Page 8 of Merry in Moonvale (Moonvale Matches #3)

CHAPTER 8

Fiella

R edd and I strode through town hand in hand, munching on a new baked snack from Mitz’s bakery—cookies with tiny chocolate bits in them. The sugary, sweet treat was delicious, and I had to force myself to enjoy it in small bites so I wouldn’t shove the whole thing in my mouth.

My breath clouded in front of me as I spoke. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Which part?” Redd asked.

“All of it. The magic returning to the realm. Kizzi actually finding the dragon eggs. The dragon hatching. The dragon escaping. The dragon being caught again. I think I have whiplash.”

Redd hummed in agreement. “Certainly never a dull moment.”

“Did you think this would be your life when you came to Moonvale?”

He barked out a laugh. “Absolutely not.”

Redd was from Sunhaven, a hot, crowded city on the other side of the Barren Lands, the desolate expanse of land that separated Moonvale from the rest of the realm. Bad luck drove him to flee, and he ended up in Moonvale, where the luck followed him. It was all my fault, of course. Well, it was my ex-boyfriend’s fault.

But I couldn’t regret any of it, because it brought me the best man in all of the realms.

I squeezed Redd’s palm. His warmth kept my fingers from freezing.

“Do you miss it?” I asked. He had been here for almost a year. At times it felt like only days since he walked into my life and into my trinket shop. But now, my life was so irrevocably entwined with his that I couldn’t imagine us ever being separated.

“Miss what? Sunhaven?”

“Yeah. Home. The warmth.” I gestured around me with my half-eaten cookie before taking another quick bite. “You didn’t have to deal with this weather there.”

“Since I laid eyes on you, Moonvale became my home. You’re my home.”

I leaned into his shoulder, my stomach feeling warm and fluttery. “You’re just saying things.”

“No, I mean it.” He looked at me tenderly, his hard face softening. His facial hair was longer now, scruffy. It was soft when I ran my hands over it.

I popped the last bite of cookie into my mouth, chewed for a moment, and swallowed before speaking again. “The fates have a funny way of working, don’t they?”

“Mhm,” Redd agreed. He handed me the last bite of his cookie without a second thought, and I loved him all the more for it. It was even more delicious than my own cookie.

“So, what are you making for Merry Day?” I asked. Kizzi had decided that since she and Tandor had practically gone broke buying the dragon eggs, they would make gifts for each other instead of purchasing them. And that sentiment had spread.

Hence my learning to knit. It was against my will, really.

“It’s a surprise.”

“No fair,” I whined. “You know exactly what I’m making.”

“Because you keep pulling out your yarn while I’m around. And, besides, I don’t know what you’re making for me.”

That was true. Because I honestly hadn’t decided yet. I was saving his for last, in hopes that my knitting skills would be advanced by then. “I guess it’ll be a surprise, too. What if I knit you a sparkly cloak? Would you wear it?”

“Er. Of course,” he stammered. “If it would make you happy.” His jaw clenched. I could tell the admission was painful for him, my grumpy, sullen vampire.

I laughed out loud, imagining Redd walking around wearing a monstrosity made from colorful yarn. It was enough to brighten my entire day. “I would never do that to you. Unless I was feeling particularly evil.”

Redd was spared from responding when Mayor Tommins walked up to us. He was wrapped in a thick, fluffy cloak, and his mane of hair was loose, flowing in the wind. “Hello, Fiella, Redd.” He nodded to each of us in turn. “I assume things are going well. The town is still standing, as far as I can tell.”

“Yes! We found the little guy. Well, Kizzi did. He’s accounted for.”

Tommins nodded thoughtfully. “I’m glad. Now she needs to keep the beast contained.”

Redd chimed in. “Well actually, boss, we’ll be taking him in.”

Tommins' brows rose. “Oh really? That’s interesting. Interesting indeed.”

I nodded. I gestured to the bag, which was slung over Redd’s shoulder. “We have supplies. We’re going to bulk up the protections in the cottage. Nobody will even know he’s there.”

The gryphon’s face twisted into a strange expression for a moment before smoothing out. I couldn’t tell if it was a grimace, a smile, or something else entirely. “See that you do. We don’t need any more panic around town. Everyone is already on edge because of the, you know—” He gestured vaguely, obviously alluding to the mysterious return of magic to the realm.

“Of course. We’ve got it under control,” I assured.

He nodded sharply. “Right. Well, I’ve got things to do, but I’ll be checking in on you folk.” Before he managed more than one stride in the other direction, he stopped. “Oh, wait, Redd. I think I have another job for you. Can you swing by my office this evening to discuss?”

“Sure,” Redd answered. “Things are a little tight with Merry Day coming up but?—”

“This will be quick,” Tommins interrupted. “Easy.”

Redd nodded. “Alright, then. I’ll be there.”

“Great. Yes. Thank you. Good day!” And with that, he strode away, his steps long and fast.

“That’s mysterious,” I joked, tugging Redd in the direction of the cottage we now shared on the edge of the Greenwood Forest. “What do you think he wants?”

“There’s no telling. But whatever it is, it can’t be any crazier than baby proofing our cottage for a dragon.”

“You have a point there.”

“ N ot there, there ,” I instructed, pointing to the windowsill in the front of the cottage. It was beside the front door and would be the second most likely exit point.

“But what about the chimney?”

“The chimney already has a protection charm on it. Remember?”

“Right, right.” He moved to the windowsill, gently sprinkling a line of powder onto the wooden surface. The ingredients of the powder were a mystery that I preferred not to know the answer to. All that mattered was that it worked and kept my cottage from burning down.

After what felt like hours, we had deployed everything, setting out protective charms and enchantments to the best of our ability, following Kizzi’s instructions exactly.

Magic hummed in the air and lifted the hairs on my arms, so I could only assume that it had worked.

Redd departed to meet up with Mayor Tommins, leaving me with only Sookie to keep me company while I worked on my knitting projects. The grey cat curled up on the floor beside me, glancing at me sideways when I let out particularly colorful curses.

My fingers refused to cooperate, causing knot after ugly knot in the yarn.

But I kept trying.

“You’re lucky that you’re a cat and will never have to knit anything,” I said to Sookie as she watched me hurl the ball of yarn across the room in frustration for the second time. “It sucks.”

She simply meowed in response.