Convoke

Chapter 43

The next day, Tom and Ezra went into the village to see if the locals had softened their opinions of Tom. The sandwich shop was closed, but Gren actually served him when Tom asked for sausages in the butchers. He even asked what had happened yesterday, but Tom didn't want to stick around and act as though they had always been friends.

"Harper and Cal have broken up you know," Gren said in that mindless way of talking. He spewed gossip as if he was talking about the weather. His eyes were empty, as if thought of nothing other than everyone else.

"I don't think you should be talking about that to people."

Gren shrugged, "Harper is. She's telling people that he's around you too much."

"My best friend is around me too much?" Tom scoffed. "I used to like Harper. She was nice." He then grimaced, realising he should have kept that to himself. Harper would know by the end of the day and Cal could be in for an argument. "Don't talk about Cal and Harper to people, Gren. You'll upset him."

Gren shrugged again. "Everyone else does."

Tom rolled his eyes and muttered on the way out, "I think Farmer Joel's missing a sheep."

Ezra chuckled lowly and waited outside the shop next door.

The woman in the charity shop didn't let Tom in. She was more concerned about Ezra lurking outside, and quickly locked the door. She clutched her necklace and glared at him through the glass.

"And another one," Tom muttered.

On their way down the street, a woman with a young child stopped them, and Tom braced himself to be yelled at. Though the woman smiled up at Ezra and pushed her son towards him. "You saved him yesterday. You probably don't remember, but you pulled him out of the fight. I can't thank you enough!" She then hugged Ezra, who widened his eyes, looking down at her head pressed firmly into his chest. "Thank you so much. I'm so sorry if I've ever made you feel uncomfortable in this village. You live here too, you deserve respect."

She didn't hug him long enough for him to hug back, but he awkwardly squeezed her shoulder as she pulled away. "I remember," He whispered, smiling down at the young child. "I hope he is okay."

"Thanks to you, he is. What do you say Joe?"

The little boy craned his neck to look Ezra in the eyes. He grinned with three missing teeth, and the innocence of youth. "Thank you, mister demon."

Ezra started blinking back tears. All he could do was nod his head to keep them at bay.

When they left, Tom linked their arms and waited until Ezra had gotten a hold of his emotions again. "That was lovely," he said, pleased that people were starting to notice that Ezra had a heart, and feelings. He cared about people, and he had shown that yesterday, and the public had noticed.

"I didn't save that boy for gratitude, but yes, that was nice of her."

There was a change in the way people looked at them. Nobody started for too long. Nobody scowled or shook their heads as they walked past. Though people did still double glance at Ezra. Tom hoped that they would accept him in the village, and soon stop caring so much about his presence.

If demons got fed up and decided to fight for change, he worried that things would get even worse for them. But if they didn't speak up, things could still get worse for them.

On the way past the library, Othrowan stood in the doorway. He was the only one in the street staring at them without looking away. He watched them walk arm in arm. His expression was blank, but Tom knew he was thinking deeply about something.