don’t know why we still have these ancient bottles,” she complained. “Will you hand me that roll of duct tape?”
“You don’t use those anymore?” Cal joined her and helped gather the stray vials that had rolled under the shelves.
“No. Nowadays all our supplies are pre-sealed and sterile before opening. These are Uncle Memphis’ stash of relics. If we used these today, the Board of Health would have my ass.” Nix quickly and efficiently tore into the silver tape with her teeth. Adhesive strips lined the bottom of the new box in a matter of moments. “There. That should hold it.”
“So this box breaks open a lot, I take it,” Cal said.
“Yes. It’s totally annoying.” She held up her hand. “Don’t ask why. I have no idea. Will you hand me those books? On the floor by your feet.”
Cal handed her a stack of dusty ledgers. Battered volumes that looked to be a hundred or more years old, judging by the homemade bindings. “What are these?”
“My Uncle’s custom art books from the late 1890s, early twentieth century. There are even older volumes that date back to the shop’s opening, but those are up in my apartment. I should take these upstairs. It can’t be good for them to be in this box.” Nix’s hands trembled as she stacked the books into a pile on a nearby shelf.
“What’s wrong?” Without thinking, Cal reached for her hand, like he had done so many times in the past. When her fingers automatically clasped his, he closed his eyes and savored her touch. If only she could remember . . .
All too quickly Nix dropped his hand. When he reopened his eyes, she was studying his face suspiciously. Uh, oh. Cal knew that look. The I suspect you’re hiding something face. “Here, let me shelve this box for you. Why don’t you fill me in on what Hades said?”
Cal listened carefully as Nix explained the situation. He cleared his throat when she finished. “We can do this.” It sounded like if they didn’t, in two weeks it wouldn’t matter anymore. Humanity-destroying forces were at work.
“I hope so.” Nix wrapped her arms around her chest, hugging herself tightly. “I’m a little worried about what we’re going to uncover along the way.”
“Me, too. Did you call Nereus again?” Knowing Nix, she had probably called him ten times by now.
She nodded. “I tried Doris, too. She has no clue where he is either.”
The deflated slump of Nix’s shoulders tugged at Cal’s heart. He wanted to reach over and pull her into a hug. Instead, he offered her his hand. “Come on, I have an idea.”
Nix took the proffered hand. Her fingers fit perfectly into his palm. “I’m all ears.”
“While you were out, I was thinking about where I went after you left.” He left out the part about taking her car. Which was still missing. “I wasn’t able to remember anything, but I kept smelling pizza.”
Nix arched a delicate eyebrow. “So, you’re hungry?”
“No. The pizza smell is on my clothes.” Cal waved his hand over his T-shirt.
“Well, that’s so helpful,” she said sarcastically. “There are half a dozen pizza joints in the immediate area.”
Cal reached into his jeans pocket with his free hand and pulled out a napkin. “Yes. But how many of them have this symbol on their napkins?”
Nix examined the crumpled white paper. “Bull’s horns. Toro’s Pizza?”
“Exactly.”
Nix tugged Cal’s hand, leading him out of the backroom. “Jason. Cal and I are going to Toro’s Pizza. You’re in charge.”
The whir of the tattoo machine stopped as Jason looked up. “Hungry again? Bring us back some chow when you’re done.”
“We’re not going for lunch.” Nix patted her pockets as if searching then stopped and glared at Cal. “I guess we can’t take my car. Since someone’s lost it.”
“It’s not lost. I’m sure it’s around town somewhere.” Cal winced, and Nix banged out the door. He hoped that was true. He waved at Jason.
The smart ass slowly drew his
“You don’t use those anymore?” Cal joined her and helped gather the stray vials that had rolled under the shelves.
“No. Nowadays all our supplies are pre-sealed and sterile before opening. These are Uncle Memphis’ stash of relics. If we used these today, the Board of Health would have my ass.” Nix quickly and efficiently tore into the silver tape with her teeth. Adhesive strips lined the bottom of the new box in a matter of moments. “There. That should hold it.”
“So this box breaks open a lot, I take it,” Cal said.
“Yes. It’s totally annoying.” She held up her hand. “Don’t ask why. I have no idea. Will you hand me those books? On the floor by your feet.”
Cal handed her a stack of dusty ledgers. Battered volumes that looked to be a hundred or more years old, judging by the homemade bindings. “What are these?”
“My Uncle’s custom art books from the late 1890s, early twentieth century. There are even older volumes that date back to the shop’s opening, but those are up in my apartment. I should take these upstairs. It can’t be good for them to be in this box.” Nix’s hands trembled as she stacked the books into a pile on a nearby shelf.
“What’s wrong?” Without thinking, Cal reached for her hand, like he had done so many times in the past. When her fingers automatically clasped his, he closed his eyes and savored her touch. If only she could remember . . .
All too quickly Nix dropped his hand. When he reopened his eyes, she was studying his face suspiciously. Uh, oh. Cal knew that look. The I suspect you’re hiding something face. “Here, let me shelve this box for you. Why don’t you fill me in on what Hades said?”
Cal listened carefully as Nix explained the situation. He cleared his throat when she finished. “We can do this.” It sounded like if they didn’t, in two weeks it wouldn’t matter anymore. Humanity-destroying forces were at work.
“I hope so.” Nix wrapped her arms around her chest, hugging herself tightly. “I’m a little worried about what we’re going to uncover along the way.”
“Me, too. Did you call Nereus again?” Knowing Nix, she had probably called him ten times by now.
She nodded. “I tried Doris, too. She has no clue where he is either.”
The deflated slump of Nix’s shoulders tugged at Cal’s heart. He wanted to reach over and pull her into a hug. Instead, he offered her his hand. “Come on, I have an idea.”
Nix took the proffered hand. Her fingers fit perfectly into his palm. “I’m all ears.”
“While you were out, I was thinking about where I went after you left.” He left out the part about taking her car. Which was still missing. “I wasn’t able to remember anything, but I kept smelling pizza.”
Nix arched a delicate eyebrow. “So, you’re hungry?”
“No. The pizza smell is on my clothes.” Cal waved his hand over his T-shirt.
“Well, that’s so helpful,” she said sarcastically. “There are half a dozen pizza joints in the immediate area.”
Cal reached into his jeans pocket with his free hand and pulled out a napkin. “Yes. But how many of them have this symbol on their napkins?”
Nix examined the crumpled white paper. “Bull’s horns. Toro’s Pizza?”
“Exactly.”
Nix tugged Cal’s hand, leading him out of the backroom. “Jason. Cal and I are going to Toro’s Pizza. You’re in charge.”
The whir of the tattoo machine stopped as Jason looked up. “Hungry again? Bring us back some chow when you’re done.”
“We’re not going for lunch.” Nix patted her pockets as if searching then stopped and glared at Cal. “I guess we can’t take my car. Since someone’s lost it.”
“It’s not lost. I’m sure it’s around town somewhere.” Cal winced, and Nix banged out the door. He hoped that was true. He waved at Jason.
The smart ass slowly drew his
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