. It wasn't. It was small and cramped, with a desk that barely fit between the walls. The walls were lined with shelves that were filled with books, herbs, and trinkets. A small window at the back of the office was so covered in dust and grime that the light wouldn't penetrate during the day.
We settled into the chairs with groans, both of us tired after our long days, then grinned at each other when we realized what we’d done. Before we could even get into all the chaos of our lives, Noah arrived, dropping off all four of our plates with all the skill of an experienced waiter. Without needing to be told, he closed the door behind him.
I eyed a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers on her desk, then turned my gaze to Deva so I could arch one eyebrow. “Those are nice.”
