“I don’t know how much help I would be,” Lola said as she picked up one of the cookies and took a bite.
“I just need someone to run errands for me occasionally, when I can’t get away from the shop. I’ve always felt that I could I trust you.” Erik said with a hopeful smile.
Lola thought over his offer as she nibbled on the cookie. It would help her to get to know Erik better and see if she and the handsome shopkeeper had anything other than a love of antiques in common. It would also get her a little extra income, which sadly these days she needed the money. Lola worked at the local plant nursery and the cold months always meant she wasn’t needed at the business and her paychecks were starting to reflect that.
“When would I start?” She asked as she sat the cookie on the edge of the saucer, picking up the teacup to take a sip of the lightly sweetened tea.
“Tomorrow, if it doesn’t interfere with your other job.” Erik sat his teacup and saucer down with a smile. He pulled out a cream-colored envelope from his vest pocket and handed it to her. Their fingers brushed as she accepted the vellum envelope. She felt a spark of something she couldn’t name flare to life in her chest, it felt almost magical.
Erik looked at their touching fingertips, he pulled his hand back flexing his fingers. “The information about the item you’re picking up and the payment is enclosed.”
“As long as it’s not dangerous, I can help,” Lola said as she tucked the envelope into her bag that rested by her feet. She finished her tea and shortbread, sitting the teacup and saucer on the table as she stood.
“I would never put you in any danger, thank you for having tea with me today.” He said as he stood. The bells on the door made a tinkling sound as another potential customer entered the shop.
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow evening,” Lola said as she picked up her bags and headed towards the front of the shop.
“I look forward to it,” Erik said as he walked her to the door, Lola watched as he turned away to greet the shopper that had come in earlier.
Stepping outside and back into the real world was a shock to her system. The almost magical feeling she felt inside the antique shop always left her excited for a time when she could return. The crisp cool air swirled around her, making her purple hair dance in the wind and she smiled, feeling a connection to something else. Something more powerful than herself.
Lola closed her eyes, absorbing the feeling, before the honking from a random car passing made her jump. She let out a deep sigh. Time to get back to reality. She walked down the sidewalk heading home, a hop in her step as she thought about the job and the box that she carried. She knew exactly where she wanted to put it.
Humming quietly, she all but skipped down the sidewalk. Sometimes she felt like she was born in the wrong time with how much she enjoyed antiques and just being in nature. The connection that she felt to a higher power when she sank her fingers into the soft earth, was something she had yet to find a way to put into words.
***
Lola unlocked the door to her apartment, it wasn’t a large apartment. It did have a nice kitchen and she enjoyed that feature. She sat down on the couch, her purchase clutched to her chest as a small smile played on her lips. It was almost like she could feel something special about the box. Something otherworldly that called to her. She carefully pulled out the paper-wrapped item and sat it on her knees. She felt like a kid on Christmas morning.
She carefully peeled back the paper until her prize was revealed to her. Smiling as she picked it up, letting the paper fall to the floor as she brought it up for closer inspection. The symbols looked vaguely familiar to her, and she brought her index finger up to trace the lines. Lola dropped the box and jumped off on the couch.
Had she finally gone crazy?
Throughout her childhood, they had teased her for being different. The whispers still bouncing through her head, haunting her.
She must finally be cracking. This was the way her brain was manifesting her insanity. Lola picked up the box again and traced the next symbol.
The same thing happened. She closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath. This had to be a very vivid hallucination.
Lola opened her eyes, her heart pounding as she repeated the tracing pattern. Sometimes skipping around to a different symbol in a seemingly random pattern. The wood felt warm in her hands. She sat it down on her small lavender colored coffee table. Watching the box, waiting for it to explode. She wondered if maybe Erik had spiked her tea with some kind of drug or if she really was finally going insane.
She shakily brought her hand up, holding her breath as she traced the last symbol. Small sparkles seemed to shimmer in the air. It would have been pretty if Lola wasn’t so terrified. The lights moved towards her, playing across her skin in a flurry of multicolored shimmers.
Backing up, she worried her lower lip as they followed her. Then they flew back towards the box in a flurry of movement. She let out the breath that she had been holding, stepping closer to see what it would do next. A feeling of weightlessness flowed through her as her feet left the ground and she went flying backwards. Tossed by an unseen force.
Lola’s world started to go dim but around her. The small living room erupted into an explosion of colorful lights that made the previous one seem like a sparkler compared to a roman candle.
