At last, Kenzie arrived at the warehouse. She parked her Requiescence and headed inside with Sage in tow. The cavernous room she entered had high ceilings to accommodate the three floors of the building. Booths and tables were set up parallel to each other in every nook and cranny. Music played over a loudspeaker and countless patrons congregated around display tables. There were also doors leading to snack booths set up for hungry guests.
Kenzie couldn’t restrain a smile. She was so relieved that the revelation of supernatural creatures had worked out. Many were afraid to reveal themselves for fear of being ostracized once again or even hunted. But as it was, most humans were receptive, if not a little skeptical, but curious and welcoming.
Maybe it was a sign that the world was changing and there would be more tolerance for others. She could only hope.
Kenzie finally strutted toward the first booth, which held items not unfamiliar to a witch. How appropriate, considering her last case in Barnacle Bay had involved witchcraft (and voodoo).
“Hello,” the young woman said with a friendly smile.
“Hi. Wow, this is some really cool stuff.”
“Thanks. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Besides the obvious, of course.”
“The obvious?”
“I’ve had people ask me all day if I was a real witch,” the woman said with a chuckle. “And yes, I can say that I am.”
“I still can’t get over it. It’s amazing that you guys are able to walk around freely now. I, for one, am glad for that.”
“Well, thank you. I am too. It was easy for me to hide my abilities, but I know it was harder for the other kinds.”
“Yeah, I guess out of all the supernatural creatures, witches are the most like humans.”
“That’s true.”
Kenzie gazed down at the items strewn across the table. She picked up a wand and eyed it curiously.
“Of course, only a real witch can use a wand,” Paige explained, “but a lot of people have been buying them for collections and things like that.”
“So, is this a real witch’s wand?”
“Yep, humans just can’t use it. Actually, no one can use it but a witch.”
“What about these brooms?”
“They’ve been enchanted so that anyone can ride them. It’s legal to use a broom for transportation instead of driving if you want to. Of course, you’ll have to read the safety manual and you’ll probably need some training first. However, the wands aren’t enchanted because using them could have some dire consequences if used improperly.”
“I see. That’s very interesting.”
“Oh, by the way,” the woman continued, “I’m Paige Turner.”
“Oh, nice to meet you. I’m Kenzie Howell.”
“Wait, the Kenzie Howell? The detective?”
“Yeah, that would be me.”
Was there anyone who hadn’t heard of her? If she was so well-known, why the hell wasn’t she making as much money as a celebrity?
Funny, she never thought about that before. But then again, she’d had a job she enjoyed and the biggest payment was bringing justice.
“That is so awesome!” Paige gushed. “I’m so glad to meet you! I must say, I’m a huge fan. Really, you’re a human and you’ve put so many criminals away, and, no offense, but you have no magic of any kind to do it.”
“Yeah, but I’ll admit there have been times when having some sort of supernatural ability would have come in handy.”
“You know what, if you ask me, it just makes you stronger and better that you can do all that by yourself. Really, kudos to you.”
“Thanks a lot, that means so much to me.”
Paige then looked down and saw Sage for the first time. She glanced back up and said, “You sure you’re not a witch?”
“Uh…pretty sure. Why do you ask?”
“Well, I see you have a very loyal dog there.”
“Oh, yeah. She’s kind of my unofficial partner. She’s very intelligent, but that’s a long story.”
“You do know about witches and familiars, right?”
“Yes, I know all about that. But honestly, I’m not a witch. I got Sage purely by accident. I went to Appaloosa Plains to adopt a pet, got wound up in a case, and when it was over, I got her.”
“You sure it’s just coincidence that she’s the one you ended up with?”
“No, I chose her. She’s part wolf, and I love wolves.”
“Oh, yeah? Then you should definitely check out the werewolf booth in the corner.”
“I think I will. Thanks!”
“No problem. Here, I’ve got a little business card here…”
“Business card?”
“Yeah, actually my coven,” Paige indicated the three young women sitting at the adjoining table, “This is Miranda, Erika, and Sasha. When all the supernatural creatures revealed themselves, not all humans were very happy about it and some were downright scared. Which I don’t particularly blame them. But anyway, my coven specializes in protecting people. If someone wants a spell on their house to keep uninvited people out of it, we can do that for them. Of course, it only works on supernatural creatures, but we’ve gotten a lot of business so far.”
“So you’re saying if I didn’t want a vampire or something to enter my house, your coven could put a spell on it to keep them out?”
“Yes, until you invited them in. Of course, if you ever revoked that invitation, they’d basically be zapped out and couldn’t get back in until you invited them in again. And we do it for free, although sometimes we get tipped. You can ask for any one of us.”
Kenzie smiled at the members of Paige’s coven. She could tell that Miranda was really into this convention, if her authentic witch outfit was any indication. But more than the coven, Kenzie found their line of business incredibly interesting. She might even have to look into it herself. It probably wouldn’t hurt to have Jillian do the same thing. It might not be the safest option yet for her to be dating a vampire, even if they were no longer in hiding.
Kenzie took Paige’s card and promised to call if she needed anything. Paige bid her farewell and began chatting up another convention-goer after stealing one last glance at Sage.
Following the signs and Paige’s directions, Kenzie spotted the werewolf booth. She bypassed the vampire one (she figured by now she knew everything about vampires, or at least most of the facts) and approached it, her heart pounding in anticipation.
