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Hali nodded, her expression thoughtful. “Thanks for your help. I’ll keep an eye out.”
The guard officer tipped her hat and headed back down the street, leaving Hali and Osric alone in front of the bookshop. When Hali turned back to him, her eyes were shining with unshed tears, and her lower lip was trembling.
“I’m sorry, Hali,” Osric said. “I didn’t realize someone had tried to break in.”
Hali let out a shuddering breath and swiped at her eyes. “It’s all right. I managed to chase them off before they could get inside. But the lock is pretty banged up, and I don’t have the tools to fix it. I was going to ask my uncle, but he’s been busy with a restoration project out in the Sapphire Isles, and I don’t want to wait for him to return in case the intruder comes back before then.” She sighed and unlocked the door to the shop. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. It’s probably nothing.”
“I can take a look at it, if you’d like.”
Hali’s head snapped up, her eyes widening in surprise. “You can fix it? Really?”
Osric shrugged, trying to downplay his abilities. “I’m no master locksmith, but I know my way around a lock well enough.”
Hali’s face flushed a bright shade of pink. “Oh. Well, in that case, I’d be much obliged.”
Osric stepped onto the stoop and waited on the top step, his gaze sweeping over the side street as Hali disappeared back into the shop. The city was already bustling with activity, and the first hints of the autumnal leaves now draped across the stone buildings and twisted up the trellises framing the shop’s windows. A cool breeze carried the briny scent of the sea, ruffling the stray locks of Osric’s hair, carding through the short waves.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reaching for the smoldering embers of power that lay dormant within him. He’d spent so long keeping his flames banked, his true self carefully concealed. But here, in Hali’s presence, he felt a flicker of something new, something that made his blood race and his heart pound.
As he called the power to the surface, the runes on his arms and chest burst into molten light, the flames running like liquid through the intricate sigils. He felt the heat of them, searing and raw, but it was a heat he welcomed, a part of himself he was no longer afraid to embrace.
When he opened his eyes, the world was washed in shades of gold and red, and the lock in Hali’s hands glowed white with the promise of what he could do.
“Here, let me help you with that,” he said, and he took the lock from her outstretched hands.
The metal was still warm from where the wards had scorched it, but Osric paid the heat no mind. He focused on the lock, on the shape of it, the feel of it, the song of it that resonated in the core of his being. With a low, rumbling incantation, he called on the metal’s true form, and the lock began to shift and flow like lava.
He worked quickly, reshaping the damaged parts, and reinforcing the wards that ran along the edges. When he was finished, the lock glowed with a soft, pulsing light.
“There you go,” he said, and handed the lock back to Hali. “Good as new.”
Hali stared at him, her mouth hanging open. “By the forge,” she whispered. “That was amazing. How did you do that?”
Osric shrugged, the flames on his skin beginning to fade. “It’s just a little trick I know.”
Hali’s eyes widened, and she reached out to grasp his forearm, her fingers warm against his fiery skin. “Don’t be so modest, Osric. That was incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She beamed at him, her hazel eyes sparkling. “You must be a master of your craft.”
Osric’s heart swelled at her words, a rush of warmth that had nothing to do with the flames that danced over his skin. “I’m nowhere near that,” he said. “But I do take my work seriously. And your safety is of the utmost importance.”
Hali’s smile faltered, and she chewed on her lower lip. “I try to be careful, I really do. But I can’t help it if someone has their eye on my collection.”
Osric’s chest tightened at the thought of someone daring to threaten her, to make her feel unsafe in her own shop. “Then I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
Hali’s cheeks flushed a rosy pink, and she dropped her gaze. “Thank you, Osric. That means a lot to me.”
“It’s the least I can do,” Osric said. “Perhaps later this afternoon I’ll go home and gather my tools. I should be able to add a few more enhancements to the shop’s security.” He paused, the words sticking in his throat. “If you’ll let me, that is.”
“Oh, I’d be ever so grateful. But you don’t have to go to all that trouble on my account.”
“It’s no trouble, I promise. I want to help.” He offered her a hesitant smile. “Consider it my way of thanking you for helping me in my research.”
Hali’s smile returned, and she squeezed his arm. “You really are too kind, Osric. I don’t know what I did to deserve your help.”
As they stepped into the Folio & Fancy, the warmth of the shop washed over them, carrying with it the musty scent of ancient books and the warm scent of fresh paper both all mingling together. Hali’s earlier buoyancy seemed to evaporate into the air as she led Osric over to the overstuffed armchairs in the corner, and she waited until he was seated before perching on the edge of the seat like she was about to confide in him.
“So, I have a confession to make,” Hali said, her hands twisting in her lap. “All this business with the break-in last night, and that thug who came looking for the book . . . It’s not the only strange thing that’s happened around here lately.”
Osric’s muscles tensed, and he leaned forward, his senses sharpening. “What kind of strange things?”
