by Mia Harlan
"Surprise!" everyone shouts as I step inside the program room ahead of Betty, and I jump back so quickly I nearly crash into my old friend.
“What’s going on?” I ask, looking around the crowded room. It’s filled with familiar faces—library patrons, friends, and family alike.
All three of my mates are here—instead of at work, like I thought. My sister’s standing next to a table of Mood Teas with all three of her mates. And Violet’s smiling happily up at hers.
My old friend no longer has her walker, and even though she still looks eighty, she told me this morning that she feels like she’s twenty. I shifted into her—what, I spent a year in her body... I had to see for myself—and it’s true. All the aches, all the pains, and the constant exhaustion—all of that was gone. Instead, there was just youthful energy packed into an older body—a body that her mates don’t seem to mind one bit. There is so much heat in the vampires’ eyes I’m surprised all four of them don’t go up in flames. Though it does explain why everyone keeps sneaking peeks at them. I guess a Granny Harem is going to take some getting used to, even in a town like Silver Springs.
A loud cough echoes across the room, and the crowd parts to reveal the town mayor. The ogre stomps across the room, heading straight for me, but just knowing that I’m not alone gives me courage I didn’t think I had.
“Hello, Mayor Shchnarl.” I give him my friendliest smile.
“Violet.” His red eyes bore into me. "I'd like to offer you your old job back.”
My jaw drops. “You would? Why?”
“You’re supposed to say ‘I’ll take it’,” Violet chuckles, as do a few other people in the room.
“Of course I’ll take it,” I tell the mayor quickly, before he can change his mind. “But I thought I was fired?”
“You probably shouldn’t remind the mayor of that,” Violet says helpfully. I kind of want to strangle her. In a ‘I love my best friend but she’s driving me nuts’ kind of way.
“It turns out you’re good at your job and people like you,” the mayor says, like the whole concept is foreign to him. “I received a petition to have you reinstated, and it has over a thousand signatures.”
“A thousand?” I gape around the room, whose maximum capacity is fifty. Where the Chameleon did the other nine hundred and something signatures come from?
“It was a team effort,” Betty says. “Liam helped me make phone calls. Nole asked anyone who came into the library to sign. And Cash posted the petition on that website of his.”
I look at my guys: at Liam, looking handsome as can be in his police uniform; Cash, wearing a fancy suit, and not the skunk mascot costume he surprised me with last night; and Nole, wearing jeans and a t-shirt—both dyed black—because the prank war with his brothers is still on.
“It wasn’t just your men,” Betty says before I can throw my arms around them and never let go. “Amber canvassed all the local businesses. And Violet and her vampires spent a good chunk of the night going door to door.”
“You guys did all that for me?” I ask, looking around the room at all the people I love. All the people who love me back.
They all smile happily and nod—everyone except Mayor Shchnarl.
“I need your answer by the end of the day,” he snaps. “Keep in mind that you’ll be required to actively pursue your master’s degree while you’re employed. It's all outlined in your new contract."
I nod.
“I was thinking I could get my degree too,” Nole says. “It’s only a half hour drive to the college campus, and it’ll be a lot more fun if we do it together.”
“Decide that on your own time,” the mayor snaps, shoving a stack of papers at my chest. "Read this, sign it, and have it on my desk by morning.”
A cheer erupts around the room. Amber and her guys start passing around Mood Teas and I notice there’s a table off to the side filled with Buttercup’s delicious Bake Shop treats.
The mayor heads for the door and Nole intercepts him. "Sir, can you also tell Violet what you told me?”
“What? About how I found out she’s a chameleon?” The mayor shrugs, scratches his flattened pancake of a nose, and turns to me. “A witch stopped by my office. Blonde, average looking. Lisa or Alyssa or something like that. Said she’d been flying past your building window and saw you shift into... well... you...”
“She doesn’t sound familiar... and I don’t think she was part of the attack.”
“She wasn’t.” The mayor shrugs. “All I know is she was very concerned you were breaking the law and defrauding the city. And now I’d best be off. Got meetings this afternoon.”
Once he’s gone, my guys and I make a beeline for the cupcakes. Liam takes the lead, clearing the way, Cash and Nole follow, and I bring up the rear. I’m almost at the table when a hand grabs me and yanks me back out of the program room.
“What the—” I’m face to face with April June, the dildo witch... and my neighbour.
“Violet, can I talk to you for a second?” she asks.
“Of course.”
“Tell me everything about the people who attacked you. Actually... can Liam get me into the police station to talk to them?”
“Why would you want to do that?” I frown at her.
“Oh, you know, it’s like listening to a true crimes podcast, only in real life. Do you know any of their names?”
“Just Raicus. But seriously, why—”
“What does he look like?” April June interrupts.
“Blonde hair, thin nose, scar right here.” This time, I touch my left eyebrow.
April June’s fist clenches at her side, but her expression remains friendly. “Was there a dark-haired man with them?”
“I don’t think so. Unless one of them used to have dark hair and dyed it?”
“No, he wouldn’t dye it,” she mutters, as though to herself.
“How would you—”
“Tell me about this orb.”
“April, what’s going on? Do you know the attackers?”
“Nah, I just enjoy gossip. Did you hear that Riley at Yes Now Bob likes cactus tacos?”
“That’s... not much of a rumor.”
“Does the magical section of the library downstairs have anything about a Scourge Stone? I may need to destroy something.”
“Huh?” I frown at her, trying to figure out if she’s kidding.
“You know, blow something up like fireworks or the ends of dildos so they come like real dudes.”
“I don’t think that’s how men come.”
“Sure it is. They explode jizz everywhere. Boom, boom, blam.”
I blink at her, wondering if this is an appropriate conversation to be having at my workplace. Technically, I haven’t signed my contract yet—but I probably shouldn’t be talking about things that might get me fired... again.
“Kablooie,” April June adds.
“How about I help you find something to read?” I suggest. One, it’s way more library-appropriate. And two, April June kind of sounds like she’s losing it.
“Do you have any books on the Scourge Stone?” April June asks.
“Never heard of it. I can look it up, if you like.”
“It wouldn’t be in the computer,” the dildo witch says. Yup, she’s definitely losing it.
“How about a romance novel instead?” If she likes dildos, she’s bound to like something steamy.
I glance at the return cart and spot a familiar pink paperback, the one my sister donated. Love Blooms. Violet must have brought it back!
I consider saving it for myself, but I don’t need to read some book to get to know my sister. I can just go and talk to her. So I pick it up the paperback and hand it to April June.
She frowns at the cover with its half-naked men and flowers. “Yeah...sure...I’ll definitely read that.” Her tone is dry and she tucks the book into her bag.
“You need to sign that out, you know.”
The dildo witch mumbles something I can’t hea
r. Her fingers move through a quick pattern with purple-black light dancing along her fingertips.
I blink and glance around. “What am I doing out here?”
“I don’t know,” April says. “Your party is in the program room. Let’s go inside and smash cupcakes in our faces!”
I follow her inside, and we head toward the snack table. April grabs an empty plate, and I’m about to do the same, when my guys join me.
“I saved you a slice of pizza,” Cash says, holding up a plate.
“There’s pizza?” My eyes grow wide. I should probably be over my pizza obsession by now, but I’m really not.
“There was.” Liam nods, holding another plate, loaded with chocolate. “There are also cupcakes.”
“And Mood Tea,” Nole adds, picking up a cup, which instantly turns red. “How long before it’s polite for us to sneak away? I can’t wait to get you alone.”
