At the mention of Eleanor, Jen sighs. “Oh golly gosh, she’s doing it again. I’m so sorry about that. Eleanor doesn’t work here.”
“She doesn’t?”
“No, she’s just a regular that gets super enthusiastic about flowers and, well,” she motions for us to come closer to her. When we do, she starts talking again in a hushed tone, “we had to ban her for awhile last year because of how much she was scaring off the tourists. They thought she was like a witch or something. I’m really sorry if she scared you.”
“She crab-walked. That is not something a normal human does,” Jaak tells her.
The worker winces. “Yeah, she does that. No idea where she picked it up. That scuttle is scary.”
“So you’re saying that she’s just a harmless old woman that likes to mess with tourists?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what she is. Again, I’m so sorry I wasn’t up here. I had to take a delivery in the back and she musthave come in when I wasn’t looking.” She looks back over her shoulder with a frown. “I bet she slipped out the back too. She really likes the whole vanishing into thin air act. People fall for it all the time…” her voice trails off and she gives us a tight smile, “not that I’m saying you fell for anything, but Eleanor is really convincing when she wants to be. It’s hard not to believe her when she starts talking like she knows you. That’s why we had to ban her. Tourists were coming back looking for the lady that was telling their fortunes. It was causing such a crowd.”
“No, it’s all right. We understand sometimes small towns are like that. Can’t have a community without some colorful people, right?” I take Jaak’s arm and give the shop worker a smile. “We’ll get out of your hair now. Thanks for solving our Eleanor mystery.”
“Anytime and make sure you come back again, okay? We have a two for one special on tulips on Wednesdays and that’s the best deal you’ll find on flowers in town. Just ask for me if you don’t see me up front.”
“You bet, Jen. We’ll be back on Wednesday,” I promise. It’s only Monday, we can make sure to come back on Wednesday if the world is still in one piece, right?
Chapter
Twenty
“Ithink we need a safe word.”
Jaak looks over at me with a raised eyebrow. “A what?”
“A safe word,” I repeat but because I know saying a word someone doesn’t understand again means nothing. I explain, “like a code word we can use when one of us is getting bloodthirsty.”
“But I didn’t get bloodthirsty.”
“You were well on your way with that flower frog thing.”
Jaak hums and then nods. “You have a valid point. Very well, what safe word would you like to use?”
“It has to be something we won’t say on accident, like I can’t just say something like your name or, I don’t know, candy, yeah, candy. It can’t be like that. It has to be specific enough that we’ll know right away what it means when we hear it.”
We’re outside the floral shop now and across the street near theTimeless Toys N Things. We were about to go inside when I realized I was taking my demon husband into another business that could have its own version of Eleanor. There needed tobe safeguards against us mistaking who the head mage is and accidentally taking out a townsperson.
I rack my brain for a word that would work. “It has to be something we would never say to each other so we don’t accidentally say it.”
Jaak taps his chin and thinks. “What about gerrymander?”
“What does that mean?” I’ve never heard this word but it seems simple enough.
“I don’t really know but one of the mages knew. I only know what he knows and he loathed it. I know it’s nefarious. Very evil in meaning, which makes it apt for our mission.”
I nod and test out the word. “Gerrymander.”
Jaak makes a face. “What a truly horrifying word.” He rubs his chest. “The feeling it invokes makes me sick. Disgusting.”
I pat his arm, I can feel something now that he says he feels sick and I look at the gold bond between us. “I think I can feel you. I mean, the way you’re feeling right now through this.” I pick up the shining bond and Jaak nods.
“That’s the soul-bond.” Jaak takes my hand and starts to lead me towards the dead-eyed puppets staring us down. “Our bond will deepen the stronger it gets. Now, come on, this toy shop must be investigated. But remember, no matter what, when the time comes for you to use your abilities you must clear your mind.”
“Clear my mind, right. Let my body take the wheel.” I take in a deep, calming breath and squeeze Jaak’s hand. “We don’t even know if we’re going to find anything in here anyways. There could be nothing in there to find other than a bunch of creepy puppets, right?”
Jaak gives me a small, sad smile. “As much as I wish for peace and that you would never have to enter the field of battle, there is no avoiding it. Even if there is no foe here, there will beone soon. Do not be afraid of a fight, Meadow. There’s much to learn from one.”
