by Nova Nelson
“Did she ever come to Medium Rare before applying to work here?”
“Not that I remember, but obviously I don’t work here twenty-four seven. Close to it, but not quite. Why does that matter, anyway?”
Ted reached across the table and grabbed the sugar dispenser from the end by the window. Pouring a copious amount into his drink, he said, “I’m just curious how she heard about this place if she lives in the middle of nowhere and never comes around.”
It sounded like he was getting at something, and I suspected I knew what, but I didn’t like it. “She said she knew Fitzgerald and Liberty. One of them must have heard she was looking for a job and told her about this place.” I paused. “It sounds a little like you’re suspicious of her being up to no good, and the only reason I can figure for that is that she’s new around the Outskirts. You know, not that long ago, I was new around the Outskirts, too.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “You’re right, you’re right.”
But I wasn’t finished. “And I think we have enough suspicion and mistrust floating around Eastwind already without adding to it, don’t you think?”
He bowed his head, conceding. “Absolutely. You’re completely right, Nora. The Winds of Change can even get to a grim reaper, it seems. Besides, the last few new people I’ve met around town are just lovely, like you said. There’s you, Zoe, Eva—”
“Have you met Liberty’s new girlfriend?”
Ted’s laugh was like two Brillo pads scrubbing against each other. “Liberty has a girlfriend? I wasn’t aware. She must be something if she’s brave enough to date a genie.”
“She is,” I said. “In fact, she’s another genie.”
His shoulders drooped suddenly under his robes and the hint of joviality evaporated from his voice. “There’s another genie in town?”
“Yes, Ted. There is.”
“Oh no.”
“What did we just talk about?” I scolded.
“Right, but this is different. Genies are extremely powerful.”
“That doesn’t mean they’re bad.”
“True. But if they were, we’d be in a whole heap of trouble before we knew what hit us. There are only a few things more dangerous than two genies in the same town. One is two grim reapers in the same town, and another is two genies in the same town who are dating. Nothing can bring out the worst in people more than romance.”
“Such a Casanova,” I mumbled. “You know that nothing can bring out the best in people like romance, too, right?”
He dismissed it with a flick of his wrist. “Yeah, yeah. I’m not worried about things working out great, though. Nobody dies if things work out great. But with the Winds of Change blowing about and gaining strength, and with the tension rising …”
“You mean the tension you’re contributing to by being suspicious of everyone around town you don’t personally know?”
“I know what it looks like, Nora, but I’ve been here a while. If things get bad like they were, I’m not going to be in any danger myself, but I would sure hate to have to clean up all the bodies of my friends.” He sipped his coffee, which struck me as an overly casual gesture immediately after mentioning the death of everyone he loved.
This conversation had just about run its course, so I stood again and smiled down at him. “Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that. For now, though, let’s try not to be so xenophobic, okay?” I gritted my teeth, steeling myself before I patted Ted on his bony shoulder. As I’d anticipated, the contact sent a shiver like live worms through my arm. But it achieved the intended result, and Ted’s mood lightened.
“You’re right, Nora. Heh. You usually are. I’ll be sure to keep a more positive outlook and stop being such a drag.”
“And I’ll go put your order in. Good talk, Ted.”
As I made for the kitchen, my arm still tingling, I tried to focus on the important bits of the conversation; namely, that the Winds of Change might be part of why Bruce and Heather had reappeared. It didn’t account for it fully, but it was a good place to start. It was always a good idea to know a little something about the situation before approaching Ruby with it. It prevented her from being quite so smug when she immediately knew the solution.
This particular situation seemed like something new, though. According to Ted, the Winds of Change hadn’t been in Eastwind in hundreds of years, which meant Ruby wouldn’t have any experience with them. What would I do if she didn’t know how to fix this mess? Who would I turn to then? Well, I supposed there was always the massive Eastwind Library, but as far as primary sources who were still around, I was fairly limited. Sheriff Gabby Bloom? Liberty Freeman? Count Sebastian Malavic?
