Chapter Six
Ingo set two mugs into the sink and shook his head in disbelief. Lys Bauer had just spent the better part of an hour having tea and honey with him on New Year's Day.
Unbelievable! They talked about their jobs (Lys worked in the Glasdorf Floral Center, making wreaths), they reminisced about the old days in school, they chatted about everything and nothing. He even made Lys laugh a few times. His chest puffed up with pride at the thought. Somehow he managed to break a barrier with her, moving past her constant blushes and fluster in his presence. Well, Happy New Year to me!
He brushed his fingers over the soft scarf around his neck.
It was the best gift he had ever received.
Bang! Bang! "Ingo, you home?!" Loki shouted from outside.
"Just a minute." Ingo hustled to the door and pushed it open for his friends. "Happy New Year's. I'm surprised you're up already."
Hieronymus stood next to Loki, looking rather peaked.
"Aren't you going to invite us in? It's freezing out here."
Ingo chuckled and stepped aside. "Too much Schwartz bier last night, Hie? You look a little worse for the wear."
"Uh, yah. My head feels cracked in two. Jen's band kept going for hours. What happened to you?"
Loki smacked Ingo on the back. "You missed the best part of the night. Per showed up around two a.m. I kicked his ass at darts and he was pissed! Ha!"
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"What the hell are you wearing around your neck?"
Hieronymus tilted his head and studied the scarf from several angles. "Did the cat rip up your sweater?"
Loki laughed. "Nah, it's a bib! Ingo doesn't want to spill any food on his good shirt!"
Ingo rolled his eyes as Loki and Hie laughed until their eyes teared. He looked down at the stained flannel shirt and wished he'd been a bit more buttoned up for Lys' visit. "It's a scarf."
Loki wiped the tears from his face and shook his head.
"No, it's not."
"Yes, it is."
Hieronymus stroked his wispy beard. "No way, Ingo, that thing is not a scarf."
Ingo was getting perturbed. "For your information, this is a hand-made gift...from a friend. It's the first thing she's ever knitted, so cut her some slack."
Hie's ears twitched. "She, you said. Ah, well, that's news.
Who's been giving you gifts, Mr. Hertz. You holdin' out on your best friends?"
"Naw, I just got it." He cleared his throat. "Lys stopped by with a belated Christmas gift for me."
Loki's eyebrows sprang up his forehead. "Lys? She actually spoke to you? It's a bloomin' miracle!"
"Truly, Ingo? This is some good news. Did she visit with you for a while, too?"
Ingo nodded. "Yep. For almost an hour. It was...it was very nice. I'm thinking maybe I'll ask her to go skating later or something."
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Hieronymus and Loki slapped Ingo on the back and congratulated him. They both knew he'd been pining for Lys since he was a school boy. At that moment the Zauberwort Buch came bounding down the hallway, bumping and thumping into the walls, crashing into a small table near the front door. It snapped at Loki once, then hightailed it back to the library.
"What the hell was that, Ingo? Looked like one of those old magik books we used to study with Master Eugen."
"It is. The Zauberwort Buch. I better put it away before it causes any more trouble." Ingo hustled after the bouncing tome, which was leaving a sparkling trail of sternschnuppen behind it.
Hie and Loki followed him into the library. The book stilled in front of the sofa, and Ingo dove for it just as the ancient document scrambled under the couch. Ingo heard it cackling in the shadows.
"What do you mean 'any more trouble'? You haven't been fooling around with the magik, have you, Ingo?" Hieronymus shot Ingo a worried glance.
"What's this?" Loki pointed to the assortment of candles and other objects on top of the library table. He picked up the scorched calendar sheet in one hand and the newsletter in his other. "This is an announcement for Per's promotion."
Hieronymus lifted the mother of pearl button and a scrap piece of paper. "Why is your name and Oskar's name written on this paper? What's going on here, friend?"
Ingo snatched the button from Hie's hands and stuffed it into his pocket. Before he had a chance to answer, the Buch 81
bounced out from beneath the sofa, covered in silt and dust, and snapped open to the page with the Zottig Herz spell. It slid along the floor until it hit Hieronymus' shoe.
