Chapter 11 Faye #2
“Suzy called the library and told us a judge for the competition wanted to display the brochures in the lobby,” Lucy explained.
“Since he was only staying in the Manor for one night, we decided we had to act. Technically, you’re supposed to audition before you’re invited to compete.
But, with you being so busy, we didn’t want you to feel pressured. ” Lucy glanced at Rosie for backup.
“While the judge was having dinner, we slipped him a slice of your pumpkin pie. He loved it so much that he wanted to meet the chef,” Rosie went on.
“Benedict’s chef was furious that we’d swapped out the desserts, but no one bakes with as much heart as you.
The judge even dismissed the entry fee and gave us an official invitation for you to participate. ”
“All you have to do is RSVP,” Lucy finished, pulling out an invitation from her coat pocket. “We didn’t plan it. The judge just happened to stay at the Manor, and we got carried away. Please don’t be mad.”
“I’m not mad,” Faye sighed, flattered the judge had liked her pie.
“Your hearts were in the right place. I’m just worried I’m biting off more than I can chew.
I’m running Stoker’s alone, seven days a week, since I can’t afford to hire anyone.
Preparing for a competition as well? It’s a lot to take on. ”
“You don’t have to do it,” Lucy said, taking her hand. “The last thing we wanted was to add more to your plate. We just got excited about someone else recognising your talent.”
They picked at their food, and Faye felt bad they had gone to all that trouble to help her.
“It was all me,” Rosie admitted in the tense silence. “I knew the judge was coming because another wolf told me about the competition during the last full moon, and when you brought the pie for Benedict, I convinced Lucy to help.”
“I’m not mad, I promise,” Faye said, putting down her fork. “I appreciate your help, and participating would be incredible. Hearing a judge loved my pie is a dream come true.”
“Why the hesitation then?” Rosie frowned.
“Attending would mean leaving Foxford. If I’m not in the sanctuary, I wouldn’t be protected. Ian’s banished from Foxford thanks to Lucy and the covens’ support, but if I leave the borders, I’m on my own,” Faye confessed, unable to meet their eyes.
Rosie’s nostrils flared in anger, while Lucy smiled sympathetically.
“You don’t have to explain yourself to us. The decision is yours,” she said. “But – don’t let that blood-sucking leech stop you either.”
“We’ll go with you! He wouldn’t dare to take on a wolf and a high priestess. I’d love to sink my teeth into him, let him know how it feels,” Rosie snarled, stabbing her steak with her fork.
Faye loved her passion. It was in a wolf’s nature to be ferociously protective of their pack, and since Rosie had been kicked out of hers, she had a habit of taking in strays, the same way the Hawthornes had taken her in.
“Rosie means that we’ll help you, support you,” Lucy interjected.
“And rip out a throat if need be,” Rosie said, extending her painted claws and clicking them against the table. Lucy smirked.
“The competition isn’t until October, so you have all summer to think about it,” she said, “and we’ll help you in whatever way we can.”
“I promise not to let him stop me. I just want to sink into my life before adding any more challenges,” Faye told them.
Thankfully, their dessert arrived and brought an end to the topic.
Faye loved them for wanting to help, but she needed time to adjust to her new life.
She put the invitation and the brochure in her bag, and couldn’t help but wonder what if.
That money would help her update Stoker’s and hire someone, maybe even two, to help her…
They didn’t talk about it for the rest of the afternoon.
Instead, Faye heard about their lives – Lucy was settling into wedded bliss and dealing with the struggles of coven politics.
Rosie, on the other hand, had been getting closer to Emerson, but she didn’t put a label on their relationship; Faye got the feeling Rosie didn’t want to discuss her off-limits relationship, considering what Faye had been through.
Even though the situation was utterly different, Faye knew such a relationship would come with a heap of challenges.
Still, if anyone could handle it, it was Rosie.
Being with them, a witch and werewolf, somehow made her feel human again, and she couldn’t believe how easy it was to slip into her former life. She had changed, but how she loved them and how they loved her hadn’t.
Back home and feeling more confident, thanks to the bottomless peach mimosas, Faye thought about the Ravenstown competition as she boiled the kettle for a cup of Grams’s calming tea. The alcohol had made her feel a little jittery as well.
I’ve already passed the audition stage, and I wouldn’t want the invitation to go to waste… She needed more information before she ruled it out completely.
She undid the clasp on her bag to retrieve the brochure, and a tiny red-scaled head suddenly popped up out of her bag.
“How the hell did you get in there?” Faye gasped, staring at the little creature with bright orange eyes.
A red-bearded dragonia had stowed away inside her bag.
She wasn’t sure if the creature was purring or growling, and it had icing around its mouth.
“I see you helped yourself to my cinnamon bun.”
The creature puffed out a little smoke from its nostrils.
Faye smiled, taking that response to mean yes. “Did you enjoy it?” Luisa had mentioned they loved sweets; the smell of her to-go dessert must have lured the little beast into her bag.
“How did you get out of the aviary without being noticed? You’re quite the escape artist,” Faye mused. “We have that in common.”
To her surprise, the dragonia hopped out of her bag and into her arms, snuggling against her chest. Cradling the creature, Faye rummaged through her bag for her phone and noticed several missed calls from Luisa. She’d probably called everyone she knew, hoping to find the missing creature.
Setting the dragonia down carefully, Faye called Luisa back.
The creature gazed up at her, begging for more treats or wanting to be picked up again.
