Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
THE NEXT DAY.
BOOM.
Magnus peered into guest room number four. “What happened?”
Mercedes waved her hand, trying to clear the feathers. “A pillow exploded. I’ll get a new one and clean the feathers.”
“I’ll get the vacuum,” Magnus said. “I don’t want Sven to see this mess.”
“I can do it. Shouldn’t you be downstairs getting menus ready, and the appetizers? Not to mention planning for Margaid and Finn’s wedding this weekend.”
Magnus groaned. “I’m fine. I’ll grab the vacuum, just try not to detonate any more pillows.”
“No promises.” She was a little stressed. She wanted everything perfect for Magnus and Sven. Not only did this room have to be spotless, but there was an open house that townspeople could attend to see Room with a Tomb and everything the Dead and Breakfast had to offer.
Mercedes was cleaning everything like a fiend. It also helped her to keep her mind off the hot night before, off the fact that she and Magnus hadn’t actually said I love you, the curse she didn’t know how to solve for Flo, and her own secret about Yrsa.
Although, right now, she could really use some of Mona’s enchanted appliances. Maybe she could rent Vlad the Inhaler, Mona’s vacuum. There’s no way that Mercedes was strong enough to enchant the inanimate vacuum cleaner at Room with a Tomb. Nor should she be trusted to use magic on an appliance.
Although, she had a fairly decent one-sided conversation with Tumbledore about the belching lint, and was able to chat with the other dryer and the two washing machines.
She’d ask Mona what their names were when she came to the open house.
If the washers and dryers had names, she wanted to make sure she knew them all so she could deal with them.
Mona had said the explosions or combustions she created while stressed were a protection, but Mercedes could do without them right now.
She ran to the master linen closet and pulled out another feather pillow, but the moment she touched it, it popped like a balloon, with feathers shooting out everywhere.
“Oh my… GOD, this can’t be happening,” she cursed.
“Seriously? Another one?” Magnus asked.
Mercedes stepped out of a cloud of feathers. “I can’t touch them, apparently.”
“I’ll get the pillow onto the bed. You take the vacuum and start suctioning up the feathers in the guest room. We’ll deal with the master closet later.”
“Deal,” Mercedes said in exasperation. She took the vacuum into the guest room, plugged it in and started cleaning up the mess, which didn’t take long. Magnus got the pillowcase onto the newest pillow and set it on the bed.
“There,” he said. “Good as new.”
“Just don’t let me touch it.”
“Are you worried about something?” Magnus asked.
“Why?” Her spine straightened. “Should I be?”
“There’s smoke coming out of your ears.”
Mercedes touched the side of her head. “I was told the explosions were a form of protection for me, and they do seem to manifest when I feel strongly about something or someone.”
Like, the fact she hadn’t told him she was supposed to be the vessel for the spirit of the very woman he hated, and that her family still might come for her and try to make that happen, and that’s why her explosions were her safety net.
“Someone?” A note of hopefulness lived.in that single, huskily spoken word. “Would that someone be me? We never did talk about the other night.”
“We haven’t had time.” She smiled and blushed. She was pleased he seemed to be thinking of her. One less thing to worry about. “I have been thinking about it a lot.”
She’d been dreaming about it all, if she was honest, especially his magic tongue.
That night had been amazing and she wanted more, but would he still love her when he found out about her secret?
“You’re smoking again,” Magnus said gently. He placed his hands on her arms. “What is going on with you?”
“I want to make sure everything is perfect. I mean, you’re not limited because the curse has been broken and…things are exploding and…” Only she couldn’t form the words to say that she was in love with him, or who and what she really was, and that she wanted to be with him.
Long term.
She didn’t want who she was originally born to be, be the thing which drove him away.
Magnus tipped her chin so she looked up at him. “Everything is going to be okay. I swear. We’re going to get through these next few days.”
Mercedes sighed and laid her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was comforting to hear. She wrapped her arms around him, snuggling in close. “I know.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“I’ve exploded two pillows; I’m trying to remain optimistic,” she muttered.
