I'd spent the night thinking about Emil. Not in any sort of way, just confounded by the strangeness of it all. He seemed relatively nice, calm and collected - not to mention hot as hell in a town full of nothing but mediocre choices - but how he'd shown up in the middle of the night... it was all too strange.

As a customer came in, I closed the book in front of me. Another tourist, I decided, making my judgement based on the fact they were wearing knee-length shorts in fall. Locals knew that the first day of rain marked nothing but full-length trousers for the rest of the season.

"Do you have any books on the local history?"

I nodded and stood up, beckoning her to follow me down to the extensive collection of history books that I had stocked. People came here, to Ravenswood, for a slice of history, for a slice of old-time pain. It baffled me just how many people wanted to learn more about witchcraft and vampires and the horrific acts during the war, but it helped me pay my bills - I wasn't complaining.

"Right here," I said, kneeling down to the middle shelf and picking out a large, out-of-print book. "This book is one of our best sellers, but it's out of print now, so it's kinda expensive. There are a ton of other books, but this one," I said, tapping at its brown leather cover. "This one covers all of it."

She nodded and took it from my hands, opening the cover and glancing through its pages. "How much?"

"One-twenty."

Her face twisted into a grimace as she placed the book back into my hands. "Okay, and what do we have that's more in the thirty dollars range?" My lips pursed as I held back a small giggle—not that there was anything wrong with her price range, but most of the things I stocked were intended for collectors, who had collectors' budgets.

"Are there any particular parts of our history that you're interested in? Most people want to know about the vampire legends or the werewolf legends, some want to know about the witchcraft accusations and trials, others-"

She tilted her head and cut me off before I could finish my sentence. "Vampire legends?"

I nodded slowly. Her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed, no doubt her thoughts racing about this newfound knowledge. She had that familiar twinkle in her eyes, the one that told me she'd be back in no time. "This place has vampire legends?"

Most people came to Ravenswood with at least some inkling about its soaked-in-vampire mythos. Hell, I'd wager that at least a third of my customers came here specifically looking for more vampire goodies. They were a big thing. Apparently pop culture had worked its magic on a small town's tourism, and I had to admit, I found the whole thing interesting, too. There was something about a blood-soaked, pale man lit by the icy moon that I couldn't get enough of... maybe that was just a leftover hang-up from my bygone emo days.

Did I believe in any of it? I was unsure - there had to be something to the rumors.

"Sure, Ravenswood has a long and rich history, and vampires, werewolves, hell, even fairies are part of that."

The woman in front of me shifted her weight to her left side as she sharply exhaled, annoyed. "Well, I wish I'd have known that before my last day here."

On the second-from-the-top shelf, a smaller, green book called to me. I reached up, using the shelves to support my body weight as I pulled it from its resting place - it was a newer book, cheaper, and had some basic history. If she didn't know about the vampire legends, I wagered she'd get good use out of even a beginner's Ravenswood book. "If you didn't know about the vampire stories, this book here is a good starter. It's got a bunch of basic information about the different monsters and legends, as well as how Ravenswood helped inspire popular culture. Well, popular culture of the nineties, I guess."

She took it from my hands and glanced over the blurb. "I'll take it. Do you have any little gifts I can take back? My cousin wanted something, but she does not know what. Typical, really."

"Well, of course!" I took her back to the front of the store and pointed to the rack of antiques from my desk. "Those over there are antiques, so they're on the pricier side. I get new ones in every couple of months. Most of them are from around the country, but some are from right here, Ravenswood itself." I paused for a moment and pointed towards the cheaper knick-knacks. "And here we have keyrings, post-cards, and a pot of fake teeth."

"A pot of fake teeth?"

I laughed. "Read that book and you'll understand why. If your cousin doesn't know about all the legends, it might be best to just get them a keyring."

She nodded and picked up a small keyring with the Ravenswood crest and placed it on the desk in front of me. As I was totaling up her items, the small bell above the door rang. I looked up to see Emil perched at the edge of the room, a long, red box in hand and a smile on his face.

What was he doing here...?

My breath got caught up in my chest, and I coughed as I looked away from him. He leaned against the wall, and I tried so, so hard not to look back up at him.

"That'll be thirty-three ninety-nine." She passed me a small pile of cash and some coins, and smiled as she walked towards the door.

"Thanks, I'll be back next year - hopefully with a bit more knowledge on fairies and vampires," she laughed. She pushed past Emil, flashing him a faint smile as she did. When tourists came, and it was clear they'd had a good time exploring the town, it made me feel giddy. Ravenswood was one hell of a place to visit - and I just knew she'd be back next year.

"Emil," I said with an upbeat expression. "How are you holding up today?"

He ambled towards the counter with a neutral, almost stoic, expression, and as he held the long box towards me, I could just about smell the floral notes of his aftershave. My back arched almost instinctively as I rested my elbows on the desk and sighed.

The box that he'd set down on the desk appeared to be a gift, and I examined it for a second or two before Emil finally responded. "I'm doing much, much better. As thanks." With an outstretched finger, he pointed at the box.

My fingers traced the red rectangle, and I picked it up slowly, glancing up at him with a lowered brow and narrowed eyes. "You really didn't need to get me anything. Honestly."

Emil waved his hand in protest and shook his head. "It was the least I could do for you. I appreciate you helping me out last night." The yellow ribbon, tied into a neat and even bow, came undone with the slightest pull, giving me space to remove the lid. Just before I could open it, Emil leaned forward. "I don't know if you drink, so I hope you do."

