Page 43 of Spellbound After Midnight
I took a shortcut through a dingy alley. The smell of decay hung in the air between the buildings, and if we saw anyone, they scurried out of the way, keeping to themselves. This part of town wasn’t exactly savory. Best to not make eye contact if you could help it. The alley emptied into a busy street, and I scanned the crowd.
“Over there. By the lamppost.”
Derrick followed my gaze. “That’s him? He’s a child.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that. Finn’s sensitive about his age. He takes care of his mother, not the other way around. On these streets, that deserves respect.”
We approached the young boy leaning against the lamppost. He had flat gray eyes, shaggy brown hair, and a curl to his lips that said bugger off. Finn straightened when he saw us, his expression narrowing on Derrick.
“It’s all right, Finn. He’s with me.”
“You workin’ with the agency now, Tess?”
“Just doing them a favor. Did you bring it?”
Finn dug into his pants’ pocket and tossed me a medallion. “Three blocks west. The abandoned warehouse.”
“Thanks, Finn.” I tousled his hair, and he cringed. Kneeling at his side, I slid a bag off my shoulder. “I stopped at the magic shop after I sent for you. This is for your mother’s headaches. Make sure she takes it with food, one teaspoon a day in a glass of water.” I pulled a jar of yellow powder from the bag, and he nodded solemnly, accepting the responsibility. “And these are for you.” I dropped a packet of peppermint candies into his outstretched palm.
Finn unwrapped one of the mints and tucked it into the side of his cheek. He grinned. The boy might not like to be called a child, but he had a child’s sweet tooth.
I looked up at Derrick. “Pay the man.”
Derrick stifled a smile and handed over ten royal coins. Finn eyed the money but didn’t take it.
“What’s wrong?”
Finn scratched the back of his neck. “Tessa said not to accept anything less than twenty.”
“She did, huh? That sounds like something she’d say.” Derrick upped the amount, and Finn pocketed the coins.
I stood and brushed the dirt from my knees. “Next time, Finn, wait for twenty-five. Now, run home and give that powder to your mother, and when you run out, come by the shop.”
Finn nodded and shot Derrick another leery glare. “If you need help with this one, Tess, you know where to find me.” He popped a peppermint into his mouth and disappeared into the crowd.
I flipped the medallion and showed it to Derrick. “This will get us inside the market. They don’t let you in without one, and even if they did, the market moves around. Finn helps some of the vendors, so he always knows the way.”
“He seems protective of you. How did you meet him?”
“His mother is sick, and he can’t afford a doctor. He came by the shop one day, and I caught him trying to steal one of my potions. I have a pretty stringent no-stealing policy. After I threatened to turn him into a crow if I ever caught him stealing again, I went to visit his mother. Ever since, I make sure she has the medicinal powder she needs, so he has one less thing to worry about. He’s a good kid.”
Derrick grinned. “That almost makes me want to forgive you for telling him to hustle more money out of me.”
“What can I say? Teach a kid to fish, and he’ll catch fish. Teach a kid to negotiate, and people will catch fish for him.”
“I don’t know whether to laugh or call you a genius.”
“Clearly, I’m a genius, Detective.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and let his fingers graze along my jaw. “What you do for Finn matters, Tessa. You have a good heart.”
I shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”
“It is. You’re constantly surprising me.” His gaze softened, and I flushed, not sure what to do with his approval. All I knew was it did a funny thing to my insides.
We walked the three blocks west and found the abandoned warehouse, its entrance covered with a stained burlap sheet. I ducked beneath it and followed Derrick down one dark hallway, then the next. A couple of men standing guard by another door gave us the once-over, but I showed them the medallion, and they let us through.
The market lay sprawled inside the vast ruins. Bricks and mortar littered the ground along with broken beams. Thick canvas awnings were strung over the wood, creating makeshift stalls, and where the roof had caved in ages ago, midday sun caught dust motes in the air and made them glisten. Exotic animals in gilded cages squawked and pecked as we passed by, one even calling out in a strangled cry, “Give me a cracker, and I’ll tell you where the gold’s hidden.”