Page 78 of The Howl
“I’m out of chocolate, thanks to my mom. Let’s go to the Threadbare Trader and see if Mags has anything we can use to make some dessert. I had an amazing dream about cakes last night, and now I kind of want the real thing.”
We both grabbed our jackets, and I drove us to the shop. Mittens lined the walls, and Mags sat in her usual place behind the counter. She looked up from what she was knitting and greeted me with a smile.
“Haven’t seen you in a while, Eliana. And who’s with you?”
“This is Ashlyn.”
“What kinds of mittens are you two looking for?”
Mags sold banned foods to the teens of Uttira. For the adults and any humans stupid enough to wander into this place on their own, she sold mittens. Overpriced and very soft mittens.
“No mittens. I want enough chocolate to make a cake, please,” I said, not caring that I wasn’t playing along with her usual banter.
Her gaze flicked to Ashlyn then back to me.
“You’re getting bolder. You might bring the wrong person with you one of these days. What will you do then?”
“Find another way to get chocolate.”
She gave me a hard look.
“I’m sold out. Not sure if I’ll get any more in. The mitten business is pretty lucrative on its own.”
I leaned over the counter toward her.
“I’ve been coming here for three years, and in those three years, every time you said you’re out, you magically manage to find just enough for the right price. I’m very tired of being manipulated by adults. If you have any chocolate, get it and sell it to me for a fair price.”
She stood and left the room.
“Uh, are you okay?” Ashlyn asked.
I turned toward her, and she gave me an odd look.
“I’m fine. Why?”
“Your eyes. They’re black. I’m trying to figure out if you’re angry or hungry. You know, should I run, or should I hide?”
I smiled a little and blinked. My vision lost some of its focus.
“You don’t need to do either. I’m not that kind of hungry, and all my anger is reserved for the people waiting at home.”
Mags emerged from the back, looking more irritable than usual.
“Here’s the chocolate. Ten dollars.”
Ten dollars was far less than I’d ever paid before, but I quickly handed her the money and motioned Ashlyn to the exit.
“Don’t come back soon,” Mags said just before the door closed behind us.
“Is she always so friendly?” Ashlyn asked on the way back to the car.
“Pretty much. She usually says she looks forward to seeing me again, though. By the way, I have a lot of mittens if you ever need to borrow a pair.”
“A lot of mittens but only one coat?”
“If I asked for another one, Adira would pick it out for me.”
“And that’s bad?”
