“I don’t know, it just…” the man looked at his wife and shrugged. “I like the location, but something about this place gives me bad vibes.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Chloe tried to look sympathetic while being annoyed that an hour of her precious time had been taken only for the cottage to be dismissed for “vibes”.
“Yeah, it’s not for us,” the woman shook her head. “I think we’re looking for something more modern.”
“Something modern,” the man echoed. “But on this street. We like this street.”
“I’ll see what I can find for you,” Chloe said, working very hard to keep her smile in place. Golden Dawn Avenue was heritage listed, and every single house on the street had been built at least 80 years ago. “There are new listings every week. I’m sure we can find the perfect match for the two of you. I appreciate you coming out today.”
“Thanks anyway,” the man said, and he led his wife out of the green-painted front door.
Once they were gone, Chloe sighed and sat down on a rickety stool. She didn’t think the place had bad vibes. Sure, it was old, but that was part of its charm. She liked the neat little fireplace, the wooden floors, the big windows letting in the last of the afternoon sunshine. Maxwell wouldn’t have been keen on that part, she thought.
Before Chloe could begin her walk back to her office, where a very unexciting folder full of lease agreements awaited her, her phone began to buzz. When she checked the screen, she saw that Tilly was calling, and she answered with even more excitement than when a motivated buyer called about a house that had been languishing on the market for months.
“Hello?”
“Hi, it’s Tilly. I’ve worked out the first ingredient.”
“That’s great news!” Chloe was genuinely pleased. “What is it? How do I get it? What do I need to do?”
She heard Tilly stifle a chuckle. “Well, the good news is that it’s a plant that grows around here. You should be able to find it up in the National Park.”
“And the bad news?” There was always bad news.
“It has to be harvested at night,” Tilly admitted. “And it’s a tricky little bastard to find, likes to hide under Wallaby Grass. It’s a kind of Phebalium with violet flowers. I can send you a picture.”
“How am I supposed to find that at night?” Chloe was tempted to bite her fingernails like she had as a little girl, but years of self-discipline meant that she stuck the lid of her pen between her teeth instead, letting herself gnaw on the plastic. “That’s going to be impossible!”
“Difficult, but not impossible,” Tilly said. “Don’t forget, you’ll have a vampire with you. Their night vision is, like, next level.”
Chloe had forgotten that. Whenever she thought of Maxwell, it was hard to remember that he wasn’t, technically speaking, human.
“I don’t think he’s the outdoorsy type,” Chloe mused. “But we have to harvest it together, right?”
“You do,” Tilly said. “Make sure you both get your hands on it and dig it right up from the root. I do realise it’s technically illegal to take plants from the National Park, but—”
“I’d take breaking the law over poisonous spines,” Chloe said. “Seriously.”
Tilly chuckled. “Yeah, I gotta agree with you there. Anyway, do you want me to call Maxwell, or will you fill him in?”
“I’ll fill him in,” Chloe said, and her stomach did a little flip at the thought of seeing him again. Which was utterly ridiculous because they’d be hiking up a mountain to find an irritatingly shy plant, which didn’t sound especially fun. She didn’t have any reason to be excited about seeing him again. Except that this would bring her one step closer to getting rid of the curse. That must be it, she decided. “Thanks for this.”
“No worries,” Tilly said. “I’ll get to work on the next part right away.”
“Thank you,” Chloe said again. “I appreciate it.”
“Oh, with the amount your friend Maxwell is paying me, I’d be keen even if you weren’t Jesse’s sister,” Tilly laughed. “I mean, most vampires have worked out a way to keep themselves in the black for the long term, but Maxwell seems to be quite the big spender.”
“He is.”
“I’ll call you when I’ve got more news,” Tilly said.
“Thanks,” Chloe said again and ended the call. She got up from the rickety stool, stretching and arching her back. She just hoped Tilly was right that Maxwell would be helpful in this plant harvesting business. Chloe had her doubts.