Page 7 of Witches of Dubious Origin
“Not at all,” I said. This wasn’t entirely accurate, as I found the intense gaze of the woman in black to be unsettling.
“Zoe Ziakas, this is Miles Lowenstein and Olive Prendergast,” Claire introduced me.
“Nice to meet you.” I shook each of their hands. Miles’s long fingers were gentle and Olive’s grip was surprisingly warm.
Miles returned my smile with a small one of his own, but Olive’s face remained impassive. Okay, then.
“Beverages and snacks have arrived.” A man entered the room, pushing a cart with an assortment of food and drink on it. Shorter than everyone else in the room, including me, he had a deep brown complexion and close-cropped black hair and was dressed in a vibrantly purple-and-aqua-patterned shirt, navy pants, and pointy-toed brown loafers.
He parked the cart and Claire introduced us. His full name was Sebastian Hanover, and according to Claire, she couldn’t function without him. He smiled, displaying a slash of white teeth, and left us to our meeting, closing the door behind himself.
“All right, let’s see the book,” Olive said. She glanced at her wristwatch as if she was running late for another meeting.
“Or we could offer our guest a refreshment first,” Claire suggested.
“If we must.” Olive sank back against the couch.
“We must.” Claire turned to me. “Zoe, would you like coffee, tea, or water? We have sparkling and plain.”
“Coffee, please.” I wasn’t thirsty and didn’t need more caffeine, but it would give me something to do.
Claire lifted a silver carafe and poured me a cup. She handed it to me, indicating that I should help myself to cream and sugar. She then poured tea for Miles and coffee for Olive, which I noted Olive took black. Of course she did.
Claire poured herself a tall glass of water and leaned backin her chair. “Agatha told me the book was sent to you at your place of work and then appeared at your house?”
“Yes, it arrived in a padded envelope stampedPersonaland had my name and the library’s address handwritten on it, but there were no stamps or anything that indicated it came through the post office.” I picked up the tiny pitcher of milk and added some to my coffee. “My colleague Bill said it was discovered on the circulation desk, but no one saw who dropped it off.”
“And then?” Olive gestured with an elegant hand for me to continue.
“It arrived on my doorstep later that day. I heard a noise and went outside to check, and there it was. I didn’t see anyone out there, just the book in the envelope it had been delivered in.”
“Do you still have the envelope?” Miles asked.
“No,” I said. I thought about the green fire that had engulfed it in seconds. How crazy would I sound to these people if I told them about that? I swiftly glanced at their faces, pausing on Olive’s. Her barely concealed contempt convinced me to keep that little tidbit to myself for now.
“I asked my colleague about it the next day, but he swore that he didn’t drop it off at my house,” I said. “I thought he might be pranking me, but that really isn’t his style.” I set my coffee on a coaster on the low glass table in front of me and opened my shoulder bag. I took the mysterious book out and set it on the center of the table.
As one, they leaned forward to study the book, but no one touched it, which I found odd. How could they inspect it if they didn’t pick it up and examine it?
“How did you hurt yourself?” Olive asked.
I didn’t want to admit that I’d woken up in my kitchen again last night. This time, I’d nicked my finger with a kitchen knife. Just like the first time, I’d found the book on the counter beneath my hand even though I knew I hadn’t left it there. My fresh Mickey Mouse Band-Aid made it impossible to hide the injury.
Olive’s dark gaze held mine. The eyebrow with the slice through it arched ever so slightly and I knew there was no way I could prevaricate. She’d read the truth on my face as easily as the time on a clock.
“I nicked my finger with a knife.” I cleared my throat. “More accurately, while I was asleep, I heard strange whispers in my dreams. Whispers that I believe came from the book, instructing me to do it.”
4
There. I’d said it, admitting the one thing that made me feel vulnerable. But if I wanted their help, I had to tell them everything. After I’d cut myself last night, I’d remembered the voices I’d heard in my dreams…again.
The whispers had been clear: I needed to retrieve the book and then make myself bleed. I had no idea why, and in my sleepy state, I’d been unable to fight it until the pain of the cut had brought me back to myself. Needless to say, I was becoming wary of the book, which was also a huge understatement. I was legit scared of it.
I glanced at Claire, Miles, and Olive. No one moved. No one said a word. They simply studied the book. I held my breath. I expected Claire to call security and have my friend Tina with the Taser arrive to escort me out. But she didn’t.
Olive and Miles exchanged a side-eye, and Miles nodded as if he’d come to a conclusion.
“That actually explains quite a lot.” He glanced at me. “The book is clearly sealed by a blood oath.”
