“I keep forgetting to put up the no solicitation sign,” Gareth said. “I’ll be sure to do it before the baby’s born. We can’t have sales calls at all hours of the day while the child is sleeping.”

  I heard voices in the foyer and Daniel returned a moment later with Lucy in tow. Her pretty face was pinched in what could only be described as outrage. She fluttered to the table. “I’m sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but it’s an emergency.”

  “What’s the matter?” I asked.

  “The council has called an urgent meeting in the Great Hall,” Lucy said. “They’ve been fielding complaints from residents about the World Market. It sounds like they might shut it down.”

  “Shut it down?” I repeated. “There are only two days left. Why would they do that?”

  “Because of the murder,” Daniel said.

  “Louisa is in custody for the murder,” I said. “Honestly, that’s the only good thing to come out of her arrest. It stopped everyone from freaking out about outsiders.” At least I thought it had. Apparently not.

  Lucy’s mouth formed a thin line. “Believe me, I feel sick about this. I still think the market is a wonderful thing for our town and I intend to support it. I don’t know that I can convince them alone, though. It would be really helpful if you and Daniel could attend.”

  I scraped back my chair without hesitation. “Of course. Whatever we can do.”

  “The meeting starts in ten minutes,” Lucy said. “They’re deliberately trying to keep it quiet so that they can make their decision without interference.”

  “I’ll follow you in my car,” I said.

  “I can drive Sigmund,” Daniel offered.

  “You barely fit.”

  “Quinty adjusted your seat, remember? It’s only a short drive anyway. I’ll be fine.”

  I quickly relented. There wasn’t time to argue.

  “I’ll meet you there,” Lucy said and zipped out of the kitchen. I could tell she was feeling frantic. If the market failed, it would be a reflection on her.

  “Are you ready?” Daniel asked. “You should probably go to the bathroom before we leave.”

  “Good idea,” I said. I shoveled the rest of my breakfast into my mouth and chewed as I rushed to the bathroom.

  Five minutes later, we were squeezed into my grandmother’s green Volvo and puttering toward the Great Hall. Daniel tucked his wings in far as he could to give me space, while his halo was pressed flat against the ceiling. Cars weren’t designed for angels.

  Despite the council’s efforts to keep the meeting private, a steady stream of residents was already entering the building. I caught sight of Stan, the registrar, and a few local business owners. Daniel parked the car and we raced inside before they started.

  The council members sat in their usual places on the dais. My eyes met Lorenzo Mancini’s and the werewolf alpha snarled at the sight of me. I had no doubt that he was one of the ringleaders in favor of scrapping the market.

  Daniel and I found two seats in the third row. As luck would have it, mine was on the end in case I needed to escape to the bathroom at a moment’s notice. If I’d been thinking ahead, I would’ve just worn an adult diaper so that I didn’t risk missing a pivotal moment.

  “As I’m sure you are all aware,” Lord Lewis Gilder began, “this week, we welcomed the World Market to Spellbound. The event was spearheaded by Daniel Starr, our director of tourism. This has been a new endeavor and one that we hoped would be the first of many.”

  “As you are also aware,” Lorenzo interjected, “the market brought with it more than trinkets and food from the outside world. It also brought with it a cold-blooded murderer.”

  Attendees murmured to each other.

  “And thanks to the efforts of our wonderful law enforcement team,” Lucy said, “the killer is in custody and everyone can rest easy.”

  Lorenzo silenced her with a sharp look. “Be that as it may, the council has received a litany of complaints and concerns surrounding the market as a result of this heinous act. Both the victim and the perpetrator are from outside these borders. By hosting this market, we have invited an unsavory element into our territory.”

  “I’m inclined to agree,” Juliet Montlake said. The Amazon was head and shoulders above the rest of the council. “Our intention was to welcome change, but perhaps we’ve been too hasty. We have to consider the ramifications on those who already live here. I propose that we shut down the market, effective immediately, and send the visitors home. Whatever they’re selling, we don’t need it. We’ve lasted all these years without it.”

