Page 103 of Forget Me Not

“Motivatedagain,“ Cal muttered.

Lis continued, not mentioning how she knew any of this although obviously Cal or Benny had told her. “He mentioned the stories he used to tell when Cal was little, and one of those in the club happened to know an illustrator who needed work.”

“It was just the one, and I don’t think he thought it would sell.” Cal glanced up. For a moment, his expression was like Calvin’s when he’d first taken the call. “Cal, the Prince of Two Kingdoms,“ Cal explained, cheeks fascinatingly flushed. “It was popular with beings kids and the increasing population of part-being children. So… since he liked the illustrator and he had more stories, he did a second one about Cal. And then another one about a wizard.”

Benny smiled yet also seemed vaguely embarrassed. “Honestly, half the reason I got into studying magic was so I could be more like Oscar the wizard and have adventures.” He paused. “Adventures are less dangerous and more fun when you’re a kid and don’t know better.”

“Then…” Cal hesitated. “Then he did another book. With your permission, of course, Ray.”

“A wolf knight.” Lis was so very amused.

“The protector,” Cal added, serious.

Ray sniffed to be sure, but none of them were kidding. He thought back to that display of books at Guerrero’s that Calvin had run from. “Oh,” he said at last, not sure he wasn’t also blushing.

Calvin walked back inside, only to stop when all of them looked up. “Aw, hell. You told him.”

“Was it a secret?” Benny wondered with false innocence.

Cal gestured dramatically at Ray. “You can’t keep secrets from him. Not for long. Even the police can’t apparently. Why did the organizers call? There isn’t a major problem, is there? I offered to help, but after this, they keep telling me it’s okay if I want to stay home.”

Ray pushed out an irritated breath.

“They mean it in a good way,” Cal assured him. “What we’re talking about is how Rainbow Wings and some other local organizations are holding a fundraising event. You saw the signs? It’s tomorrow evening. Basically a big block party with part of the streets closed off. Restaurants will have stalls and carts. Some musicians will be playing… I’ve never heard of them but Benny knows them. Also some celebrities from Los Cerros and nearby towns will be doing meet-and-greets.”

“Celebrities.“ Calvin sighed mournfully.

Benny snorted.

Cal cackled without mercy. “You were already that before you wrote a word. Anyway.” He swiveled back to Ray. “The money is going both to the Bluebell pro bono legal fund, and to some agencies that help people find housing, that sort of thing.”

“Horton will be there, won’t he?” Lis asked.

“Horton is an elf who is running for city council,” Benny filled Ray in quickly. “He has no chance, and I frankly don’t know about some of his policy ideas, but it’s a big deal that he’s on the ballot.”

“My impression is that the heightened tensions in the city have put more attention on the fundraiser than the organizers were expecting,” Calvin explained to Cal as he sat back down. “I told them I didn’t mind if they took the assistant they’d assigned to help me and put them elsewhere. I don’t need an assistant.”

“Says you.” Cal scoffed. “Lifting all those stacks of books, plus dealing with your admir—fans.” Cal slid a look to his mother. “I can be your assistant. It’s fine.”

“You can’t go alone,” Ray protested immediately. “Either of you.”

“Ray, there are going to be hundreds, hopefullythousands, of people moving through the place in the hours it runs.“ Cal frowned as if noticing his own words. “Okay, that was less reassuring than I thought it would be. But there will be lots of fairies there and they can see intentions, more or less. And we do have some security. Humans, though.”

“I have to be there too then,” Ray decided aloud.

“Ray, no offense, but you aremaybea bomb waiting to go off,“ Benny reminded him delicately. “Although… from what Cal said happened in the kitchen, it’s interesting how the trigger phrase—and there clearly is one—doesn’t seem to be working.”

“It could be just a matter of time or the proper conditions.” Lis was less delicate, but Ray had hurt her. He couldn’t blame her for the caution.

“It could be that Ray is resisting it.” Cal met Ray’s gaze. “He’s stubborn like that.”

“I’m not…” Ray ended his denial before he could embarrass himself any more. But he didn’t look down.

Cal finally angled his head away, tacitly admitting defeat. “Fine. Ray goes. But we can’t leave you alone-alone. You can be nearby, within hearing range if you want, but out of sight so no randos can come up and try to talk to you. And you can’t be by yourself. Remind me to invite Penn.”

Penn as his babysitter-slash-bodyguard while Ray had to watch over Cal from a distance. Ray curled his lip. Cal gave him a silent snarl in return.

“I don’t think I’m a target,” Calvin pointed out. “Not yet, anyway.” Lis made a small sound of objection. Calvin did not look at her, but it felt as though he was speaking to her. “But after this morning, it might be a good idea to keep a low profile. All of us.”

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