“What… Wait, you don’t mean… Is a moon cycle equal to a month?” What else could it be? Maybe a day? It was possible.
He shrugged.
“It’s a month? I’m signed up for a decade with an Elusive Rare Dust Bunny?”
He inched toward the door. “You know, I’ve heard stories of people bribing them out. It could happen.”
He was trying to help me. He was one of the best people I’d ever met. I needed to remember all these things before I killed him.
“Tippi? Are you okay? You know, you could always just stay with me. You don’t have to move.” He took a few more steps toward the door.
“It’ll be… I mean, it’s good. It’s a good place. I’ll figure something out with the dust bunny. I’m sure we can come to terms somehow.”
It did another pass, as if marking its territory.
“Before I forget.” He reached into his jacket pocket and extended his arm, holding out a book. “Housewarming gift.”
“Thanks.”
He shot to the door.
“Where are you going?”
“The dust is killing me. You can stay at my place, but I’ve got to get out of here. I think I’m allergic.”
I waved him off. I couldn’t live with him forever. I’d make it work, somehow.
The dust bunny shot past me again.
“Now you’re just showing off,” I yelled at it.
8
A bead of sweat dripped down my face as the stove kept blasting out heat, and my couch had turned out to be the only hugger in Xest. I must’ve missed hugs or something, because there was nothing about this in the magic book.
“I promise I’ll come back and sit with you later, but you have to let me up.”
Finally, the couch relented and I made it over to the stove.
“The room needs to be cooler,” I said, flicking my hand toward the wood stove.
The fire went out completely. Not what I was hoping for, but I’d relight it after it was no longer a sauna in here.
At least the cocoa I’d set in the corner was gone and the dust bunny hadn’t streaked a path across the place in hours.
I held up the new cocoa I’d just picked up. “Remember, if you want the cocoa to keep coming, you do your dusting outside.”
A small chirping sound came from the vicinity of the corner. I took that to be an agreement as I placed the cocoa down.
Now that the place was swept, I picked up Zab’s housewarming gift.
The Handy Dandy Witch’s Guide to a Happy Home by Matilda Marilda Hapilda
Furnishing Your New Home
There’s nothing more unattractive than a home filled with new items. In this chapter, we’ll take you step by step through how to create well-worn and previously loved furniture from scratch. With a few flicks of your wrist, a couple of words, you’ll be on your way to a beautiful home, the envy of any witch and wizard, filled with items that look like they’ve been passed down through your family for generations. And remember, if something appears too new, you can always reabsorb the magic and start again. Don’t settle for anything less.
I read the instructions. A couple of flicks of the wrist and a couple of chants and I’d hopefully have an apartment full of furniture. I scanned it all the way to the bottom, where there was the tiniest print possible.
Not guaranteed to work, especially for lower-level witches. Not guaranteed to last, especially for beginners. Spell only as good as the caster. Can’t guarantee spells work for protectorates. We hold no responsibility if you use up all your magic on home décor.
Even in Xest, they covered their ass. Did people even sue here, or did they just turn you into a toad if they got mad?
Whatever. I needed a couch and didn’t have that many coins yet. I’d take my chances, Matilda.
Mind focused, wrist flicking, chants flowing, I gestured toward the wall.
Whoa. I had a couch. It was a strange, tweed-looking fabric, a blend of greens, blues, and hot pink, but it was a couch and definitely worn. I took a few steps toward it and gave its cushion a press. Felt decent enough. I turned to sit, and a puff of dust shot up. Must have spooked the dust bunny.
There was a clucking noise.
“Fine. That one was my fault. I didn’t mean to startle you with a couch. I won’t take the cocoa back.”
It appeared a few feet away from me and was staring at the couch, as if it wanted it gone.
“I need furniture. I’m a person.”
Its ears went back and a little puff of dust went up.
“If we’re going to be living together, I’m sure there are things you would like that I could do for you—like maybe a blanket and little bed of your own? That sounds nice, right?”
The bunny sat up on its hind legs, one ear going up as if it knew what I was saying.
“I could do these things for you, if maybe you could limit the amount of dust you put out just because I need furniture?”
Ear went down and then back, flat against its head. It disappeared. A second later, there was a huge dust cloud in front of me.
“We’re going to have to come to a compromise.”
More dust clouds. This place was going to look like the Dust Bowl again soon. Hopefully the bunny would calm down by the time my shift was over.
I grabbed my bag. “You just remember that they don’t serve dust bunnies cocoa before you get out of hand.”
It didn’t respond, but it also didn’t puff up any more dust.
I patted the dust off my jacket as I headed out. Zark’s was across town from here, but the extra time in the fifth wind might be a good thing today.
The sun was setting, but it was still light enough to see the alternating nods and sneers as I made my way down the street. Eventually this would feel normal, as all things did, but it might take a tad longer than my typical adjustment period. I’d had no idea that I’d be such a polarizing person when I came back, not that it made me want to go jump in any puddles. I’d get used to the sneers, and they’d adjust to the fact that I wasn’t leaving. But perhaps I’d stay to the main roads until a little more adjusting had been done.
I was so busy staring down the alleys I was avoiding that I ran right into a brick wall. Or Oscar, to put a name to him.
“Sorry. Didn’t see you there.”
“Yeah, I noticed you were preoccupied.” He glanced down the alley himself, as if expecting to see a monster. “Something down there?”
“No. Just a shadow.”
“Heading to work?” he asked as he fell into step with me.
“Yep. Thanks again for that. I owe you one.” I owed him big. Without him, I wasn’t sure anyone would’ve hired me, ever. Hawk had some serious pull in this place, even with the people who didn’t like him.
“Not a problem.” He was smiling a little too wide.
Was this a “stick it to your friend”-type deal? Was that why he was helping me stay? Didn’t matter. Him sticking it to Hawk definitely helped me.
“Where were you heading?” I asked.
“Just happen to have some affairs that need to be handled down this way.”