Keith whispered, “So cool.”
Fernando whispered, “Worth it.”
Without raising their hands, they knocked fists together, low-bones.
“Crow’s going to reimburse you for it though,” Jean said. “Aren’t you, Crow? I mean, you sold them a cursed object. I think there’s a mandatory return policy on those. Right, Ryder?”
I couldn’t see Ryder since he was still standing directly behind me with his hand on my hip, but I knew he had all the laws and contracts of Ordinary burned into his brain. He had foolishly gotten himself tangled up with Mithra, god of contracts.
It made him hyperaware of the actual rules and regulations of the town. At first, he’d had a hard time ignoring it, but he’d gotten a handle on it over time, and didn’t have to constantly mutter about the smallest infractions anymore.
If I never heard about another jay walker in my life, I would be thrilled.
Shadow turned her big green eyes up at Ryder. “We get our money back?” she said in a small, sweet voice. “With interest because we’re just kids and we could have been killed?”
Myra had to work hard to bite back a smile, but Jean was grinning from ear to ear.
“Yeah, Crow,” Jean said. “You could have killed these kids. Their parents might go all litigious when they find out. Then you’re gonna be in jail for so long no one’s even going to remember your name when you get out.”
“No one’s gonna sue me over a curse I had no knowledge of.” He sauntered up to the kids, digging out his wallet. “That was what? Three bucks?”
“But we’re starving,” Keith said.
“Think of our mental health,” Fernando added.
“The trauma, the trauma,” Page said.
“Don’t be a cheapskate, old man,” Shadow piped up. “My miniatures got scratched up and paint ain’t cheap.”
I snuffed a laugh and held a thumbs up behind Crow’s back.
“Lunch,” Crow said, doling out bills. “Damages.” He pierced Shadow with a hard look, but she just smiled. “And something left over so you can pick out a new game. Or a new timer.”
He generously added a couple more bills.
“All right,” Keith said nodding. “Not bad. We can live with that. Can’t we, crew?”
Since Crow had dished out almost a hundred dollars, they all nodded in time.
Crow spun on his heel and scowled at me. “How’s a man supposed to make a living in this town?” he grumbled.
“Oh, I don’t know,” I said. “But I’d start by not selling cursed property to little kids,old man.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, stomping back to the Jeep. “Age is a victory, you know.”
“Big victory,” Jean said, coming forward to throw her arm over my shoulders. “Why aren’t you on vacation? You promised Myra you were leaving this morning.”
“One, I promised today, not this morning. Two, maybe you’ve noticed there are curses on the loose?”
Myra fell into step on my other side, and Ryder followed behind us. “We got this, Delaney,” Jean said. “Really. Now that we know the butterflies are the solution, we can just gather up all the items and lock them away. Easy stuff. Even a rookie could handle it.”
I counted our steps against the wet pavement, the echo and rhythm of the three of us moving together as familiar as childhood.
“Things could get worse,” I said.
“We know,” Myra said. “We expect it will. But we have the tools to handle whatever comes up.”
“For a limited time,” Jean added. “Because you are still the Bridge for the god powers. None of us can take on that job.”