  “Yes, the price has proven far too steep,” Lorenzo added.

  Applause broke out in the far corner of the room.

  I labored to my feet. “Excuse me,” I said loudly. “As the defense lawyer in this town, I would be remiss if I didn’t remind everyone in this room that we’ve had crime, even murder, long before the World Market came to town. Long before we even broke the curse on Spellbound. Have you all forgotten how I came to be the defense lawyer here?” I jabbed fingers at the council members on the dais. “You appointed me because someone had murdered my predecessor, Gareth. Both the victim and the perpetrator in that case were longtime residents. And there’ve been others just in the time I’ve lived here, before we opened the borders. We don’t even know for certain that Claire Cronk was killed by an outsider. The case against Louisa hasn’t been proven. For all we know, Claire could have been murdered by someone in this very room.”

  Voices booed behind me.

  “Emma is right,” Daniel said, rising to his feet.

  “Is she ever anything else in your eyes?” Lorenzo snapped. “Perhaps we should hear from someone who isn’t married to her or in charge of the very market we propose to close.”

  “My opinion is every bit as valid as anyone’s here,” Daniel said firmly. “We don’t do ourselves any favors by locking ourselves back in because we’re scared. The market isn’t the problem. Outsiders aren’t the problem. As long as there are living creatures walking this earth, there will be bad deeds. It doesn’t matter whether they strike from within or without. They’re inevitable. It’s part of our nature to make choices and some of those choices will be wrong. Part of life is figuring out how to deal with the consequences and move forward. We can’t stop the march of time.” He cast a sidelong glance at me. “Believe me, that’s something that’s been on my mind as an immortal. We can’t stop growth or change, no matter how fearful we are of it, nor should we.”

  I clasped his hand in mine.

  Lorenzo banged a gavel on the table. “This is not your platform, Daniel Starr. This is ours. We’re the members of the town council and it is up to us to decide what’s best for the residents of this town.”

  “It’s not an oligarchy,” I said. “You’re up there to represent the interests of everyone in this room and everyone out there.” I pointed at the far wall. “Now is not the time to retreat, not when we’ve made so much progress.”

  “I agree with Emma,” said Wayne Stone. The stocky troll glanced up and down the dais at his fellow council members. “When we made the decision to allow tourism and this market, we’d already considered the potential pitfalls, but we went ahead anyway because with great risk comes great reward.”

  “We’re not all as financial-driven as you, Wayne,” Lorenzo said. “I suggest that we dismantle the tourism board and put a hold on any further efforts to invite outsiders to Spellbound for the time being. At least if we’re self-contained, it’ll be easier to handle our own problems.”

  Daniel’s expression was pained. I knew how excited he’d been at the prospect of, not only a job that he enjoyed, but sharing our quaint town with the rest of the world. He was proud of Spellbound. This town was a part of him and I knew it took a lot for him to get to the point where he wanted to share a part of himself with others. When I’d met him, that hadn’t been his way. He’d been in self-imposed exile from the rest of the town. That Daniel didn’t feel like he deserved anything good. I didn’t want to lose that. Our baby deserved this Daniel, the one who spoke passionately about the market and the wonderful progress Spellbound has made.

  I rubbed my stomach to calm the kicking baby. Based on the rapid movements in my stomach, it seemed that our child also had an opinion on the matter.

  “I’d like to add my to voice to this discussion,” Lucy said, fluttering to the front of the room. “As the mayor of this town, it is my opinion that we can only benefit by letting the market continue. If you’re worried that the rest of the world is too dark for us, then let us be the light. Let us be an example for other paranormal towns so that we can spread all that is good about Spellbound. Let them come here and experience a way of life that’s foreign to them. You’re so worried about the impact on us, but what about our impact on them? We have something to offer the rest of the world and I believe it is our duty to share it.”

