But Pell doesn’t come out of the cathedral. Another monster does. This one is skinny, and a little bit greasy, and creepy, if I’m being honest. But then I notice that Pia is perched on his shoulder.
“What the fuck?” I mutter under my breath. Is Greasy trying to cut in on my magical bird best friend? I’m still thinking about this, pretty sure my resting bitch face is showing because Greasy is eyeing me warily, when they approach. Pia flies away from him and circles over my head. Then she lands on my shoulder and snuggles up to my neck.
“Aww.” I smile. “You’re coming with me. Thank you, New Pia. You’re not the same anymore, but I don’t care. We can still be BFF’s.”
Of course, she doesn’t chirp or anything. But it’s OK. Things are looking up. And then, just as I’m thinking that, I notice that Pell is walking towards me.
For a moment, he’s frowning as he looks me up and down. I’m pretty sure that’s about the skirt. But then he rallies and his smile is bright when his yellow eyes meet mine.
“First day.” He reaches for me, kisses me, pulls me close. Kind of a caveman move, like he’s proclaiming his ownership of me in front of the other monsters. But I don’t mind. He’s here, and that’s all that counts. “Are you ready?”
I nod reluctantly. “Cookie made me lunch, Batty gave me a good-luck rock, and Pia is coming with me.”
“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out,” Pell says.
“I wouldn’t go that far, but what choice do I have?”
“It’s gonna be fine,” Pell says. “In fact, it’s gonna be great. You’re gonna love your new job. And weren’t you just begging me for a job a few weeks ago?”
“Yeah, I get the irony, thanks.”
Pell chuckles. “You’re gonna kick this job’s ass. Don’t worry.” Then he takes my hand and leads me towards Tarq’s tomb. The door doesn’t appear, but that’s because Pell is too close to it.
I don’t understand why the curses around here have to be so damn contradictory. Can’t they just do me a solid? Like, for once in my life, just make shit easy for me?
I don’t get it.
But then… I have a thought. Maybe I’ve always been cursed?
“Stop thinking so hard,” Pell says, giving me a squeeze. “It’s gonna be great.”
Yeah. It’s not. But I smile anyway. “OK. Well. I guess this is it, then. Better back off so I can go through.”
Pell kisses me and just before he pulls away, he whispers, “Great,” into my mouth.
And I think that was a bit of magic. A bit of breathy, good-luck magic. Because I suddenly get all tingly and warm.
He holds my hand as he backs away, clinging to my fingertips until the very last moment. Then he and the monsters disappear between the tombs. And when I turn back to Tarq’s tomb, there’s the black door.
I reach for my dragon scale necklace, hold it in my palm, and walk through.
The other side of the door is pretty much the same as it was the last time I was here. Very, very busy. All humans, no monsters. They glance at me as they bustle around, but generally are not surprised to see a wood nymph appear through a magic door in the middle of an office-building lobby.
I look over my shoulder and the cemetery shimmers for a moment, then disappears into blackness.
And that’s it, I guess. Like it or not, I’m here.
“Holy crap!” Pia exclaims. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“What? Pia! You can talk again!”
She flutters in front of my face, her little voice chirping excitedly. “Greasy Monster put a spell on me! And he promised that I would be back to normal if I came through the tomb with you!”
“Wait!” I’m still smiling, but—“What spell? I don’t—”
“Don’t kill my buzz, Pie. I’m serious. Someone pressed my mute button and I’ve been going crazy for weeks!”
“OK, OK, OK. Fine. We’ll talk about that later.” Then I regroup. Smile bigger. “Pia!” I squeal it. “You’re here! You’re back! You can talk! Yay!”