Page 64 of The Mermaid's Bubble Lounge
Closing It Down
I didn’t know if it was Dave’s new ward or my pooka upgrade, but the glass held tight. The pooka shifted to an octopus and started toward the ocean entrance again, but Dave sent another volley of fire. The pooka then shifted to an eel and disappeared into the seaweed.
Meri went to the window and stared into the ocean. “Do you see my dad?”
The fear in her voice had all of us moving closer to the window to search for him.
“If the pooka was wearing Liam’s face,” Grim said, “then he was watching us earlier. Your dad swam away after you moved back to the bookstore to work.”
Meri looked between Grim and the ocean. “But how would you know that? You always sit with your back to the window.”
“Mirror,” Grim grunted.
I turned to look, and sure enough, there was a mirror directly across from where Grim always sat. It was unnoticeable unless you were bent down, just a rectangular mirror under a shelf of liquor bottles. I realized now that the mirror was the perfect height for a dwarf to see what was going on behind him.
I felt like an idiot. All these years, I’d thought Grim was staring into space when he was really watching the ocean and patrons behind him. In my defense, dwarfs are incredibly warlike beings, so I’d thought he was working through some battle trauma.
“There he is!” Meri cried, waving to her father as he swam toward the ocean entrance.
He popped through the hole a moment later and she threw her arms around his neck. A flood of Mermish was going back and forth between the two, as each seemed to be assuring the other that they were okay.
Grim went back to his stool while I walked Dave back into the kitchen. “Is it dangerous to remain open with this thing trying so hard to get in?”
He leaned back against the counter, his muscular arms over his chest. “Yeah. I’ve been wondering the same. The wards will keep him out, but what about your customers who pass through those wards?” He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
I didn’t want to do it, but I also knew I couldn’t live with one of my friends getting hurt or killed by the pooka because I decided to stay open. I wasn’t curing cancer here. People could take a few days off.
“I’m closing it down,” I said as I went back out to the bar. Meri was still talking with her dad. Rose was back at her table, but she wasn’t reading. She was looking nervously out the window.
“Okay, everyone.” They turned to look at me. “I don’t feel like staying open is safe for you. I’m going to close down until the pooka is caught. Your safety is too important to risk.”
Rose nodded and stood. “I think you’re right, dear.” She glanced up the stairs. “You don’t think he’s up there waiting, do you?”
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Dave said, swinging open the kitchen door.
Meri translated for her dad, who nodded in my direction.
“Meri, you go up with Dave. He can make sure you and Rose both get out of here safely.”
“You two, go ahead,” Grim said. “I’ll take Meri up when she’s ready.”
Dave turned to me. “Everything is stored in the kitchen. I think maybe I’ll do what you suggested and visit Ireland for a couple of days. If they let me stay.”
“Good.” I grinned. “Tell Maggie I said hi and remember to be on your best behavior.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled, going up the stairs with Rose.
I closed the stair and air entrances for anyone trying to enter and then waited for Meri and her dad to finish talking before I sealed that one too.
“Thanks for looking out for Meri,” I murmured to Grim.
He nodded. After a moment of silence, he said, “’Tweren’t spying.” He glanced at me quickly before staring straight out the window again. “I wouldn’t betray you like that.”
I rested my hand on his shoulder and felt the tension ease. “Thank you for caring and keeping watch.”
He gave one decisive nod and then went back to waiting. Meri’s dad dropped back into the ocean and I sealed the ward while she ran to the bookstore to grab her backpack.
I waved them out and then started cleaning up and closing down. On the way through the kitchen, I found a plate of cookies and brownies, so I picked it up and carried them with me.