None of those seemed ideal. The sheriff was probably too buried in paperwork to bother with something as minor as reappearing peaceful spirits. Liberty Freeman was occupied with his new girlfriend, and the last thing I wanted to do was get in the way of genie love. That sounded incredibly dangerous.
Malavic was an obvious no-go for more reasons than I could count (no pun intended). Just thinking about all the hoops he’d want me to jump through before offering me the finest scrap of assistance made me exhausted.
Or maybe that was the lack of sleep.
Probably both.
“Strange, huh?” I asked Tanner, after explaining to him some of the events from the previous night.
He’d finished his mushroom swiss burger and was chipping away at the truffle fries. “Very strange. Winds of Change, you think?”
“Possibly. Ted said that could contribute, at least.”
“You know who you should talk to,” he said, wagging a fry at me.
“Who?”
“That psychic medium you live with. Call me crazy, but I’d bet she knows a thing or two about ghosts.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I will as soon as I get home. What, you don’t want to take on another complicated issue?”
He sighed. “You know I’d love to, but I already have a very complicated issue over on Toadstool Terrace. Seems someone’s been reading June Youthclip’s copy of the Eastwind Watch each morning before she can get to it.”
I laughed. “And she knows that how?”
“She doesn’t. She just suspects. Hence the complication of the situation.”
“I don’t see how it’s so complicated to tell someone to stop calling the police for non-issues.”
He aggressively dunked his fries in the ramekin of aioli. “Then you’ve clearly never had to give orders to a busybody elf who still has her curlers in from the night before. It’s quite complicated.” He grinned and grabbed the last handful of fries. “Better get some sleep before tonight’s shift.” He popped the fries in his mouth, then leaned over the counter.
“Kiss then last mouthful of food,” I said. “We’ve been over this.” He shrugged as I kissed him anyway.
By the time Jane came in to take over from me a few hours later, I’d made up my mind that I wasn’t ready to discuss anything about the night before with her. I didn’t know enough, and what little I did know could get Ansel in hot water. First things first. I would go home, talk with Ruby during our lessons, and then come up with a clear plan of action. Too many times I’d waited to speak with the other Fifth Wind witch only to discover that she could have been a huge help if I’d asked her sooner.
Not this time, though.
I hung up my apron, called for Grim to stop begging from Anton in the back, and made for home.
Chapter Seven
I propped open the front door with my shoulder as I untied my boots and slipped them off. My swollen feet were aching from a busy day at work, and freeing them from their confines felt incredible. My plan was to take off the boots, clean up, make some jasmine tea, then start my lessons with Oliver and Ruby.
Only after Oliver left would I be able to speak privately with Ruby about Heather and Bruce and see if she could provide some helpful insight. Maybe I could send both spirits on their merry way before I went to bed.
“Hey, Rub
y,” I said, tossing the boots to the side of the door and looking up.
I’d expected to find her in her usual spot, but the armchair was empty. Clifford, her familiar, was lounging by the fireplace, his head buried underneath his big, red paws. Grim wasted no time joining his friend by the glowing, orange fire.
Heather, Bruce, and Roland were seated at the parlor table, apparently having a grand old time as they played cards. I was temporarily distracted by how three ghosts managed to move physical cards before I remembered magic was a thing. As with the books in the library that the spirits could move from place to place, these cards probably had some sort of enchantment on them that allowed them to be moved by ghosts.
Not a bad idea, considering being a restless spirit seemed especially dull.
“Care to join?” asked Roland, motioning to the open fourth chair at the round table.
“Not now.”
Ruby wasn’t in the kitchen, either. Huh. Must have gone to the bathroom.
Except the bathroom door was open.
“Where’s Ruby?” I asked.
Roland shrugged and looked over at the other two, who did likewise. “We only materialized a few minutes ago. These cards were on the table, so we started playing. I have to admit, when I saw this deck in Ezra’s Magical Outfitters a few years back, I couldn’t imagine the use of making a spirit deck. Ha! Now I think the man might be a genius.”
