Free The Tynder Crown Chronicles, Season One: Episode One: The Tynder Crown Chronicles (The Tynder Crown Chronicles, A Novella Series Book 1) by Wendy Owens Page B

evidence. As I do so, I can’t help but think of the way my grandfather was when he would work on a case. Was he thorough and meticulous? Did he have a way with clients? Would he be proud of me?
    Then I spot something, quite out of the ordinary—a sparkly substance across the bench top. I run my finger through it. “What’s this?”
    She leans in and answers, “Looks like pixie dust.”
    I laugh, then suddenly realize she’s serious. This is when my eye catches something even more amazing; using just my fingertips, I pick up the tiny item.
    “What’s that?” Piper asks, looking over my shoulder.
    “It looks like a little hat,” I say, turning and showing her my discovery.
    “Oh wow,” she breathes in sharply, her breath catching in her throat, as if I have just stated the most interesting thing she has ever heard.
    “I bet we can identify which house the wearer belongs to,” she adds.
    “What?”
    “You know, three houses of light and dark. A pixie or fairy would have to declare, same as everyone else. If we can identify the craftsman this hat came from, we can probably narrow the house.”
    “Then let’s do it,” I exclaim, the excitement coursing through me.
    “I need to put a few calls out to some of the houses,” she states.
    “Great, let’s go,” I say, shoving the evidence into my pocket.

I PACE THE LENGTH OF the room. I forgot how boring Joe’s place could be; I mean, come on, who doesn’t have a television. I flop down on the couch with a big huff and begin tossing my keys up into the air and catching them. Piper is huddled over a stack of books at Desmond’s old desk. Despite my several loud sighs, she doesn’t seem to notice me.
    “Any word yet?” I ask at last.
    She pauses. “No, Tynder, there wasn’t any word ten minutes ago or the thirty before that, or even the hour before then. I’ll let you know when I hear something, all right?”
    “It’s been a couple days … shouldn’t we have heard something?”
    “It takes time, be patient.”
    “I don’t understand how long it could possibly take to show around a hat and figure out who made it?” I grumble.
    As soon as the words leave my mouth, there is a sparkle to the left of me that catches my eye. When I turn my head I can see Piper is standing as well. It’s that same shimmering pool I had been brought back through after visiting The Queen. Finally, some answers .
    The pale blue shimmering portal disappears. A man is standing in front of me—facing Piper—and all I can see is the back of him. His hair is dark and thick, his bottom is firm, and his jeans hug it in the most perfect of ways. His hands are in his pockets, and there is a confidence in the way he’s standing that makes me ache. Through his tri-blend T-shirt, I can make out the hard muscles of his shoulders and back.
    I glance past him and see Piper is staring at him, her mouth hanging open. She remains silent.
    “Can we help you?” I eventually break the quiet.
    He turns to face me when he hears my voice, and suddenly I understand why Piper looks the way she does. If there were a heat-seeking missile in the room, it would go straight for my nether regions. I don’t know who this stranger is, but I know I need his hands on me—those strong and broad hands caressing my curves in ways I’m certain will make me tremble. A man who looks as he does has to possess those skills; he just has to.
    “My name is Gideon Nash. I’m here to see Tynder Crown,” he states firmly, and I’m overjoyed that his deep voice matches his firm exterior. His dark eyes envelope me. As if an invisible force is pulling me closer to him, I approach.
    “I’m Tynder Crown,” I announce. I’ve never been so glad in my entire life to be me. My body begins to respond involuntarily to the proximity of him. My chest is heaving in and out, my brow begins to sweat, and my legs are shaking. I’m the type of woman who doesn’t shy away from an attractive man, but this is different. It