“Deep breaths, Mr. Izaguirre,” Aurora says calmly. “It’s very normal for us not to feel human sometimes.”
Which only makes me panic more. Because she’s obviously human. And the town is warded. And she’s probably forgotten half our conversation by now. If not all of it.
“How are you supposed to help me when you can’t even remember a word I’m saying?” I moan.
“Do you often feel as though people can’t remember what you tell them?” Aurora asks.
I groan. “I’m doomed. Doomed! I’m going to get fired. Or I’ll write the article and Zoe will hate me. Not that it matters, since I’ll never be able to ask her out. How could I, when I keep shifting into an ice block?”
I don’t know why I bother telling Aurora, since none of her questions make sense, but I’m here and I’m on this couch, and I might as well talk.
“And to top it all off, if I don’t write this article, my boss will. And rumor has it the Cleanly Den is already losing clients. Once this article goes out, no one will hire them. And then Zoe might be out of a job, too.” I groan. “She loves that job. You should see her when she cleans. She doesn’t just mop or dust, she orchestrates her cleaning supplies so they almost look like shifters come to life. Brooms twirling and mops swaying and her eyes sparkling.” I shake my head. “That’s how I first fell for her. Watching her clean the Herald office. And I can’t let her lose her job. Especially when I know for a fact she didn’t rob all those stores.”
“You have proof?” Aurora speaks up for the first time.
“Of course I don’t have proof. If I had proof, I wouldn’t be here.” Which is a total lie. I’d still be here, but I’d be complaining about something else. Probably my inability to approach Zoe. But that’s beside the point. “I know Zoe didn’t rob anyone. She loves her job. She’d never do anything to jeopardize it.”
Aurora seems to think that over. “So if Zoe isn’t robbing anyone, who is?”
“I don’t know. No one does. That’s why my boss…” I trail off. “Wait, that’s it!”
“What’s it?”
“I know exactly what I need to do.” I jump to my feet.
“What do you need to do?” Aurora frowns.
“I need to write this article.” I race for the door. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
“For what?” Aurora calls after me. “Xavi, wait! Our session isn’t done yet!”
But I’m already racing down the hall. Because if the Cleanly Den isn’t responsible for the robberies, someone else is. And if I can just find out who before the deadline, the article I write won’t have to be about the Cleanly Den thief. Okay, maybe it will be, but it’ll be about the real one—who’ll be behind bars.
Then, Zoe Wynter will finally notice me. Even if I do shift into an ice block.
Chapter Three
Zoe
“So the first place that got robbed was Buttercup’s Bakery?” I ask Shifter Roulette Amber, who continues to cycle through forms faster than… well… faster than I can say robbed.
She’s already told me about all the places the thief struck, but there must be something I’m missing. Some sort of pattern the police overlooked.
Each store got cleaned—and cleaned out—on the same night. But just because the Cleanly Den van was parked outside—and one of us was inside—doesn’t mean we’re to blame. I know that for a fact. I was the only one at Buttercup’s Bakery Friday night, and all I took were my cleaning supplies and the slice of cherry cheesecake Buttercup set aside for me.
“Let’s just wait for the detective,” Amber, who’s shifted into a hockey player—one in a red Silver Springs Blades jersey, but for some reason without pants—suggests.
“We don’t have time for that.” I ignore her choice of wardrobe, and the fact that her shifting keeps getting more wonky. “So Buttercup’s—”
“Zoe, I get it. You’re worried. I’m worried, too. But—” Amber shifts into a headphone-wearing elk and grunts.
“I’m not worried.” Even though, between the two of us, I have a hell of a lot more reason to be.
If the Cleanly Den starts losing clients, Amber’s mate will fire me long before he goes out of business. Assuming things ever get that far. And even if they do, Amber could easily support him. Last I heard, business at Jewels Cafe was booming and there was even talk of a franchise.
Meanwhile, I’m living paycheck to paycheck. Fewer clients means falling behind on rent. And if I lose my job… well, I don’t even want to think about that. Not when I’ve finally realized it’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.
Okay, yeah, I know how crazy that sounds. No one has their life figured out at twenty-four. And no one wants to be a maid forever. Well, no one except me. This is my dream job and I won’t let anything happen to the Cleanly Den.
Plus, there’s one thing that Amber doesn’t know. One thing that no one in Silver Springs knows: I’m not just your typical, fun-loving, magical maid.
Okay, fine. I am just your typical, fun-loving, magical maid—but I wasn’t always one. And just because I only lasted two years at the agency, doesn’t mean I wasn’t good at my job. Or that I can’t help catch one measly small-town thief who’s going to pay for what they’ve done.
“Just humor me, okay?” I ask Half-Troll, Half-Yeti Amber. “I’m taking notes. I’ll share them with the detective and save him tons of time.”
Assuming he even knows what he’s doing. For all I know, Julian hired some kid with zero experience. Or some burnt-out detective who doesn’t give a damn about helping us.
Yeti Amber hesitates for a few seconds and then shrugs. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to—” She shifts into a mouse.
I sigh.
I could wait for her to shift into a form that can talk, but who knows how long that will take… or last. So I glance at the notes on my phone and start going over what she’s told me so far. “At Buttercup’s Bakery, the thief took all the change from the register, a bunch of savory treats, and…”
“A cupcake. Don’t forget the cupcake,” Violet Amber finishes. Not the flower, violet, but her younger sister, Violet. Though at this point, nothing would surprise me.
“A cupcake.” I shake my head. “I know Buttercup’s treats are delicious, but what kind of thief steals a mini quiche, garlic knots, some crackers, and a cupcake?”
“A hungry one?” Julian asks as he steps inside the cafe.
The moment I see him, my heart stops.
Not Julian. Obviously. Amber’s mate has never made my heart stop. He’s never even come close.
Okay, fine, there was the one time, but definitely not like that.
About a month ago, Amber and I had been hanging out at Jewels Cafe when Julian botched up a Hot Cocoa spell. Again. Typical Julian. You’d think he’d stop casting entirely by now, but as Amber’s ankle goes to show, the guy just keeps on trying.
Amber and I had been talking about the new skating rink one moment, and the next… bam! Suddenly, glass was flying everywhere. Made both our hearts stop… and then some.