Chapter 20
twenty
. . .
Children’s happy voices filled the air while I stirred the smoky cauldron and scooped up green potion to fill their jars. We were getting low on dry ice.
Gloria’s voice intoned on the other side of the shop as she worked her crystal ball, declaring that the woman would find love in time for the holidays.
A little kid got too close to the animatronics Frankenstein and shrieked when it bent down and held out his hand, a candy dispenser coming out of its robot arm to spill a variety of candy into the large metal palm.
The kid hesitantly reached out and then gathered up the candy corn and malted balls before he darted away to find his mother, the woman who would find love.
“It’s more profitable to market to adults,” Callerie said, looking around with a slight frown, like she was looking for someone she didn’t see.
Just then Dorian stepped out on the balcony, spread his demon wings and roared a ball of fire that shot out and wrapped around the dangling torch, bringing it to life.
The children screams turned to laughter as he slowly turned his head left, then slowly turned his head right, nodded and then slid backwards, like he was on a roller instead of a real demon, disappearing back into my back rooms.
“Well…” Callerie said after a moment spent staring at the fire above us. “That was unexpected.”
“That’s the idea. Would you like some of my magical brew?”
She gave the smoky cauldron a skeptical look. “How much sugar is in your brew?”
“It’s all natural fruit juice. I’m looking for healthier sweets options since I got married and have to be a mom.”
She smiled at me, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I never expected you to find love never leaving your shop.”
“I like to think that love found me while I was busy living my life.”
She raised a brow. “What you were doing was not living your life.”
I shrugged. She wasn’t wrong. “Well, we all have to live life where we are. But it’s nice to know that things can change. We can change.”
Just then Maurice came in, eyes careful as he examined me. “My Queen. I have a batch of Halloween theme mini cakes.” He’d been bringing cakes like penance ever since he rejuvenated.
I beamed at him as I got a terribly wonderful idea. “Maurice, thank you so much. Did you meet Callerie? She’s so great. You know, she owns the shop across the street. Why don’t you ask her to dance?”
He blinked at me and then looked cautiously at her. He wasn’t allowed to steal the life force out of anyone unwilling.
Callerie looked back at him, and there was undeniable interest in her eyes. “I’ll dance with you.”
“But there isn’t any music.”
I gestured at Regis, who was looking like a creepy undead guy behind the counter. “Take over for me while I get some music going.”
The jukebox was deep red like blood, and it was on the side of the enormous Frankenstein’s monster, space left specifically so we could have room to dance. Life was too short not to dance when you could, even if you were an immortal demon queen.
I hit the button and Thriller came on.
Everyone in the shop stopped what they were doing to join the throng. The demons used a bit of manipulation to get all the humans to remember the dance moves, and it was just fun to zombie dance with Wilkie on one side of me, and Dorian on the other.
His eyes gleamed as he looked at me, my husband, who wore an iron ring on his hand that matched the one on mine. It was made out of one of the spears, a part of the scepter, because every spear was part of the scepter. My ring would transform if I ever had cause to use the Scepter of Rebirth.
Happily, Frisco didn’t need any help clearing the caves of the zombies after we’d defeated their main army and the Mad Hatter. And now Callerie was looking at Maurice instead of my husband.
Life was good. Wilkie was getting used to hugs, and dancing, and being adored.
Dorian reached out and took my hand, sending a shaft of happiness that made me glow from the inside out.
Somehow he’d given me the impossible normal I’d always wanted. And it was even better than I could have hoped for.
The End