Blood and Mistletoe Read Online Free PDF Page A

smiled and waved, the angry expression leaving her face.  “Kaye was teaching me the Evil Eye.  Cool, huh?”
    Arachne worked part time at The Emporium in hopes of becoming Kaye’s apprentice.  Arachne was sixteen, blond, and a hard worker.  She was also completely gullible. 
    Kaye likes to play tricks on her human employees, which is why they usually don’t last long.  Arachne had been here the longest, but Kaye never tired of pranking her.  If I didn’t know better, I’d say Kaye had a puck in her bloodline.
    I looked over at Kaye, who was pulling faces behind Arachne’s back, and groaned.
    “Are you going to tell her, or should I?” I asked. 
    Kaye started laughing, the bells on her bracelets and anklets jiggling, and waved for me to go on.  I turned back to Arachne and her face fell.
    “Oh, it wasn’t a real lesson, was it?” she asked.
    “Sorry, kid,” I said. 
    Kaye let out a snort and dabbed at her kohl rimmed eyes with the corner of her head scarf.
    “Don’t worry, dear,” Kaye said.  “I’ll teach you a truth spell later.  It will be worth more to you than an Evil Eye.”
    It was true that Arachne could use a truth spell working here, but knowing Kaye she’d know a way around her own spell.  It wouldn’t do to spoil her fun and trickery.
    Arachne nodded and moved behind the counter where she started counting and tagging packets of incense.  Kaye hustled toward the rear of the store and I followed.  The jumble of wares that cluttered the aisles closed around us as we made our way to the back of the store where a secret button let us past the counter, through a beaded curtain, and into a hallway that led to Kaye’s small office on one side and her spell kitchen on the other. 
    Kaye turned left and I followed her into the kitchen where Marvin sat on the floor.  Hob was flitting around Marvin’s head, attaching something to his face.
    “Hello, Hob,” I said.  I acknowledged Hob first, since brownies were particular about such things, and easily angered.  Orphaned bridge trolls, on the other hand, were much more forgiving.  “Hello, Marvin.”
    “Hello, Poison Ivy,” Marvin said, grinning. 
    The kid never got tired of that one.  Hob fussed as the gray stuff he was attaching to Marvin’s face shifted with the wide grin.  Hob harrumphed and stomped a booted foot on Marvin’s shoulder.
    “Told ye ta sit still,” Hob said.
    “Why don’t you both take a break,” Kaye said.
    I thought Hob would complain, but instead he flew toward me so fast I stumbled over my own two feet.  He stopped, perching on a pot hook above my head.  There was a greedy gleam in the eyes that peeked from below his large, bushy brow.
    “Where be me gift?” Hob asked.
    I may have a fear of handling strange gifts, but Hob had no such compunction.  I had entered the hearth brownie’s domain and he expected his payment.  It was tradition and faeries take such things very seriously indeed. 
    I dipped my gloved hand into the pocket of my coat and pulled out a small pigeon feather wrapped in shiny tissue paper.  I always kept small gifts with me in case I visited Kaye’s kitchen.  I’d rather stumble into a nest of pixies than enter Hob’s domain without bringing his payment.  There is nothing worse than an angry brownie. 
    I set the present on the nearby counter and stepped away.  Hob circled the tiny package, dancing a jig on the white tiled countertop.  Even if he didn’t care for the dove gray feather, I figured he’d like the tissue paper.  Brownies adore shiny things.
    Hob pounced on the package, stripping the tissue from the feather.  He examined the feather so closely it tickled his bulbous red nose.  His nose twitched, but Hob continued to hold the feather to his face.
    “Is the gift acceptable?” I asked. 
    As much as I enjoyed visiting with Hob and Marvin, I really did have questions for Kaye.  My father’s blood may add extra years to my lifespan, but I couldn’t wait