Love Letters and Thirst Tonics (Moonvale Matches Book 1)

27. Fiella

Iwoke up, very late, with a letter sitting beside my head on my pillow. My thoughts were too muddled to care about how it had gotten there, I only felt the joy of hearing from my mysterious friend again.

Dear One,

I was going to say I was worried about you, that maybe you fell into a river and drowned, but sure. I guess I missed you.

I hope you have missed me too.

I have had a few ales lately, but after today, I need a boatload. Ten ales. All of the ales.

Things are getting even more complicated for me in this town. I hope the days have been smoother for you, my friend.

Read any good books lately? I started one recently that really intrigued me, it’s about a murderous faerie that lives in the mountains.

Your friend,

Two

I smiled groggily and wobbled toward the table to pen a quick response.

When I finally made my way to the shop after scraping myself out of my cottage and tromping through the snow, my head was pounding. It felt like my brain had turned into an army of sprites that were trying to burst free.

Those ciders always got me. I might’ve had a few too many yesterday.

The shop was empty, aside from Sookie and me. I usually preferred it that way, but something about it felt strange today. Wrong. Like something was missing.

This snow needed to melt, and it needed to melt fast. If travel didn’t resume soon, Moonvale was fucked.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I grumbled at Sookie. I could tell she was judging me. I bet she was just jealous that she was a cat and couldn’t drink like us folk could.

She meowed at me, butting my ankle with her head.

“I know, I know, but you don’t understand, Sookie. I had to have seven ciders. It was necessary.”

She meowed again, this time quirking her head to the side.

“It’s a long story. Weren’t you there? Or did you sneak out before all the… exciting stuff happened?”

A throat cleared a few feet away.

In the midst of my conversation with Sookie, I hadn’t noticed the door opening.

Redd stood stiffly by the front door, hovering at the threshold. “Hey, uh… I can’t stay to help today; I’m working next door at the plant shop.”

He’d come in just to tell me that? I stared at him for a minute. “Have fun?” I said questioningly.

“Fun, right. Yes. Well, I just wanted you to know,” he explained awkwardly.

“You drop in and out all the time, that’s just how it works. That’s how it’s always worked. You usually just do it and then tell me about it later.” I crossed my arms and stared at him, perplexed.

His gaze dropped to my throat, and then jumped back up to my eyes. He inhaled deeply.

“Right. Just thought I’d be polite, since I was right next door anyways. Good day, Fiella.” He turned to leave, pulling the door open.

“Wait.” This was a bad idea. A really bad idea. But I couldn’t stop myself. He froze instantly, his head whipping around to look at me.

I cleared my throat. “What are you doing this evening?”

He stared at me like I’d spoken gibberish.

“You know what? Neverm-”

“Yes.”

“Pardon?” I asked, bewildered.

“Are you asking me out? My answer is yes. I owe you one after, you know… yesterday.”

I stammered, “I– I wasn’t asking you out!”

“Sure, you weren’t.” He smiled broadly, his fangs catching the lantern light. The force of his full smile was enough to knock the wind out of me. He had the kind of smile that would make any folk swoon. “Good day!” he called out.

He left before I could say anything else, leaving me feeling bewildered and a little flushed.

We didn’t even agree on a time or a place, but I felt like I was floating in the clouds. I didn’t even notice the hangover anymore.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I grumbled to Sookie after she was staring at me once again, but my reprimand had no bite to it. Sookie trilled in response, her tail swishing back and forth like she was up to no good.

The rest of the day passed in a blur.

I dropped a letter into the stone and mortar mailbox on the way home. The structure looked more stable than it had the last time I examined it–almost like someone had tried to subtly repair it. It was also radiating a slight warmth, melting the snow surrounding it. Strange.

I felt mildly guilty that I was going on a sort-of date with Redd instead of with my mysterious penpal. I wondered idly if my penpal would be upset at the idea of me going on a date. I tried to put myself in their boots, pondering if I would be upset if the situation was reversed. We were just friends, after all.

My thoughts were muddled. That was a problem I didn’t want to worry about right now.