Gillian Summers - The goblin's curse

“Your kindness and thoughtfulness overwhelm me,” she called as she ran after her. “Let me guess-Ermentrude never gave you sensitivity training, did she? And by the way, what am I supposed to do? Dust the creepy masks?”

The scent of herbal soaps and aromatherapy oil wafted from Janice’s herbal shop. Keelie longed to return to bed for a nap to soothe her aching muscles, but they kept moving.

“You’ll do whatever he needs you to do.” Finch cut her eyes over at Keelie.

All of the booth owners waved at Finch as she marched by their shops. Maybe they sensed, on a subconscious level, “here be dragon.” Or maybe her faire admin personae was scary enough.

The girls hired to be fairies were working on their costumes outside Betty’s Books and Baubles, cackling like hens laying eggs. Keelie recognized Marcia, Tracy, and Lily, now dressed as Shimmerlight the gold fairy, Lavender Lollipop the purple fairy, and Lily Limerton the green fairy.

Finch motioned for Keelie to stop. Keelie rolled her eyes. Why were they stopping here? The last thing Keelie wanted to do was eavesdrop on a bunch of fake fairies talking. She’d met the real deal at the High Court and was not impressed with imitations.

At least the bell the bhata had given her wouldn’t jangle again-it was still stuffed with tissue from Sally’s shop. She needed to get rid of the thing.

Finch elbowed Keelie and whispered, “Try the To See Truly spell on them.”

“Did you hear that the Equus Island guys aren’t letting people near the horses?” Shimmerlight sprinkled more glitter on her wings.

“They’ve always been snooty. Really cut, but not like Hob,” Lily added.

Keelie tilted her head fifteen degrees (or so she assumed), tapped into Earth magic, and focused on the light around Lily. “ Allow me to see truly,” she softly said.

She didn’t see anything around Lily, Tracy, or Marcia regarding their “intent.” This seeing truly spell didn’t work, and it would be the same with Hob.

Impatient to move on, Keelie tapped Finch on the shoulder. “Why are we here?”

“Listen,” Finch hissed softly.

Lily Limerton was sewing some jingly bells on her tulle skirt from a bowl next to her. Keelie had really come to dislike the sound of bells.

“Hob told everyone down at the Poacher’s Inn pub that Vangar is a suspect in the fire.” Shimmerlight grinned, then whispered, “He’s paying us to direct all the children to his shop. Isn’t that awesome?”

Lily Limerton squealed. “It’s our secret!” They made a silly show of shushing each other, fingers to lips.

Shimmerlight stood and held the blinged-out skirt up for the other fairy girls to see. “Is it sparkly enough?”

Lily Limerton and Lavender Lollipop both nodded.

Keelie looked away to keep from rolling her eyes. She watched Finch stride forward and smiled as the three fairies moved close together, almost into a huddle, to protect one another.

“Good morning, ladies,” Finch growled.

“Good morning, Madame Faire Director,” Shimmerlight said as her face burned tomato red.

“I hope you ladies will make sure the children attending the faire today, or any other faire day, have lovely dreams of gossamer wings and hummingbird happy thoughts. Make sure they see not only the masks at Hobknocker’s, but also all of our fine establishments here at the High Mountain Faire. Am I making myself perfectly clear, like the ringing of a crystal bell high above the mountains of Norway?”

What did Norway have to do with anything?

“Yes!” All three fairy girls drew together even more closely, as if they could sense they had angered the inner dragon of the faire director.

“I will not hear of any side deals with shop owners, or tales that my fairies have been bad. Right?”

All three girls nodded their heads simultaneously.

“Keelie has seen bad fairies. What happens to bad fairies?”

“They get turned into brownies,” Keelie said with a straight face. “Fairy servants who are all wrinkly and wear ugly clothes.”

The fairy girls’ eyes widened.

“What a horrible fate.” Finch was very nonchalant and uber cool, so unlike her usual self. “You ladies have a great day, and don’t forget what I said.”

“Yes ma’am,” they answered in unison.

Finch walked away, with Keelie keeping pace. She could only imagine the conversations that would circulate around the faire: Keelie is in cahoots with the faire director.

“What did you learn back there?” Finch asked. “Did you use the To See Truly spell?”

“I learned not to wear lime green fairy wings,” Keelie answered. “And no, the seeing clearly spell didn’t work.”

“Keep practicing. It takes time to master the spell, so I’m not surprised at your outcome. Those three share one brain cell, and they may have misplaced it. What did you learn from overhearing them talk?”

“I learned that Hob has supposedly been spreading rumors, and you heard how he paid the fairy girls to recommend his shop over the others.”

Finch rubbed her hands together gleefully. “Yes! He’s sneaky. So, when you’re in Hobknocker’s, I want you to listen and observe. I know there is more to his story. We have to put the random pieces together to get the whole picture.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Keelie said. Sure, the fairies were gossiping, but Keelie didn’t think it was that awful for Hob to pay them to favor his shop-it was just business. She still couldn’t picture him as a bad guy.

As they strode up the hill, past the familiar rooftops and colorful signs, Keelie’s heart squeezed tightly in her chest at the thought of what she and Dad had lost. The sight of the skeletal and smoking remains of Heartwood saddened her to the very core of her soul. She mourned the loss of the apartment above the shop that had been home, and her refuge after Mom’s death.

She steeled herself and trudged forward, keeping her gaze on Hobknocker’s. Her mission was to discover more about Handsome Hob with his charming and wily ways. He kind of reminded her of a snake with glistening scales, but that didn’t mean he was evil.

Despite her best intentions, Keelie glanced left, at the bustling activity where Heartwood had been. A work crew was clearing the debris. Keelie recognized a couple of Sean’s jousters. Elianard stood nearby, watching them. What did he expect they’d turn up? The Compendium had been upstairs, under her bed and surely was burned to ashes by now. Her heartbeat sped up as she thought of the possibility that it might be somewhere else at the faire.

The Lore Master arched an inquisitive eyebrow as Finch and Keelie walked past. At least the jousters were helping out, though their shovels and picks stopped as they walked by. Some openly pointed and whispered. Keelie held her head high and marched forward.

It would only be a matter of time before Sean knew about the recent development in Keelie’s employment status, and there would be a Council Meeting to discuss it. She hadn’t had a chance to tell Dad about Finch’s idea, but he was so preoccupied anyway, and she could always just explain that she accepted the job because she was after the truth about the fire and had agree to uncover more information about Hob for Finch. Not to mention the fact that Finch was right-Keelie needed something to do besides grieve for Heartwood, pine for Sean, and wait for Dad while he attended the never-ending Council sessions.

The scent of roasting turkey legs floated up the hill from the food merchants near the jousting arena. Her stomach rumbled. She’d eat later.

She cast a quick glance through her lashes to see if there was a familiar blond head among the elves, but Sean wasn’t there.

She was disappointed, but on the other hand, she wouldn’t have to look at him while she worked at Hobknocker’s today.