Caroline looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “You plan to stay.”
“Yup.”
“You?”
“That’s what I said.”
“You, who can’t stay still for more than five seconds.”
“I’ve been in a library before. I helped you with research last time.”
“Yeah, but that was only because you needed something. Last time you hung around the library, just because you wanted to keep me company, you almost burned it down because you got bored.”
That was an exaggeration. I’d only singed a few tables and caused a little bit of smoke damage.
I opened my mouth to defend myself.
She held up a hand. “No, you’re not staying. Yes, he is. You said you had things to do. Go do them. We’ll be fine here.”
“But—”
She made a shooing motion, then compounded the insult by actually saying, “Shoo.”
The sorcerer grinned and started making the same motion.
I was the big bad vampire, damn it. At least one of them should be wary of pissing me off.
I found myself standing on the sidewalk outside the library. Evidently I could be shooed away like a recalcitrant sheep.
I dug in my pockets for my phone and paused at the feel of cool metal against my fingers. Grasping that metal, I pulled it out of my pocket and gave a wicked smile.
Well, wasn’t that nice? The sorcerer left his keys with me. I had no problem taking advantage and appropriating his vehicle for the evening. I might even put a few dents in it just to vent some of my anger at being outmaneuvered.
I pulled out my phone and brought up a few jobs Jerry had thrown me, scanning until I found what I was looking for.
Time for the other part of my plan for the night, delivering some ingredients to a witch.
* * *
The package was on the bench seat like always. Goodale Park was not as empty as you would assume this late at night. A small group of teens or twenty somethings gathered at one end and there was more than one homeless person sleeping under the big trees.
I grabbed the package and stuffed it into my messenger bag. It was no bigger than a small postal box so it fit easily. I left a piece of licorice in its place.
Technically, I didn’t have to as the package’s owner was the one to request my service but it never hurt to court favor with the fae. They loved candy.
The package’s destination was only a few blocks from here, but I still headed to the car. This area got kind of dicey after dark on the human side, which wasn’t that much of a concern since it took more than a bullet or knife wound to kill me. The more concerning part was that it was on the edge of vampire territory, and after my run in with Elinor and her lackeys at the club, I was hoping to avoid anything to do with vampires for a few days.
For once there was parking in front of the Short North tea shop that was my destination. The Short North was considered the art district of the city and had galleries lining the small strip on High Street. Over the years it had transformed into a mecca for trendy shops that attracted huge crowds on the first Saturday of the month for the gallery hop. It was the only night of the month where all of the shops, galleries, restaurants and bars were open late. In summer, you practically had to murder someone to get a parking spot.
Being a Tuesday, I was able to secure a spot with a minimum of hardship.
The name of the tea shop, Tranquility, was written in calligraphy above the door. It had photos of tea harvesting on the walls and traditional Japanese tea pots in display cases. It also had an eco-friendly thing going for it. It was exactly the type of place I’d imagine a witch owning.
A number of the seats were full of women sipping tea and chatting among themselves. Pretty good for a Tuesday night.
“I’m sorry, we’re closed,” a pretty woman with dreads told me.
My eyes went to the women sipping tea.