Hie leaned over and picked up the book, his eyes widening as he read the page. "Oh hell. What have you done, Ingo?"
Ingo plopped down onto the lumpy sofa and buried his face in his hands. "Something stupid. Last night I stopped by the Lady's Auxiliary to check on Lys. Per was pestering her, the son of a bitch. I got angry. Something Wiebe said stuck in my mind. Said it wasn't fair that Oskar was having the time of his life in New York while I got screwed because he gave Sven misinformation. That if I had gotten the promotion instead of Per, then Lys would have finally noticed me. He said spelling him would be ample feedback." He rubbed his forehead wearily and sighed. "I know it was wrong, but I kast a spell. I was a drunken fool."
Hieronymus paled. "You kast a spell on Oskar Klaus? Have you lost your mind? What if the council finds out about this?"
Loki sat down next to Ingo on the couch. "Tell us about the spell. What does it do?"
Ingo swallowed nervously. " Zottig Herz, Ragged Heart. It's to seek vengeance on one who has interfered with your heart's own path."
Hieronymus shook his head. "Wiebe put some idiotic notion in your head that it was Oskar's fault Lys wasn't celebrating with you on Silvester? That makes no sense at all, Ingo."
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"Lys stopped by to see you today, promotion or not. She doesn't care what your work title is, Ingo. She cares about you," added Loki.
Ingo nodded. "I guess you're right. I wasn't thinking clearly last night."
"How does the spell work?" Loki held up the calendar sheet. "What is this going to do to Oskar?"
"It's supposed to give him a dose of a broken heart, too, just as the spell kaster has suffered. It's completed on the first full moon after the spell has been kast, which is January eleventh. Eleven days of pining for a woman who will break his heart. The spell makes her irresistible to him."
"Jesus." Loki scratched his head. "This is a muddle, for sure."
"I think you should go to Master Eugen, see if he can un-do the spell." Hieronymus lifted the Buch off the ground and placed it back on the table. It appeared to be snoring, exhausted after causing so much mischief.
"No!" Ingo shot off the sofa. "Not Eugen. If Eugen gets involved, then I'll have to go before the council, and Lys will find out. I don't want her to know. Please, Hie. Maybe it won't even work. Who knows? Anyway, it will all be over in eleven days. How bad could it be?"
"Do you really wish to cause Oskar such pain?" Hie looked at his friend expectantly. "You know it will work, Ingo. You're a magik Bandiger, one of the best. It was an honest mistake Oskar made."
"I agree," added Loki. "Oskar's not a bad guy. But, truthfully, he doesn't seem the type to lose his head over a 83
woman. He likes the snow bunny type, if you know what I mean."
Hieronymus stroked his beard. "That is true. It would certainly be unfortunate if the first time he falls in love he gets burned by the Zottig Herz."
Ingo swallowed uncomfortably. There was a tightness in his chest when he thought about Oskar falling in love and getting his heartbroken. The boy seemed confused and perhaps a bit unsure of his place in Glasdorf. Like he was searching for something, something he thought he could find on top of a mountain riding a board with the wind at his back.
"Both of you are right. Oskar does not deserve this, and I'm the one who has to figure out how to fix it, not Master Eugen." Ingo took a deep breath and peered outside the window. His stomach was churning and it wasn't due to his hang-over. He felt sick about causing Oskar heartache. "I think skating with Lys is going to have to wait. I need to get to the Bibliothek Magik and look about for a reversal spell."
Hie smiled. "Don't worry, Ingo. Loki and I will help get you out of this mess before Oskar or Lys or the council finds out what a monumental ass you've been."
Loki laughed and slapped Ingo on the back. "Hie's right.
And I don't blame you for getting pissed at Per. He is such a smug bastard sometimes."
"Per's irritating, but Wiebe...I don't know....something about him seems off to me." Hie's forehead wrinkled. "He's got a mean streak I don't trust."
Ingo nodded thoughtfully. "I agree. I'll be staying far away from him from now on."
