Morgana and Vivi were taking inventory. The hour before midnight was usually a quiet time before business picked back up. It afforded the Fayes a chance to perform little tasks like this without making too many customers wait.
"So, how are things between you and Dani?" Morgana asked as she counted pickled dragon claws.
"Pretty good, I'd say," Vivi answered as she stacked boxes of dried manticore eyeballs. "She wants to make it a threesome, though. She's been Taylor Wagner's girlfriend since before they joined the supernatural, and she wants to keep that up. She'll probably make plans while she's at Karnstein Manor for the three of us to meet in the next couple of days. Sure hope I'll like Taylor."
"I'm sure you will," said Morgana. "As an apprentice witch and a trainee shaman, you'll both have a lot to talk about."
Just then, a customer walked into the shop. She was a beautiful blonde young woman with sea-green eyes, dressed in what appeared to be a bra made from scallop shells and a skirt that looked like nothing so much as a stolen bedsheet.
"Help!" the oddly-dressed young woman shrieked. "Are you still open?!"
"I am," said Morgana. "I always endeavor to remain open for at least an hour after midnight. It makes it much easier to do business with vampires."
"Oh, good!" the woman sighed in relief. "I need your help so badly! I'm Pearl Silverscales, and I'm a mermaid. I know I don't look like one, but I am. You see, I was dating Princess Thalassa."
"King Poseidon's daughter?!" gasped Vivi.
"Yes, that one," sighed Pearl. "Well, we had an argument. Princess Thalassa wanted to come ashore and explore, but I told her it was to dangerous. We bickered for a while and, to make a long story short, she broke up with me and cursed my tail and my gills away. I crawled onto the rocks of the beach, and she had a good laugh about how she'd gotten me ashore. I stole a blanket (that's what this thing is, right?) from some humans to cover up my nudity and started looking for a witch who could turn me back. I'm so glad I found you!"
Vivi giggled. "Whadda ya know, Mom! It's The Little Mermaid in reverse!"
"Try to take this seriously, Vivienne," Morgana chided. "Pearl is lost and trapped in a strange land."
"Yes, Mom," Vivi said contritely.
Morgana turned to Pearl. "Now, normally this would be simple magic. I have numerous trinkets that can turn humans into merfolk either temporarily or permanently. Unfortunately, Princess Thalassa is King Poseidon's daughter. She is the most powerful merperson in the seas after her father. Her magic won't be easily undone."
"Are you telling me there's no hope?!" Pearl wept. "That I'll never see my home or my family again?!"
"Not at all," said Morgana soothingly. "I'm merely warning you that this might take a while. I'll need to do research. I might even have to take a risk and consult with 'monster' hunters. Those humans can accumulate so much knowledge about their adversaries that they end up knowing things that we've forgotten about ourselves. Thankfully (depending on how you look at it), rumor has it some will be in town soon. Then I'll have to put my findings to use, and who knows how long that could take?"
"What'll I do in the meantime?" asked Pearl. "I don't have anywhere up here to go."
"There's a guest bedroom in our apartment over the store," Morgana answered. "I'd be happy to have you as my guest while we try to fix you, Pearl Silverscales."
"Thanks, Morgana," said Pearl. "Looks like Mom was wrong about land people."
"I do try," Morgana smiled.
Vivi grabbed onto Pearl's hand and tugged her toward the stairs. "Come on, Pearl! I'll show you around your room!"