Mosaic Magic

By Leah R Cutter

Suzi works as a tiler, bringing beauty to new homes. For the first time, Suzi chooses a job with a non-Human general contractor, a Pixie named Morning Blossom.

 

Probably the last time, as far as Suzi is concerned.

 

Yet, Morning Blossom invites Suzi to come meet her after work.

 

Pixies don't really eat Humans, or Human babies. Really. Myths long since disproven.

 

Suzi's still uncertain. What kind of Pixie games is she being drawn into? And what is it going to cost?

 

Set in the NIMBY universe! 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Knotted Road Press
• Release date: Nov 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201741808

Book preview

Mosaic Magic

Mosaic Magic

Uncollected Anthology: Issue 26

Leah R Cutter

Knotted Road Press

Contents

Mosaic Magic

The Uncollected Anthology

About the Author

Also by Leah R Cutter

About Knotted Road Press

Mosaic Magic

Ah, nothing like the fresh smell of grout in the morning .

Suzi giggled to herself as she dug her rubber float/trowel into the bucket, scooping out a hefty portion of the sandy paste.

It actually stank like cheap paint, with the dusty smell of concrete underneath. She still relished the scent, because it meant that she was nearly finished with this job. This was the last room in the new house that she had to tile, the huge living room.

She’d taken the job with a new-to-her general contractor. A pixie named Morning Blossom. Suzi had never worked for a non-Human general contractor before. For that matter, she’d never worked with pixies or other magical beings, either. She suspected this might be her last time.

The tiles she’d put in two days before looked like rich, red-tinted wood, almost a mahogany. They’d been oversized, nine inches by forty inches, like actual planks of wood, and had been a pain in the ass to do. Now, they were smoothly cemented to the subfloor, everything perfectly level, with evenly spaced grout lines between each board.

Suzi had spent a little time that morning doing cleanup, removing mortar from the grout lines as well as wiping off the tiles, getting them damp. The grout she was applying was a dark brown color, called coffee bean.

Well, only if you liked your coffee well roasted. She preferred lighter roasts.

Suzi took her time with the first set of tiles, pushing the grout into the crevices between the tiles, then scraping off the excess. Next, she used a big, brand new grout sponge to clean off the remaining grout as well as to smooth out the grout lines.

She always liked this part, sweeping the sponge in circles over the tiles, getting all the lines just right. It was easy to get lost in this work.

Last step involved using a microfiber cloth. It was honestly the silliest thing she’d ever heard of, or had to do, as a tiler. However, it worked.

She dragged a semi-damp microfiber cloth across the face of the tiles, going at a forty-five degree angle, not following the grout lines. As this grout happened to be extra sandy, the microfiber cloth picked up what sand remained on the tile itself.

After the last swipe of the cloth, Suzi