UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale 1)

“You’re right, these are to die for.” Brody took another bite. “But does she always hover like this?” Brody cocked his head to a smiling Mrs. Wong, who continued to make smooching faces whenever he turned his back.

“Um, no. I think they changed the dose on her meds,” Mina lied, trying desperately not to look in Mrs. Wong’s direction. Pretty soon her husband came out in his white apron and joined in the charade of advice. His wife must have told him about Mina’s embarrassing spectacle because he shook his head in his wife's direction and mimed dropping a napkin on the floor. Both of them were miming different actions, perhaps trying to get Mina to crack.

Mina kept shaking her head "no" in their direction. When Brody saw Mina’s head shake and looked over his shoulder, the couple finally dropped their act and began furiously cleaning the counters. As soon as he turned back they went at it again.

“You ready to get out of here?” Mina asked desperately, looking over Brody’s shoulder.

Brody threw some money on the table while Mina stared daggers at the laughing couple, and they escaped into the crisp afternoon air.

They started walking the different districts with no particular destination in mind. Mina knew they needed to discuss what happened the other night, but she wasn’t sure she was ready. She found the Grimoire, but she didn’t know how Jared or the man with the wolf tattoo figured in, and she was running out of ideas. But she didn’t know if she could trust Brody.

As if reading her mind, Brody spoke up. “You know you can talk to me, right? I’m here for you.”

Mina kicked a stray piece of rock with her shoe. “How can I, when I barely know you?”

“I’m trying to amend that,” he said softly. He brought his hand down and cupped her small hand in his. Mina tried to pull away but he held on. “I’m sorry that I pressured you into going to the police after what happened, but you have to understand I was scared for you. I wanted to protect you.”

Mina shook her head, but Brody continued. “You’re right, I don’t know what’s going on. But I want to help you. I want to be there for you.”

“I can’t talk about it. I’m not ready to talk about it. I’m still trying to figure things out. But when I know more, when I’m ready, I’ll tell you.” It was the most she could promise.

They headed down the hill to the river walk and Brody bought some bread to feed the geese in the river. Mina couldn’t help but glare at the geese angrily and refused to throw them bread.

“You got a grudge against geese?” Brody joked.

“You bet I do. Stupid birds,” Mina snorted. She was boycotting all geese for leading her into danger. Now, even though Mina wasn’t the one throwing the bread or even holding it, the geese waddled out of the river and seemed to be pecking their way toward her. Mina jumped back and kept walking backward but it was as if they had heard her call them stupid. They kept following her until Mina stumbled and landed on her butt in the grass.

Screaming, Mina held up her hands as the swarm of geese started to crawl over her.

“Get out of here. Scram!” Brody yelled, kicking and pushing the flock away from Mina. Reaching down, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up, and out of the reach of the geese. The geese kept following. Laughing, Brody physically lifted Mina up out of their reach and over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Mina’s feet swung in the air, her hair hanging over her face upside down. Brody moved away from the river and away from the attacking flock.

Brody turned around to look at the geese and burst out laughing. The whole gaggle diligently followed them in a V formation. “I think you underestimate these geese. They are definitely not stupid,” Brody laughed.

“They are too. Put me down!” Mina cried out, hitting Brody’s back playfully.

“No way, not until you are out of danger. I won’t abandon you again.” He held on tighter, walking faster.

Mina rolled her eyes at the geese, which never actually bit her, but certainly startled her. She tried making shooing motions over Brody’s shoulder, to no avail. Finally she whispered between clenched teeth. “If you don’t get lost now, there won’t be a happy ending. I happen to be friends with a restaurant owner who would love some fresh goose.”

The geese immediately turned and headed back to the river. Mina stared in amazement, while Brody, realizing that the threat was over, put Mina down. “That was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Mina snorted. “Not for me.”

“Are there a lot of strange things that happen around you?”

“Haven’t you noticed, I’m cursed?” Mina meant the words as a joke but as soon as they left her mouth, she felt a tingle of apprehension through her bones. The words were too close to the truth.

Brody shook his head. They spent the evening on the river walk, watching the different street performers and musicians entertain guests. “I’ve never been down here before.”

“It’s like the wrong side of the tracks for your kind.”

“What do you mean by ‘my kind’?” Brody stopped and looked at Mina carefully.

“Well, you know...” she shrugged her shoulders.

“No, I don’t know.”