It’s Wednesday and my mind found it’s way home. Finally. Sort of. Anyway. I have new words. In fact, I have new words that took the Honorable Mention in last week’s Thursday Threads. The prompt is: *”He intended to find out.”* The judge’s comments puffed me up so much, I’m sharing them. Louisa says: James showcases her storytelling ability with this piece. There’s the alliteration of the “tenuous truce” and striking descriptions like “golden opalescence.” She pushes the boundaries of microfiction. I’m as intrigued as Nikos to discover who this mystery woman from behind the Veil is.  An absolute fitting tribute to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on the Spring Equinox. (Hint, if you don’t know the reference to Oberon and Titania.) I hope you enjoy.

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Nikos watched from the shadows. When he’d confronted Ariel earlier, he’d been honest. He was here in Rochester on business—just not the business Ariel would assume. His own king had sent him here to discover why Oberon and Titania were so interested in events occurring in this somewhat backwater upstate New York city. Once thriving, now Rochester clung to past glories with tenacious grit.

Yes, there was the yearly Lilac Festival which drew the Fae like bees to honey. Yes, there were lay lines here where magic swirled right under the humans’ noses.

He stiffened, noticing for the first time the beings gathered in the pool of darkness across the way from Ariel. His sharp dragon sight focused but the entities wavered, incorporeal spirits peering through the Veil.

Nikos swallowed the flame threatening to escape on his next breath. Those creatures raised the scales on the back of his neck, despite his human glamour. Dragonkind and Fae maintained a tenuous truce since the Veil ripped and the magick realms had been revealed. That did not preclude them from spying on each other.

Laughter carried in on the breeze. Ariel froze, as did those other hidden watchers. The woman appeared and the world inhaled sharply and held its breath. She wasn’t beautiful but the air around her glowed with a golden opalescence.
Intrigued, he watched her walk up the block followed by Ariel and the two spirits. Who was she? More importantly, what was she?

He intended to find out.
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So, for those of you who love dragons, you can probably figure out that Nikos has many cameos in this one. As will Sade and the whole “Scoobie Gang” but for the most part, this is Ariel’s story. Sadly, his heroine is still fighting me over her name. Happily, the “villain” has introduced himself. He is Bran, the King’s Raven. *bwahaha* Have I mentioned this one is set in Rochester, NY? I know weird. But hey, they have a big lilac festival! This will be important. Writers, grab the prompt if you wish. Readers, where do you wish you were right now?