EJ was glaring at them from behind the counter. Squid held his arm and let her other hand hover above the inside elbow. He was a fragile human – barely surviving after he took a tumble off a building’s roof. Screws, plates, pins and rods were the only thing keep him together. [Unlike Humpty Dumpty. Poor egg. She understood this about him: the price of continuing to live was constant pain. It was a badly kept secret as to why Sire went to Maorrighan once a week. Even the once great villain left sympathy for him. Not pity. No one had pity on the permanently lame man because he required none. After all, he owned a successful bookstore, was a keeper of secrets and refused to let himself be treated like a sniveling twerp.

Still, she had carried him in despite his complaints. On the other hand… Sire had done nothing but watch, mulling over something. She had no idea what went on in his head. Nor did she want too. Not her business.

But she knew that he knew he hadn’t appreciated that she had the audacity to carry him into his own store. Even after he had locked up the shop for the day. No one messed with his days off. Or him leaving earlier.

Thankfully, he said nothing as she worked on lessening his pain. The internal injuries caused by him trying to pry himself free. The room was quiet – Sire, a siren, was watching silently with large aquamarine eyes. No doubt he was guarding his landlord and boss from himself. And her. And Cerberus but… everyone knew that the dog was no threat to the fish. Rose, a sparkling goblin with ridiculously pink hair and eyes, kept peeking out from the bookshelves. No doubt she had no idea what to do with Squid and Cerberus who stood beside her like an ever vigilant sentry.

“What do you want?” the human finally grumbled, narrowing his eyes. Well, eye. One of his eyes was a glass eye. She wondered if the glass had been magicked – EJ never mentioned it and she never asked. But it would be interesting if someone had taken pity on him. Or perhaps not. Magick was a fickle mistress and while a neutral tool… could very well turn on you. “And don’t be like oh – it’s not that I don’t want it, but I was tasked on this quest by someone who told me they need me to get the book and that I would make it hard.”

She raised an eyebrow. Squid did not sound like a squeaky old woman. He was being purposefully horrible at his impressions.

“Ah, Grandmother spoke to you.”

“And Dragon Lady,” he shrugged. The Dragon Witch had taken a great liking to the feisty human. He had been the only one to talk back to her in his boxers. Regardless, it was why no nonhuman would ever dare actually harm him. Greatly. In any noticeable way. Not that EJ knew he was favored by someone he could not stand. “Can’t leave me alone, can she? I am completely laying the blame on you.” Although it was stated, everyone in the room knew he was referencing Rose.

“So, am I getting the book?”

“No,” he replied flatly. “That book is going nowhere and staying where I put it.”

Squid felt mildly irritated and gripped his arm a little tighter, her eyes glowing. A small string of magick wove between them, wrapping itself around EJ’s arm. His eyes softened, lulled. His body relax as he fell under the spell. Good, it was going to be easy then.

“In your safe then?”

“In my safe.”

“The secret one behind the wall?”

“The secret one behind the wall.”

“The wall behind the counter?”

“The wall behind the counter.”

Favored human or not, EJ was still not resistant to a bulk of spells and curses. She stood up, the thread now loose around him and made her way. She held her hand out, muttering a few words. The wall would reveal its secret and she would– why wasn’t anything happening? She tried again. Nothing. Again. Nothing.

She would not try a fourth time.

“You really think I wouldn’t expect it?” EJ’s voice sounded behind her. She could feel his fingers flicking the magic away from him. “It’s secret for a reason – I don’t even know where it is. You have a better chance of using puppy’s nose here to sniff it out.”

Cerberus huffed.

Sire masked his snort with a cough. Cerberus turned to raise an eyebrow. “Fish say what?”

“Fish can’t speak, doggo,” EJ quipped. “Mute. Best employee ever. Doesn’t hassle me about rent, living conditions or working long hours for like nearly no pay.”

“You’re a horrible boss.”

“I’m a broke boss.”

“Still horrible.”

“Not denying it,” he turned to look at Squid. “Jokes aside, it’s a serious matter. Maorrighan told me all about it. Nothing in my safe will help you anyway.” Well, it seemed the old man could actually be quick when he wanted too.

“Then why did they send me here?”

“You think the only thing in that safe is a spellbook?” he raised an eyebrow. “I’ve got centuries’ old secrets, forgotten magic, all sort of dangerous shit that greedy witches like your grandmothers would just love to have. Or get back. Either one. Both. Whatever. Anyway, it is not opening. Not for me and not for you. Well, it only opens for me.”

“I could make you–”

“You couldn’t.”

He was right. She’d have to care about getting the book in the first place. “You know, for a human, you aren’t so… pesty.”

“For a witch, you aren’t that much of a bitch,” he shrugged. “We all have our days. Tomorrow, I better not find you back here. Or any of your worker bees.” He reached up and touched the tentacle of her hat. His glass eye glowed for a moment. “I’d change that hat out if I were you.”

“Why?”

EJ shrugged. Sometimes, he seemed to know things than others didn’t. Squid knew he didn’t understand why or how. For now, she kept the beanie on her head. She’d cleanse it of charms and spells later. She looked at Sire who was now motioning for Cerberus to shoo. He began to busy himself with organizing the shelf, pulling books off or moving them around. “Sire will see the two of you out now,” EJ sounded exhausted as he limped to the counter. “I suggest you two don’t come back here again. Not for a very long while, at least.”

It was strange how the day continued to move in its cycle. Strange to see the world continuing to cycle through its routines. It was almost as if the bookstore muted the outside world. Or perhaps it was in a separate dimension altogether. What Squid knew for sure, the smell and sounds of the city never changed. Regardless what city it was. Her eyes flickered to the announcement screens that were everywhere. Every bit of news all geared in favor of the Grand Inquisitor. He really set himself up for a revolution. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the new announcements and curfews that glowed molten in the back of her mind.

New Curfew – by sunset, be indoors.

There was no time set. Damn, either he was getting paranoid or sneaky. She had always wondered if… well, no matter.

Sire held out a book to Cerberus, his eyes resting on Squid. He had his voice stolen a long time ago. No one knew the story although some assumed it was the basis for the Little Mermaid. This was absolutely false as Sire was far older than the tale and he was a siren, not a mermaid. It was an insult to both species to labeled as one and the same. Mermaid did not sing sailors to their deaths. They ate them. Sirens sang and ate. Big difference. Mermaids were considered to be more barbaric.

Typical legends, myths and fairy tales got it wrong. Especially Hans Anderson. It was a sweet story, but entirely unrealistic. The sea witch portrayed? Not really a witch. More like… huh, underwater doctor? Regardless, mermaids had evolved, thought he use of magic, in getting legs when in contact with land after a certain period of time. It was strange how ageless they were. How human they appeared although, truthfully, they were far from human. There was always this… aura, strangeness about them. Oh, and they ate people.

Sirens, however similar in mythology, didn’t care for land and preferred the water. Perhaps one of the only thing myths got correct was, in fact, they lured sailors to their doom. And, well, broken hearts. They could always sense a truly broken heart. Did they always lure them to the sea? No. Was there a specific criteria? You betcha. Rumors had flown around claiming that Sire had taken EJ’s broken heart. Squid didn’t think it was true. It was making an assumption that EJ had a heart to lose. Her eyes flickered back to the four… men? Males. Individuals. Living beings – wait, was Cerberus alive? Weren’t they technically not alive?

As she shook her head free of the thought, she noticed movement between the two of them. [Technically four]. Cerberus had yanked the book free and blinked. They huffed as all dogs do when they read the title. The Care and Managing of an Oversized Three Head Puppy.

Sire was certainly part troll.

~ ~ ~