“Is she dead?” The deep, rolling brogue was unfamiliar to her. Lola was afraid that someone had broken into her apartment and after possibly going insane, she was about to be murdered.“No, I think she’s coming to.” A lighter, but still very masculine voice said from somewhere near her right side.“Go halainn,” another voice said from further in the room.“She is, but you shall not lay with her.” A grumbling voice said from somewhere near the couch.“I do as I please, and if she wants to, I wouldn’t be opposed. It’s been a long time, she’s pretty enough even if her hair is a strange color.” The voice that had said the strange words said, his voice coming nearer as he moved closer.Lola opened her eyes slowly. She was lying on the floor with two men standing above her. No, that wasn’t right. They may look like men, but something about them screamed other to her. She closed her eyes, willing them to be gone when she opened them.They were not. She let out a shriek and tried to crab walk
“Ask away.” Puca said as he tucked his hands into his trouser pockets.“You said someone trapped you in that box?” Lola asked as she pointed towards the small oak box that was obviously too small to hold four very well-built men inside of it. Men, who were currently standing in her living room, okay so she was using the term men loosely, very loosely. These men were obviously not human like she was. She could feel the other-world difference floating about them, could almost see it swirling around their auras. Lola couldn’t put her finger on it as she looked at them, but she had the feeling like she should know who they were.“We were imprisoned inside of it. Yes.” Puca answered her as he bit his lower lip, looking at her. His golden eyes studying her closely. He could feel the pull of magic faintly coming from her.“Why?” She asked with a frown.“That’s a long story-” Bodach started to say as he looked down sheepishly.“He stole a fairy’s child and switched it with a Changeling.” Me
Lola winced at the pain stabbing through her shoulder as she picked up the wooden tray. She sat it back down quickly. Rolling her shoulders before lifting it again.“You’re still hurt?” Bodach asked as he caught the grimace marring her pretty features. He glared over at Merrow before stepping closer to her.“It’s fine, I’ll ice it later.” She said turning to take the tray into the living room and to get away from the tension she felt between the two men.“Let me,” Bodach said, stepping forward to take the tray from her hands. Lola released it as he pulled the tray closer to his broad chest.“Thank you,” Lola said, looking up at him. She had never seen a person with crimson eyes before and she bit her lip, studying him. His eyes were larger than a normal person’s, his features almost delicate with a slightly squared jawline. “It’s my pleasure,” he said, his lips tilting in a smirk as he caught her admiring glance. Something tightened low in her stomach, a blush rising in her cheeks at
“So let me get this straight, you’re a merman,” Lola said, looking at Merrow as he turned his head to the side, brushing his hair away from his high cheekbones. Letting her scattering of scales across the top of his cheeks, framing his eyes. She sat her teacup onto the coffee table and leaned forward to study them intently.“Aye,” he answered. “And you’re a leprechaun? I thought you guys were a lot smaller.” Lola asked, turning to face Lu as he finished his wine.“I can shrink if ye’d like,” he said with a slight slur as he sent a wink Lola’s way. She blushed, looking down before glancing over towards Bodach.“And you’re, well, a child thief?” Lola frowned, she didn’t really like that.“I like to think of it as a child rescuer. I rescue children from homes where they are not loved and take them to homes where they will be cherished.” Bodach said as he watched her with his red eyes, studying her in a way she’d never been looked at before. She looked at her hands before glancing back up
Lola looked up at Puca. Her cheeks flaming red, her wild purple hair a mess. He was right. She was tired even through the embarrassment she felt at falling on Lu and the way he had held her. She bit her lip as she turned away from the men and trudged down the hallway to her bedroom.“Let me know if you need anything,” she said over her shoulder.Lu’s body had been surprisingly muscular underneath her. She shook away the thought and opened the door to her bedroom. Reaching into the darkness, feeling the smooth white wall for the switch. Finally finding it, she flipped the switch on. Letting out a sigh of relief.Lola knew it was a silly fear for an adult to have. Being afraid of the dark, but that didn’t make it any less real for her. She closed the door behind her as she stepped into the softly lit room and fell face first onto her bed. Burying her face into the handmade quilt, her body sinking into the soft surface as she thought about the quilt beneath her. The one she and her gra
Lola rolled over onto her back as she scrubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She’d been having the strangest dream.In it, she had been trapped in a dark room. No way to get out, just endless darkness. The only sound was her ragged breathing and the frantic pounding of her heart as she desperately dragged her hands across the smooth walls. Trying to find any way out.She bit her lip as she looked around the bright sun-filled room and let out a deep breath. It was quiet and still. She wondered for a moment if she had imagined everything that had happened yesterday.A loud bang came from the kitchen and she sat up, eyes wide. Either someone was breaking in or there really were fae creatures in her apartment. She untangled herself from the warm bedding and her feet hit the floor. She grabbed the baseball bat from under her bed before opening the door.The polished wood and leather laces feeling comfortable in her hands as she brought the bat up. Ready to swing hard and fast at any intruder.
Lola placed a pan over the open flame with a bit of butter stepping over to the toaster she added bread to it. Moving back to the pan to give it a swirl. The steady thwack, thwack of Lu chopping the chives at the counter was soothing as she moved about the kitchen.The toast popped up and Lola grabbed it from the toaster, moving it between her hands as she grabbed a plate.“What magic is that?”“The toaster?” Lola asked.“Toaster.” Lu repeated, watching as Lola added more slices to the slim silver device and pressing the little lever.He did the next round, picking up the toasted bread and studying it closely. He grabbed two slices and add them to it, moving closer to watch as it went down and the coils inside of the device turning orange.Lola smiled to herself as she added the eggs to the pan before dumping the chives in. She stirred the eggs until they were fluffy. The smell making her mouth water, she glanced over at Lu, “Would you mind grabbing the plates with the toast for me?”W
Lola walked down the sidewalk, looking down as she touched her cheeks. Thinking about the kiss that almost happened with Merrow. She didn’t know if she had wanted him to kiss her or not when Lu had interrupted them. His bright eyes studying them intently before he raised a thick eyebrow at the merman. “Cleaning, aye?” He asked as he stepped into the kitchen breaking up the moment, Lola looked back up at Merrow as he studied her lips before stepping back. His sea-green eyes moving to her eyes as she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. Lola couldn’t help but wonder what he would have done if they hadn’t been interrupted?“Aye, we are.” Merrow frowned as he looked over at Lu with a scowl. “I guess I’ll be heading out then,” Lola said stepping away from the handsome man, “If you get bored, you guys can watch some television. I’ve got Netflix.” She said missing their confused gazes as she headed into the living room.“Are you ready?” Bodach asked as he