Excerpt: Matchmaker, Matchmaker

Chapter One: A Trip to Nowhere

The gathering bell rang through the streets of Nowhere, one of the smallest villages in the kingdom of Carnelian. The town name had at one time been Borderville. But a few hundred years ago there'd been a misunderstanding between a sarcastic peddler and a dim-witted royal cartographer. The end result was Borderville being named Nowhere on the kingdom map, and the name had stuck.

Reinaldo Picton was ringing the gathering bell excitedly, a copy of the Carnelian Gazette in one hand. As owner of the town bookstore, Reinaldo was always the first to see the paper.

"Alright! Alright!" A voice boomed through the noise of the bell and the chatter of the gathered townsfolk waiting to hear the news. Gus Millberg pushed through the crowd to the front. Though tall for a dwarf, Gus was a good head and shoulders shorter than most of the townsfolk. He was followed by Simon Hondorp, who he co-owned the local tavern and inn with. "Enough of that!" He shouted at Reinaldo, taking the hammer out of the younger man's hands.

Reinaldo blinked at him owlishly. "Um, is everyone here?"

"Anyone who's coming had been here several minutes already." Gus huffed at him. "Now are you going to tell us what the fuss is?"

"Now, now, Gus. Don't berate him." A gentler voice broke in. "I'm sure he had a good reason to be excited." The crowd parted for Asha Lovinggood as she spoke - allowing her to come forward as well. The matronly woman was among the group that kept things in Nowhere running smoothly.

"It wouldn't hurt him to get to the point." Gus crossed his arms. "He's interrupting our breakfasts after all."

Asha only smiled, accustomed to Gus' abrupt way. Then she turned to the bookstore owner. "Go on, Reinaldo. Tell us the news."

"It's in today's copy!" Reinaldo waved the paper. "Our advertisement!"

A murmur of excitement went through the crowed. Simon stepped forward to take the paper. "Well, let's see it." He flipped through the paper to find what he was looking for. "Ah-ha! Matchmaker Wanted. Room and Board provided. Payment negotiable with experience and success. Please apply in person in Nowhere, Carnelian."

The crowd applauded appreciatively, though a few younger members rolled their eyes.

"Wonderful!" Asha clapped as well. "It's been ten years since our Matchmaker passed on. It's high time we had a new one."

"We haven't had much to offer. Still don't." Gus pointed out. "If old Maxwell Theiler had thought to take an apprentice-"

"Water under the bridge." Asha hushed him. "The important thing is to be prepared for those applying."

"Don't you mean if anyone applies?" A slight buzzing sound preceded and followed the words. The group glanced up as a small winged form zipped about overhead before settling onto the Gathering Bell, it's weight only shifting the bell slightly.

Asha smiled at the sour looking pixie facing the townsfolk. "I prefer to look on the positive side, Columbus. We're going to get applicants. If not multiple, then one will do. A hard working Matchmaker with great heart reading skills."

"Heart reading is a talent. Not a skill." That said the pixie took off with enough force to cause the bell to toll out. "If it's not broke, don't fix it I say." He added before buzzing away.

"Can I have your picture?"

"Certainly!" Arlyne set down the plastic bag slightly behind her where she hoped her skirt would hide it before posing for the camera. She waited until they lowered their hands to move again.

"Thank-you!" The stranger said before dashing off after another costumer.

"Your welcome." Arlyne said to thin air, as almost always. She understood the snap-happy attenders feeling. So many costumes, so little time. She didn't take as many pictures as she used to. But thankfully she'd come to know some of the photographers over the years. So she could get pictures from them.

Right now she was on a mission. To change dresses for the garden party event. So far it had taken her fifteen minutes just to cross the lobby. She'd been prepared for twenty, though. So she was actually ahead of schedule.

"Arlyne! Darling!" The fake transylvanian accent caught her attention as much as her name.

"Meredith!" She hugged the other woman in greeting. "I haven't seen you all weekend."

"You didn't come to Vampire 101, darling. Did I not tell you it would be the best?"

'That wouldn't happen to be because the panelist was Meredith Noir Rose, would it?" Arlyne teased.

"Why else?" Meredith responded cheekily.

"I was feeding hungry staff members."

"Did you save me any tasty mortals?...I mean, morsels?" Meredith grinned, showing off her fake vampire fangs.

