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Flora’s eyebrows shot up, her annoyance morphing into exasperation.
“Of course you can! It’s All Hallows’ Eve.” She shook her head, as if explaining something obvious to a child. “Just remember you need to remain strong, especially with Tim around.”
Damn—another one of those cryptic warnings. He opened his mouth to ask for more details, but Flora had already vanished, leaving him frowning down at the empty street.
Before he could decide what to do, Jessica came to join him on the balcony, carrying a plate of toast and bacon. Withoutthinking, he reached out and snagged a piece of bacon, bringing it to his lips. As he bit down, a burst of flavor exploded in his mouth, and he couldn’t help but moan in appreciation. Why hadn’t he thought to try this before? Then again, perhaps it wouldn’t have worked before today.
The excitement of being able to interact with the physical world swept over him and he grinned at her.
“Almost as delicious as you,” he teased.
She’d been giving him a shocked look, but now she smiled back, echoing his mood and he made another impulsive decision.
“I think we need to take a break,” he said firmly.
“A break? What do you have in mind?” she asked as he gently nudged her towards the door.
“Let’s explore the town—just you and me.”
“But how?”
“Apparently I’m free to move around today and I want to take advantage of that opportunity.”
“But the ritual,” she said hesitantly.
“Isn’t going to change. You’ve been over it a hundred times and everything is as ready as we can make it. I think we should just enjoy our time together.”
In case it was their last chance.
She bit her lip, then finally returned his smile.
“All right. I’ll go and change.”
When she returned, his breath caught in his throat. She was wearing those embroidered jeans he loved so much, the ones that hugged her curves just right, and a soft green sweater. She’d even removed all of her jewelry except for a single necklace. He knew how much courage it had taken for her to dress like that and he wanted to sweep her into his arms and kiss her, but he knew if he did they might never make it out of the apartment.
“Thank you,” he said quietly, then held out his hand.
She placed her hand in his and they walked down the stairs and out the front door. He half expected to be slammed back inside but nothing happened. The crisp autumn air swirled around them and he felt a surge of exhilaration. Freedom. He glanced down at Jessica and she smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with excitement. As he looked down, he realized that he didn’t look entirely human. His skin had a faint bluish shimmer, not transparent, but not entirely solid either.
For a moment he hesitated, but then he shrugged. This was Fairhaven Falls and they had seen far stranger things.
Main Street, a wide road lined with a mixture of two story brick storefronts and converted houses, already bustled with life. Laughter echoed from nearby cafes, and the aroma of freshly baked pastries wafted through the air. Every building was adorned with pumpkins and shocks of wheat, with cartoon witches—and ghosts.
Three of them floated in front of the hardware store, their sheets fluttering in the breeze, and they stopped to admire them.
“I don’t see much resemblance,” she teased. “They’re much too small.”
He laughed and they continued down the street, stopping to admire each display and breathe in the scents from the floral arrangements. Small children of every type were already wearing their costumes, their faces painted and smiling, and they bought bags of candy to distribute as they walked. They purchased muffins from a huge, glowering orc and he moaned appreciatively as he took a huge bite.
“This might be the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. Well, the second best thing,” he amended and she blushed.
“Grondar is an amazing baker. Did you know he’s Flora’s grandson?”
“That giant male? It’s not possible.”
“It’s not only possible, but apparently her husband was just as big.” She dropped her voice and leaned towards him. “And she’s all too happy to describe his assets. In detail.”
“Which I definitely don’t need to know,” he said firmly, and her laugh rang out, clear and bright in the morning air.
