She rushed to the woman, gave an awkward bow, and stood before her.
The woman gave a slight nod and took a step forward. She passed us without glance or acknowledgment.
Behind her, Hazel twisted the door lock and flipped the sign so we were looking at the Open side. Her skirts rustling, Hazel followed the taller woman quickly, taking two or three hurried steps to match one of her long strides. She stayed in her subservient position until they were near the back of the store, where Hazel slipped in front and opened a door I’d not noticed previously. The woman stepped through, Hazel followed, and the door shut behind them. Even Gifts had a back room. I couldn’t imagine what would be back there.
I turned to Schwint. “What was that?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Do you know who she was?”
“I don’t even know what she was.” He grinned. His expression grew serious again. “What happened back there? You haven’t had a spell when we’ve been in the Square.”
My heart clenched again, and I felt my throat tighten, tears threatening. I shook my head. “I can’t tell you right now. I will later. It’s too much, and Hazel will be back any time.”
I knew the answer, but still I glanced around the store to make sure we were alone. We were, unless someone was hiding, which would be hard to do. As it had the first time, the difference between here and Mascarada struck me. In Dad’s store, which looked like a hoarder’s living room, someone could be hiding a foot from you and you wouldn’t know it. Here, with most of the shelving running flat against the walls and a glass counter making a square in the center, you could see the entire store, bright and clean. My eyes traveled to the back wall, which was a solid fish tank, divided up into thirteen narrow columns.
Without meaning to, I started walking toward them.
Schwint followed, not saying anything until we reached the fish tanks. “Gorgeous, aren’t they?”
I nodded. Instantly, I found the gigantic sea dragons I’d seen before. Their leafy neon fins each moved in an awkward stroke that made a mesmerizing dance. I couldn’t tell if these were the same ones as last time or new replacements. Again, a sense of wonder and foreboding surged through me. It had been so strong last time, it had made me rush out of the store. I was better prepared for it now.
Not taking my eyes off the sea dragons, I addressed Schwint. “Don’t you notice something strange about Hazel’s fish?”
Schwint followed my gaze and leaned toward the glass, mere inches from the sea dragons. The closest one warbled forward, its neon-green spots blazing gold. Maybe in aggression, maybe in defense. I wasn’t sure.
“They look fine to me.” He leaned closer still, raising his finger to tap at the glass. The sea dragon shot its face forward, its spiny snout hitting the inside of the glass. “You think they’re sick or something?”
I gaped at him. “Do I think they’re sick?”
He turned at my incredulous tone.
I motioned farther down the row of fish, pointing to a deformed-looking sea slug, then to a horned fish with saber-like fangs I didn’t have a name for. “I think they’re not supposed to exist! That’s what I think! Much less be here at the Square!”
“Not exist? Why wouldn’t they exist?” He looked at me in confusion. Then his expression cleared and he let out a laugh. “Oh, you’re one of those, aren’t you?”
I tried not to react to the judgment in his tone, but I wasn’t successful. “One of those, what?”
He gestured toward the wall of fish. “One of the ones who believe that all supernatural species are extinct, except for those of the humanoid variety.”
“Well, they are.”
He gave me an indulgent grin. This time, his arms stretched wide and his hands flickered toward both sides of the huge wall of fish. “Obviously not.”
I continued to stare at him, letting his words sink in. Yes, obviously not. They were right here in front of my face. Like they were last time. I’d wanted to ask Dad about them so badly. He would have been ecstatic at the thought that some of the old species remained. It had driven me crazy for those few days after, but I’d been so caught up with Brett. That, and I had no idea how to tell him without admitting I’d been to the Square. Then Brett had left, my world crumbled, and the last thing on my mind was a bunch of fish. But here they were again, relics of our past staring me in the face.
But they couldn’t be. They just couldn’t be. I felt like a man from the fifteenth century, taken up in a space shuttle and forced to admit the world was round instead of flat. I couldn’t. It went against everything I’d been taught. Everything we believed.
I continued to stare, one moment captivated by the fish, the next looking at Schwint, waiting for him to say, “Just kidding, they’re robots, or genetically altered specimens, or you’re dreaming!”
“Geesh, Finn. You look like your brain is about to implode.” He left the wall of fish and put his arm around me. “Are you okay?”
“How can they be here? The Royals wiped out every species that couldn’t pass for human or wasn’t pureblood.” I turned to him. “For crying out loud, they even tried to wipe out witches until they had to admit that we outnumber them.”
“Exactly. They didn’t wipe you out. They couldn’t do it. Why would you be the only race that’s true about?”
“I’m not saying that. They couldn’t with werewolves either, or—”
