I didn’t know how Rebecca was somehow boring but Fred wasn’t. Biting back aFlintstonesjoke, I decided she wasn’t any weirder than anyone else in this house, so I left it alone.
As Mr. Tom brought in a cheese plate, I said, “His real name is Earl, but he chose Mr. Tom himself. So you’d be among company.”
“I’ve always wanted to be a Tom,” Mr. Tom explained.
“Right?” Fred slapped her knee with a huge smile. “Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about.” She bobbed her head again, and then basically her whole upper body while looking around, tickled. Her gaze stopped on the mantel carving, and then her brow furrowed. “I might’ve had too much coffee before I came here, but I could haveswornthe fox was on the other side of that fireplace when I walked in.” She blinked quickly and shook her head. “Anyway,” she said, reaching for the cheese, “any other questions? Want me to prove my talent?”
I looked at Niamh. “What about the other thing?” I asked her.
“What other thing?” she replied, clearly playing dumb.
I widened my eyes at her, and then pointedly looked at the mantel. “Theotherthing. The”—I whispered—“magical thing.”
Austin pushed to standing, taking his beer with him. “Niamh, give Fred the details about this town and us. Mr. Tom, could you bring Jess and me up a plate of food? We’re going to our room. Long day.” To Fred, he said, “It was nice meeting you. We’ll be in contact tomorrow or the next day with an answer for you, assuming you want the job after Niamh fills you in.”
“Yeah, sure.” She stood and put out her fist. Austin touched his to hers, and I followed suit after I rose. “Thanks for the opportunity. Sounds great so far, so long as it’s not a cult. What about you? Do you use your birth name?”
Austin stopped, a smile playing on his lips. “I was born Austin Baraza, but I’m now Austin Steele, even though the name isn’t exactly legal. Jess came to this town as Jacinta Evans. She’s now Jacinta Ironheart. Tristan won’t tell us his real name, and for all we know, the gardener outside doesn’t evenrememberhis last name. If you’re looking for eccentricity, you’ve found it.”
Fred laughed and put up her arms like she’d just won a race. “This isgreat! I’ve always been called weird, but here, I might fit in.”
Boy, would she. Nessa and Sebastian would be tickled.
Thinking about them, I said, “And if you can find our friends, I’ll give you a sizable bonus. Niamh will explain the details.”
A crease formed between Fred’s eyebrows. Before she could ask questions, I turned to leave, only to find Ulric and Jasper ducking their heads in.
“Hey,” Ulric said before spying Fred. “Oh, you’re busy?—”
“Oh, wow, look at that!” Fred pointed at Ulric’s hair. “Look at this!” She pointed at her own. “What’s your real name?”
“Ulric,” he said in confusion.
“What’s yourchosenname?” she pushed.
“…Ulric?”
“Oh, yeah?” She nodded with her upper body again. “I dig it. An original. And more capes! You guys really love those capes, bruh!”
“Good timing, actually.” I gestured them in. “Fred is here for a computer tech job or whatever we’re calling it, and Niamh needs to explain this town. She’s from the Jane world,” I murmured.
Jasper pushed Ulric forward so he could get a look. “I heard Niamh mention something about that.”
“Yeah, sure, we can help.” Ulric walked farther into the room. “Cheese, nice. I’m starving.”
Mr. Tom sniffed. “Yes, we are all well aware, given that you arealwaysstarving.”
I slipped out with Austin following. It was time to relax.
“Well?” I asked him once we were safely hidden in our room.
He lay down on the bed and held out his hand for me to join him. I crawled across the mattress and curled into his arms.
“She’s genuine. She even seems honest, which is surprising, given how she ended up here. If she can come around to the magical side of things, I don’t think we’ll have any problems with her. I really don’t. And given her, uh…fashion sense and overall love of eccentricity, she might be easier to convince about magic than most.”
I hoped so. Sebastian and Nessa were out there somewhere, and if the weird hacker could find them—and didn’t run screaming—then I’d pay whatever she asked.
ELEVEN
