Tales of the Mirrors: Fairytale retellings & mashups by Sky Sommers

Author:Sky Sommers [Sommers, Sky]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sommersby OÜ
Published: 2023-11-14T00:00:00+00:00

4. The Fixer

Olesya

‘How exactly do you accidentally get married when popping over to another world?’ The fifty-something stiff-suited cranky woman lowered her pince-nez and glanced at the paper. ‘...Olesya?’

‘Married?’ Lesya gulped and stiffened in the armchair. She was still reeling from the fact that the fixer was a lawyer as indicated by the sign above her door. The office was small and the woman had no PA.

Perhaps, in her line of work, the fewer people who know of the magical maladies she helps to untangle, the better?

While the fixer was silently deciding her fate, Lesya took in her surroundings. Small office, law tomes on display, laptop, heaps of paper, no diplomas. There was an iron raven perched on the Soviet-style table lamp. How very Poe.

If her white blouse weren’t missing a sleeve and she wasn’t wearing old sticky-taped glasses she had found at the bottom of her purse, then anyone daring to open the door to interrupt this meeting would have thought this was an ordinary legal consultation.

When her eyes settled on the owner of the office, she encountered a sly rather than an angry stare.

Is she still waiting for an answer? From me?

Lesya shifted in her seat. ‘I’m not sure I am married.’

‘Oh?’

The woman’s gaze slithered down Lesya’s arm which was missing a sleeve. Lesya shifted in her seat and bit her lip. There was no way to cover up the damaged clothing, but it bothered her.

If only I had left my jacket at Marina’s. She has offered I keep some of my clothes there, countless times. I’d never borrow any of her fancy clothes, though she has offered that, too and I’m sure she wouldn’t have minded today out of all days. It just doesn’t feel right, wearing someone else’s things that cost more than my one month’s wages. Goodness knows why I came here straight after, without a detour to my apartment.

My employer orders me to jump – I ask how high. She must have had a reason to send me here.

Maybe the ripped blouse will help the fixer detect something she can use to help me?

I hope she doesn’t detect anything that Marina can construe as me giving up her secrets.

‘Well, where did you go, who did you see and what happened? Exactly.’ The woman’s keen black eyes peered at Lesya inquisitively.

‘Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to tell you everything, Mrs Blackbeard.’

The fixer steepled her fingers and leaned forward. ‘If I am to help you, I need to know what happened! What did you do, where and on whose orders?’

‘I went... somewhere to retrieve... something for... someone...’

‘Spell it out, girl!’ The fixer demanded.

‘I am not at liberty to say.’

The woman smirked. ‘Is that so?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, tell me what you can then.’

‘When I entered... the premises, I was alone, went outside for about five minutes, heard an animal, went back inside and suddenly there was a half-naked man in there.’

‘Half-naked? Waist up or bottom down? How well did you see him? Feel him? Was he standing up? Sitting down?’ The fixer looked hungry for details.

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