Witches for Hire (Odd Jobs #1)(6)
In the hole, more of the tree had emerged, tiny buds hanging off the branches. One bud fell off and rolled to the edges of the hole. The leafy pod remained unbroken around the fairy baby inside it, so Edarra pulled a vine out of the ground and twisted it onto a branch with the least number of buds. She picked up the fallen bud and tied it to the other end of the vine. After the tree stood completely exposed, Edarra lifted it up and deposited it in the dirt-laden box. Luckily its base was strong enough to stand on its own, so Edarra only had to worry about any buds she had missed. She thrust her hands into the bottom of the hole, but there were no more vibrations. “I’m done.”
Jeremy wrapped the box with tape, and then the tape itself glowed red with a sealing spell. “I’ll take care of the farm our client never wanted.” He stood and put two fingers in his mouth, letting out a shrill whistle that grew lower and lower. After the animals quieted, Jeremy withdrew a wand from under his shirt. He muttered words that Edarra couldn’t quite catch even with better hearing than a human’s, and the animals dispersed as one, an army of furry butts galloping away. Jeremy shook his head at Edarra. “Can’t control your strength, my ass.” He picked up the box with a smirk in her direction and headed to the car.
“What’s that about?” Edarra dusted off her arms and hands. It was a good thing it hadn’t rained for several days. She returned to the car to see that Jeremy had the package wedged on the back floor so it wouldn’t move. Edarra started the car and drove away from the trampled-looking but animal-free property. She glanced at Jeremy. I’m positive I didn’t do anything wrong, and I used the appropriate strength. Is there a protocol in this world that I missed? Is he going to report me to the Council if I messed up that badly? “What did I do wrong?”
“Huh?” Jeremy stopped looking at the scenery passing by his window and turned to her.
“You said something about my strength.”
“Yeah. You’re supposed to be a screwup who breaks everything she touches, but you need insane control to pull off that job perfectly like you did.”
Edarra grinned. So I did do it well. Her smile vanished. “Why did you laugh?”
“Because it means you pretended to have accidents when you really hurt those people on purpose.”
Edarra scratched the back of her neck. Darn those two strikes! I can’t threaten to smush him if he talks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jeremy raised his hands. “I haven’t seen you display any anger issues, so they probably had it coming.” He sat back in his seat and sighed. “It’s a shame. With our boss’s compassion and all of our skills, Witches for Hire could have been successful.”
“Why won’t it be?” she cautiously asked. There was no hint of blackmail in his words, so maybe he truly meant to mind his own business.
“The good bosses don’t live unless they’re packing serious power.”
Edarra’s sigh mirrored Jeremy’s. “He does seem a little na?ve and weak. He doesn’t even carry his staff on him all the time.”
“And Clive doesn’t have a large enough support system to kill anyone who targets him.”
“You don’t know that for a fact.”
“I know the look of otherworlders who left their world with practically nothing but the clothes on their backs.” Jeremy’s eyes shifted away from her.
Edarra cleared her throat. “If you say so.” This witch is a little too observant. More homes lined the road as she drove, giant black spiders hanging from roofs and fake tombstones decorating lawns. Halloween had been exciting her first year in the Earth Realm, and the only disappointment had been finding out that adults weren’t supposed to trick-or-treat. It didn’t matter that the money in her pockets was her only possession when she moved here; the new home she’d gotten in exchange had been worth it.
MAYBE THE future isn’t truly dire, Jeremy thought as Simone smiled at the box Edarra had placed on her desk. “It’s as good a start as any,” he muttered.
Simone gasped. “You had a positive thought and didn’t melt!”
“I have them from time to time.”
Clive poked his head in the lobby from the hall. “Actually, I have some bad news. I need the security system adjusted to allow a demon inside to pick up the tree.”
Jeremy’s smile wilted. Five minutes plus the drive home seemed to be the allotted happiness he was allowed. “Why a demon?” He checked his watch. If the hiring agency was still open, perhaps he could make his case to quit without being dropped from the program.
Clive rubbed his hands together. “It’s someone working for the fey, but demon promises are as strong as theirs. She swore us no harm.”
“Your reassurance would go over better if demons didn’t take souls,” Jeremy said. If I go on the interstate, I can be there in twenty minutes.
“They must have needed the big guns to protect their babies,” Simone said. “Jeremy could just lift part of the barrier on the lobby, and the rest of us could wait safely in the inner offices.”
Jeremy side-eyed Simone. She stared right back at him with her lips set in resolve. Of course she’s demanding I brave it out too. “Who will be delivering the tree?”
“I will,” Clive answered. “It’s my risk to take for allowing the demon to enter.”