Page 30 of Bargains with Benefits
She chuckled, probably realizing how silly she’d been. “I guess you’re right.” She rolled her shoulders back, straightening, as I stood from my place on the floor. “We do have them, but I don’t think Byrd knew about them. I use them for my tea mix.”
“Well,” I said, finding her response too curious by half, “I guess we’ll have to figure out why one is held in bloom within this locked room at some point. Add that to the list.”
Luna’s smile was bright, and I realized I’d inserted myself into this new problem to solve.What am I doing?
“I already have it on mine, but I’ll add your new detail.” She clapped her hands. “I think that’s it for the tour. Did you say you wanted to go to one more of the places you recommended to get more ideas?”
My cheeks flushed. “I did, but the last place is Timeless Classics. And even if I put it on the map, I couldn’t get same-day reservations.”
She laughed. “Don’t they know who you are?”
I ignored her jab. “Iwasable to get a reservation for two days from now. Evening meal. Does that work?”
“I still need time to work on my end of the bargain anyway.”
My shoulders raised inadvertently, but she’d already turned and walked away. I tapped my chin and gave the door a final glance before following.
She harvested moonflower. They only bloomed in the presence of Norden magic. My own suspicions were forming, the same that had led me to assume she had water magic the night we met. Yet she’d made it clear she had no magic and no interest in discussing it, so I’d keep them to myself.
14
Luna
Afew days later, Vincent sent me a note on the wind saying he’d pick me up at my cottage, and that we could walk together to the restaurant. Part of me thought that sounded lovely. Another part, the part that still hadn’t even begun to fulfill my side of our bargain, thought it sounded too much like a date. I replied, saying I’d be at Parkview Tavern and we could meet there if he wanted. Evelyn would have an update on the room research. I wanted to resolve that before I requested an invite to Pierce House. If there was magic driving people away from Cliff House, it wasn’t worth the article or the family drama.
I pulled out a navy dress Skye had selected. It was plain. Not every item she’d found had something unique and tailored to my taste. This was truly old fae, but it was the best choice for tonight since we would dine at the most fae establishment in the city. I chose matching slippers instead of my favorite bootsand set off.
Theoretically, I knew why Vincent and I were having this meal. The restaurant was one of the fewplacesVincent had recommended. The other columns we’d discussed, the boots and the Solstice Sip, featured a product as the recommendation. For the inn, it would be a location and experience similar to that of Timeless Classics. It made sense to check it out even if our every interaction left me confused.
It had felt so natural to have him at the inn. His wind had enjoyed it, too. It had been apparent he appreciated the view. I’d gotten carried away on our tour, forgetting he was only there because of a bargain. I needed to remind myself that he thought Darius was involved in bribing the governor to prevent the magic school’s construction. While that revelation was incredibly disappointing, it wasn’t as if Darius had ever given me a reason to expect more. I think I still had. No matter how much I fought it, he was my father. How could he be so against someone like me being educated in magic? I didn’t want to think about it as I opened the door and entered Parkview Tavern.
The city had only continued to fill, even if none of those visitors had made it to Cliff House Inn. I was glad Seraphina and the tavern were benefiting. Making my way to the bar, I passed table after table of patrons. Warm food, lively discussions, and full drink glasses filled every table. I searched for Evelyn and found her at the bar, picking up orders.
“Hey,” she said as I approached. “I meant to come by today but lost track of time in the library.” That seemed all too easy for Evelyn to do.
I waved my hand as if to wipe away her worry. “No problem. Stopping by here helped me out tonight.”
Seraphina leaned over the bar. “Why is that?” Her gaze turned mischievous as she took in my appearance. “You look all dressed up.”
I coughed, sure my cheeks were also heating. “I’m meeting Vincent.”
“Surely, you didn’t wear that outfit to eat here?”
Evelyn smiled at Seraphina’s teasing.
“He’s taking me to Timeless Classics,” I said quietly.
“Well, now,” Seraphina straightened. “That’s something.”
I rushed to explain. “It’s the only other experience he’s recommended instead of product. He thought it would be good to do some research.”
“I’m sure he did.” Seraphina laughed before giving me a searching look. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
She’d been worried about me since initially hearing me mention Darius to him. So what if I didn’t talk about Darius often? He had been very relevant to why I’d been so angry with Vincent the night we met. At least, that’s what I told myself.
I nodded, then glanced at Evelyn. “I wanted to know if you found anything on the door. I’m sure Vincent will ask me about Darius soon…”
“And you don’t want to bother with that if we haven’t solved this magically locked door bit,” Evelyn finished for me.
