Page 97 of Mystery in the Mountains

She pulled into a parking spot. As she turned off the van, the door to the store opened, and there was Nox Whittaker walking out, holding a little brown bag.

Sunny instantly sank in her seat, trying to hide from him. What on earth is he doing here? How is he tied to magic? If he is a warlock, surely Asher and Abe would have picked up on that. They could sniff out warlocks and even some witch hunters with ease.

Slowly, she lifted her head back up just in time to see his small blue car pull out and head down the street in the opposite direction. Her heart was pounding, but she needed to find out what was happening and why.

She headed into the store. When she opened the door, she was hit with the smell of incense. The nostalgia was overwhelming. So was the sight of herbs and crystals lining a wall. The other wall was full of books and tarot cards. In the middle of the store were a few racks of clothes.

“How can I help you?” a voice croaked from the back.

Sunny turned and saw a woman who she would guess to be in her late fifties but had lived a hard life. She was thin, with long gray hair cascading along her back. Her face was full of wrinkles, and the ones that lined her mouth pointed to a life of smoking.

As Sunny walked over, she smelled of incense, cigarettes, and booze.

“You look familiar . . .” the woman said as her eyes squinted. “Laura?”

Sunny shook her head. “No, Laura was my mother.”

The woman widened her eyes. “Sunshine! I don’t think I’ve seen you since you were knee high to a grasshopper. How is your mother?”

This wasn’t a conversation she’d had to have with anyone in a long time.

“Oh . . .” Sunny’s smile faltered. “Well, my mom actually passed away a few years ago.”

The woman’s face fell as she huffed out booze-laden breaths.

“My condolences. She was a wonderful woman.”

“Yeah, she was.”

“What can I do for you, Sunshine? Are you a seer like her?”

“Yes, I am. But that’s not why I’m here.”

She cocked her head. “What is it I can do for you?”

Sunny’s brow furrowed as she tried to figure out the best way to explain this.

“My mom was in a car accident a long time ago, but lately, I’ve been having dreams about it. Someone keeps showing up in those dreams, and I’m just looking for him.”

“Who?”

“This is going to sound crazy . . .”

“I’m well-versed in crazy.”

“Okay. The man who was just here. Why was he here?”

“Nox?” the woman said in a slight squawk of surprise. “He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“That’s what everyone says, but I’m just telling you what I see.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed on her. Gone was the face of someone happy to see her.

“Can you tell me why he was here?”

“No.”

“Please. I have to find out what happened to my mom.”

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