Sven’s head popped up from the floorboards. “Hey, you two. The guests just pulled up.”
“The room is ready,” Mercedes said, stepping out of Magnus’ arms.
“Then come downstairs,” Sven stated, before disappearing back through the floor.
Magnus sighed. “He seems on edge.”
“I think we’ve established we all are.”
Magnus stroked her cheek. “You okay?”
“I’ll be fine. Are you?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “This is something Sven and I used to dream about while we were huddled in our damp cave, hiding from the rest of the world, before the great revelation.”
“You dreamt about a dead-and-breakfast?” she teased.
He laughed softly. “Well, no, but we wanted to be out and not hiding. We wanted a place to call home and we made that happen.”
“Having a home is a wonderful thing,” she replied softly, even though she didn’t know what home felt like. She was hoping she had a place here. “We better go before Sven comes back. I’ll put the vacuum away.”
Magnus nodded and kissed her on top of the head. “I better get back down to the kitchen. After I greet the guests.”
“Yes. Sven said they wanted the whole monster experience in Harmony Glen.”
“Right.” Magnus walked right into the wall with a thud. “Hrisungr. I am still not used to that.”
Mercedes giggled. “Sorry, you’re like us mere mortals now.”
He rubbed his nose, winked at her, and walked out the door.
Mercedes picked up the vacuum and took one last look at the pristine guest room. She was proud of her work, and she hoped this grand opening, the open house, and the wedding this weekend would all work out for the best.
After Mercedes made sure everything was cleaned up in the main linen closet, she locked it and saw Sven carrying the suitcase of the two human guests who were following him.
If Mercedes had to guess, they were goths.
Long dark trench coats, piercings, everything black.
Except they seemed overly happy for goths.
“Ah, this is our chambermaid, Mercedes,” Sven announced happily. “Mercedes, these are the first official guests of Room with a Tomb, Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan.”
“Hi,” Mrs. Sullivan said brightly. “Are you magical too?”
“Sandy, you can’t ask everyone that,” her husband hissed. “Sorry, we come from an area that’s not really welcoming of the paranormal. We’re planning to relocate to one of the friendlier towns, so we’re on this road trip and staying at each locale for a couple of days.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place. Harmony Glen is one of the happiest, most accepting places I know of, and I’m from the neighboring town of Tallowfield.”
“Is Tallowfield as open as Harmony Glen?” Sandy asked.
“No,” Mercedes said quickly. She didn’t need to drag norms into the ethereal plane. That wouldn’t go well. “There are witching families there, like mine, but they’re not exactly friendly.”
“So you’re a witch?” Sandy asked, clapping her hands. “Oh, how exciting.”
“You might not think so, but I’m not the most adept witch out there. I hope you enjoy your stay.”
She tried to leave, but Sandy blocked her path.
“Do you do séances?” Sandy asked hopefully.
Mercedes was stunned. “A séance?”
“Yes. I thought maybe with this being an old funeral home and you being a witch…”
“No,” Mercedes said quickly. “I don’t. Again, I’m not the greatest.”
She didn’t want to tell the guests she caused explosions, and multiple ones. Mercedes wouldn’t want any kind of harm to come to the Sullivans. That would be all kinds of bad.
“She can see ghosts,” Sven said, which annoyed her.
“You can?” Mr. Sullivan asked. “That’s amazing. Are there ghosts here?”
“Yes,” Mercedes replied hesitantly. “Though none hanging around at the moment. I hope you both enjoy your stay.”
She was finally able to sidestep them while Sven continued on his little tour of Room With a Tomb. Mercedes went down the stairs to tuck her apron away and grab her lunch. When she got to the lobby, a young woman with a very familiar smile and big beautiful lavender eyes awaited.
“Pearl!” Mercedes shouted happily, rushing into her bestie’s arms. “I’ve missed you.”
“And I’ve missed you and everyone.”
“I thought you weren’t going to be home until tomorrow?”
“I got home a bit early. I finished my assignments and Mom was going crazy about Finn and Margaid’s wedding plans. Margaid can’t find a dress.”