“So you haven’t seen Ruby?”
Heather shrugged a single shoulder. “Nope.”
A wave of dread passed through me. Something wasn’t right. Even as I knew Ruby could defend herself better than I ever could, I felt protective of her. Maybe it was just ageism.
Or maybe I knew that every bit of trouble that ended up on her doorstep lately was my fault.
“Ruby?” I called, stepping farther inside slowly.
That’s when I heard the shriek from upstairs.
“Fangs and claws!” I cleared the stairs two at a time, charging toward her bedroom. The heavy footfalls of Grim were at my heels the entire way. I pulled up short when I reached her door. This would be a huge invasion of privacy if I didn’t knock, but if someone had her in there, alerting them to my presence wasn’t ideal. When she squealed again, I made up my mind. I tried the handle and to my surprise it was unlocked, so I shoved it open with a shoulder and entered, prepared for the worst.
Or so I thought.
The sight that greeted me would not have made my top ten list of worst-case scenarios, but only because never in a million years could I have imagined it. Or wanted to.
“Good golem!” I said, trying to look away, but too late. Much too late.
“Sweet baby jackalope!” Grim lowered his head and retched, his tail tucking tightly between his legs.
Ruby was on her back on the bed, but pushed herself onto her elbows when we entered. “Ever heard of knocking?” she snapped.
Only when the man on top of her looked over his shoulder at us and mumbled, “Just plain rude,” was I able to identify him.
It was Ezra Ares.
“Sorry,” I stammered, trying to glue my eyes to anything but the tangle of sheets and skin on the bed. “I heard you scream and … oh god …”
My feet wouldn’t move. They really should have been moving already.
Come on, feet!
Ruby pulled one of the bunched sheets over her modestly. “Can’t a witch enjoy herself in her old age without the cavalry coming to save her? For fang’s sake! Not exactly saving myself for marriage anymore.” She barked at Ezra, “I told you to lock the door.”
“You did no such thing,” he snapped back. “There was only one thing coming out of your mouth when I carried you up here, and that was ‘You better not wuss out now.’ ”
“I can never unsee this,” Grim said, rubbing a large paw over his eyes.
I grabbed the door knob and backed out of the room, keeping my eyes on the floorboards. “If you two could just keep it down …”
“Not a chance,” Ezra snapped.
“Siren’s song,” I cursed. “I’m gonna leave now.”
I shut the door and Grim and I exchanged a single look before hurrying down the stairs.
“Everything fine?” Roland asked as I reached the bottom step.
“Right as rain,” I lied, rushing across the parlor. “Whatever you do, don’t go up there.” I grabbed my boots, stuffed my swollen feet back into them without bothering to tie the laces, and hurried out of the house. Grim was only a half-step behind me.
“Fresh air!” he shouted as we hurried down the porch stairs and into the street. “Wait. Where are we going?”
“Does it matter?”
“No, it really doesn’t. Anywhere but there.”
We agreed on that, at least.
* * *
Tanner grinned at us when he answered the door. He was already dressed in his work pants, but hadn’t yet put on a shirt. Normally, I would have no complaints about seeing my boyfriend’s bare chest, but I’d seen too much surprise skin already today, and his nakedness triggered flashbacks. “Didn’t expect to see you two,” he said. “Come on in. Grim, Monster will be glad to see you.”
Grim hurried inside and I followed. When Tanner closed the door and wrapped his arms around me from behind, burying his head in the nape of my neck, I wiggled free. “Not in the mood. Sorry. It’s not you. Promise.” I headed into his living room and flopped down on the couch. Monster was lounging on the other end of the sofa, but jumped off to greet Grim as he entered. The munchkin cat rubbed against Grim’s ankles and purred. Grim assumed the position, flopping over onto his side so Monster could burrow in his thick fur for yet another nap. Good. Grim could probably use a little comfort after what we’d just seen.
