“It’s not whether it’s a human weapon or not,” Freda said.“Whether something is effective against the demon matters because of the magic involved, and sometimes the metal.Remember, some of the strongest magicians were human to begin with.”
The waitress brought our food then, and Freda and I caught up on everything else that was happening in our lives as we ate.I made a mental note to ask Iris to try making clam chowder.It was incredible.After about forty-five minutes, we’d said all we had to say, and, after agreeing to call the minute we found out something, we paid our bill and left.As we exited the restaurant, the clouds had socked in, and now they opened with a clash of thunder.Icy rain skittered against the streets, and I hurried to my car.
When I returnedto my store, Delilah was there.She had opened the shop and was selling books for me.I shrugged out of my coat, hanging it on the rack to dry.
“Where were you?”she asked.
“I was talking to Freda.She knows what the tenzar is — she was able to tell me what kind of curse it had on it.”
Delilah stopped sorting out a stack of paperbacks and sat down at the table near the front of the shop.I joined her, grabbing a tissue to blow my nose.The shop smelled musty, and I made a note to air it out.
“She knew?What is it?”She leaned forward, all ears.
“Well, it’s not the best news,” I said.“Apparently it’s a demon magnet spell, and it will attract bigger and badder demons to Chase until it’s either broken, or he dies.So, yeah.Not great news.”
I sighed, picking up one of the paperbacks.Glancing through the pages, I saw it was a romance.Apparently it had been big in its day and I thumbed through the first few pages.Some woman was dreaming of a castle named Manderley.It looked interesting, so I set it to the side.
“What the hell are we going to do?Do you have any clue on how to break that kind of spell?”Delilah looked worried.I knew she liked Chase.Liked as in friendship.Delilah had seldom ever had a crush on any man.She never seemed interested in romance.
“We’re not talking about just breaking a spell,” I said.“Breaking a curse is more difficult.Spells are relatively easy to break as long as you find someone who is stronger magically than the original spellcaster.But curses… Curses are a whole different breed of magic.They feed on anger and revenge, and they’re usually driven by stronger powers.I’m not sure what the next step is.I’ll call Asheen and ask her advice again.”
“I didn’t think we'd ever get involved in something like this,” Delilah said.“When we were first sent over here, I assumed we were just going to be shunted off for a long sabbatical.”
“Well, this is probably going to be one of the biggest problems we face.I mean, how much trouble can we really get involved in over here?”The door jangled as a customer entered the shop.I rose to greet them as Delilah headed back upstairs to her office.
The afternoon wentby surprisingly fast, and by the time Delilah and I locked up the building and headed to the Wayfarer, it was dark and still raining.While I knew that — logistically — Seattle didn’t get as much rain as a lot of people thought, the city did live beneath a constant gloom and drizzle for nine months of the year.But I had developed a love for the climate, and winter was perfect for Menolly, with the longer nights and shorter days.
I didn’t like snow very much, although I knew Seattle usually had at least one snowfall a year, but at least here—with few exceptions—we wouldn’t be housebound for days on end because of deep snow.On the other hand, I had the feeling I would miss that pure, crystalline glow that the world took on when it was covered in snow and ice back in Y’Elestrial.
The Wayfarer wasn’t far from our building, and by the time we got there, it was around six-thirty.At this time of year the sun set around six, so Menolly would arrive shortly.
We pushed through the doors to face the soft undercurrent of voices from the patrons of the bar.Several people were playing pool, and the smell of hamburgers and fries filled the air as regulars lined up at the bar.The Wayfarer was a pretty place with a comfortable ambience, although it could use a good overhaul.Menolly liked it, and that’s what mattered.
Several seats were open at the end of the bar, and Delilah and I grabbed two at the very end.Jocko glanced over at us and waved.He was a giant, although he suffered the fate of all those who were different from their peers.He had been chased out of his homeland because he was shorter than almost any other giant around.Oh, he was close to seven feet tall but, among giants, he was considered stunted.Truth was, he resembled any number of the professional wrestlers that we saw on TV, so at least he fit in here without a problem.And he had a friendly persona, something that most giants tended to lack.
“What will it be, girls?Wine?”he asked, heading our way.
I shook my head.“We’ll be driving, and it’s wet on the roads.Just bring me a cola.”
“I’ll take a root beer,” Delilah said.“We're waiting for Menolly to get here before we order dinner.”
“You’ve got it,” Jocko said, setting a bowl of mixed nuts on the counter for us before heading off to get our drinks.
I glanced around the bar.It was mostly populated by Supes: a lot of shifters, some Fae, and I wasn’t sure who else.Vampires had started coming in since Menolly started working here.For one thing, the bar offered bottled blood, and since a vamp was now one of the bartenders, they felt more comfortable.
Delilah and I were discussing what we wanted to do with the gardens come spring when the door opened and Menolly entered the room.She glanced around, then saw us and headed our way.As she hopped up on the bar stool next to Delilah, I told her what had happened with Chase and what we had found out.
“Lovely,” Menolly said.“That’s just what we need—a friend who’s a demon magnet.I wonder what kind of demons that entails?After all, vampires are sometimes considered minor demons.”
“True enough, but I’m not sure of the parameters of the curse.At least I’ve got a place to start, however.The important thing is that we keep him alive in the meantime.By the way, did he leave any messages today?”I asked.
Menolly shook her head.“I just got up.There were no messages on the phone, and Iris didn’t say whether he called.By the way, Iris wants you to clean your litter box more often,” she said to Delilah, poking her in the arm.“You’ve been slacking off.”
Delilah had a habit of leaving her chores for everyone else.I hated to call her a slob, but she did have tendencies that way.And she often forgot to clean her litter box after she used it when she was in tabby form.
“You’d better start paying attention to what Iris wants,” I said.“I don’t want to lose her because you’re too lazy to do what she asks.I took care of most of the housework back in Otherworld, but things are different here.Also, would you stop leaving Cheeto dust all over everything?Wipe your hands after you finish eating.”
Delilah glanced at me sheepishly.“Yes,Mom.I promise.I’ll apologize to Iris as well.”