Page 17 of The Magic of Discovery
“Let it go, Flower Elsa. You’ll have the whole damn property covered in random shit that we don’t need. I don’t want you to blast the sick ones yet. I need to analyze them myself,” Gran told me matter-of-factly.
“When the hell did you watchFrozen?” I questioned.
“It came out in 2016, Saige. I saw it in theaters, and I went and sawFrozen 2when it released a couple of months ago. I’m convinced now, more than ever, that Sven is actually a shifter, and he and Kristoff are both giving it to-” I shut that shit down.
“Okay! Gran. Focus, we have a serious fucking problem here.”
“Then quit bitchin’ and get to witchin’.” She huffed at me likeIwas the one delaying this investigation. Turning her back on me, she stalked off to the sick flowerbeds, her bright floral print mumu billowing out behind her.
* * *
I’d leftGran elbows deep in some serious dirt and fuckery. She was working up a sweat but assured me that she would be fine and I should get to work. Gathering up my stuff didn’t take long, but I did make sure to touch up my makeup before leaving the house, something I wouldn’t have bothered with before. Now? I was texting non-stop with a sexy shifter and had a date tomorrow night with an equally sexy, dark, and mysterious mind master.Mmmmm. Happy Birthday to ME!Well, almost.My twenty-eighth birthday is next month. Maybe I’ll actually have a little get together this year? I hope the guys want to hang out.If they’re still in town that is...
Riding down into town, Maven looked majestic as a king, paws up on the front of the basket with the wind whipping through his thick white fur. Sometimes the cranky thing liked to enjoy the small pleasures.
Fischer rescuing me from Bryce had been playing in my head on repeat since yesterday. As satisfying as the memory was, I was concerned about retaliation. Bryce was a water mage with the temper of a fucking hothead. He liked to play the good guy, but behind closed doors, he was an abuser. Psychologically, physically, even sexually at times. He was an awful person all around.
I was so pissed that he thought he could come into the shop like that and threaten me just because he’d thought no one was listening. Initially, I wasn’t going to put up with his shit, but then, he’d triggered me and, fuck- I had been about to give in. Flashbacks of everything he’d done to me had me wanting to submit in an attempt to appease him. A part of me still believed that if I could just make him happy, he wouldn’t hurt me again. The trouble with abusers, though, was that they never meant what they said. Even if you listened, always answered your phone, and had sex with them any time they demanded it, it would never be good enough. It had taken me a while to learn this lesson, that you should never have to fucking obey a person to deserve their love or be spared their wrath.
When I saw Fischer there, witnessing the whole scene, my cheeks had flamed in shame. I didn’t want him to see me as a victim or weak. I couldn’t even imagine what readings he was getting from me, but then he’d asked me out on a date!
After Bryce had scrambled out the front door, Fischer turned back around to face me, his normally light brown eyes entirely pitch black. He stood there, eerily calm, and we just stared at each other until his eyes lightened a couple of shades. After a huge breath, he said, “I’ll pick you up at six on Friday night. Here,” he held his hand out to me, “let me see your cell.”
I pulled it out of my back pocket and slipped it into his large palm. His thumbs moved over the screen quickly before he handed it back to me.
“I added my information. I have to run, but call me if you ever needanything. And if that fucker comes near you again, I want you to call me immediately.” His tone commanded me to follow his request, and I had no desire to challenge him on this. Unlike Bryce’s orders, there was nothing threatening about Fish. Instead, I just felt safe for the first time in a long while.
“Okay, I promise. To be honest, I’m expecting blowback from that encounter. Before you even stepped in, there were going to be consequences.” I whispered the last part, humiliated once again.
“Hey, look at me.” His black boots come into my line of sight since I was staring at the ground. A gentle hand went under my chin, tilting my head up so I could see his concerned face. His hardened features from moments ago had given way to something much softer, but it wasn’t pity. Thank the stars. I didn’t ever want anybody’s pity. I could take care of my damn self.
“You deserve respect from a partner. I know we’ve just met, but I can already tell you’re stubborn as hell, powerful, and your confidence is beautiful.You’rebeautiful. You got away from him already, and that tells me how strong you are. You stood up to him when you thought you were alone, and that shows me how fearless you are. If he retaliates, you don’t have to face him alone. There is no shame in owning our pasts and rising from them, and especially not in asking for help when we need it. Having people to lean on makes us formidable, not weak.” All I could do was stare into his eyes, captivated by his words. He gave my shoulder a quick squeeze before spinning on his heel and heading for the door.
Without turning back, he called out, “I meant what I said. Call me if there’s the slightest hint of trouble.”
As I pulled up to The Pig, Roberta Miller and Matilda Graber were sitting on one of the benches alongside the front of the building, rising to their feet when they saw me approach. These two were as eccentric as they came. Bright colors, long beaded necklaces, loud eye makeup, they looked every part the fortune teller stereotype. I mean, they did have ‘the Sight,’ so the look was perfect for them.
“Good morning, sweetie. We were waiting for you. We must talk, but inside would be best, in private,” Roberta requested as her partner in crime bounced up and down on her toes.This ought to be good…
“Sure, let me just get in here and set my things down.” I extended my hand to push the door open before stepping out of the way for my visitors.
Frank and Arlo were inside when we filed through the door, and I saw they’d already finished updating the indoor and outdoor displays with new stock. They worked here a few days a week so I wasn’t overwhelmed trying to do everything myself.
“Thanks, guys,” I said to them as I set my bag down on the bar. Making my way around the sales counter, I trailed my fingertips over the deep stained wood.
“Hey, honey. Everything’s good here; you could’ve taken your time. We restocked the dried bulk supplies and put away the shipment that came in yesterday from the book supplier,” Frank said, patting my back before releasing me. Frank was in his late fifties. He had a round belly and a deep, contagious laugh. The evidence of how often he indulged in humor was engraved into his face. I’d never seen anyone with such adorable laugh lines. With twinkling blue eyes and graying hair, I found him enchanting.
“You guys are too good to me. I’d be drowning without you.” I made sure to look at Arlo to let him know that I wasn’t just speaking about his partner, and he gave me a soft smile in return. Where Frank was boisterous and loud, Arlo was his silent sentinel. Thin as a bean pole and ten years younger than Frank, he had every bit as big a heart as his lover. He had shaggy blond hair and sincere brown eyes that sucked you in; not one for talking a lot, the man could listen. They had been together for twenty years now, and they were planning a binding ceremony for early fall. It would be one hell of a party. Everyone in town would be invited because we all loved these two, and it made me happy just to think about it.
“It’s just as well I came when I did since these two lovely ladies were lying in wait for me.” I winked at the two witches behind me who were growing more and more impatient.
“Child, this is important.” Matilda started shooing me toward the back of the shop, to the room that we used for tarot and palm readings. I threw up my arm in a hasty wave, hearing Frank’s deep chuckle in response.
With a thought, the dangling stars and moon string lights that concealed the small room separated, so we could enter without having to dig them out of each other’s hair later. Stepping through, hues of purples, blues, and pink enveloped us. I sighed. I loved this room. So chill and calming. Since this was an addition to the original building, I had skylights installed so I could have plenty of plants in here. The skylights had retractable shades, so if I was in here with a customer, one press of a button on the remote would close them and allow better mood lighting.
We approached the round table in the center of the room, each of us taking a seat. I looked between the two ladies, waiting for someone to start talking. And waited.Alright, looks like it’s going to be me.
“What can I do for you ladies? What’s this about?” I inquired, reaching out to the little cactus that was in the middle of the table. I flicked a spark of gold at it, and tiny pink flowers started blooming.So pretty.
