“So, do you do a lot of work for the Crossroads?”

Leda jerked her head in the affirmative. “My family has been building here in one way or another since the place opened.”

“You live here?”

She headed down the street and toward the rarely used hostels. The storage area was in a blank segment of the Crossroads that had never been formed into a forest or town. Shipments also came and went from this particular site. The garbage was sent through the storage area as well, neatly compressed and ready for recyclers back at the council building.

Magic could only take care of so much.

There was a surge of relief when they got to the storage shed. She pulled the handles and swung the doors open wide.

“Holy... this place is huge.” Altion’s voice was a deep whisper.

“It isn’t a church. It has just been necessary to store any materials and equipment we might need. Plus, you would not believe how fast shifters can go through bedding… and beds, for that matter.”

Each bed and breakfast had its own material storage, as well as equipment including coffee and serving sets. It may look like folks were pulling objects out of thin air, but the majority of the stuff was already in the Crossroads.

“The wire is this way.” She beckoned to him without looking at him. Lights came on as she walked the familiar path.

Leda asked him over her shoulder. “Do you need exact copies or mirrored duplicates?”

“Exact copies.”

“Okay, after you pick out the wire, I will take you to the machine shop.”

He didn’t make a sound, but she could still smell sunlight.

When they got to the coils of cable, she waved her hand at them. “Here you go. Pick your copper and I will make the coil.”

Altion walked forward and held his hand over the wires, a few inches away. He sought through every shelf and scowled. “Nothing is quite right.”

Leda snorted. “Then, it isn’t wire you want. Come with me.”

She took him to the plumbing supplies, and his eyes lit as he saw the lengths of tubing.

“Those will do nicely.”

“Nice choice. They are all from the same manufacturing batch, so they are identical in composition.”

“I know. I do live in the human world, after all.”

He pulled two lengths of copper pipe out and stood with them held like a spear.

Ohmygod he’s a merman! The connection suddenly put everything together. It certainly explained the scent of the sea, if not the sunlight.