“Yeah, speaking of, what are you warding against? It felt okay to me, but my companion shivered.”
“It’s warded against superficiality and optimism.”
Well, that explained Monty perfectly, didn’t it?
“Shallow and positive people can still come in, but they don’t feelencouragedto.”
“Well, I’m certainly not feeling very positive right now.”
“What woman being traded like chattel would?” Selene asked. “So, who are you getting shacked up with?”
She probably wasn’t supposed to admit to who it was.She wasn’t supposed to be creating any scandals. That said, she could claim ignorance if it somehow got back to her mother.
“Don’t worry,” Selene said, shooting Iris a knowing smirk. “I don’t have any friends to tell. Unless Gerty counts.”
She waved into the shop, but when Iris looked, she saw no one. “Is Gerty here?”
“In spirit. Literally. She’s the former owner. She refuses to leave.”
“She’s a ghost?” Iris asked, whispering. She’d read about them in books, of course. But she’d kind of always imagined they were figments of the writers’ imaginations. She wasn’t sure if she was intrigued or unnerved by their existence.
“No need to lower your voice. She knows she’s dead. Right, Gerty, you obsessive-compulsive kook?” she asked. “She must have been suffering from memory loss near the end there. Every single night, she takes all the books off the shelves to, I guess, do inventory. Guess who gets to put them all backeverymorning?”
“Can you use your magic to help?”
“Sometimes I do. So, spill. Who is the groom?”
“Finn Westrock.”
“FinnWestrock? The man who has starch in his soul?”
“That’s the one.” Though she wasn’t sure she knew what starch was.
“Huh. When one thinks of romantic chemistry, one definitely thinks of a sea goddess and a sentient campaign poster. But who am I to judge? Maybe you’re into guys who use spreadsheets to plan foreplay.”
Iris couldn’t stop the laugh from bubbling up and bursting out.
“You have him pegged perfectly. I’ve known him for all of two days and have yet to find anything genuine about him.”
But then again … she’d seen a crack in his mask. Just the once. That look in his eyes when she’d worn the camisole. She’d tried to convince herself it was just lust. But maybe it was something more.
“So, what? His campaign manager thought a mermaid would help him get elected? Did he lose faith in the toothpaste ads disguised as campaign posters he has plastered all over the city?”
“Apparently, they don’t think a single man can win over a family-oriented candidate.”
“He’s probably right about that. But what’s in it for you? Most mermaids don’t want to be this far away from the water.”
“It seems Finn is promising to push through very strict regulations against pollution that is wreaking havoc on our oceans.”
“Huh.”
“What?”
“I dunno. I thought Finn was already running on a green platform. Maybe I was mistaken. So, you’re just willingly here? I’d be kicking and screaming.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Run. Run fast. I’ll cast you a distraction spell and tell him you eloped with a troll.”
