Night of the Dark Horse (An Allegra Fairweather Mystery) by Janni Nell Page B
Authors: Janni Nell
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out the wooden spoon, but Liam seemed to take it all in stride. Just another day for him.
“Thanks for the lift,” he said, coming outside again and walking me to the car. He waved, but instead of returning inside, he set off down the street.
“Where’re you going?” I asked.
He hesitated as though considering whether I could be trusted. “To Siobhan’s. She lets me work in her studio.”
“Great. Have fun.”
He blinked like I’d said something unexpected. “You don’t think being an artist is a waste of time?”
“No. Anyway, Siobhan says you’re really talented.”
His smile could’ve powered Dingaleen for a decade.
He came back, stood right beside me. “Want to know a secret? Siobhan entered one of my paintings in a competition.”
“Hope you win.”
He shuffled his feet as though he didn’t think he had a chance. “The presentation night is at the Dingaleen community hall. Siobhan says it’s a big deal for Dingaleen that we were chosen. Something to do with us being the prettiest town.”
“If I’m still here, I’ll drop by the prize-giving.” It was a throwaway line. I had no intention of actually going, but Liam seemed to like the idea.
“Would you really come? It’d be grand to have someone with me. Other than Siobhan, I mean.”
“Won’t your Mom and Dad be there?”
“Nah.”
He looked so disappointed, I immediately said, “Count me in.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” I even noted the date and time.
Chapter Seven
There was no road to the Day Spa on the Edge of Fairyland. Its clients tended not to travel by car. Their preferred methods of transportation were riding unicorns or flying with their own wings. Since I could do neither, I left my car beside the road and headed into the hills on foot. These weren’t the same hills where I’d found the pooka’s cave. They were more remote, the vegetation wild and tangled, the shadows deeper. You could feel the magic and other strange things invisible to the human eye. One of those things was the day spa. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d walk right past. Luckily, my itching toe informed me when I got close. I looked out for the rock shaped like a four-leaf clover. Then I wandered around until I literally bumped into the invisible door.
Elves liked to hang out on the edge of Fairyland. Well, most creatures, including humans, would if they knew where it was. Fairy energy is very pure and healing—I’m talking pureblood Fae, not crude—and elves, like leprechauns, are crude-fairies. Unfortunately pureblood energy is quite fragile. Too many non-fairies or crude-fairies entering Fairyland causes the energy to breakdown very quickly. Not only are outsiders unwelcome, it can be dangerous for them to enter Fairyland. But if, like the elves, you know where Fairyland is, you can live on the edges and reap some of the benefits without any of the dangers.
I was right on time for my appointment with Dexterous Dermot, but he was running late. The receptionist tried to do her job, but her small talk was as annoying as her curl-toed shoes, a style that never seemed to go out of elfish fashion. Her full-skirted dress boasted big red spots on a white background, which made her look like a mushroom in a kid’s picture book. She had very white teeth and flawless unmade-up skin.
The receptionist—did I mention her name was Shasta Daisy?—eventually gave up on trying to engage me in conversation about the weather, and said, “If you’d like to take a seat, Dermot won’t be long.” I sat down and flipped through a copy of Elfin Medical. Avoiding the articles on unicorn hoof fungus and Elphaba’s Syndrome I went straight to an article on witches’ RSI, which my friend Wanda was bound to develop one day. All the best witches had a kink in their little finger from casting spells.
I had time to read the full article and even noted a few things to pass on to Wanda, who was due to arrive in Ireland next week. At least I thought
“Thanks for the lift,” he said, coming outside again and walking me to the car. He waved, but instead of returning inside, he set off down the street.
“Where’re you going?” I asked.
He hesitated as though considering whether I could be trusted. “To Siobhan’s. She lets me work in her studio.”
“Great. Have fun.”
He blinked like I’d said something unexpected. “You don’t think being an artist is a waste of time?”
“No. Anyway, Siobhan says you’re really talented.”
His smile could’ve powered Dingaleen for a decade.
He came back, stood right beside me. “Want to know a secret? Siobhan entered one of my paintings in a competition.”
“Hope you win.”
He shuffled his feet as though he didn’t think he had a chance. “The presentation night is at the Dingaleen community hall. Siobhan says it’s a big deal for Dingaleen that we were chosen. Something to do with us being the prettiest town.”
“If I’m still here, I’ll drop by the prize-giving.” It was a throwaway line. I had no intention of actually going, but Liam seemed to like the idea.
“Would you really come? It’d be grand to have someone with me. Other than Siobhan, I mean.”
“Won’t your Mom and Dad be there?”
“Nah.”
He looked so disappointed, I immediately said, “Count me in.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” I even noted the date and time.
Chapter Seven
There was no road to the Day Spa on the Edge of Fairyland. Its clients tended not to travel by car. Their preferred methods of transportation were riding unicorns or flying with their own wings. Since I could do neither, I left my car beside the road and headed into the hills on foot. These weren’t the same hills where I’d found the pooka’s cave. They were more remote, the vegetation wild and tangled, the shadows deeper. You could feel the magic and other strange things invisible to the human eye. One of those things was the day spa. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d walk right past. Luckily, my itching toe informed me when I got close. I looked out for the rock shaped like a four-leaf clover. Then I wandered around until I literally bumped into the invisible door.
Elves liked to hang out on the edge of Fairyland. Well, most creatures, including humans, would if they knew where it was. Fairy energy is very pure and healing—I’m talking pureblood Fae, not crude—and elves, like leprechauns, are crude-fairies. Unfortunately pureblood energy is quite fragile. Too many non-fairies or crude-fairies entering Fairyland causes the energy to breakdown very quickly. Not only are outsiders unwelcome, it can be dangerous for them to enter Fairyland. But if, like the elves, you know where Fairyland is, you can live on the edges and reap some of the benefits without any of the dangers.
I was right on time for my appointment with Dexterous Dermot, but he was running late. The receptionist tried to do her job, but her small talk was as annoying as her curl-toed shoes, a style that never seemed to go out of elfish fashion. Her full-skirted dress boasted big red spots on a white background, which made her look like a mushroom in a kid’s picture book. She had very white teeth and flawless unmade-up skin.
The receptionist—did I mention her name was Shasta Daisy?—eventually gave up on trying to engage me in conversation about the weather, and said, “If you’d like to take a seat, Dermot won’t be long.” I sat down and flipped through a copy of Elfin Medical. Avoiding the articles on unicorn hoof fungus and Elphaba’s Syndrome I went straight to an article on witches’ RSI, which my friend Wanda was bound to develop one day. All the best witches had a kink in their little finger from casting spells.
I had time to read the full article and even noted a few things to pass on to Wanda, who was due to arrive in Ireland next week. At least I thought
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