I stuffed those feelings down. Didn’t want to get ahead of myself. “It’ll probably lead to nothing but—”
“But maybe!” Heidi beamed at me. “Jolene, that’s so exciting!”
I frowned. “Yeah… Ludolf also said he’d work on finding a cure for me because of the favor I did for him.”
Will huffed. “Ludolf doesn’t owe people—you owe him.”
I arched a brow and swallowed my mouthful of delicious, warm broth. “That’s what he said but yeah, I felt like it was too good to be true. I’m not too thrilled about being a test animal for his hex makers to test cures on.” I frowned. “And who employs hex makers anyway? Plural? What’s that about?”
“Why not have hex makers?” Will threw up his hand. “The man’s one of the richest on the island, he can have whatever he wants. Why have just one? Maybe he needs spares.”
Heidi shuddered. “Ooh. They just work down there in the sewers, brewing up curses? Gives me the heebie-jeebies.”
I curled my lip. Yeah. Not the prettiest picture.
Heidi blinked. “Sorry.” Her throat bobbed and her voice came out high and strained. “Maybe it’ll work though?”
Will pointed his chopsticks at me. “Don’t trust him, Jolene.”
I lifted a brow. “I don’t. But how do I get out of it?”
He shook his head. “Oh, you can’t. You’re stuck. If those hex makers brew something up, you’re going to have to let them try it on you. Just don’t expect it to go well.”
I leveled him with a flat look. “You’re such an optimist, you know? Sometimes I just can’t handle all the rainbows and sunshine with you.”
Will finished slurping up the last of his ramen and lowered the bowl. He set it on the counter and stood. “It’s been a weird night. I need to blow off some steam.”
Heidi and I exchanged looks. What had he been up to earlier? Despite all the mysteries surrounding me—the origins of my curse and the identity of the museum killer—why was Will’s the one I was most dying to find out?
I guess the guy had been in a rut for so long, and ever since we’d met I could’ve guessed with a high degree of accuracy what he was doing at any given time of day, that this sudden secrecy and change was sort of mind blowing.
Will shrugged on his white lab coat. “You two in or what?”
I scoffed. “In for what?”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t pretend like it matters.”
I grinned. He had me there.
“I was thinking The Nightmarket.”
Heidi gawked. “The gay club down Octopus Alley?”
“No.” He folded his arms and stared her down. “The shopping street—I wanted to pick up some spices for a nice pilaf.”
“Oh.” She slumped on her stool, disappointed.
“Yes, the club!” Will rolled his eyes.
“Ooh!” Heidi clapped and perked right up. “I’m definitely in.”
“Jolene?” Will arched a brow at me.
It’d been ages—years—since I’d been out dancing. I didn’t have the clothes for it and was frankly beat, but I thought of Peter and Daisy walking me home. They’d looked so happy together. I thought of going home to my empty apartment—well, empty except for the cockroaches, rats and spiders. No, thanks. Tonight I wanted company—non vermin company.
I stood. “I’m in.” I blinked innocently up at him. “Is your secret boyfriend going to be there?”
20
THE NIGHTMARKET
Will used his height and beefy shoulders to squeeze in at the bar. The club was packed, and Heidi and I hovered behind our bear shifter friend, bouncing along with the thumping bass beat and blaring music.
Will held up three long fingers and leaned forward. He said something to the bartender, a muscled young man in a tank and suspenders, and the guy turned around and summoned a few glowing bottles of potions off the high shelves behind the bar.
While we waited for our drinks, I looked around. I’d never been to The Nightmarket before but had heard of it. It was one of the most glam gay clubs in the Darkmoon District and was rumored to be fun. But, as most of my energy the last few years had centered around not starving, I hadn’t had the chance to visit.
Bodies moved and bounced everywhere, the whole place churning with attractive men, mostly, in great outfits, from the understated to the outrageous. A glowing dance floor in the middle of the space flashed brightly. A magical wind seemed to blow from every direction, because everyone’s hair, no matter which way they looked, blew back from their faces, making them look like models at a shoot.
Enchanted bubbles floated everywhere, catching the flashing lights and shimmering with their own magic. I spotted a couple both bite for the same one and collide, giggling. I frowned at a bubble that drifted past my face and leaned close to Heidi.
“They’re edible?”
She nodded and turned to speak in my ear. “Yeah—they’re enchanted to all taste different. Try one.”
She rose on her toes and gulped one down. She made a face. “Ick. Kale—I think?”
I chuckled. “I was assuming they’d all be blueberry or frosting flavored.”
She shook her head, still wincing. “Nope.”
A balcony wrapped around the glowing dance floor, the second story dotted with tables and velvet upholstered booths. Swanky.
Will spun around, drinks bundled in his huge hands. Heidi plucked up the bottle of beer; I grabbed my Seafoam Surprise with no less than four paper umbrellas in it and a skewer of pineapple chunks. Yes, please.
I held it up to my ear—was that music coming from it? Sure enough, steel drums quietly played, barely audible over the music coming from the DJ, whose wand flew as he mixed music on the second story.
Will swirled his martini glass with the beautiful spiraled orange peel in it, then took a sip.
I grinned up at him. “Aren’t you going to take your lab coat off?”
He gave me