  “Well said, Mayor,” Maeve McCullen said. The banshee had been relatively quiet, so I wasn’t sure where she stood on the issue until now.

  I began to clap and was relieved when I heard the sound increase around me as others joined in.

  “Order,” Lorenzo called. “Sheriff Astrid, I see you in the back. Tell us, aside from the murder, has there been a rise in crime this week?”

  I craned my neck to look at the Valkyrie. She seemed annoyed that the werewolf put her on the spot, not that I blamed her.

  “There have been a few minor incidents, mostly involving traffic offenses,” she replied. “There may have been one act of indecent exposure involving two drunk dwarfs, but they only exposed themselves to each other, so I felt it appropriate to issue tickets rather than arrest them.”

  The council seemed to mull this over.

  “So you admit that there’s been a rise in crime,” Lorenzo said. It was becoming abundantly clear that this was the hill he was willing to die on.

  “Statistically speaking, yes, but I would argue that the benefits of the market far outweigh the detriments.”

  “We’re not asking for your opinion, Sheriff Astrid,” Lorenzo snapped. “Only facts.”

  “I see,” Astrid replied. “Then it’s only your opinion worth hearing, is that right?”

  A ripple of responses followed. Astrid generally tried to remain impartial because her role as the sheriff demanded it. She must've been supremely ticked off if she was willing to clap back at Lorenzo Mancini.

  “Tempers are obviously running hot,” Juliet said. “May I suggest that we continue this conversation in a civilized manner?”

  “What’s the point if it isn’t really a conversation?” I said. “It seems to me that some of you would rather it be a monologue.”

  Lorenzo’s grip tightened on the gavel. “If that was truly our intention, then we wouldn’t have called this meeting. We simply would have issued the decree.”

  “That’s only because you knew there would be outrage,” Lucy replied. “You wanted to make it seem like you went through the proper channels. I’m sure this turnout is a surprise to you.”

  “Indeed,” Lorenzo said. “Much like the turnout for your election.”

  And here I thought I was the target of the werewolf’s ire. It seemed that he’d saved a little of it for Lucy as well.

  “I think a vote is in order,” Maeve said. “The two sides of this matter are clear. We need to deal with this promptly before the market opens for business.”

  We waited impatiently for the council to deliberate on the dais. I continued to hold Daniel’s hand. I knew how important this decision was to him.

  The moment Lorenzo opened his mouth to speak, I knew what the result was. The werewolf seemed to find it impossible to hide his true feelings on any subject. It was probably the only thing we had in common.

  “The scowl says it all,” Daniel whispered.

  Lorenzo shared the outcome of the vote, tossed the gavel onto the table, and marched out of the Great Hall without a backward glance.

  “Well, somebody’s got a wild hair stuck up his butt,” an elderly gnome behind me said.

  I stroked Daniel’s arm. “Let’s go to the market.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  With the vote in our favor, I seized the opportunity to follow up on the lead that Katerina had given me the night before and went straight to the stall for Magnificent Myrtle.

  Myrtle Perrine was the walking, talking epitome of a fortune teller. She wore the trademark patterned headscarf and the bohemian-style clothing that I associated with carnival psychics. She motioned for me to come closer.

  “Welcome to Magnificent Myrtle’s,” she said in a thickly accented voice. “Can I interest you in a reading, my pet? It looks to me as though you have many questions about your future.”

  “Not so much my future as this one’s.” I patted my belly.

  She laughed. “I am not so much psychic as in tune with our universe. The gods have blessed me with gifts and I am more than happy to share them with the public.”

  “For a price,” I said, keeping my smile in place.

  She gave me a shrewd look. “But of course for a price. I am in need of a living like everyone else.” She gestured to a small round table alongside the stall. “Would you like to sit? Someone in your condition should be resting more than she is in motion.”

