Page 66 of Cursed Luck
“Edward! Are you okay? Kenny said you were vomiting,” Brandy said and shoved a water bottle in his hand.
Their eyes met for a moment as he twisted the cap off and rinsed out his mouth, spitting near the mess he made. “Something’s not right, Bran—” A shock of pain bolted through him as he pictured a gun and the sign to Mia’s shop. “It’s Mia. I need you.”
“Let’s go,” Brandy said without question, and they took off at a run.
He had originally planned on driving there, as he had his overnight bag and flowers, but it would take too long—way longer than they had if his intuition was right in that a gun would be anywhere near the love of his life.
Pumping their arms, they ran down the few blocks, avoiding people out for a stroll and ignoring the strange looks they shot them. After the first half a block, the sidewalk cleared, and he sensed Brandy’s magic a moment before a gust of wind lifted them into the air.
Turning his head side to side, he noted no one had noticed their disappearance. He set aside the awe and pride he felt for his sister, the gnawing fear for Mia’s safety trumping any other emotion.
“I don’t have any other powers.” He nearly whimpered as Mia’s Flowers came into view.
His sister’s glistening eyes met his, and she lowered Edward and herself to the ground around the corner of the shop. “Mia does and I do. Take a breath, Edward.” She nodded. He sucked in air through his nose as she asked, “Have you reached out to her?”
He shook his head, feeling stupid for not considering it.
“That’s fine, we’re already here, and we’ll go in unseen in case someone else is in there with her—”
“But the bell—”
Brandy shook her head. “I’ll stretch the field around us so it doesn’t get heard when we come in. I need you to be calm though because we don’t know what the hell we are stepping into. Can you do that, or do I need to freeze your ass out here?”
Edward sucked in another breath. “I can do it,” he said as the pain around him intensified. “We need to go now!”
Chapter 28
Mia hated but understood Edward’s upcoming work trip. She was not looking forward to the time away from him, not after all the time they had shared together or the memories of how she had felt when she erroneously thought he played her.
She did not think he would cheat—not anymore, she didn’t. Enough hours with him had been shared that she could see the sort of man he was. He had sown his oats, and she had no desire to hear about any of it. All she needed to do was look at him and she saw his devotion to her. It was clear in his eyes, and while they had not shared the fact they loved each other, she saw that there too.
Mia did not want to frighten him off by admitting how deeply she felt for the witch. Hell, they had already cemented their bond, creating a connection very few were lucky enough to share. She could hold off a bit longer on sharing she loved him.
After a glance at the time, she snuck off to the back to grow more peonies for the upcoming wedding. It was almost closing time, and she didn’t expect any more customers but knew Edward would be arriving soon.
Lost in her gardening, joy and peace overflowing as she worked, she heard the bell announce his arrival. Mia grinned, excitement bubbling within her at their upcoming time together.
A minute passed, and her brows narrowed. Edward knew where to find her if she was not in the front. Had Claudia forgotten something and returned? Freezing, she listened intently. Had she really heard the chime or imagined it in her excitement?
Mia brushed the loose dirt from her fingers before wiping her hands on the apron around her waist. She paused outside the room and heard a rustling from the front. “Hello?” she called. “Do you need any help finding the right flowers?”
Turning the corner, she stared with confusion. The cookie plate had been moved to the front counter, but no one was in the room. Reaching out, she verified she did not sense any magic, which perplexed her even more. With a quick wave of her hand, she noted the ward around the door was undisturbed by magic.
Mia turned in a circle and wished, not for the first time, she could communicate with the plants like her mother could. Something did not seem right, but other than the moved plate, she was not sure what was different.
“Edward? You better not be playing a trick on me,” she snapped into the empty shop. “Ugh!”
She walked to the glass door and peered out, noting everything was in order. Edward liked to help her close at night, and the flowers and plants outside were untouched. With a shake of her head, she turned around and returned to the back. Standing in the doorway, she stared at her work, unease rolling through her.
Something was off. She couldn’t figure out what was not right, and it was sure to drive her crazy until she learned what it was. A familiar click was heard from the front of the shop, and she sifted through her memories until it dawned on her. Her register had just been opened.
“Revelare,”she whispered, hoping to reveal any hidden magical beings. When nothing happened, she hurried to the front. “Who’s there!” she snapped, pissed off with the situation.
This time when she turned the corner, she found an older teenager standing behind the register. His dirty-blond hair was disheveled, and his wide, bloodshot eyes met hers. He shifted faster than she expected and raised his left arm. Mia registered the revolver in his raised hand as he spoke.
“Should’ve stayed away, lady! Why’d you have to come back, huh?” His words shook as they spilled from his mouth. The hand not pointing a gun at her dug into his disheveled hair, making the ends stick up in every direction.
Her heart raced as she stared. This was the last thing she had expected when she returned to the front. It was clear he was a human. She could not use her magic on him and get to her memory erasing potion in time.
