Page 32 of Liberty
We were halfway to the counter when the bead curtain parted, and a figure appeared, “Oak, love. Is that you?”
I smiled the first genuine smile in what felt like forever. “Anita. It’s good to see you.”
“You too, sweetheart, you too.” The witch stepped closer, enveloping me in a hug. “I’m sorry to hear about James. He was a kind man.”
“Mostly.”
Silence settled over us as we remembered the dead. After some time passed, Anita continued, “I’ve heard you talked to Maggie this morning.”
“I did.” My eyes flickered to Liberty for a moment. “I’m here to get a hag stone. Maggie said she didn’t have one handy but knew who she could procure one from.”
“They are rare.” Her eyes glanced up. “She’s on her way to collect it if you want to hold up your end of payment in the meantime.”
Ah, yes. Payment. The witches have been battling issues with a disgruntled raccoon in the rafters of their shop, chasing away customers and leaving a mess behind. I peeled off my shirt and handed it to Liberty, who took it wordlessly as her eyes traveled over my skin. Despite the fact she was just with Ellis, I knew she appreciated what she saw. The reddening of her cheeks told me so.
I ignored her. “Is there a rope up? Or do you need me to get one going?”
“I believe the rope is still there from last time we had the dove issue. But, if you want to set up something else, this little lady and I will just sit back and watch those muscles flex.”
“Anita, you’re practically a mother to me.” I leveled her with a severe stare.
“But I’m not blind.” She laughed before turning to Liberty. “I’m sorry; I didn’t catch your name.”
I cleared my throat, “Well, Anita. This little crustacean here is Liberty; she will be the recipient of the stone.”
Anita’s face turned to one of concern. “Oh, dear. I’m sorry you require protection, but I can promise, no one is more equipped for the task than our Oak.”
Liberty raised an eyebrow in question before turning to Anita. “Yes, our Oak has been mighty helpful.”
“If you’re mocking my saving your life twice, I could postpone the third attempt,” I threatened as I walked toward the back of the shop.
No one followed, but I heard Anita whisper, He’s a bit grumpy today, isn’t he?
Following that whisper, I heard Liberty reply, Wait? This is only a bit? He gets in worse moods?
Oh, darling, sometimes he can be a bit of a – “I can hear you both.”
They stopped at my announcement, and when I turned around, both looked guilty, but neither apologized. Fair enough, I knew what vibe I gave out; I just didn’t like to hear about it. When I reached the other end of the room, I spotted the rope dangling from the rafter beam and grabbed onto it. Gripping it in my hands, I wrapped the rope around my palm and pulled myself upward.
I felt in my element. I found peace in the act of using my body strength to pull myself higher; I made a living off twirls and spins, jumps, and illusions. Climbing up here to take care of a nuisance seemed like a waste of years and years of honed skills and perfectionism, but worth the return. Liberty needed that hag stone, and even if I wasn’t the man she picked, it didn’t mean my overpowering drive to protect her had disappeared.
My muscles bunched as I reached the top. When I couldn’t pull further, I rocked my body, swinging it to the side to allow me to move far enough to be able to grip the ledge of the neighboring beam. I hooked my leg onto it, then hoisted myself up before letting go of the rope.
Once steady, I got to my feet, balancing my weight as I crossed the beam to a thick ledge on the side. I suspected in another life, this building could have been a rustic barn, and this wide ledge a place to store some hay. But now, it only stored a few old boxes and apparently, a raccoon. I searched around, not seeing any signs of a creature living up here.
“Anita, I see nothing,” I shouted down as I shoved a box to the side.
“Did I say raccoon?” Maggie’s voice broke the silence, “I must have meant spider. There’s no raccoon in the city. But now that you’re up there, can you stack those boxes against the wall?”
I walked to the open edge, spotting the three ladies below. “If you needed help moving shit, you should have just asked.”
“But then we all would have missed the fantastic view of muscles as you climbed the rope.” Ugh. I should have known Maggie was close; Anita was never left to run the shop alone. They preferred to stay in sets of two.
“You know I would climb the ropes for you any time,” I grumbled as I left to stack the few boxes up into the corner.
“I know, but I think I speak for everyone when I say I can appreciate the sight more when you’re unaware.”
I dusted off my hands on my jeans as I neared the edge again. The boxes were relatively light, and there weren’t many of them. “You don’t like the show I put on.”