Levi huffs a surprised breath. “You will? You’ve already done a hell of a lot for him, and I don’t want you to feel obligated. But that would be a massive help to me.”
I don’t know that I feel obligated, but I have a sense of responsibility related to Bo. I am the one who freed him from his statue prison. I don’t think he’s going to cause any problems in town, but if he does, I am not excited about that potentially reflecting back on me.
Also, the melding colors of his aura stay imprinted on my mind. The mixture of loneliness and defeat struck something in my chest. I don’t like the idea of Bo being alone in this town that he no longer knows. I’ve only started to feel like I’m finding a place here. That I’m not an outsider.
Maybe I could help Bo find a place too. Maybe that is a way I could give back to this town.
“I don’t mind. If he’s not at the trailer, I’m not sure what my next steps will be, but I can definitely swing by there and see if he’s around. I can check in with him to see if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“That would be great. And do not hesitate to call me if anything becomes more complicated than checking up on him. And if you do find him, please tell him that he is welcome back into our home.”
“I’ll keep you updated.”
I reenter my house and head upstairs, ending the call as I go. As I quickly work through my morning routine and get dressed, I brainstorm what to do about the library.
There is no one readily available to watch it while I’m gone. Ame and Jack will be getting up soon, and they’ll each be heading off to their respective jobs. Ame to the veterinarian office, where she works the front desk. And Jack to Ramla University, where he heads the tech department. Broderick also has classes that he has to teach today, and I was lucky that Anthony was able to step away from his tailoring duties for the spell last night. As we approach the Halloween Ball, he’s been working eighty-hour weeks just to make sure everyone who ordered a gown has one by the time the event occurs.
There is no one else that I have trained to help in any way in the library.
It’s a position that I’ve known I needed to fill for a while. But things keep getting in the way, so here I am, having to set up a sign outside the front door, announcing that the library is closed for the morning. I shoot off a quick text to Ame and Jack, so they know where I’ve gone once they wake up to find the library isn’t open. Then I climb into my truck and point my headlights toward the Monster section of Folk Haven, watching as the sun colors the sky above the trees as I drive.
The road around Lake Galen is winding, but there’s only one main road, so it is easy to follow. It’s the gravel driveways that shoot off from the pavement that are hard to memorize. But I recall the one I turned down last night when seeking out the missing monster.
The sun has started to crest above the trees when I pull up in front of the dilapidated trailer.
Somehow, it looks even sadder in the light of day.
Now, I can see the peeling, sun-bleached paint and the water-warped wooden steps leading to the crooked front door. The whole trailer sags in the middle, and I wonder how much longer the roof will hold out. I wouldn’t feel safe going inside the thing.
But I don’t plan on leaving until I’ve thoroughly checked for Bo.
I shut off the engine and climb out of the truck. The moment I open the door, I hear movement inside of the dilapidated building. And I really hope it is Bo and not some strange animal I’m about to encounter. Safe bet, I decide to make my presence known as opposed to stepping into that condemned building.
“Hey! Bo?” I call out. “Is that you in there?”
There’s a pause in the rustling.
I pray to The Dark One that I have not alerted a wild animal to my presence. But then there’s the sound of footsteps, and the door gets pushed open to reveal a dusty, daylight-illuminated version of the man I saw for the first time last night.
But unlike last night, he’s kept his clothes with him. I’m glad, mainly because he seemed achingly embarrassed about exposing himself to strangers multiple times.
“Mor?” He blinks, his eyes adjusting to the sunlight.
“Hi. Yeah, it’s me.” I give a wave, then cross my arms over my chest. “Levi gave me a call when he realized you’d left.”
I brace myself for him to get defensive on how we’re tracking him.
Instead, he ducks his head, cheeks flushing. “Sorry. I should’ve left a note.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s just … we want to help.”
A spark of sage confusion flits in the corner of my sight, slipping through the control I have over my magic.
“Why? Y’all don’t know me.”
Why do I want to help him? Hell, isn’t this guy from here? Shouldn’t he have grown up with that classic Southern hospitality?
“I guess I want to help because I’d hope someone would do the same for me if I were in your shoes.”