“What’s wrong?” Tanner moved to stand in front of me, crossing his arms over his bare chest as he looked down with concern.
“I … I just walked in on Ruby and Ezra.”
His concerned expression remained unchanged. “Okay. Where? At his shop?”
“No, at Ruby’s house.”
He frowned and shook his head vaguely. “Was he dropping off a delivery, or …?”
That was certainly one way to think about it.
“In her bedroom,” I said. “The two of them. Together.”
His eyes narrowed, and I could practically see the cogs turning in his head. “Oh.” He blinked rapidly, and I knew he’d arrived at the reality. “Ohh! Wait, what?”
“I—I don’t know.”
He nibbled his bottom lip, bobbing his head minutely. “I mean, good on them. Goddess knows Ruby could probably use it.”
I held up a hand. “Please. Let’s not explore it. It’s all too fresh in my mind.”
He relaxed and sat on the couch next to me. “Yeah, I could see how that might stick with you until your dying day.”
“It’s not just that,” I said. “Things are getting weird with a lot of people. First, Heather and Bruce come back, desperately in love with their exes. And now Ruby and Ezra are …” I shook my head to clear it. “Something’s going on, don’t you think?”
He nodded. “There’s always something going on, but I get what you’re saying.”
“Strange romances are just popping up out of nowhere—powerful ones, by the looks of it. It’s like someone’s put something in the water supply.”
Tanner scooted closer. “I’ve been drinking from the spring, and nothing’s changed about who I’m in love with.” He kissed me on the forehead then jumped up. “Sorry, but I gotta get ready for work.”
“Right. Of course.” I stood as well. “I’ll find somewhere else to hang out for a while until Ezra leaves.”
“You’re welcome to stay here,” Tanner replied. “As long as you don’t mind the mess.”
I looked around. It was typical new-job clutter, nothing major. His coffee table had a few empty coffee cups that he’d likely finished while in a rush to get out the door. A pile of unfolded clothes sat in a wicker basket on a chai
r in the corner. Monster’s hair mingled with dust on the floor. Had I been a more useful kind of witch, I might have cleaned it for him as a surprise, but I was still garbage with a wand. Plus, I wasn’t his mother, and I’d learned the hard way that cleaning on a large scale for men even once could land you on mom duty in a heartbeat.
“Thanks,” I said. “But I think I’ll go grab dinner somewhere.”
“Yeah, good call. Franco’s has a few new dishes,” he suggested. Was he baiting me? Did he really want me to spend an evening where Donovan worked?
Then I remembered it was Tanner, and he didn’t bait. He simply trusted me.
Weirdo.
Although, now that I thought of it, the idea of spending some time with Donovan didn’t sound terrible. We’d agreed to be friends, but sometimes friends slipped up and—
No, Nora! I blinked it away quickly. Where did that come from? For the second time that day, I’d been hit with a passion I thought I’d mastered. Was I being affected by the same thing as Heather and Bruce and Ruby and Ezra? Considering the intensity of my dreams with Roland, and now these renewed inklings for Donovan, it seemed likely.
I absolutely could not go to Franco’s. Whatever I did, I needed to stay away from Donovan.
“I vote Franco’s,” said Grim from the floor. “Not that you care what I think.”
“I think I’ll hit the library,” I said, causing Grim to groan. “Oliver will be proud to hear I spent the evening— Oh no! Oliver!” I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a piece of owl parchment and a pen. “I have to catch him before he gets to Ruby’s and lets himself in!”
Chapter Eight
“Why the sudden change of venue?” Oliver asked as we climbed the Eastwind Library stairs.
“Just needed new scenery,” I lied. “I figured you wouldn’t mind meeting here.”
“Good call!” He grinned. “Not that Ruby’s house isn’t lovely and inviting with all its jagged totems dangling from the ceiling, just that, well, you know how much I love books.”
“Boy, do I.”
“And how little he would love to see the writhing, bodies of Ruby and Ezra,” Grim added.