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"Yah, no more following any half-assed scheme Wiebe Reiner's come up with. He's the last elf in Glasdorf you should be listenin' to, Ingo."
"All right then. Let's head to the library. I'll have to search through the books with reversal spells until I find the one I need. Hope I can find it."
Ingo hustled to change and get ready. He prayed silently he would be able to find a spell to undo the mess he had made. Otherwise, the New Year would be bringing nothing but trouble.
Kiana Grant could not believe what she was seeing. Oskar Klaus, decked out in a ridiculous outfit, was surrounded by a large group of children at a work table in Brockman's Books.
He glued construction paper, sprinkled glitter, wiped up messes and barked orders at the kids like a drill sergeant.
And they were eating it up!
"Kiana, what are you looking at?" Janie Murphy asked as she craned her neck to view the crowd across the room.
"Oh...nothing. You did a great job with these books, sweet pea. It's almost time for story hour. I'd better get ready."
Janie ignored her statement and pointed to Oskar. "Look!
He's got a hat on like the Cat in the Hat! I bet he would like my costume, huh?"
Kiana frowned. "I think he might be a little too old to be wearing that hat." She turned to Janie and patted her on the head. "Your Thing One costume is wonderful. Let's see if we can find Thing Two and get everyone together for our afternoon reading."
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Janie bounded off to search for her twin, and Kiana quickly cleaned their workspace. She tried to ignore the sexy snowboarder across the room, but it was impossible.
Damn him, what is he doing here?
Her plans to studiously avoid Oskar Klaus were shot to Hades. He'd invaded her sanctuary and now she had to grin and bear it.
I wonder how irked he is that I took off after our kiss?
Maybe he doesn't remember.
Kiana braved a quick look across the room and Oskar caught her eye, even as two small boys were hanging on his back. He rewarded her with a slow, ridiculously sexy smile.
She rolled her eyes and turned away, but not before she felt her heart speed at the attention. She needed to revise her strategy for self-preservation before succumbing to Oskar's charm.
On to Plan B...focus on finishing up here and then hustle back to the apartment.
"Okay, girls and boys! Time for story hour! Mr. Brockman has chosen a wonderful book for us..." Kiana's voice trailed off as the children giggled and raced around the refreshment table. She sighed and took a deep breath, ready to bellow a bit louder.
A long, shrill whistle interrupted the melee and all of the kids stopped suddenly. Oskar cleared his voice. "Settle down, buzzing little bumblebees. Miss Grant has something to say..." He turned to her and quirked a brow.
How annoying! Kiana was torn between the urge to laugh and hurl a stack of books at his head.
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"Everyone gather around the sofa for story time, please."
She gathered the selected books in her arms and headed toward the reading area with as much dignity as she could muster.
"Oskar...Oskar!...could you please read to us? Come on!"
Andy dragged Oskar by the arm to the front of the room. "Mr.
Brockman, is it okay if he reads today?"
A chorus of children pleaded with the bookseller.
Mr. Brockman pursed his lips and nodded. "Seems like a fine idea to me. Mr. Klaus, are you interested in regaling these ragamuffins with a story this afternoon?"
Oskar laughed as the kids pushed him onto the sofa and scrambled to get seats on the carpet in front of his feet.
"Sure. Sounds like fun. You don't mind, Kiana?"
She forced a smile. "Of course not, Mr. Klaus. We're always happy to have a guest reader at Brockman's." She leaned over to pass Oskar the books, and before she knew it, he'd grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the couch.
"I'm a little nervous. You don't mind keeping me company, do you, Miss Grant?" He flashed a dimple and his eyes glittered with laughter. And something else. He was looking like a spider who just caught a nice fat fly in his web and had no intention of letting it go.
She struggled to suppress a shudder as Oskar's muscular thigh pressed up tightly against her. His scent reminded her of fresh mountain air, with a touch of evergreen—earthy and masculine. Her eyes slid to his lips, remembering...
This was a seriously bad idea.
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"Ahhh....Is that really necessary? I still have a lot of books to shelve today...."