"I'm fresh out of mortals. Sorry." Arlyne teased. Meredith laughed. "I'm off to change fore the garden party."

"Ah, then I will see you there, darling."

"See you there!" With a wave, Arlyne was on her way again.

"Can I have your picture?"

Or maybe not...

Arlyne glanced in the mirror, studying the outfit she'd made for the garden party. She'd chosen to avoid green and floral prints, figuring that was what a good half of those attending would have chosen to match the theme. She'd gone for brown and muted blues instead. The sleeves were puff n'slash style, but were not connected to the dress itself. She ended up making the dress top halter. It was an umpire waist and the top skirt split open to reveal the underskirt. Not the most original design, but she was proud of it.

She turned to dig through her jewelry. "Where are those earrings?" She muttered, freezing when she saw a small box. "How did...?"

Pulling it out carefully she opened it to gaze at the ornate heart shaped broach inside. It had belonged to her grandmother, and it had been years since she looked at it. She must have grabbed it without meaning to. Perhaps it had been tangled with something else she'd thrown in last minute?

Picking up her blue shawl she wrapped it around her shoulders and pinned it in place with the broach. Her grandmother had been the one to inspire her love of fantasy. Even now, some of her favorite novels and home decor were gifts from birthdays long past. She'd only been five when her parents' plane had crashed. She only had vague memories of them. Her grandparents had raised her, and their house had always been filled with touches of fantasy. Pictures of unicorns and griffons. Statues of gnomes and fairies. Even her grandmother's tea set had seem to her to come from her fantasy novels in her youth.

Her grandmother had always worn the pin, and she'd though she'd want to be buried with it. But in her will she'd listed it specifically as going to her. 'My precious heart broach to my granddaughter Arlyne. For it's place is always among the hearts of the living.'

Even now, years later, she could remember those words.

Grabbing up a small pouch she headed out for the party. She wouldn't need much. Some cash. Her hotel keycard; her ID. Everything else could stay in her room. She grabbed up her con pass and garden party ticket before locking the door behind her. The hallway was quiet. She supposed no one else was on this floor. Or they'd gotten in line already. She pushed the elevator button and waited, humming a tune she remembered from her childhood. Her grandparents had always hummed it.

The elevator didn't ding as it opened - which struck her as odd. She recalled the annoying sound very well. But she shrugged it off as she got on, hitting the ground floor button. The tune was still in her head and she began to hum it again as the elevator began its gradual descent. It seemed to stop and she waited for the doors to open and another passenger to get on, but it didn't happen. Suddenly the elevator seemed to drop fast downward. She grabbed the railing, gasping in surprise as it flew downward before coming to a jolting stop. Breathing a sigh of relief, she paused when the doors opened to darkness.

Had it gone to the basement? Glancing around her at the elevator that had given her the rough ride, she decided that she'd prefer the stairs anyway, and stepped out into the darkness. The ground was solid under her feet. Cement, maybe. Then the doors closed behind her, shutting out the light. Darkness seemed to close in around her and for a moment Arlyne felt her heart constrict with fear. She shook it off. It was just a basement. Nothing scary. As her eyes began to adjust she saw a faint light ahead and headed towards it slowly. She put her hands in front so not to run into anything, and was a little surprised to find her way completely unimpeded. Shouldn't there be supplies or something? Or were they all close to the walls and out of the area people would walk?

She debated about turning around and heading back to the elevator, but forced herself to keep walking. She just had to find the stairs. Or a light switch. Not hard at all.

The light didn't grow brighter, but as she grew closer she realized it was because it was coming from around a bend of some kind. Up close in the dim light the walls looked like natural stone. Perhaps the hotel was built over a natural cave of some sort? She didn't recall that in the brochures. But if they used it for the basement they probably wouldn't want to advertise.

Finally finding the bend she turned the corner and had to blink at the sudden light. When her vision cleared she found herself staring out into a forest of some kind from a short walk into a cave entrance. She stared, not believing what she was seeing for several minutes. Then she shook herself. Surely this was some part of the garden at the hotel. What else could it be? She'd just come off the elevator!

Taking a deep breath she strode out of the cave into the forest, looking for any sign of the hotel wall on the other side. But the forest seemed to continue into the distance. After a few feet she turned to look back and found herself looking at a mountainside. The cave was still there, but the hotel was nowhere in sight.