Page 17 of A Seer and Present Danger

“You’re welcome. Let me know if there’s anything I can do. Oh! There’s some blood on the step, if that helps.”

“Thanks. Stay inside for now.”

“Can do.”

I made my way back into the diner and kicked into automatic, brewing coffee and helping keep everyone calm while Shoe (another Ordinary officer) assured everyone this wouldn’t take long.

I didn’t have to look into the future to know he was totally lying.

CHAPTER 4

I tipped my head and closed one eye. “How even do you want it to be?”

“In the ballpark.” Jules stretched one bracelet-covered arm to hold up the banner. She had on a swishy skirt and a flowery blouse, both in spring colors. Her silver hair with streaks of brown was pulled up in a messy bun. “I’m not looking for perfect here. Nothing’s perfect in this place.”

The Rookery was an old crumbling building with good bones. It was as close to a mansion as Ordinary had. Jules had fallen into its ownership about a month ago (the whole thing involved undead witches and powerful grudges), and she’d declared Dusi and me co-owners of what would eventually be a community art and maker space.

Eventually.

We were currently in a mad scramble to get the place ready for a test opening this weekend.

Bertie was (of course) throwing a shindig starting Friday, which was only a few days away.

This time it wasn’t a festival. Ordinary was in hot competition with a couple coastal towns to see who could collect more supplies and gifts for kids, even though it was April, not the holidays.

I had a good feeling Ordinary was going to have a spectacular showing of goods collected, because Bertie was locked into a fierce, one-upmanship with her sister, Robyn, who was the festival-thrower in Boring, one of Oregon’s other little towns.

It was fun to watch Bertie rise to new heights with her festival plans. I was pretty much a permanent volunteer on her list, but I never got bored with the tasks she asked me to carry out.

But this, fixing up the Rookery, wasn’t for someone else. I was part owner. This was our place.

I loved it and was excited to watch it grow.

“There’s perfection in imperfection.” Dusi stood on the other ladder, hanging the banner that said “Grand Opening” on the opposite wall. “Artists know that. Make it too perfect and it won’t look like it belongs in this world.”

She wore her snakes like braids today and had tied a cute scarf around them that matched her red-and-white-striped palazzo pants.

“Piper?” Jules said. “Is it straight enough?”

“Sorry! Up a little more. Yes! Perfect enough.”

The banner said: Welcome to the new Fool Moon, and it had a colorful illustration of the tarot deck Fool dancing on the moon with a little cat by her feet.

Jules tromped down the ladder.

Little futures flashed…

…and I rushed forward to catch the cat figurine on the shelf just as Jules’ skirt knocked it over.

“Oh, good catch!” she said.

“Thank you,” I chuckled. “I almost didn’t make it.” I righted the statue that looked like her new kitten, Oolong.

“How’s little Oolong doing?” I asked.

“Oh, she’s full of mischief and I’m going to need new curtains. That’s why I left her in the cottage today.”

I grinned. “I’m sure she won’t get up to anything naughty while she’s all alone, unsupervised, in your house.”