  I ambled over to the table and sat. The chair was too small for my expanded bottom and the seat was uncomfortably hard, but I decided to grin and bear it for the sake of my client. The tea set on the table wasn’t traditional bone china adorned with images of delicate flowers. This set had vibrant green and red wyverns painted on the side. Myrtle placed her hands on the side of the pot. “Now, join your hands to mine,” she instructed.

  I placed both hands on top of hers. They were surprisingly warm. I watched in amazement as team blew from the spout.

  “Very good,” she said and moved her hands, shifting mine away in the process. She carefully poured the tea into a single cup. “You must drink.”

  “Which kind is it?” I asked.

  She squinted at me and I noticed how bushy her eyebrows were. They looked like two carpet swatches from the Seventies. “What does it matter?”

  “I’m avoiding caffeine, so it would be best if this was caffeine free.”

  She grunted. “Just drink. You can have your kale smoothie later, millennial.”

  I took a hesitant step, but her impatient expression suggested I needed to drink a bit more before she’d be satisfied. “Is this enough?”

  She tapped her yellowed fingernails on the table. “You must finish.”

  I stared at the brown liquid in the cup. My stomach wasn’t feeling particularly great and the last thing I wanted to do was force myself to drink something. When I finished, Myrtle snatched the saucer before I fully released the handle of the cup. She seemed eager to get on with this reading. She tipped over the cup and dumped the remaining tea leaves onto the saucer. Then she performed some kind of ritual where she swirled the leaves into a pattern by rotating the saucer. Her gaze stayed locked on the emerging pattern and I heard her making comments under her breath.

  “So, what’s the verdict? Am I having a baby?”

  She ignored me, continuing to poke and prod the tea leaves. “So many fascinating images. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “I bet you say that to all your customers.”

  “Never,” she snarled, and I recoiled slightly. I was beginning to understand why Louisa was the preferred fortune teller in the marketplace.

  After another long stretch of silence, she pushed the saucer in front of me. “Tell me what you see.”

  I peered at the contents of the saucer. “Ink blots.”

  “Why would I show you ink blots? Tell me what you see.”

  I concentrated harder to see whether any images emerged. Sure enough, I could detect a silhouette. “It looks like a flower, but I don’t know what kind. I’m not very good with flora and fauna.” As my recent lesson at the academy demonstrated.

  “It is called Pheasant’s-eye, otherwise known as Adonis’s Flower. It is a beautiful red flower native to my country.”

  “What does it mean?”

  She offered a mournful look. “Sorrowful memories.”

  My chest tightened. “Yes, I suppose that’s accurate.”

  “Do not despair,” she continued. “Do you see this here?” She tapped the image above it. “This is a porcupine.”

  I looked more closely at the spiky-shaped tea leaves. “It’s cute, I guess.”

  “No not cute. Cute is for puppies and those big-eyed troll dolls humans sell in their shops. This symbolizes fighting power.”

  I shifted uncomfortably. “Do I need fighting power for something?”

  “According to the leaves, you do,” she said ominously. “It could be as simple as fighting power to give birth to new life. It could also mean something far more dangerous.”

  “Well, I guess it could also mean the fighting power to prove my client’s innocence. That’s a positive thing.”

  “So what’s my takeaway from all this? What am I supposed to do with this information?”

  “That part is up to you,” Myrtle said. “I am only a translator for the universe.”

  “You know it’s funny, I had my fortune read by the potion teller a few days ago and she wasn’t nearly as accurate as you.”

  Myrtle made a noise at the back of her throat. “What do you expect from a phony?”

  “I can’t believe that she murdered that poor woman. It must’ve been a horrible shock to everyone in the market.”

  Myrtle scowled. “Not to me, although I assumed that new fairy was responsible. I knew the potion teller was trouble, though.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “She knew nothing of the potions she worked with and yet customers believed her every word. It takes years to hone our craft and we must be born with this natural ability, not teach ourselves on the YouTube or by some other means.”

  “You watch YouTube?” I asked.

  “Do I look like I live under a rock? Of course.”

 

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