"Don't worry about the books, Kiana. You and Mr. Klaus can run story time together. What are you reading, young man?" Brockman nodded his approval.
Oskar stroked his chin and looked at his audience. "How about I make up a story today? I have a lot of good ones.
Magical ones...." The kids hooted and hollered for magical stories.
Mr. Brockman smiled. "Sounds good to me. Let's get to it, then."
Kiana tried to jerk away from Oskar, but he slid an arm around her shoulders, anchoring her in place.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Oh no, you don't. You're not escaping me so easily today, Miss Grant."
She made the mistake of glancing at him and realized their faces were practically touching. His emerald gaze looked entirely too serious and determined.
"Just relax and enjoy."
Pumped up on sugary treats and gingerbread, the children fidgeted in their seats and fought over the last of the cookies.
A couple of kids scuffled over who would sit closest to Oskar.
But as soon as Oskar started to talk, a hush fell over the room. He wove an enchanting tale about elves and magic and adventure that had everyone, her included, spellbound. He knew exactly how to play the crowd, when to hush his voice, when to gesture for effect.
As much as Kiana wanted to maintain her distance from the youngest Klaus brother, she soon found herself 88
completely engrossed by his delightful story. He was a natural entertainer. She was starting to realize there was no false charm to Oskar Klaus. His enthusiasm was real, his warmth with the children was genuine. Not a lot of partying bachelors would take the time to help sticky little kids make their own bookmarks or entertain them on a holiday.
Her initial assessment of Oskar may be have been slightly off base. He didn't really fit the mold of a self-absorbed, spoiled, immature boarder. And that bothered her. A lot. It was going to be more difficult than she thought to keep him at arm's length.
The story ended with a loud round of applause. The children jumped up and ran to the goody table, leaving Kiana and Oskar alone on the sofa. She was shocked to find herself leaning against his broad shoulder. How did I get here? She tried to ease away from the sofa when she felt a muscular arm wrap around her waist and tug her back.
"Nice try. Not gonna happen. I'm not sure how you escaped last night without me noticing, but today I'm on top of my game, Moon Goddess," Oskar said.
She muffled a nervous laugh and tried to ignore the delicious heat of his body as he tightened his hold.
"Forget something?" His free hand waved her tortoise shell glasses in front of her nose. "I was worried you were bumping into walls last night on your way home. But then I realized...these are fake." He raised a brow accusingly.
Kiana gasped. "Give those back!" She snatched the glasses out of his hand and glared at him. "You stole these from me!"
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He had the audacity to laugh at her. "I did not. You took them off when we were kissing. Remember?" His gaze fell to her lips.
"No. I do not remember." She cleared her throat.
"I....ah...really should get back to work. Do you mind?" She gestured to his thick forearm, covered in a myriad of strange tattoos. "Could you please let me go?"
"Nope."
She sighed in exasperation. "You can't keep me prisoner here on the sofa all day. What do you think you're doing?"
He leaned back on the couch and pulled her with him.
"What I wanted to do last night before you disappeared. Ask you out on a date."
Her mouth dropped open. "Are you crazy? We just met each other. I don't make it a habit to go out with strangers.
And I don't make it a habit to kiss strangers either." She felt her cheeks flame. "Last night was not a typical evening for me. Sorry about that."
Oskar's hand cupped the back of her neck and his eyes raked over her face. "There is no way you are going to convince me you are sorry about that kiss. I was there. You liked it as much as I did." His voice was husky and soft, and Kiana shivered. He leaned closer to her, their noses almost touching. "And I had a great time talking with you, too. There is absolutely no reason why you and I can't go out for a cup of coffee and get to know each other better."
I wish his eyes weren't so mesmerizing. And he didn't smell so good. She had the ridiculous urge to bury her nose in his neck and inhale. "Look. I'm sure you're busy with your 90
family over the holidays, so let's just skip the date." She was embarrassed by her shaky voice. His fingers were tunneling into her hair, massaging her scalp.
"So, what's up with the fake glasses and this hairdo? And the librarian outfit?" He ignored her comment and started tugging at her hairpins.
