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Well, she shouldn’t have been surprised he was here, she guessed. She’d introduced him to this bar. He didn’t live in Shepherdstown like she did, which was about twenty minutes away from Martinsburg. He’d complained about the nightlife in Martinsburg, about how it wasn’t fun to drive around downtown at night with all the drug dealers and sex workers and homeless people and—big city, right?
She’d said, “Come to Shepherdstown whenever you want! You can crash on my couch if you drink too much!”
He liked it here, because everyone who came here liked it. It was a very welcoming and eclectic sort of place and it was easy to feel at home here. So, obviously, he’d come to the Meck. Obviously.
It was just that she felt a little bit invaded. She’d wanted to escape him, and now here was Decker, everywhere, inescapable.
He gave her a little wave.
Hollis looked him over. “Do I know you?”
“Uh… sorry,” said Decker, looking down at the bar. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Oh, you were waving at Essence,” said Hollis, letting out a laugh.
“Not interrupting,” said Essence. “This is Hollis.” She nodded. “Hollis, Decker. Decker, Hollis.”
Decker came around the bar and shook hands with Hollis.
“We work together,” said Essence.
“Oh, at the Tribune,” said Hollis.
“I cover sports,” said Decker.
“Cool,” said Hollis. He picked up the shackles on the bar.
“Whoa,” said Decker.
“Oh, yeah, I accidentally brought these to the bar. They were in my pocket,” said Hollis.
“Can I…?” Decker gestured.
Hollis handed them over. “Just be careful, because they’re spelled.”
“Huh,” said Decker. “Spelled to do what?” He opened one of the shackles experimentally.
“Yeah, I don’t even know. Maybe you put them on and you can only tell the truth or something?” Hollis gestured. “I was trying to translate that rune.”
“No help there,” said Decker. “We should try it out, right? I’ll put one on and we’ll see if I can lie.”
Hollis tapped his bony chin with a skeletal finger. “I don’t know. Let me see it.” He encircled one of his bony wrists with a handcuff and clicked it closed.
The handcuff immediately resized itself, going so small that he couldn’t slide out of it.
Decker raised his eyebrows. “Whoa.”
“Yeah, magical artifacts, got to be careful. But let’s just make sure I can open it?” Hollis clicked the shackle open. “Fine. Go ahead, then.” He handed it back to Decker.
“I was going to say you should try to lie,” said Decker.
“Yeah, well, I don’t think it would work on me,” said Hollis. “Sometimes my magic interferes with spells.”
“Oh,” said Decker. “Well, then, if I put one of these on, how do we know I’ll be able to take it off? If you could take it off, maybe it’s only because the magic doesn’t work on you.”
“Briars and tangles,” said Essence, snatching them from him. “Either we try it or don’t. I’ll do it with you, okay?” She snapped one shackle onto her hand and another around his wrist.
“You just did that,” said Decker, shaking his head. “That’s so like you.”