“Mona at The Clothes Spin has one for her. I was supposed to tell her that, but everything around here has been busy.”
Pearl smiled knowingly, her eyes twinkling. “So I’ve heard. Care to walk through town for your lunch break? I brought my lunch too. We could sit by the fountain. It’s sunny and warm out today and it might be one of the last nice days before winter.”
“Yes, let me grab my bag.”
She loved working at the dead-and-breakfast, but with the chaos and stress of getting everything ready for the grand opening, plus the awkward séance conversation with the first guests, the thought of getting away for a while was like a weight being lifted.
And she had so much to tell Pearl, even if it seemed like Pearl already sort of knew, like she always did.
She went to tell Magnus she was leaving, but he was nowhere to be found, though his kitchen was a going concern, with menus scattered all over the butcher block.
When they left Room with a Tomb, she and Pearl linked arms, walking under the beautiful, large trees that lined the streets in this older part of town. The leaves were all sorts of bright colors.
“I love this time of year,” Pearl sighed. “The city is fine, but the trees don’t turn this vibrant and the quad of the college only has a couple sad ones.”
“This is a great place. I love it here.”
“And?” Pearl teased, nudging her as they came to the beautiful, ornate fountain on Pleasant Street. They found a nice quiet bench tucked in the corner and sat down.
“I slept with Magnus, if that’s what you’re getting at. And yes, his curse is broken.”
Pearl’s eyes flew open. “What?”
“How do you not know this?” Mercedes asked. “I thought Hetty or Finn or Margaid would tell you.”
“No one said a word. They told me everything else, but this. Oh my gosh. So, Magnus is no longer cursed but Sven is?”
Mercedes nodded. “I guess…Magnus and I love each other.”
“You don’t sound so sure.”
“Well, the curse was broken and it takes true love for that, but neither of us had said anything.”
Pearl looked at her like she was silly. “There’s a way to fix that.”
Mercedes worried her bottom lip. “There’s something else.”
“What?”
“Mona told me everything about my family and my destiny, and I also saw the original curse when Magnus took me to the spot where he spilled my ancestor’s blood.
I was supposed to be the vessel for Yrsa to be reincarnated, but something went cattywampus and she didn’t come through.
My family would like to have my soul replaced with hers, but it’s tricky and they don’t remember how to do it.
The explosions are my form of protection.
Anyways, I’m having a hard time telling Magnus that I was supposed to be the vessel for Yrsa, who might’ve come after him had she been reincarnated through me.
I’m worried that’s going to change his opinion of me. ”
Pearl rolled her eyes, but gave her a gentle smile. “No. He won’t. I know Magnus.”
“He hasn’t actually said he loved me either.”
“Well, he hasn’t had a chance to have a relationship…ever. He’s had one-night stands and stuff over the years, but he also spent a long time in hiding, like a lot of us did.”
Mercedes relaxed. “I need to just talk to him.”
Pearl nodded. “You do. I know he loves you and it’s clear you love him. That’s why the curse was broken.”
“You’re right. Anything else you want to know?”
Pearl blushed. “How’s Phineas?”
“Do I have to lecture you now?”
Pearl’s blush deepened. “Maybe. Why can’t I find the courage to ask him out? But there’s also a part of me that doesn’t want to have a long-distance relationship or ruin our friendship.”
“And there’s a part of you that is hopelessly devoted.”
Pearl smiled softly and unwrapped her sandwich. “I suppose so, but right now I have to focus on my studies. And now a wedding. I’m the maid of honor.”
“Aww. It’ll be so nice.”
Pearl nodded. “I’m glad my brother is happy.”
“But you’d like to be happy too, right?”
Pearl nodded. “And so would you.”
Mercedes sighed. “A lot of us around here that would like that.”
At least she knew how to solve her dilemma. She was going to rip the bandage off and tell Magnus, for better or for worse, how she felt, how she was supposed to be Yrsa but wasn’t, and just hoped it was enough that he returned her feelings and loved her for who she really was.
Because she spent her whole life not having that.
Not ever.