It would be a miserable day of collection, but she was right. It would be easier to do something difficult in exchange for her work than to pay her fee. She had over twenty years of experience, so it wouldn’t be cheap. “Yes, that’s fair. I’ll get your jar of cateyes.”
“Perfect.” Her eyes found Sterling, who shifted from one foot to the other while he watched her closely. “Sterling, will you help him, or are you uncomfortable with the idea of participating in magic?”
Sterling squinted at her and then said, “It’s not magic I’m uncomfortable with, but… you’re going to kill cats for their eyes? I can’t condone that.”
I placed a hand over my mouth. He thought we were talking about killing animals.
Willo seemed pleased. “Cateyes are a type of river stone,” she explained, tilting her head. “But I appreciate your concern for the lives of animals.”
“Oh,” Sterling said with a breath of relief. “Wait, how are we going to retrieve stones from the river? It’s freezing.”
“I’ll warm you up,” I said with a wink.
Sterling’s eyebrows rose, which I was starting to think meant he was flustered. He coughed a laugh and said, “What?”
“With a warmth spell,” I said.
“Right, of course,” he said, glancing away and rubbing his neck. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, but when I did, Willo was watching me with a fierce frown.
“Cassian, may I speak with you privately?” she asked.
“Uh… okay,” I said.
Willo brought me into the bedroom and shut the door, turning to me with crossed arms. “Cassian, my darling, I am so very proud to see you following the path of a witch, but you’re still new. You haven’t seen the way law enforcement treats those of us who embrace our power.”
“Sterling isn’t like that,” I said.
“I understand your willingness to believe he’s better than the rest, but be careful. Times are changing, and the law is shifting against us. If it ever comes down to you or the law, who do you think he’ll choose?”
I wanted to believe Sterling would choose to side with magic, but some people believed the law told them what was right and wrong. If magic became illegal, how many people would believe it was wrong? Would Sterling be one of them?
“Girls like us rarely get along with guys like him. Watch your back,” she said. “And come straight to me if he ever steps a toe out of line.”
She still knew me well enough to draw a smile from me just by calling me a girl. “We’re not together,” I said.
Willo looked at me like she didn’t believe me. “I just don’t want you to set yourself up for heartbreak, my dear. Whatever this is between you and him, just remember that someday he’s going back to the city to work for the Force. Have your fun, but don’t count on him for much more than solving this crime.”
My heart sank. She was worried about him being in the Force, but she’d accidentally brought up the real problem: No matter how much I liked him, someday he would leave.
Just like everyone else who stayed at Fibbersnap Inn.
STERLING
Cassian acted strangely after his conversation with Willorunia. I needed to question Willorunia, but it could wait. I would see her again when she came to the inn to complete the diagnostic, and I needed her to warm up to me before demanding an alibi.
Not that I would do that, but I needed to be more careful with a witch. Witches tended not to like Force officers much. I was fortunate Cassian was willing to work with me, but even he had hidden that part of himself.
Cassian hardly spoke all the way back to the inn. When I asked what Willorunia had said to him, he wouldn’t tell me. It seemed suspicious, but Cassian probably would have told me if it had been important. Unless she had threatened him.
“What’d you find out?” Jasmine asked from behind the front counter when we returned.
“We’ve got to collect cateyes in exchange for Willo’s help,” Cassian said, already pulling his cloak off to prepare to wade in the river.
“Willo is the best,” Jasmine said. “Sorry you have to do…that, though.”
Cassian chuckled. “You want to help?”
“Um,” Jasmine scratched her head, grimacing at her cousin. “I would, but… someone’s got to watch the front desk.”
