Wood Witch and the Bounty Hunter

“How did you actually get me an invitation?”

Flora was gawking at Ronan as he handed her the invitation in question. He shrugged.

“I’ve done jobs for some very important people,” he said. “I hunt down people who steal and kill, and sometimes their victims are people with connections. On occasion, one of those people with connections is grateful enough to do me a favor. The point is, you're on the guest list so we’re going to this thing. Now come on, we need to look the part and your traveling cloak and my tunic aren’t going to cut it.”

“But I don’t want to go,” Flora griped.

“Greater good,” Ronan reminded her and she glared at him. She continued to sulk the whole way to the shopping district but Ronan wasn’t backing down from this plan. It was the only lead they had at the moment. They didn’t have time to search for another one. Elise could be out murdering a whole family right now for all they knew.

He ducked into the shop where his mother worked, pulling Flora with him. He knew the shop owner was out in the afternoons for her long lunch, and he found Linnea in the back humming as she sewed beads onto the bodice of a dress. She looked delighted but surprised to see them there.

“Mom, I need to ask a huge favor,” Ronan said. “We need to borrow two outfits for tonight.”

“Is this about a job?” Linnea asked.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “The one Flora is helping me with. I can’t really explain it all right now, but I’m looking for a very dangerous person and they’re framing someone else for their crimes. There’s an event that we need to get into in order to find out where they might be.”

“Well I’m not a big fan of the ‘dangerous person’ portion of that explanation, but of course I’ll help you. Mrs. Sote won’t notice a couple of things missing. Come with me.”

Linnea stood and led them into an adjacent back room full of frilly clothes. She rifled through them with efficiency, like she knew exactly what she was looking for already. She pulled out a black suit for Ronan and told him to go try it on so she could make any adjustments, then turned her attention to finding a dress for Flora. Ronan felt like a dumbass in the fancy suit; it was the nicest thing he’d ever worn in his entire life by a wide margin. He was standing there staring warily at his reflection when Linnea came to check on him.

“Look at you,” she said, beaming. “I can’t believe my little boy has become such a handsome man.” She came over to appraise the suit for anything out of place. “You look so much like your father. This suit reminds me a little of what he wore to our wedding.”

Ronan smiled, though it faded quickly and Linnea noticed.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, straightening the jacket for him.

“I just wish I was more like him,” Ronan said quietly.

Linnea furrowed her brow. “Ronan, you are so much like him that it shocks me sometimes.”

Ronan managed a weak smile but he didn’t really believe her. He knew she’d never say so but he must’ve been a huge disappointment and it broke his heart a little to think he’d let her or his father’s memory down. Linnea finished fussing with the suit and told him to wait there so she could finish fixing Flora up. Ronan sat quietly, lost in his brooding. He looked up when he heard his mother’s voice.

“Come on, it looks great. I just want to see how you two look next to each other, to make sure everything is just right.”

Linnea came back into the room where Ronan was waiting, looking oddly impish as she coaxed Flora in after her. She’d apparently helped Flora with her hair too, because it was now swept back, part of it braided into a crown. The dress was a ruffly mix of gold and rose pink tulle, with a sleeveless bodice but a little matching cape that flowed down around her shoulders and was bedecked in lace and shimmering beads.

“I designed this myself,” Linnea was saying. “What do you think, Ronan?”

Ronan realized he was staring and he cleared his throat. “It’s amazing,” he said sincerely. “You look beautiful.”

Flora had been looking a little annoyed and uncomfortable with the situation they were in, but now she smiled a little. Linnea made him stand up and forced them to stand next to each other, making him grimace a little in embarrassment. Flora flushed as Linnea grinned at the two of them.

“I know this is for a job, but you two will make quite the striking pair at this event you’re going to,” she said. Ronan thanked her again for her help, promising to return the clothes tomorrow. Flora clutched her invitation tightly in her hands as they approached the banquet.

“You’ll do fine,” Ronan assured her. “At least you get to go in there looking like a fairy princess. I look like an idiot.”

“You look nice,” Flora said quietly, turning a little pink.

“I look stupid,” Ronan chuckled. “I wasn’t made for clothes like this.”

“Neither was I.”

“Flora, modesty is a virtue and all but let’s not kid ourselves. You were absolutely made for a dress like that.”