As I pulled the lid off, I read the label - a mid-tier wine that I'd never treated myself to before, a flavorful, fragrant red that I'd seen in stores. My eyes widened as I retrieved the glass bottle from its case, angling it under the lights above as I watched it shimmer. "I do... don't worry." My voice had fallen flat. Fuck. "Thank you." I'd stammered slightly. Eugh. Anxiety coursed through me as I worried that I'd seemed unimpressed, or worse, unappreciative, of his kind gesture. Emil looked vaguely amused by the whole thing.

I placed it down on the desk and looked up at him. Emil's palms pressed against the wood, his body leaned lightly forward. The man in front of me had, just the night before, been a beaten wreck. His face, however, was like porcelain - completely devoid of any blemishes, flawless, almost pearlescent in the dark. My eyes dropped to his collar, and just poking out from beneath his white fitted tee, I could see the tiniest hint of a purple bruise.

"Wow, your face-" The remark came out almost without my permission. My heart raced as I ruminated on what I'd said - but it was true. He looked... perfect.

"Yeah, I covered it last night in this... cream. Worked a treat." He'd hung on the end of every word, almost as though he hadn't expected me to mention it.

"I'll need to get the name of that," I laughed. "Always cutting my hands or getting paper cuts working here. I'm too clumsy to be trusted with a box cutter."

Emil stood upright and awkwardly grinned. "Well, maybe you should hire someone to help you with that."

Shit - did he want a job? I grimaced and bit down on my lower lip, formulating a hopefully tactful response. "I have an extra member of staff. She comes in when I need her. I'm not currently hiring." My words were concise and sharp - I hoped he didn't mistake my brevity for rudeness.

He began to laugh a low, antagonizing chuckle. "I'm not looking for a job either, don't worry. I just wanted to say thank you, for last night."

I held my hand towards the stool behind the desk and landed in the armchair I used during work hours. He understood me, taking a seat just opposite me with his ankles crossed and his palms resting against his blue jeans.

"So, did you get settled into your new place last night?" Several muscles in my back and arms had tensed up, and I forced them into ease, trying to shake the anxiety that'd built up across the day.

He nodded. "I did. It needs some work, but it was a good deal." Emil's eyes drifted off behind me, like he suddenly became deep in thought.

"Where about?" I shook my head and laughed in embarrassment. I was asking a genuine stranger where he lived. That wasn't right. "You don't need to answer that if you don't feel comfortable."

"Just on the town border, near the Ravenswood Green." I nodded and tilted my head - the only place I knew that'd been for sale over there was a large, former stately home that'd been divided, partially demolished, and then rebuilt. "The old Blackwood place." So it was the place I was thinking of.

To look at him, I didn't expect him to be an independently wealthy out-of-towner. He looked as normal as I did, as anyone in Ravenswood did. The Blackwood Estate had a ton of history, most of which remained a secret even to me, the aspiring curator of Ravenswood secrets, but it was a nice place. My thoughts ran wild with ideas about the home Emil had bought - stunning views at the minimum. A renovation project for sure, but one with endless possibilities if he had the budget for it. As a young girl, I'd dreamed of living in a borderline mansion like that. Old nooks filled with dusty books, floral arrangements in every hallway. I'd paint those long hallways a deep forest green, with space to reminiscence of a more opulent, almost hedonistic time.

"Must be a pretty expensive project."

He nodded. "It is, but it'll be worth it. I got a good deal on it because of how wrecked parts of it are. Since they rebuilt it in..."

"Ninety-two," I said confidently. Adrian laughed at me, and the confidence I felt in being able to name off any fact about Ravenswood diminished and veered more towards shame - why the fuck did I feel the need to blurt that out?

He clicked his tongue against his teeth and sighed. "It's impressive that you know that. I own the place and wouldn't have been able to tell you that."

Emil seemed to know the exact words to put me at ease, to comfort me whenever I'd said something ridiculous. He'd seen my annoyance at myself for chiming in, and salvaged the situation with a compliment - his soft, deep voice soothed me. He leaned forward in the silence, and I could smell the over-priced aftershave he'd doused himself in, musky with hints of sandalwood - the type of scent I only smelled on tourists. The coldness from the night before had vanished from him - he seemed warmer, kinder, more human. His smile, that he'd flashed me a handful of times, was welcoming, inviting. The light reflected off of his leather jacket as he sat back again, rolling his head on his shoulders.

"I can't stay, but once again, I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated you stepping in last night."

Part of me wanted to reiterate what I'd already said - to tell him it was no massive thing, that it did not put me out in the least. But the more anxious part of me was growing acutely aware that I'd be repeating myself, telling him something he already knew. I just had to accept his thanks.

"You're more than welcome." I ran my hand across my head, my rings momentarily getting caught in the white strands that stuck out from my ponytail. "I need to close up shop, but I appreciate the wine."

"It is getting late. I'll be heading off, before the storm kicks in."

He stood, leaving his scent in the air, permeating my nostrils as I stood. "We should hang out sometime," I said with a friendly upturn in pronunciation. Over the years I appreciated that if I wanted something, I just had to ask - the squeaky wheel gets the grease, after all. Although I'd been living in Ravenswood for years, it felt like it was impossible to make friends, to meet new people who shared my interests, or at least were nice. Emil moving into the old manor house piqued my curiosity - what lay inside those walls that the rest of us didn't know about? Were there any clues to the past left in the old crypts that never got torn down with the rest of the building? In my head, it helped that he was new to town. Emil wouldn't have anyone around here, either - it was mutually beneficial. Nothing weird about that. Or was I overthinking everything again?

"That'd be nice," he said, leaning against the desk with his head tilted slightly to the side and the start of a smile across his plump lips. "I'll see you again soon."

Before I could get a word out, he'd left. I looked down at the bottle of wine and smirked - it was a thoughtful gift, one that I didn't understand, but one I appreciated all the same.