Page 80

I turn back to Moira, wanting this over as soon as possible.

“I need help,” I admit.

“Yes, I know. You’re stuck in a soul tie with a man that plans to take over the world. And the key ingredient to his master plan is in your head.”

She summed it up nicely. “Can you help me?”

She grins. “Look around, see if anything speaks to you.”

Rolling my eyes, I place my hands on my hips. “Can you just tell me how to break this bond?”

“That’s not how this works, and you know it. You want answers, walk the store.”

Tossing my hands up with an exacerbated breath, I say, “Fine. But if I pick up a figurine and get turned into a fucking frog, I’m burning this damn store down.”

Without an ounce of fear or worry, Moira stares back at me. “By all means, give it a try.”

Her reply catches me by surprise. It’s almost as if she wants to get rid of the store herself. Shaking off the interest in Moira, I prepare myself to walk the emporium.

“This is going to be difficult for me.” I turn and head to the first row of shelves.

“It won’t. Or have you not noticed the change?”

It’s true, my head isn’t spinning the way it was when I walked in. Turning to look at Moira, I wonder how she did it? How did she turn off that switch in my brain? However, I don’t ask. I’m not sure I even want to know her secrets.

Moira and I walk side by side up the first row of items. There is no rhyme or reason to the items on the shelves. An old typewriter sits beside a silver pocket watch. A mosaic Handel lamp sits on top of a brush nickel jewelry box.

The floor to ceiling shelves are made of wood and simply designed. Two large pillars make up the ends of the shelves, with one middle pillar to balance it out. The objects sit on worn-down old wood slabs that are about two feet across.

I walk up the first aisle, and nothing happens. Turning the corner, I go down the second aisle. My gaze bounces around all the objects. Though a lot of them are pretty and interesting, nothing gets my attention. By the time Moira and I make it down the fifth aisle, I start to think this isn’t going to work.

“Moira, I really think you should just tell me what I’m…” my words die as I come to a complete stop.

There is a feeling in my stomach, as if a cord is wrapped around my body and is pulling me. I take a step back and turn to my left. Whatever is calling me is on my left. My eyes scan the shelves until they stop at a small perfume bottle.

I instinctively took the bottle from the shelf. The textured glass bottle is shaped like a sphere with a flat bottom. The top has one of those old spray nozzles that you had to squeeze the ball to get the perfume to spray.

“Now that’s an interesting choice.”

I turn to face Moira. “What is this?”

“Well, it’s perfume, silly.”

Pinching my brow at her, I glare back. “You and I both know this isn’t just perfume.” I say, waving the bottle in her face.

She shrugs. “It’s the answer to your problems. To find out how, you must use it.”

I go to spray the perfume on me, but she holds up a hand to stop me.

“Not here. Tonight. Before your celebration, spray this perfume. The moon will help guide you to clarity for your problems.”

I look down at the bottle skeptically. I wasn’t sure how this bottle of perfume was going to help me, but I was willing to give it a try.

“Fine,” I say, placing the bottle in my pocket. “How much?”

She smiles, looking me up and down. “This one is on the house, Huntress.”

“Sweetheart,” the older woman that walked in with the girl calls out to Moira. “How much for this fancy journal?” The woman holds up a notebook. The cover looks like the scales of a dragon and in the center of the book is an eyeball. However, it isn’t a normal eye. It’s the reptilian eye of some type of lizard.