Her face went from pink to crimson as they climbed up the steps to the grand front door of the old and highly posh building. Ronan scanned the front of the building as they went, taking note of where potential exits were in case they ran into trouble. Flora showed her invitation to the man standing at the door and he waved them in. Flora looked nervous again and Ronan reached out to lay a hand reassuringly on her back and keep them moving.

“You’ll be fine,” he said again. She glanced at him and he realized his hand was still on her back. He dropped it hurriedly.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Why are you sorry?” Flora asked.

“I know being stuck with me must be really uncomfortable for you,” he mumbled. “I can tell you’re anxious and I’m not trying to be a creep and make it worse for you. But listen, you can do this, okay? All you have to do is mingle a little, and I’ll be here if you need me.”

He flashed her a quick smile, hoping he wasn’t making too big a fool of himself. He moved around the room a little, trying to get a gauge on the security of the building and making a note of more exits. He supposed they probably wouldn’t really need to worry about bounty hunters here; it was not only an exclusive event but one for magic users. Chances were that even if anyone had known they were coming here, they would have to get past spells or wards of some kind to sneak in.

It was hard to focus on rational bounty hunter brain things though, since his gaze kept moving back to Flora. He told himself he was just keeping an eye on her in case she needed help, and that was partially true. But she was also just hard not to look at and his stomach kept doing little backflips. The logical part of his mind told him to cut it out; she was only in his company because she had no choice right now. Once they’d cleared her name, she’d probably put as much distance between them as she could. But he still found himself moving back into her general vicinity, always staying where he could see her.

A guy with perfectly groomed blond hair and a shiny white smile approached her and Ronan was by now close enough to hear their conversation. He made sure to hang back. The guy planted a kiss on her hand.

“Excuse me, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of making your acquaintance,” he said, flashing her another impossibly charming smile. “I would definitely have remembered.”

“Oh,” Flora said, seeming a little flustered. “I’m Flora.”

“Like a flower,” the man said. “Fitting, for someone as pretty as you. I’m Abel Merrick.”

The guy kept up his easy charm while he chatted with her and Ronan tried to tamp down his growing irritation. He wished that he could be inconspicuous because he was acutely aware of not quite blending in. But he was too tall to go unnoticed, and taking note of Abel Merrick’s pressed and tailored perfection was grating on his nerves. He had a faint scar on his temple and a slight crookedness to his nose from having it broken three times. It didn’t matter if he had a nicely tailored suit thanks to his mother. He was still just Ronan.

Abel had now pulled Flora into a dance, but she kept stepping on his toes and it gave Ronan a glimmer of petty satisfaction every time Abel winced. She finally slipped away from him when the song ended, and she headed toward Ronan when she spotted him.

“I tried to tell him I don’t know how to dance,” she said.

“I don’t think he was all that concerned with good dancing,” Ronan muttered. “I’m pretty sure he was more concerned with hands than footwork.”

“Well, I’ve talked to a few people and I’ve overheard some things. I think if we stay just a little bit longer I might have some useful information. Maybe we could step out somewhere for some air though? Dancing made me really warm.”

“Sure,” Ronan said. There was a door thrown open at the far end of the banquet hall that led into a little courtyard and rose garden. They found a quiet spot next to a fountain with little frog figurines that actually hopped around on glass lily pads while they spat water. Ronan would’ve been impressed if he wasn’t so cranky.

“Didn’t you want to ask anyone to dance?” Flora asked, kicking her heels off. “I saw a couple women in there looking at you.”

“I don’t really dance either,” Ronan mumbled. “I can only do the type of dancing that’s swaying. I’m sure Abel Merrick knows all the dances.”

“Ronan, are you all right?”

“Of course I am.”

“Oh. Because you don’t seem to like Abel Merrick.”

“I don’t even know him,” Ronan said, stuffing his hands into his pockets and trying not to scowl.

“You said his name like it was a curse word.”

“Sorry.” He stared intently at the little frogs. “I guess you…probably liked him? He’s all charming and blond and I assume he’s a magic user if he’s here. I mean girls like guys who are charming and blond, right? His blondness would complement your hair.”

“Ronan…are you…jealous?”

“What?” Ronan frowned.

“Are you jealous of Abel because he asked me to dance?”

“I…what, no, I’m not jealous.” Ronan felt heat crawl up his neck. “I mean, I have no right to be jealous you can like whoever you want and you should have a good time with someone you like cause it’s a party and you look really nice and I can’t dance anyway so why would I be jealous if you like some guy with a dumb perfect face who can dance?” He grimaced. So much for not making a fool of himself.