"Oskar! What are you doing? Did you hear a word I said?"
"Yeah, I heard. And no, we're not skipping the date." He managed to free a long strand of hair and rubbed it between his fingers. "Damn, that's soft. I want to see it down."
That's it!
"Enough!" She wrenched herself out of his grip and tucked her hair back into her barrette. She held up a restraining hand and pushed his chest. Well, she tried to push his chest, but he was built like a rock. A solid wall of muscle and he didn't move an inch.
"Honestly, it's none of your business why I wear these glasses, how I choose to style my hair, and what clothing I wear." She took a deep breath and continued. "Okay, I admit I enjoyed our talk last night...and the kiss, too. But you're only visiting for a couple of days, right? So, why bother with a date?" She struggled to stand up, and Oskar released her.
Before she could escape, she felt his fingers lace through hers and squeeze. She turned to him and was astonished by the grave expression on his face.
"Come on, Kiana. I'm not sure how long I'm staying in Manhattan, but I want to spend some more time with you."
He hesitated and glanced down at his own clothes. "I realize my appearance might suggest that everything's a joke to me, 91
but that's not true. Just because I like to board doesn't mean I don't have a serious side, too. I felt something between us last night. Some sort of....well, chemistry, I guess."
She felt some of the fight drain out of her. He looked so sincere. "I don't know what to say. I haven't gone out in a very long time," she admitted, embarrassed. "I'm out of practice."
He took a step closer to her and she peered up into his face, all too aware of his dominating physical presence. "Just one cup of coffee. That's all I ask. If you can't stand hanging out with me, then I won't bother you again." When she hesitated, he tipped her chin up with one finger. "You might as well say yes, or I'll hound you relentlessly until you give in."
Oskar sure wasn't lying about the chemistry between them. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck the way she did last night and kiss the scruff on his chin. She wanted to feel his lips brushing hers, his hands stroking her skin.
Kiana sighed. She recognized the determination in his eyes. He wasn't going to let this go. She would make it a short date, and then head home. Hopefully before getting in over her head with Mr. Charming, Well-Read Snowboarder.
"Okay, one cup of coffee."
His triumphant smile made her laugh out loud.
"Awesome. Let's go before you change your mind."
He pulled her to the front of the store, as children bombarded him with questions, comments and greetings.
Kiana couldn't believe how quickly he'd turned into the rock star of Brockman's Books. The kids had taken an instant 92
shining to him, and they were certainly a good judge of character. So maybe it wouldn't turn into a complete disaster if they shared one cup of coffee.
As she slid on her coat and hat, Oskar leaned forward to slide the pencils from her bun. "Good thing you have these.
You never know when you're going to have a pencil emergency." He shot her a teasing smile.
Kiana reached up and tugged the brim of his Seuss hat.
"Good thing you have this. Never know when you're going to have a Cat in the Hat emergency."
He barked out a laugh. "Anytime you need it, just let me know."
Mr. Brockman cleared his throat. "I take it your mission was successful, Mr. Klaus."
Oskar didn't even try to hide his smug grin. "Yep. I convinced her to have a cup of coffee with me."
Kiana rolled her eyes at his cocky attitude. "Mr. Brockman, I hope you don't mind if I take off for the day."
The old man patted her on the back and smiled. His gaze jumped from Oskar to Kiana, and then back again. "I don't mind at all." He winked at Oskar. "Remember what I said about her being a treasure, Oskar Johann Klaus. Your auras are as bright as the Aurora Borealis. Have a nice time."
Oskar pushed open the door and the bell jangled their exit.
Then he stopped suddenly and glanced back inside the shop.
"How does Old Man Brockman know my middle name?"
Kiana shook her head. "Mr. Brockman knows a lot of weird things. It's best not to ask. His explanations don't make a lot of sense."
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Oskar frowned, then reached for her hand. He squeezed her mitten-covered fingers gently and led her outside. She glanced back to find Mr. Brockman watching them through the windows of the bookstore. He nodded once, then turned back to the children.
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