Page 3 of The Nephilim's Touch
I’m out of breath once I get to the door of the shop and take a few minutes to center myself before going full Kool-Aid Man inside. I wonder what kind of plants will be here today. As I enter, I breathe in the familiar scent of old books and incense.
“Hello, Gabe,” The Owner says. He’s tall and his usual top hat perches on his head. No one wears top hats anymore. I think he’s the only person I’ve seen in real life wear one, but it goes with the suit he usually wears.
Before I can offer my own greeting, I get distracted and suck in another breath as I power walk to an end cap.
Oh, lovely sweet new baby mine.
“What is this?” I gently fluff the bushy leaves and sniff the huge pink flower. “You’re a beauty.”
There’s a cough behind me, and I turn back to The Owner. He tips his head toward the plant. “Sorry, that one’s already sold.”
My shoulders drop and I keep fluffing the leaves. “Oh.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get more special plants in. Now, what else can I help you with?” The Owner flashes me a smile. He’s handsome, but I’ve always been too shy to ask him out or anything, which is so unlike me. I usually just blurt out my request, then want to crawl out of my skin from embarrassment. He’s probably busy all the time. Who knows how many realms he hops? “Gabe?”
“Sorry, sorry. I keep getting distracted today. It’s turning into a real problem. Can I get about twenty of those cocktail add-ins you gave me last time?”
He nods and turns to rummage in a drawer to his right. “Anything in particular?”
“Stamina seems to be the most popular.” I run my finger over the countertop. “Good luck. Maybe courage.” I lick my lips and look up in time to see him give me a sly smile before he ducks his head again. “That should be good for the weekend.”
He pulls tiny glass bottle after tiny glass bottle out of the drawer and sets them on the counter. I love them. They’re about one milliliter each, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but just a few drops in a drink is all it takes.
“Next time you run a batch, could you make a few that are bigger?” I pinch one bottle between my thumb and forefinger, taking in the cuteness of the bottle.
“Sure thing.” He starts wrapping them in tissue and I wander the shop.
“Do you have anything on nephilims? Or the angel realm? Or?—”
There’s heat on my back. His long arm reaches over me. “I think you’ll find this one to your liking.” He hands the giant leather-bound tome over before disappearing again. I almost drop the book, but catch it just in time.
I have no idea how he moves so fast, but it’s always like that. The soft clanging of the tiny glass bottles tells me he’s back towrapping the delicate pieces. I lug the book to the nearest chair that sucks me into its comfort. The leather is so smooth under my fingers when I rub the cover of the book.
“What language is this?” I ask. Nothing makes sense to me.
“Just open it. It’s spelled that only the right person can read it.”
“What if I can’t?”
“Better to try now than discover later you can’t.”
“Very true,” I mumble to myself. I take a deep breath and hope I’m worthy.
A card flies out of the pages as I flip open the book. It looks like a playing card, but the more I squint, it’s not like any playing card I’ve seen before. I settle the book on the table next to me and pick up the card, curiosity getting the better of me.
The Consort. I flip it over to read The Empress. I scrunch my face as I look over the images. They’re identical, except The Consort looks like the masculine version of the figure on The Empress’s side. They both sit upon thrones, carry a scepter, have a pretty crown, and so many plants. Honestly, The Consort looks a little like me with black shoulder length hair and a thin build. But that’s just a coincidence, right? I look around before shoving the card back into the book. Maybe it’s a bookmark?
I flip the book open again and wait with bated breath. The title page is empty. I flip a few more pages and nothing. My shoulders drop and I let out the breath. Nothing. Of course. I just stare at the blank page, waiting for something to happen. Determined forsomethingto happen, I talk to the book. Not loud enough The Owner can hear me, at least I hope it’s not that loud. When the pages remain blank, I drop my head back and resign myself to the rejection. It’s nothing new, but hurts different coming from a book.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as one of my black feathers floats into the open pages. I snatch it up as fast aspossible and look around, hoping I’m still all alone. No one can have one of these, they’re too dangerous in the wrong hands.
Just as I stuff the feather into my pocket, the page in front of me glows. A dot of gold appears on the top right corner and dances across the page, leaving a trail that reads:So, You’re A Nephilim. What Do You Want To Know?
I laugh as the huge leather book shrinks to a size I can fit in a bag. “I think it likes me!” I snap it shut and run up to the counter to show The Owner. “Look?—”
He raises a hand. “It’s not for my eyes to see.”
I give him another of my charming grins. “Alright then. I think I’m ready.”
