Page 89 of Shadow Witch

“Or we could help you rebuild,” Paige shot back. “I’m pretty handy with a shovel and pail. I’ll bet we could have your town restored in no time.”

The merman rubbed his chin. “All right, fine. You’ll help build the town while I think about what to do with you.”

“Deal,” Paige said with a nod. “Just point us in the right direction.”

He shoved his trident toward them. Paige floated back away from it, driven out of the door. She glanced around, her lips tugging back into a wince as she spotted the ruined part of town.

Several manner of sea creatures milled around as they worked to restore their homes and businesses.

“Wow, we were real jerks last night.”

“Get going,” the merman shouted. “Go, go.”

“Okay, okay. We’re really sorry about this,” Paige answered. “We’ll build it up again in no time.”

She kicked her feet and swam over toward the dilapidated section of town.

Eyes grew wide as they approached. Several of the sea creatures raced for cover as they approached. One poor crab stood frozen in the middle of the street, his eyes wide as he stared at them, trembling in fear.

“It’s okay, buddy. We won’t hurt you. We were just…high last night.” Paige shook her head. “I still can’t believe we did that. It really doesn’t sound like me.”

Eyva rubbed her chin as she studied the carnage. “I don’t remember doing this either. And it certainly doesn’t sound like me.”

Their eyes slid to Drucinda. Her jaw unhinged. “Don’t look at me. I’m sort of bitchy, but I’m not a destroyer of civilizations.”

“Then…who did this?”

“You did,” the merman shouted from behind them. “A redhead, a brunette, a silver-haired vixen, and a tiny dragon.”

“Why, thank you, sir,” Eyva said with a sly grin. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“Please stop flirting with everyone,” Paige said with a shake of her head. “This is serious.”

“Indeed, it is,” Eyva said as she floated closer to the merman. “Which is why I cannot believe we did this no matter what drugs were in our systems. It’s simply not in our nature. There must be something else afoot here.”

“What?” he asked as he studied her.

She raised her eyebrows. “I don’t know. But I think we should find out before it happens again. I’ll leave my granddaughter and her friend to help with the restoration. I propose you and I discuss other possibilities and do a bit of digging.”

He studied her, his eyes roaming up and down her form. “All right.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Leave it to grandmother to manage to get out of physical labor,” Drucinda said as they floated away, arm in arm. She shoved a shovel and sand form toward Paige. “Here. We may as well start.”

“Thanks. I’ll start over here with the apartment building and work my way back.”

Drucinda nodded as she swam toward a crushed factory. Paige settled on the sea floor in a cross-legged seat and began to fill her form.

The terrified crab inched closer, peering around the side of a wrecked building at her.

“Hi, you don’t need to be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”

“That’s not what happened last night,” he said.

Paige packed the sand down with her hand before she leveled it off. “Yeah, I’m not quite sure what happened last night, but if I did do something bad here, I’m sorry.”

The crab crept a little closer, tugging a bucket behind him. “I guess that’s something.”

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