The Heartstone Saga by Archibald Bradford (pdf to ebook reader txt) 📗

no danger and relaxed, so Ophelia walked past them to the door.

She tried the knob, but it didn’t budge.

“Oh you’ve broken it!” She sighed as she tried again; “Nina, could you-”

“Nope, that snooty old fart can fuck off back to wherever farts come from.”

She was sitting on her hammer next to the kitchen, looking very unmovable while waiting to be fed.

Milly cheekily ruffled her hair as she walked past.

“I’ll get it.”

She took hold of the handle and gave a jerk, but there was a sharp crack and it came off in her hand.

“Oopsies.”

“For heaven’s sake!” Ophelia wailed; “Nina! Open this door right this instant!”

“I don’t wanna.” The red-skinned girl replied with a slight whine.

“You have until the count of three!” The Flutterby declared firmly, her hands on her hips now.

It was a tactic that Nameless had experienced many times in his life. In that time he’d never once heard Ophelia get past ‘two’, and this time was no different; the dynamic of her relationship with Nina had evolved to the point that she could overcome the giant’s legendary stubbornness by sheer force of will.

The Gigas groaned and slumped her shoulders as Ophelia began her count, behaving like nothing so much as a put-upon teenager.

Her hammer dragged noisily against the floor, permanently marring the wood surface as she dragged it behind her all the way to the door with an awful shrieking sound.

“There goes the security deposit.” Nameless lamented.

Volka elbowed him in the ribs, greatly enjoying the show, her earlier alarm gone as quickly as it had come on.

“As if we were ever going to get it back!”

There was a noisome crash and another yelp from the man outside as Nina did as she was told, the door now hanging off of one hinge.

“What is going on out there?!” Erica demanded from the bathroom, still scrubbing furiously at the dick on her face.

Nina meanwhile was staring death at the messenger outside.

“Gimme the letter you puny idiot, or wear yourself as a hat.”

He didn’t object this time, quickly handing it off.

“I-I’m meant to return with your reply.” He stated, his mustache quivering slightly.

Nina handed the letter to Ophelia and glared at him again, causing him to flinch and curl his hands up to protect his torso.

“How are we supposed to reply? We haven’t even read the damned thing yet!” The whole building shook at her annoyance and she pointed at the corner of the stairwell; “Go over there and stare at the wall until I tell you not to!”

Despite the absurdity of her instructions, the mustachioed man wisely did as he was told, while inside Ophelia took up her glasses and read the letter with a frown.

“Oh my. It seems we’ve been invited to a party.”

“You’re kidding!” Erica exclaimed, coming out of the bathroom.

The Katje’s face was red from being rubbed raw but at least it was finally dick-free.

“I am not.” Ophelia said, her brow furrowed slightly as she re-read the invitation; “Kathryn Jacobs, our local city councilwoman, has invited us. Or rather she has invited our master ‘plus escort’, to a fundraiser for the victims in Lipton Falls.”

Nina scowled as she stared at the back of the stationary in the Flutterby’s hand.

“What victims? They’re all dead.”

“Not all of them.” Nameless sighed heavily; “The monsters were taken.”

They were silent for a few seconds as they dwelled on the fates of those poor girls.

But Erica was in agreement with Nina about the fundraiser.

“I don’t see how money will help them right now.”

“Perhaps it is meant for their families?” Volka suggested, though she too didn’t seem at all confident that was the case; “When is this ‘fun-raiser’?”

That earned the Valkyrie a few raised eyebrows.

Erica, still a bit raw about the dick-face, was the one to correct her.

“Fund.” She pointed out sourly, putting heavy emphasis on the ‘D’ each time she said it; “A fundraiser. For raising funds.”

 “Hmm, that does make more sense, I thought it odd that they would find anything fun about it.” Volka mused aloud, looking up at the high ceiling as she did; “But then again, it is a party.”

Striving to move past the Valkyrie’s etymological slipup, Ophelia read the invitation yet again.

“This is tonight!” She gasped; “It starts in a little over two hours! My, but that is short-notice!”

“So... are we going?” Milly asked as she looked around at the others.

To her surprise Ophelia shook her head.

“The absurd timing aside, I know full well that to expect from an event like this! I’m not saying that anything bad will come of it, but neither do I believe much good will either.”

“Huh, would’ve thought you’d leap at the chance to wear a pretty dress.” Nina remarked.

Erica rolled her eyes and gestured at the dress Ophelia was currently wearing.

“Yes, because our Flutterby never wears those!”

Milly giggled, but then shook her head.

“If these people are trying to help, I think we should go. I’ve never been to a party before. Well, except the one the Saenga girls had for us, but I’m thinking that this is different?”

Nameless shuddered at the memory of drinking the potent ambrosia draught, or more from the memory of the head-splitting hangover that followed it.

Meanwhile Nina pulled Ophelia’s arm down to read the card for herself before nodding firmly in agreement.

“‘An evening of cocktails.’ Says so right there. That means free drinks.”

“Oh dear.” Ophelia sighed; “I suppose we could attend, though I have nothing to wear.”

Half the people in the room made a variety of noises in disagreement and she blushed.

“I really don’t! All of my gowns are much too casual for an event like this!”

“I’ll be wearing the same thing I’m wearing now.” Nina said; “And Milly will be wearing