Who knew such an intimidating creature, with its hard scales and sharp rows of teeth, could be so cute?
Then again, if the dragonia had been the size of its ancestors, Faye doubted it would have been anything but terrifying.
The sweet-loving little creature certainly wouldn’t have been able to stow away in her handbag so easily.
It seemed Faye wasn’t the only one in town who wanted to escape her cage.
“Hi, I think you might be missing something,” she said when her panicked friend answered on the second ring.
“For the love of the gods, please tell me you have her,” Luisa pleaded, fear evident in her voice.
“I might’ve accidentally taken a stowaway home with me.” Faye used a wet cloth to wipe the extra icing from the dragonia’s scales as the little reptile tried to reach the sticky spots with its tongue. “A stowaway who loves iced cinnamon buns.”
“That’d be Scarlett. Thank the goddess!” Luisa said, letting out a long sigh.
“We’ve been searching everywhere. She’s an exceptional escape artist. We don’t know how she manages to escape the aviary.
Usually, she sneaks into the kitchen to snatch desserts.
This is the first time she’s gone into the actual restaurant. ”
Faye glanced at the sleeping Scarlett, who had made herself right at home in an empty fruit bowl on her kitchen table. “I think the smell of the bun lured her into my bag.”
“I can’t believe it took us so long to notice she was gone. Scarlett hasn’t been getting along well with her brother, and with the new hatchlings, we couldn’t risk them fighting, so we put her and her other friends in another section.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I didn’t even notice, and I carried Scarlett out!” Faye said. “I opened the bag, and she jumped into my arms – nearly frightened the life out of me.”
Luisa went quiet, and for a moment Faye thought she had hung up.
“Scarlett let you hold her? Usually she doesn’t let anyone come near her,” she said eventually. “Did she not try to start a fire or bite you?”
“No, she’s currently snuggled up in my fruit bowl,” Faye chuckled. That’s a sentence I never thought I’d say!
Luisa gasped. “Scarlett must have bonded with you.”
“Bonded with me? There’s no way. I’m a magless!” Faye protested. “Only magical folk form bonds with creatures.” Lucy had Chaos, her cat, and Benedict had Grecko, a lizard.
“Seems Scarlett doesn’t care,” Luisa said. “Once a dragonia locks onto you, you’re theirs just as much as they’re yours. It’s rare they pick a human over their own kind – most prefer to stay in their nests.”
“Mine?! I can’t keep her. I’ve got to bring her back. As cute as she is, I’m not equipped to care for her!” Faye couldn’t keep a rare breed of what was essentially a mini dragon in her apartment.
“I’m afraid you’re stuck with her. Once you’re bonded, we can’t separate you. If you try to bring Scarlett back, the grief of being away from you might kill her. She’s had her vaccines, so she’s healthy and happy.”
“But I don’t have the right space—”
“They’re highly adaptive, and despite her escaping talents, she can’t fly well because her right wing didn’t develop properly, so she needs more care and attention. It might be best for her to stay with you anyway. The older dragonia pick on her as the runt of the group,” Luisa told her.
“I’m only getting used to looking after myself,” Faye argued. “What does she even eat?”
“Raw meat and vegetables. They’ve a terrible soft spot for sweets and sugar, but try and keep that to a minimum.”
“I don’t think the coven will let me keep her.”
“Why not? She isn’t a danger to anyone.” Luisa made it sound like adopting a mini dragon was no big deal.
“Doesn’t she breathe fire?” I don’t want my new home and business reduced to ash before I can settle in!
“Yes, but no more than a blowtorch would, and only if she’s feeling threatened. Your home is her home, so she isn’t going to burn it down. She’s highly protective; think of her like a mini guard dog with wings,” Luisa chuckled.
Faye hesitated, staring at the sleeping creature. She didn’t want to give her back for her to be bullied.
“If you really don’t think you’re up for it, we can talk to Lucy and see if there’s a spell to break the bond, but it would probably hurt both of you,” Luisa said, interrupting the silence. “Dragonias are as independent as cats and make great companions.”
Faye turned around, only to find Scarlett swinging upside down from the ceiling lamp by her tail. She was certainly stealthy. No wonder it was so easy for her to escape.
Staring into her big, bright orange eyes, Faye was won over.
“Fine, she can stay.”
“Great! And don’t worry if she gets out. She’ll always return to you, since you’re bonded,” Luisa said.
“Right,” Faye said, figuring it was a bit like a cat wandering off and always coming back, eventually.
“Give it some time, and feel free to call if you have any questions or problems,” Luisa added, before hanging up quickly. Faye guessed she wanted to go before Faye had the chance to change her mind.
She dropped her phone back in her bag and stared at her new pet.
“Just don’t set the place on fire, and we should get along just fine,” she said, to which Scarlett tilted her head as though she understood. “You had to pick me? Why not Rosie or Lucy?”
Scarlett dropped from the light, landing on Faye’s shoulder, and nuzzled her hair.
“A new apartment, a mini dragon, and a bakery to run. I can do this,” Faye said, watching Scarlett hop onto the kitchen counter and try to remove the lid from the lemon-shaped sugar bowl with her claws.
“I’m going to have to put the sweet things up high,” Faye noted.
Scarlett glanced at Faye and then at the sugar bowl, as if ordering her to open it.
“No, Luisa said you can’t have too much sugar.”
Scarlett flapped her wings and returned to her fruit bowl. Getting comfortable, she turned her back on Faye.
“Great, our first fight,” laughed Faye.