Dr. Ladd sent us on our way, satisfied we were better than when we’d arrived.
Which had left the question of what to do with the storage unit: should we take all the items out of it, or leave the illusion and hope it held up?
We’d gambled on the illusion. Lawrence said he’d check back on it for us over the next few weeks.
“Not sure why you’re doing us the favor,” I’d told the druid as everyone piled into the borrowed car.
Lawrence shrugged, but his smile was a thousand watts. “Miss Woodbury is a friend. She wanted me to take care of you while you were passing through, and the storage unit is a part of that. I’ll get a crew of people—friends—out there to rebuild the door so the owners don’t get too curious. We can do it on the down low. You’ll want to stop by again soon to sort out the things that need to be kept, and deal with the things that are ruined and need to be thrown away, buried, or otherwise neutralized.”
It was nice to talk to someone who understood what life with magic was like.
We’d left him with enough money to handle the repairs, and extra to replenish the stones and plants he’d used to help us.
And now we were here, in Arcadia, Oklahoma, staring at a giant neon soda pop bottle.
“She said she’d meet us inside,” I said.
Lu pulled into a parking spot under a tree, not too close to the building. “Headwaters wants me to call in an hour.”
“Seer first?” I asked.
She hesitated, then nodded. “Let’s go inside.”
“Can I come?” Abbi asked, sounding just as young as she looked.
“I don’t see why not. Hado?” I asked.
He wanted to say no, I could see it all over him. Instead, he rolled his shoulders. His shirt became a dark button down with a vaguely Hawaiian design of clouds and moons and ocean waves, and his pants became jeans.
He also had a pair of sunglasses dark enough to hide his unusual eyes.
“Oh,” Abbi said. “You’re being a tourist, aren’t you? I like that. I should be a tourist too.” She dug around in her backpack, which was never far from her, and pulled out a pair of oversized hot pink plastic sunglasses, which she settled on her face.
They were comically large. Clown-school large. She grinned at me, pleased with herself. “Can I have a soda pop?”
“Yes,” Lu said.
“Can I have ten?”
“No,” I said.
Abbi giggled and scooted out the door after Hado. “What about Lorde?” she asked.
“Lorde doesn’t like soda pop,” I said.
Lorde lifted her head at the sound of her name and yawned, her fuzzy tail thumping.
“We’ll bring you back a treat, girl,” I said. The brace on my foot made walking a little slower than I wanted, but I was getting the hang of it.
Lu made sure all the windows were rolled down a good several inches, allowing the cooling air to circulate for Lorde, who of course also had water. If Lorde was in any distress, Lu would hear her bark or whine.
Which reminded me. “Do you hear it now?” I asked Abbi, who held Hado’s hand. They looked enough alike most people would expect them to be father and daughter.
“The soda pop?” she asked. “Why? Does it sing?”
“No—why would you think soda sings?”
“You said there was every kind of soda here. Maybe there’s singing kind and dancing kind. Maybe some explode.”
