Rap goes on. “We are going to need to get some wards put on this place to keep those creepy fuckers out of here.”
Wait, what?
“What?” I stutter out, not understanding why Rap hasn’t had my ass thrown out on the curb already.
“Those creeps, the ones who came to harass you? They can’t be allowed back on the premises. It’s a disturbance to our patrons and clearly a danger to you. So I’m going to get someone to ward our place against magic users.”
“I think warding against fae isn’t a bad idea either,” Brexley adds.
“I’d like to keep you nearby,” Rap says. “You are an excellent deterrent for the weird shit my guys aren’t prepared to handle.”
“I suppose it’s possible for a ward to be built with exceptions,” he says thoughtfully. “Depends on the skill of the mage.”
What in the faefucks is happening right now?
“I don’t understand,” I say, brushing away another tear that has slipped out. “Aren’t you going to fire me? You have a strict no magic or fae rule and not only did I bring him,” I jerk my head at Brexley, “I’m the reason the twins showed up. I didn’t warn you it might happen. I fucked everything up.”
Rapunzel’s normally hard ass expression softens. “Red, you think I’d let someone work here without knowing everything about them? I know where you come from, and I could see you came here for a fresh start.” Her face toughens up again as she straightens to run a hand through her banana-rainbow colored mohawk. “I have a hard time denying anyone a fresh start, especially someone who works as hard as you do.”
I slump into one of the chairs. Oh fae lords, now I’m really in danger of bursting into tears.
Something about the way she says it, tells me she has personal experience with running and cutting from the past.
“Take some time in here to calm down. I’m going to go make some calls, and maybe it’s not a bad idea to get your apartment warded too.” Rap rounds her desk but slows as she passes to squeeze my shoulder. “When you feel up to it, I’m sure Cinder and Goldie would love your help out there. But take your time.”
The door shuts quietly behind my boss.
Brexley kneels before me, holding the arms of the chair on either side of me. “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he says in a low, soothing tone.
I don’t realize what his reaction is for until I touch my face and find tears streaming down my cheeks in a torrent. A sob I try to suppress rocks my shoulders as I hold it in my chest.
“I’m not going to let them take you,” he says.
I lick my lips and close my eyes, trying to block out the memories from FFA. How I worked so hard to never be caught alone in a corner with those two, but not always managing it. The consequences were . . . no, I couldn’t think about it, or I’d really fall apart.
“Do you think they have something to do with the attacks?” I ask, though my voice is shaking.
“I do,” he nods.
“There is nothing they could want from me. I don’t understand.”
“Take a breath. This isn’t about you, right? This is about a recipe, about your grandma’s business. You are a means to an end.” Something strange flickers in his eyes before it vanishes.
I shut my eyes, wrap my arms around myself and try to bring clarity to my thoughts. “After they graduated, the twins went to work for their family. Their grandmother was one of Gigi’s competitors, the Gingerbread Witch.”
“Who is that?”
I open my eyes to see if he’s mocking me. Most everyone follows mage culture, but I can see from Brexley’s blank expression, he really doesn’t know. He doesn’t swallow the mage rags full of gossip like most humans. As it is, I would happily stay in the dark if Goldie and Cinder weren’t into the stuff.
“The Gingerbread Witch has a popular baking show and also has a line of nationally distributed snacks under the Gumdrop moniker.”
He nods as some recognition sparks in his eyes. The Gumdrop baked goods are extra delicious because of the Gingerbread Witch’s methods, but there is no competition to what my grandma can do. No one had been able to bestow such power to humans before her.
“The twins went to work for her, but within a month, she died in a horrible factory accident. She somehow fell and got locked in one of the ovens. Then Hansel and Gretel inherited the business from her.”
Brexley’s eyes turn flat. “I’m guessing it wasn’t an accident.”
“The official reports say they have video that shows she was unsteady on her feet, but I wonder if maybe she wasn’t overcome by a severe hunger or thirst that made her that way.” My brain churns, filling in the blank spots. “And now, they’re in competition with Grandma’s House and maybe they think they can get to Gigi and her secret recipes through me. I remember in school they would talk about how humans didn’t deserve the scraps of magic my grandmother shared with them. If she was smart, she’d retool and use her recipes to make mages even more powerful instead.”
