about her. The ogre must’ve been so wrapped up in his dancing that he’d forgotten about his glamour.
Her heart was racing. Calm. Stay calm . She needed something to take her mind off Murmur, Asima, and random… whatevers dancing throught the castle’s hallways. It was time for her to start doing her job. Ivy dragged the bag of complaints from her closet and dumped what must be thousands of folded papers onto her coffee table. Then she began to read them.
“Holgarth told me I had the acting ability of a cactus.” Ivy set the paper on a designated spot on the table for all wizard complaints. She picked up the next paper. “Your chef sucks. Tell him I’ve eaten tastier shoe leather than that steak from last night.” Restaurant pile. “Holgarth refused to make me the handsome prince. He said I’d have to lose a hundred pounds and get a new face to qualify.” Wizard pile. “I found dust above the door to my room.” Who the heck checked for dust above the door? Guest room pile. “Holgarth wouldn’t let me be in the fantasies. He said he’d call me when they began doing nightmares.” Wizard pile.
Ivy frowned. She was beginning to see a pattern. Her cell phone shattered Ivy’s silent contemplation of the pile of complaints still to be read. She almost ignored the call. Then she sighed. Life had to go on. She pulled the phone from her pocket and put on her fake perky voice. “Hello?”
A few minutes later, she shoved the phone back into her pocket. Part of the giant boulder resting on her chest lifted. One of the other job applications she’d put in had come through. Sort of. She wouldn’t start work for three weeks, and she’d have to move to Denver. The money wasn’t as good as here, but if the workplace was demon-free, hey, she’d make do with less. She could work here for two more weeks and then tell Sparkle she was quitting. After all, Sparkle had misrepresented the job description. Nowhere had it mentioned dancing with demons and facing down ogres. Definitely a deal breaker.
But as she sat trying to work up the energy to read more complaints, the boulder settled back onto her chest.
She was a coward. Sure, no one else would call her that. No one would blame her for walking away from this nightmare. But Ivy would know. She would be quitting after just a few weeks. Just like Dad. If she called home and told Mom she was quitting because the castle had a sexy demon along with assorted other nonhuman entities, Ivy knew what her mother would say.
First, Mom would sigh wearily. Then she’d say she understood. Mom always said that to Dad when he quit a job. Each time he used the same excuse. He couldn’t concentrate on his work because he could hear voices when no one was there. He claimed the voices followed him wherever he went.
Ivy had wanted Mom to lose her temper just once, to scream at Dad that she was tired of supporting the family, tired of his weak-ass excuses. But Mom never yelled, never threatened to leave him, just looked sad.
Ivy loved her father, but she’d never for a minute believed his story. Mom should’ve gotten help for him years ago. Ivy had even believed he was faking the voices so he wouldn’t have to work.
But now? Ivy knew her smile was bitter. What goes around comes around.
She stood and headed for the door. If she had to work two weeks here, she’d give Sparkle her money’s worth. Her boss would probably be at Sweet Indulgence now. There was something weird about Sparkle owning a candy store. Images of Hansel and Gretel came to mind.
And if she thought just a little about never seeing Murmur again after she left the castle, she would concentrate on his mind manipulation and allow her anger to smother any regrets.
4
Earbuds in, Murmur lay on his bed listening to the latest pop pap. It helped to neutralize the music in his head so that he could think. Guilt? He almost didn’t recognize the feeling. Demons didn’t do guilt. But there it was, buzzing around his
Her heart was racing. Calm. Stay calm . She needed something to take her mind off Murmur, Asima, and random… whatevers dancing throught the castle’s hallways. It was time for her to start doing her job. Ivy dragged the bag of complaints from her closet and dumped what must be thousands of folded papers onto her coffee table. Then she began to read them.
“Holgarth told me I had the acting ability of a cactus.” Ivy set the paper on a designated spot on the table for all wizard complaints. She picked up the next paper. “Your chef sucks. Tell him I’ve eaten tastier shoe leather than that steak from last night.” Restaurant pile. “Holgarth refused to make me the handsome prince. He said I’d have to lose a hundred pounds and get a new face to qualify.” Wizard pile. “I found dust above the door to my room.” Who the heck checked for dust above the door? Guest room pile. “Holgarth wouldn’t let me be in the fantasies. He said he’d call me when they began doing nightmares.” Wizard pile.
Ivy frowned. She was beginning to see a pattern. Her cell phone shattered Ivy’s silent contemplation of the pile of complaints still to be read. She almost ignored the call. Then she sighed. Life had to go on. She pulled the phone from her pocket and put on her fake perky voice. “Hello?”
A few minutes later, she shoved the phone back into her pocket. Part of the giant boulder resting on her chest lifted. One of the other job applications she’d put in had come through. Sort of. She wouldn’t start work for three weeks, and she’d have to move to Denver. The money wasn’t as good as here, but if the workplace was demon-free, hey, she’d make do with less. She could work here for two more weeks and then tell Sparkle she was quitting. After all, Sparkle had misrepresented the job description. Nowhere had it mentioned dancing with demons and facing down ogres. Definitely a deal breaker.
But as she sat trying to work up the energy to read more complaints, the boulder settled back onto her chest.
She was a coward. Sure, no one else would call her that. No one would blame her for walking away from this nightmare. But Ivy would know. She would be quitting after just a few weeks. Just like Dad. If she called home and told Mom she was quitting because the castle had a sexy demon along with assorted other nonhuman entities, Ivy knew what her mother would say.
First, Mom would sigh wearily. Then she’d say she understood. Mom always said that to Dad when he quit a job. Each time he used the same excuse. He couldn’t concentrate on his work because he could hear voices when no one was there. He claimed the voices followed him wherever he went.
Ivy had wanted Mom to lose her temper just once, to scream at Dad that she was tired of supporting the family, tired of his weak-ass excuses. But Mom never yelled, never threatened to leave him, just looked sad.
Ivy loved her father, but she’d never for a minute believed his story. Mom should’ve gotten help for him years ago. Ivy had even believed he was faking the voices so he wouldn’t have to work.
But now? Ivy knew her smile was bitter. What goes around comes around.
She stood and headed for the door. If she had to work two weeks here, she’d give Sparkle her money’s worth. Her boss would probably be at Sweet Indulgence now. There was something weird about Sparkle owning a candy store. Images of Hansel and Gretel came to mind.
And if she thought just a little about never seeing Murmur again after she left the castle, she would concentrate on his mind manipulation and allow her anger to smother any regrets.
4
Earbuds in, Murmur lay on his bed listening to the latest pop pap. It helped to neutralize the music in his head so that he could think. Guilt? He almost didn’t recognize the feeling. Demons didn’t do guilt. But there it was, buzzing around his
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