Before she got to it, however, a young man angrily spun around from it and collided with her as he shuffled past.
“Oh, excuse me,” he said suddenly. Kenzie was about to ask him why he wasn’t watching where the hell he was going…
…until she saw his face. Kenzie nearly fainted at the perfect specimen of mankind looking at her with apologetic eyes, which also mirrored her bemusement. He was absolutely breathtaking. A finely sculpted face was framed by a shock of golden white hair. Mint green eyes pierced hers and a strong jaw tugged upward into a slight grin. Kenzie couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen anyone this handsome. Not even Logan Hawkins could compare.
“It’s okay,” she managed to stammer. Why was she able to talk to murder suspects easier than hot guys? It made no sense. Maybe because she didn’t care how a suspect judged her. But she shouldn’t care what anyone thought of her, really. That’s how she’d always been.
Still, she felt quite dim-witted for stuttering at the cute guy who was now smiling at her sincerely.
“Are you okay?” the handsome stranger asked her. Kenzie just nodded mutely. What was wrong with her?
“I’m really sorry,” he said again. “I guess I should have watched where I was going.”
“It looks like you might have had some sort of altercation over there.”
“Yeah, I guess I don’t see eye-to-eye with those guys.”
“The werewolves?”
“Uh…yeah.”
“I take it you’re not enjoying this convention.”
“It’s not my thing. If you ask me, supernatural creatures shouldn’t have ever shown themselves.”
Of course he had to have a flaw.
Kenzie looked up into his minty eyes, puzzled, and asked, “Why’s that? I’m sure they were all tired of hiding by this point.”
“Maybe, but that doesn’t make it any less dangerous for them or humans.”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it. One could just snap and kill a human, or what if one psycho creature wanted to express its dominance and authority over humans? I bet some are bitter for having to hide for all these years and it turns out they didn’t really have to since humans are so receptive. Or there could be crazy humans who want to hunt supernatural creatures for profit or some weird hobby. I think it’s just made the world more complicated.”
Kenzie looked down and bit her lip, unsure of what to say to this. Her opinion was vastly different, but then again, she had personal experience in dealing with a supernatural creature who had to keep his identity a secret. This guy undoubtedly couldn’t relate.
“Sorry for that rant,” he said. He sure had a lot to apologize for. “Anyway, I don’t want to spoil your fun. I can tell you’re into this. So, uh, yeah, enjoy. I’m out of here.”
“Yeah, okay. Bye.”
The stranger walked off, not even giving Kenzie a name. But why did she care? If that was his opinion, she doubted she’d see him again. She was here for the supernatural convention that he obviously disagreed with. He was probably going to organize a protest.
Finally, she approached the werewolf booth. There was a man and woman sitting behind it. The counter had cute werewolf teddy bears and a few other goodies. Kenzie just had to impulse buy.
“Fan of werewolves?” the man asked in a gruff voice. Kenzie nodded with a smile. “Wolves in general, honestly. For as long as I can remember.”
“Good for you. In fact, I can smell wolf blood in your dog here.”
“Oh, yeah. She’s half wolf. It’s one of the reasons I picked her for my pet so fast.”
“It’s nice to see that some humans really have taste. Hey, was that guy bothering you?”
“Which guy?”
“The blonde that crashed into you like a clumsy idiot.”
“Oh, no. He wasn’t bothering me. He apologized. He just isn’t as into this convention as a lot of the other people.”
“No shit,” the woman muttered under her breath. Kenzie ignored that. Obviously she was right in her assumption that the man had had an altercation with these two werewolves.
At last, Kenzie purchased a werewolf teddy bear and gnome and said goodbye to the werewolves. She explored some of the other booths and ended up buying a vampire teddy bear and gnome for Jillian. The fairy booth had all kinds of appropriate fairy tale themed items, but nothing that really tickled her fancy. But she could always come back. The convention was running all week.
By the time she exited the building, it was early evening. Kenzie couldn’t believe how much time had passed. She decided to stop and get something to eat. Room service didn’t sound appealing so she went to the Van Gould Merchant House and Café. Sage waited patiently in the car since pets weren’t allowed inside the restaurant. Kenzie, feeling like eating breakfast food at night, ordered French toast, and it arrived quickly. She eagerly dug in.
As she ate, Kenzie pondered what the handsome stranger had said to her earlier. He might have a different opinion of supernatural creatures, but what if he was right? Was it possible that some creatures might rebel against humans because they were in hiding for so long? And would some humans not take kindly to this revelation and hunt them down for sport? She hoped not. The world might finally be at some sort of peace. The last thing it needed was an inter-species war.
After supper, Kenzie couldn’t resist and ordered herself some dessert. The brownie made her mouth water and she dug into it more eagerly than the main dish. Dessert was, after all, the best part of any meal.
After she ate, Kenzie headed back to the hotel. The day was beginning to catch up to her. She jumped in the shower and then climbed into bed. The convention wasn’t only about sale booths. There would be actual shows and demonstrations that people could witness too. This included spell casting duels, broom riding competitions, and even some demonstrations of magic and abilities by some creatures.
Kenzie could hardly fall asleep, she was so excited. At last, she was on a vacation that was looking up and that she was enjoying. Nothing could go wrong this time. She knew it.
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