Ten minutes to go. Kai stared at the small, ornate clock on their desk. Barely drafted documents and contracts lay spread out, jumbled together with quick, waterlogged sketches of the communal garden by the lake. The mayor wanted them done for tomorrow's town meeting, but that wouldn't happen. They spun the chair, letting the bookshelves that covered the walls, the door scaly with notes, and the high, rain-stained window blend before their eyes. They came to a stop facing the heavy rain and moved the curly, blue hair out of their face.

Why were they nervous? They could just say no. The wizard couldn't waltz into their office and demand the world. Right?

In the last hour, while reorganising the bookshelves in the little office, Kai had played out thousands of ways to decline her. Foxtrot Slope wasn't a place for a wizard. Surely she'd understand. Kai turned towards the town map hanging across the cramped study. The enchantment that made the markings of the lanterns glow had faded, leaving only an occasional flicker.

Knock-knock-knock!

Kai jumped into a straighter posture and fumbled for a pen. She shouldn't be here yet. The clock was only five minutes to ten.

"Come in."

In walked a wizard in an immaculate sunset-coloured dress that hugged her neck and flowed from her waist to her calves. Her arms were left bare, revealing lines, circles, and glyphs inked in gold on her light skin. The pointy, but not quite straight, pearl-white hat on her strawberry blonde, wavy hair gave her the illusion of height. The gleaming, golden high heels clicked on the floor as she approached.

Kai moved their mudstained boots out of view behind the desk. "You're early," they remarked and wrote a line of curses on the nearest paper to seem busy.

"Would you like me to return in a few minutes?" Her polite words hid a note of impatience.

"No, it's alright. Please, have a seat." Kai put the pen down and gestured to the chair on the other side of the desk.

The wizard took Kai's outstretched hand. "Nerissa Eveningsky. I appreciate you taking the time to see me on such short notice."

"Of course." Kai smiled as if the mayor hadn't written this meeting into their schedule the same morning. "Kai Learkin."

Nerissa waved her hand over the seat and the gold lines on her fingers glowed as specks of ingrained dirt jumped to the floor.

Of course she had to be a posh prick. Kai refrained from rolling their eyes.

"So. You're here to buy land, I've been told."

"Yes, precisely. I think the outskirts of Foxtrot Slope would make a wonderful location for my tower. Let me show you the architectural plan."

Her what?! Kai sucked in a deep breath through the nose as Nerissa reached elbow deep into her little, white purse. Her hand emerged with a scroll bound with an orange ribbon. She opened it for a moment before hastily closing it again with the hint of a blush on her cheeks.

"My apologies, this is the interior design. I'm sure that's of no interest to you." Nerissa switched the scroll to one with a pink ribbon and handed it to Kai who spread it over the other papers.

A high, twisting tower was coloured in vibrant pinks and oranges, with notes and measurements written in a neat cursive around the tower like swarms of birds. The octagonal base of marble arches was surrounded by a circular herb garden shaded with apple trees. From the arches rose a narrowing section of sunset bricks that gave the tower its height and twist. At the top was a room with high windows capped with a shining, white roof, like Nerissa's hat but tipped with gold.

"A coin for your thoughts?" Nerissa smiled, batting her eyelashes.

"I've never seen anything like it. It's wonderful." Kai clasped their hands over the plan. "But there are more important questions to be answered than what your tower would look like. Like, for example, why did you come here? Where are you from? What would you do in this tower?"

Nerissa's smile widened, but her dark, grey eyes wouldn't meet Kai's blue. "I research ancient tomes and their origins."

Kai raised an eyebrow. Sure you do.

Nerissa reached back into her purse and retrieved a white leather pouch twice the size of her fist. Coin clattered as she set it down within Kai's reach. If that was gold it would be enough to fill a small library. They wanted to feel the weight of the coin in their hands but stopped themselves from reaching for it. What secret was worth this much? How dangerous was it?

"That's... generous. But not something I can accept. I need answers."

Nerissa pursed her lips. "Please understand that there are certain things that if they became known, would put me in danger. My research is controversial, but not dangerous. I simply need to be somewhere safe."

"I'm sorry, but I can't invite dangers like that. I'm sure there are other towns that would be better suited. More to your standards."

"I'm... running out of options." Nerissa sighed. "Maybe this will change your mind?" She reached once again inside her purse and placed an intricately folded piece of peach-coloured fabric on the desk next to the coin. A white pearl sat at the centre and once pressed, the fabric lifted and unfurled over the desk into an elegant umbrella. Where there could've been a handle was instead a glass orb filled with a sea of stars.

Kai couldn't tear their eyes off it. "I can't."

"But you want to." Nerissa countered. "I could be an asset. This is a simple levitation enchantment, imagine what I could do for your town if you let me stay and build my tower." Nerissa began to tick things off her fingers. "Enchantments, translations, potions. Fuck, I'll even do deep cleaning at the tavern if you ask."

"No potions." Kai spun a blue-dyed lock between their fingers. "That would put Asteropie, our local witch, out of business. I can't allow that."

Nerissa shrugged. "Alright, that's fine with me. Although I wouldn't be surprised if people were to ask me for potions eventually. So, do we have a deal?"

"What? No. Wait. I need to think. Give me a minute." Kai grabbed a pen and paper, and spun the chair so their back was against Nerissa.

On the backside of a contract, Kai made a list of pros and cons.

Let the Wizard Stay?

Pros

Cons

A minor fortune for me, and town funding I guess

I'll have to lie to the mayor, again

A flying umbrella!

Which could be cursed

Magic in FS could be an asset

But it's dangerous, what if she blows something up?

A friend like her could open many doors

Or close Asteropie's if she loses her customers

But maybe Nerissa could make FS safer?

Or her enemies could level FS with the ground

"It would be a shame if I were to leave and a curse fell on the town."

"What?!" Kai dropped the pen, leaving a splatter of ink on the carpet, and spun to face the wizard.

"Fuck, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that. I can't even curse a spider." Nerissa put her head in her hands. "Please continue with your list."

Kai picked up the pen and spun back around.

Fuck, she's desperate

and cute

Wait, that's a bad thing!

Frustrated, Kai turned back to Nerissa and put the paper upside-down on the desk. The wizard had composed herself but a light blush remained.

"Okay, listen. If you are to stay here I'll need the name of who you're hiding from."

"I never said I'm hiding!"

"Oh please, it's obvious. If you give me a name, or names Gods forbid, I could protect you. I don't need to know anything else."

Nerissa squeezed her hands together. Now she didn't look nearly as tall as the woman who had entered the room. "Vicktar Cinder."

"Wait, I know him!"

All colour drained from Nerissa's face and her eyes bulged.

Kai snorted. "No, sorry, I'm fucking with you. I wanted to see your reaction to tell if you were honest. You passed, for the record."

Nerissa put her head back in her hands and took a deep breath. "Great."

Kai took out a fresh piece of paper from a drawer and began drafting a contract. "You can stay as long as you don't blow anything up or sell any potions."

Nerissa's smile returned, genuine for the first time today. "I promise I won't. Unless you ask me to."