Chapter 14 #2
“Back to the matter at hand, people. While this whole love-fest has been fun to watch, I’m afraid we’ve still got some bigger fish to fry than Little Ms. Elvira’s future,” Astraea says with a sigh.
We all glance back at the portal, which isn’t getting any bigger, at least. However, it’s also certainly not going away either.
Baxter heaves a heavy groan. “I’m sorry, Akram, but I’m going to have to ask you to close down the bar for the time being.
It just isn’t safe for you or your patrons to be in here.
We don’t know if anyone or anything else will come through, and I don’t want to run the risk of someone getting pulled over to the Demon Realm without proper clearance. ”
“Fucking hell,” Akram growls.
“Sorry, old friend,” Kassiel says. “Portals to the Demon Realm are definitely nothing to mess with, as you know. I did take the time to put up a magical warning of sorts on the other side, discouraging anyone or anything else from trying to cross over to us, but that’s not a foolproof guarantee, I’m afraid. ”
Astraea bares her rather deadly-looking teeth as she glares at the portal.
“Damn and blast. I’ll put up a similar magical wall here.
At the very least, it will alert me if anyone or anything attempts to enter or exit the portal on this side.
For now, I think the rest of you should go home while Baxter and I deal with this new headache. ”
Skylar and I are smart enough to know there’s nothing we can do right now, so we leave along with Kassiel. A scowling Akram follows us outside.
Just as Akram closes the door, Kassiel’s partner hurries over to us.
“Sorry I got held up,” he says, huffing and puffing.
Kassiel opens his arms wide and rushes toward him, wrapping him in a tight embrace. “My dearest darling! How I’ve missed you.”
Yuki looks like he’s trying not to laugh. “It’s been like two hours, Kass.”
The demon holds a hand to his forehead in a mock faint. “Even a moment apart feels like an eternity, my love.”
Yuki rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah.” He glances at us. “I’m taking this one home so he’s out of your hair.”
“But you need to meet Skylar, darling,” Kassiel chides warmly. “He’s Mystic Hollow’s new hairdresser.”
Skylar raises his hand and gives a little wave. “Hiya. I think we saw each other when I first arrived, but we didn’t really meet officially. Skylar Wright.”
“Oh yeah! My colleague mentioned a friend of Hal’s was putting one of the study room couches to good use for a bit.
I’m Yuki Abbott, and yeah, I’m a librarian over at the night school.
” He smiles and points at his bright blue hair.
“I’ll be checking out your salon once you open. But for now, we need to head home.”
He turns and Kassiel follows him as eagerly as a hellhound puppy.
Akram leans against the exterior wall of the bar and looks up at the night sky with a sigh.
“I’m so sorry this all happened, Akram. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” I wince. “Having the bar shut down right before the Harvest Festival is… unfortunate.”
The djinn frowns. “It’s not ideal, but I’ll survive. Shutting down for a while isn’t going to run me out of business. As long as I don’t have to stay closed for too long.”
“About that,” Skylar says, raising his hand. “I’ve got an idea. A business proposal of sorts.”
The djinn fixes him with an eagle-eyed stare. “Tell me more.”
“Well, I’m putting together a blowout special at my salon during Harvest Festival.
Folks can come in, get a little pampering and refreshment for their hair, then go enjoy the festivities.
What if we partnered up and made it a ‘Blowout and a Cocktail or Mocktail’ event instead?
There’s enough room in the salon for you to set up a portable drink station.
We could bring the important stuff over ahead of time and keep it in the storage room, minus anything that needs refrigeration. That you’d have to bring day of.”
Akram strokes his goatee and then grins. “I like how you think, Skylar. Count me in.” He reaches out his hand and they shake. “I’ll call you tomorrow to work out the details.”
We say our goodbyes, and Skylar, Elvira, and I make our way back to the B&B while Akram goes back inside to wrap things up with Baxter and Astraea.
“That was so wonderful of you to offer to partner with Akram.”
Skylar shrugs in that awkward way he does when he receives a compliment. “It’s kind of a win-win situation. Besides, I’m a resident of Mystic Hollow now too, and a new business owner. I wanna make nice with everyone here.”
My chest swells with pride. Skylar’s starting to love this town almost as much as I do.
“That’s smart, but your plan is seriously brilliant. I think you two will attract a lot of customers.”
Skylar gives me a crooked grin. “Thank fuck. I have a feeling Ms. Elvira’s gonna eat us out of house and home. She’s like three dogs in one.”
That makes me laugh.
In no time at all, we’re back home. Once inside, I make a beeline for the kitchen to whip up some nourishment for our new pup.
Thankfully, I have some chicken breasts in the fridge, which I boil with some frozen peas, carrots, and green beans.
Once it’s all cooked, I shred the chicken and mix in some leftover rice.
And voilà, I have a healthy homemade meal for our Little Ms. Elvira to enjoy until Skylar and I can get to the store for more supplies.
Once the mixture has cooled down enough, I dish her up a big serving that she chows down with obvious enthusiasm, thank goodness.
I’ll have to talk to Max about what he feeds Waffles.
I don’t know if there’s anything specific hellhounds require that might be different from your average dog—apart from a more substantial quantity of food, that is.
Once Elvira’s eaten her meal, her eyes droop and she looks ready for bed. I find myself yawning too.
“Ah! Don’t do that,” Skylar groans, before yawning as well.
When I glance at the clock, I realize it’s nearly eleven.
“We’ve all had a rather long and eventful day,” I admit. “I think this is our cue to head to bed.”
“You don’t gotta tell me twice,” Skylar agrees.
He helps me clean the kitchen, then we let Elvira out to do her business, lock up the house, and head upstairs. When we reach the landing, we both hesitate.
Don’t waste this opportunity, Hal!
I reach out my hand. “May I?”
He nods, curiosity glimmering in his eyes.
I take hold of his hand and lean down to press a gentle kiss on his knuckles. “Sweet dreams, my sweet Skylar.”
He flashes a heart-stopping grin. “You’re knocking it outta the park with the romantic gestures, Hal. I like it.”
I wait until he closes the door to his bedroom, then lead Little Ms. Elvira to my bed. She curls up in a ball at my feet the minute I get under the covers, as if she’s been doing it her whole life.
I chuckle softly. “Welcome home, Elvira. I’m not sure why you chose us, but I promise to make you happy here.”
You and Skylar.
Elvira makes sleepy noises of contentment, and in no time flat is softly snoring away.
Falling asleep takes me a lot longer. My mind replays the evening on a loop. Although our first date proved memorable in ways neither of us were intending, we still managed to share some quality time together, naked gnomes, demon portals, and hellhound pups aside.
Telling Skylar more about me and my family tonight was quite a relief. The recent calls from my sister must have been getting to me more than I realized. Having a partner to talk to has made everything so much better.
I flush when I recall how he looked at me when I told him my full name. Like I’m precious.
Even though I’m not sure if his feelings are where mine are yet, I’m clinging to the fact that he cares enough to see where our shared connection can go.
For now, that’s plenty for me.