We already struggled to get along–I was a fool to make it even worse.
It wasn’t my fault that my reflexes kicked in when the lovely vampire dove for my neck. I couldn’t help but stop her. The urge to yank her head back and sink my fangs into her delicate flesh had been almost overwhelming, especially with my predator instincts on overdrive. It had taken the willpower of all the Old Gods combined to keep my mouth shut and away from her sweetly scented flesh.
Nowwhyshe dove for me was a mystery. This woman continued to beguile me. I couldn’t even begin to understand her actions.
The confusion battled with the guilt I felt, both muddling my thoughts and making me feel… strange.
She fled faster than a water sprite escaping a fire, and then she didn’t come back, so I worked until my stomach started growling and then I made my leave. I wasn’t going tohang around forever–I knew when my presence wasn’t wanted anymore.
Now, I was sitting at the diner, picking at my plate of roasted wildbird and lemony potatoes, lost in my thoughts.
I wondered how everyone was doing back home in Sunhaven. They were surely doing better now than they were before I had left, as I had clearly brought the incessant bad luck here with me. Were my brothers managing the construction shop okay? Ollie was a hard worker, but he was very scatterbrained, and Wayde was the friendliest vamp there ever was but he got frustrated easily. They needed me around to level them out.
Was my Pa giving them a hard time? Was my Ma doing alright, was everyone being nice enough to her? I’d have to get a letter to them. They had sent me a few brief missives that I had received from Mayor Tommins, but they were mainly inquiring on when I’d be back without giving me much information.
I was brought back to reality when a hand landed on my shoulder.
I shrugged it off before turning around, fighting off the shiver of discomfort that threatened to roll down my spine. I didn’t appreciate being touched without warning.
Mayor Tommins was standing behind me with a plate in his hand. “Care if I sit?” he asked, already pulling out the chair next to me. I wasn’t sure why he even bothered asking. I held in a sigh.
“Sure, boss, go ahead.”
Mayor Tommins plopped down with a huff, taking a bite of roasted potatoes and a sip of dark ale before speaking again. There were plenty of open tables in the diner and I tried not to be irritated that he had chosen to sit by me. Some folk were just friendlier than others. Some folk also weren’t great at reading a room.
“So, Mr. Ivyhurst, I’m sorry to say it, but I’ve got another job for you.” He didn’t seem very sorry, heartily scooping forkfuls of meat into his sharp-toothed mouth.
I once again held back a sigh. Of course he had another job for me. The tasks this town needed help with were never-ending.At least I’ve got some job security here. At this rate, I was going to have a mountain of silvers in my coffers by the end of the year.
Guilt tickled at the back of my mind. If the bad luck had somehow followed me here from Sunhaven, then I was the reason so many things around town needed fixing.
Maybe I should just camp out alone in the Barren Lands until this string of disasters ends. At least nobody else will be impacted if I’m on my own.
I tucked the idea away to consider more thoroughly later. I didn’t have any proof yet that the tragedies were my fault. The problem was–I had no ideahowI could possibly find proof. I hoped to the Old Gods that this giant mess would just clear itself up sooner rather than later. Magic wasn’t endless, after all. And curses couldn’t last forever.
I snapped back to the conversation when Mayor Tommins rhythmically tapped his fingers on the table. “I haven’t finished up at Fiella’s yet–it’s taking longer than we expected,” I explained. “There was alotof cleanup needed.”
“I’m sure Miss Elmwick can handle some of the cleanup on her own. She is a very capable woman,” he stated dismissively.
“Sure, sure.” I didn’t know what else to say to that. I knew very well how capable she was–she had been an absolute workhorse in the hours I had spent in her company.
“I need you to head over to the Widowlyns’ farm on the north edge of the Greenwood Forest tomorrow. They’ve got a broken gate, and we can’t afford to have livestock running through the town. You can get back to Fiella’s disaster later–this one is urgent and should be fairly quick.”
Every task seemed quite urgent, but I kept that unhelpful thought to myself. Tommins explained the details, finished up his meal, and then headed on his way. The gryphon sure could eatfast. It was impressive, honestly. I stared down at my half-eaten meal. The lemony roasted potatoes didn’t seem quite as enticing anymore, though the crispy things had been delicious. I sighed and took another bite.
After I finished my meal, I ordered another ale along with a slice of berry pie. When the server slid the plate to me across the counter, I noticed a white corner sticking out from underneath.
What I had first thought was a napkin was really paper. Was that supposed to be there?
I tried to flag down the server, but he was already helping other customers, and he just looked confused at what I was trying to ask.
Fuck it. I picked up the letter and immediately recognized the handwriting, though it was much neater this time, and I could read it without squinting.
I couldn’t prevent the smile that tugged on the corner of my mouth. Maybe today was looking up after all.
At the back of my mind, I worried that this was still some sort of prank, but I brushed that aside for now.
The letter-writer had responded.
