Page 1 of King of Moon and Claws

ONE

ELORA

Elora stepped outside the dress shop into what was left of the sunlight slowly dipping below the horizon. She had been working in the shop all day and hadn’t stopped once to take a break. Sometimes she wondered if the few coins earned each day was worth it.

It was a nice late afternoon. The breeze blew warm, and what was left of the sun was even warmer. The sky was filled with snow-white puffy clouds that changed shape the longer she stared at them. The main thoroughfare through the village waS busy with shoppers and children running around.

Chatter from below had Elora glancing at her feet. She leaned down to stroke the striped back of a cat that wrapped around her legs. The animal chattered excitedly and she bent over to scoop him up.

“Is that so?” she asked.

If anyone had been watching, they would have been stunned into silence when the feline bobbed its head up and down.

“All right, well, since the dog took over your home, we can certainly find you a new one. Unless you already have someplace in mind?”

The mewls that emanated from the cat would mean nothing to someone else, but Elora understood every sound. Talking to animals was her gift, and even though she lived in a predominantly human society where she had to hide her special talent, spending the afternoon assisting her new little friend was something she wouldn’t give up no matter what.

There was nothing remarkable about the area except for a few paranormals and some shifters that took up residence nearby. Even they were masked as humans. Discretion was key.

Elora glanced around uneasily, making sure no one was nearby who could overhear her conversation. Witches made people nervous and uncomfortable.

If she had been a more powerful witch, she would have been whisked away to one of the covens for additional training, but she was considered mundane and unexceptional.

A particularly loud meow had her glancing back down, and she smiled. “I’m glad you found a place. Come back and visit me soon.”

With that, she carefully set the cat on the ground and went back inside. Elora turned around the handwritten open sign hanging on the door so it read closed to all who passed by. Grabbing a straw broom, she swept the hardwood floors. Working as a tailor’s assistant wasn’t exactly exciting, but it put food on the table.

The wooden floors of the shop were old and faded. Sweeping was a chore as the gaps between the floorboards always filled with the debris the broom swept around.

With an audible sigh, Elora bent over to sweep the rubble into a pan to dump outside then filled a bucket with water and pulled the mop from the corner.

Stacks of clothes had to be moved out of the way. As she lifted a pile of clothing to move to the original spot, a garment fell directly into the mop bucket.

“Of course,” she mumbled as she bent down and scooped the material from the disinfectant solution. “Why wouldn’t that happen?”

Elora wrung out the fabric as best she could and draped it over a shelf. Stifling a yawn, as the monotony of the day was beginning to wear on her, she glanced at the clock. She only had an hour to go.

A new package of assorted material was stacked neatly on the counter. A serious internal debate raged through her. Clean or finish sorting through the new fabric that came in this morning? She set the mop aside and reached for the wrapping.

Tearing open the first one, she delighted in the feel of lace between her fingers. She carefully draped it over her shoulder, showcasing the ivory material. Next were yards and yards of linen.

Oh, what they could do with linen! The lightweight tunics and comfortable breeches would be a godsend on a hot summer day. She folded the material carefully and set it on a shelf for tomorrow.

Silk in three different colors felt like water between her fingers. She marveled at the delicate, waxy feeling, thinking how lovely this fabric would look as a wedding dress. When paired with the lace, the dresses would be fit for a queen.

Using her forearm to brush an errant strand of blonde hair out of her face, she paused. A cardinal flew in from the back of the shop, perched on her shoulder, and whistled quietly.

Elora hurried to the back to check on the dress she had been working on earlier. Her tailoring skills were often aided with the help of some of the woodland creatures when others weren’t around to witness it.

The birds and the small animals of the forest came to pitch in when the cover of darkness made it feasible. It wasn’t as often as she would like, but every now and then, their help was like a cool drink of water.

On an old wooden dress form was a light green dress Elora had been sewing for over a week. To her utter delight, two robins, a cardinal, and a chipmunk were hastily sewing in her absence.

“Thanks, everyone,” she said.

Quiet whistles and excited chatter replied as she snuck back to the front room to finish closing the store for the night.

Just as Elora was ready to leave, the front door burst open. Her gray eyes narrowed as she took in the three large men who blocked the entranceway.

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