“It’s infused with magic. The bar is owned by a witch and Dannan that have been married for years.”
“Won’t that be a problem when she ages and he doesn’t?”
A pained expression crossed his face. “He’s given up his immortality for her.”
“How is that even possible?” It was easily the most romantic thing I’d ever heard.
“That is a Dannan secret. I’m not at liberty to share with an outsider, as much as I like her.” He smiled at me, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes like it normally did. He clearly didn’t agree with me about the romance.
All I’d ever wanted was a love like that. Maybe I should open myself up more to them. I could still travel and see the world if I was dating them. Dating didn’t mean I was tying myself to them forever.
I resolved to be more willing to flirt and see where things might go with them—and with Doryu as well.
Speaking of him… “Where’s Doryu?”
“We arranged for him to go home this morning. We thought he’d be more comfortable in his own bed.”
I nodded. I probably would’ve been, except the beds in the castle felt like they were made out of clouds. In that world, maybe they were.
“I’m gonna hang out and read for a while and see if this hangover eases up. I might go to the village later if you want to tag along.”
“I can’t today, I’m sorry. I’ve got to help a Supay get out of some legal trouble.”
“Oh?” I asked, curious. “If it’s a human problem I can help.”
“He’s been living as a human for a while, and is new at it. Our Unseen finances are self contained. We have very sophisticated laundering systems, but usually we pay taxes on everything and keep it on the up and up.”
“Okay, so what did this guy do?”
“He didn’t pay his taxes, ignored all the letters, now he’s in some trouble. I have to go be his lawyer, and he’s going to have to pay it.”
“Does he have the money?”
He laughed. “This is pocket change to him. Probably why he’s ignored it. It’s an annoyance, but he won’t be laughing if he gets us exposed.”
“He’d be dead?”
“Exactly.”
I shuddered, contemplating the ramifications. The rules were harsh in this world, but they were supremely important. They would kill that man if he exposed them.
Roan drank the rest of his coffee and left. I took my tray to the kitchen—they’d asked me not to, that’s what they paid the staff to do, but I couldn’t leave them extra work. It was enough keeping the over-decorated castle clean.
When my dishes were clean, I returned to the library to finish the book I’d gotten from the book shopkeeper, Kelly, who I’d seen when at the shop with my fairy guys.
Her name was short for something far more complicated, but I hadn’t been able to pronounce it, so I stuck to Kelly. She was a Dannan. Apparently, sometimes the Dannan’s features evolved into something that couldn’t pass for human, and they were forced to live their entire lives in the Unseen settled areas like Queenstown.
Kelly was kind, and had allowed me to help organize and clean her shop in exchange for borrowing books. They were all used anyway, so as long as I was careful, she didn’t mind, and I didn’t feel like I was mooching. We were well on our way to a solid friendship.
I finished the latest book I’d borrowed from her shop, Cover 2 Cover. When I was done I put my shoes on and headed down to the village. It was time to find a job. I was ready to embark on this crazy adventure that had become my life, and I’d need towork.
CHAPTER SIX
I asked around everywhere. I even stopped in and talked to Cthulu, but he already had an assistant. Nobody was hiring, not for an unskilled pianist. The only bright point to my day had been having dinner with Kelly. I turned up at her shop halfway through my search and already I was dejected.
“Come on, kiddo, let me buy you some supper,” she said.
“I couldn’t let you do that. I can buy my own dinner.” I didn’t want to be any more indebted to her than I already was. Even though I was working off my book loans, it was still kind of her to allow me to do so.
