I thought about how a frog might see the scene we were scrutinizing. He’d probably give her the fly and spider report.
“You’re the Keeper, aren’t you? From Croakies?”
Alice and I turned to find a woman about my height and age, with waist-length fire-red hair which she wore in two braids, gorgeous green eyes that shimmered with magic, and a full crop of freckles that painted her long, thin face and spilled down her throat into the high, straight neckline of her bright orange dress. The dress had long sleeves that covered her freckled hands in wide bells of fabric and fell below the knees of two skinny legs encased in green and white striped socks. The socks fit her like support stockings, emphasizing the skinniness of her legs, and were tall enough to disappear beneath the hem of the dress.
The puffy red coat she’d thrown on over the costume didn’t do much to make it more presentable.
“I’m the KoA,” Alice said, her tone disinterested as she continued to peruse the taped-off area.
The creature’s eyes flashed, turning even brighter than before, and she nodded. “I heard you were trying to stop Gnomish. I wanted to thank you. Somebody had to take them on.”
Alice blinked in apparent surprise, “Oh. Well. It had to be done.”
“Yes. And now I understand the cops are trying to pin Gido’s death on you?”
“Unfortunately,” Alice agreed on an airy sigh.
“I wanted to offer my help. If you need it.”
Alice stared at the other woman for a moment, her beady eyes widening with recognition. “You live above the vapery.”
“Yes. I’m Sebille.”
“I know who you are!” Alice said a bit too loudly. Then she frowned. “You’re kind of large for a sprite, aren’t you?”
The red-haired woman lowered her fiery brows in pique.
Alice moved closer and lowered her voice. “I’ve heard about you. You’re not just any sprite. Your mother is the qu…”
The woman turned abruptly away. “Please let me know if I can be of assistance.”
“Wait!” Alice called out, halting the woman mid-step. “I could use your help right now if you wouldn’t mind.”
Sebille turned sharply on her heel and stalked back to us. “What?”
“Do you think you could make like a bug and check out that crime scene area for me? I’m trying to find the real killer, so the police will stop pestering me.”
Sebille turned her startling gaze on me. It was a look that seemed to say, “And who are you?”
I wiggled my fingers at her. “Hi. I’m Naida. Keeper to Be.”
Her eyes went wide. “You’re in training?”
“I am.” I bit my bottom lip to keep from making lots of excuses for my ineptitude. After all, I was pretty sure nobody knew about that but me, Alice, and maybe Detective Grym. Oh, and Lea. I sighed. “It’s been a very…active two days.”
The green eyes flashed. To my surprise, she grinned. “You’ve been in training for two days and you’re already embroiled in a murder investigation?” She laughed as if I’d given her the best news she’d had all day. “What a gnish.”
I frowned. “Hey!” I would have defended myself, but there was also the whole vortex thing. I was starting to think I was cursed. “Surely, it’s not normal for this Keeper gig to be so…interesting.” I told her.
The air in front of me started to swirl and shimmer. A tiny, crabby face appeared out of nowhere, and I yelped in surprise. The rest of the small body materialized in a flash of light that had me taking several steps back until my calves bumped up against the yellow tape.
The creature that had suddenly popped into existence in front of me was about four inches tall and had drab, brown wings that beat the air in an annoyed rhythm behind her. Her small head was covered in tight, dirty-blonde pin curls, and as she looked at me she arched a pair of very judgmental eyebrows. “Why did you call me?”
Sebille rolled her eyes and reached out with a long, skinny finger. “Nobody called you, Shirley.” She poked the minuscule creature in the belly, causing her to grunt in outrage. The tiny wings beat the air with renewed violence. Shirley glared in my direction. “Don’t ever call me again!” Then she disappeared in another flash of light, leaving behind a wisp of sulfur-scented air.
I gave the sprite a confused look.
Sebille shrugged. “That was Shirley. She’s a pixie and she doesn’t like to be called.” As if that explained everything, Sebille transferred her attention to Alice. “What kinds of things are you looking for?”
I barely listened to Alice’s response as I stared at the spot where the pixie had disappeared. Shirley? But I hadn’t called… Then I realized what I’d done and laughed, drawing a question in the form of an arched, fire-red eyebrow from Sebille.
I just shook my head.
“So, will you help?” Alice asked
“I’ll help you,” the sprite said, looking directly at me.
I realized she’d deliberately cut Alice out of that message and couldn’t help wondering why. She was clearly annoyed at the Keeper over something.
Feeling the need to respond in some way, I gave her a nod. “Thanks.”
The sprite popped away in a flash of light, leaving me squinting at the spot where she’d been. Fenwald leaped off the ground, smacking the air where a large bug hovered, wings loudly buzzing.
The big cat missed it entirely.
Great hunter my pale behind.
I realized the bug was Sebille as she flew over the yellow tape, heading directly for the spot where the body appeared to have been.
The sprite was about the size of a dragonfly, her wings a beautiful mix of iridescent purple and green that created a rainbow blur on the air as she buzzed back and forth over the spot on the ground. Then she stopped and hovered over the spot, a soft
