Page 7 of Wanderer

“Hours?” I asked.

“He means community service.” Fen looked over his shoulder at me. “That’s why I’m here, right? Part of the Greyhaven welcome wagon. Using my magic to protect the community.” He used a weird sort of announcer’s voice that he pointed toward Ryuu, who shrugged him off. “Hey, maybe with this guy—” He turned in his seat. “Sorry, I don’t know your name.”

“Riley,” I answered thickly. This was always the worst part of starting somewhere new. The introductions, repeating my name for everyone until I stopped being the new guy and just became Riley, the withdrawn shifter. Then, eventually, I was just a memory. I didn’t give him my last name. It didn’t matter if I wouldn’t be here long. I just had to wait and see if they could help me.

“Right, then, Riley. Nice to meet ya.” Fen winked at me. The change from moody to sunshine in a matter of seconds was startling. “So, I was thinking that Riley could say how bad it was out here, how much magic I used. Then I’ll say how sorry I am, and bam! Ban lifted!”

Ryuu laughed so loudly that even my lips lifted into a smile. “You act like the mayor won’t know exactly how bad it is out here, or how much magic you’ve used.” I could see Ryuu roll his eyes in the mirror. “I’ve never seen anyone lie to the mayor and get away with it.”

Right, so the mayor went onto the list of people to be careful around, along with Tatsuya. He seemed too aware of everything around him. His sister as well, just for being the police chief. It worried me that a family was in charge of the police department. What kind of place was Greyhaven? Though, when I weighed up the punishment that Fen had received for his stunt, I wondered if maybe they had it right. Damage that could be easily repaired with magic shouldn’t have a hefty punishment, right? No harm, no foul.

The car whisked us through the quiet streets of Greyhaven. It was late afternoon now and nearly full dark. The odd person dashed around, getting last-minute things or closing up their store for the day, fighting against another flurry of snow and the biting wind.

I took in the sights as we got closer to a regal-looking town hall. It was Grecian in style, with columns set in a uniform order, each set proportionally from its neighbor. Just the sight of the orderly building was soothing. It had an aura that I just couldn’t explain.

Ryuu pulled up in front of a clearly marked space. Turning in his seat, he spoke to me. “Look, the mayor… well, she can be a lot.” He and Fen shared a look. “Just, whatever you do, don’t lie. If you don’t want to answer something, tell her that. She would rather have you avoid answering than make shit up.”

“Right! He’s so right on that. Just tell the lady mayor the truth, or as much as you’re comfortable with, okay?” Fen added.

After another silent conversation with his cousin, Ryuu looked at me again. “Whatever happens, you’ve got sanctuary here. You literally cannot enter the town’s borders with bad intentions. We just need to know if you’re bringing trouble with you.”

A prickling feeling ran up the nape of my neck. I literally had no clue if I was about to call shit down on Greyhaven by being here. The entire point of getting here was to find a way to break this fucking curse. Then I could go kill Boyce myself. Fuck what Paxton said. I’d save Mom alone.

The dragons got out of the car. Fen opened my door for me, and they waited expectantly for me to get out and join them on the sidewalk. With a deep breath, I stepped out, the sudden chill making me shiver. They escorted me as far as the lobby, leaving me with a short woman with close-cropped brown hair of an indistinguishable age. I barely noticed their goodbyes, too busy trying to work out what the woman was. She gave me a sunny smile while I noticed a plaque on the desk that said, “Debra, Mayor’s Executive Assistant.”

“Hello, I’m Debra. You are?” she asked politely, her blue eyes twinkling.

“I’m Riley. I uh, I’m here to see the mayor?” It came out as a question. Her scent was making my nose tickle. I felt a sneeze coming on.

Debra held out a tissue. “Here. You shifter types are always so sensitive to brownie magic.”

I grabbed it just in time, sneezing three or four times into it while she watched with a rueful grin. “Thanks,” I managed. She pointed at a waste bin next to the wide desk. “Appreciate it.”

“Well, at least you’ve got manners. Lemme see those hands.” I frowned, but did as I was bid.

With a flourish, Debra worked some glittering magic over me and dropped into her chair with a pleased sigh. “Cleansed your hands and basically inoculated you against brownie dust.”

“Um, thanks, I think.”

“Oh, you’re welcome, hun. You’re a nice boy.” Was she slurring? She leaned forward to peer at me. “You want me to help you with anything else?” Debra really was slurring. What the fuck was going on?

“That won’t be necessary, thank you, Debra.” A being of immense power rounded the corner. I hesitated to call her a woman, though the form they were in was female. Their aura was oppressive. So much of Greyhaven made sense now. “Please go and get yourself a coffee while I speak to Riley here.”

“Of course, Madam Mayor.” Debra hustled off, looking a tad unsteady.

“Sorry about that, Riley. Debra can’t resist her brownie nature, and the inoculation always does that to her.”

“Oh, it’s um, it’s fine.” I paused. “Is she going to be okay?”

“She’ll be right as rain shortly. Come through to my office and we can chat.”

I followed the ancient being into a classically decorated office. It fit with the Grecian theme they had going on. They sat behind the desk and motioned for me to take one of the plush armchairs nearby so we could talk.

“Tell me why you’ve come to Greyhaven, Riley.”

Without preamble, I just let it all out. All I’d been keeping in these last few years, while I searched for someone to help me with no success. Everything. Without sugarcoating it.

“So, you see, I’m cursed, and I came here to find someone to break it.”