Page 82 of The Curse of Redwood

Signs of fall were everywhere. Orange leaves fell from a large tree in the courtyard that was nestled between two buildings. Two small, square bales of hay were beside me on the sidewalk, and a straw scarecrow with an animated, happy face sat on top of them. Crisp air tickled my face, and the scent of baked goods and apples drifted from the bakery across the street.

But just when I started to let my guard down and enjoy the day, I heard it. A low, rumbling laugh in the back of my mind.

“You’re mine now,” it whispered.

“Carter?” Ben asked, touching my arm. I blinked and focused on him. “You okay?”

“I’ll be better once we visit Callum. He’s the only person who might have answers.”

***

The mystic shop was crowded. A woman working behind the counter talked to a group of teen girls who wanted friendship stones. Another group of people stood around a table covered in small bottles of what looked like oil. Each one had a different scent written across it—lavender, wild flowers, vanilla, and one called lustful midnight.

It seemed to me like it was a bunch of tourists. They flocked to Ivy Grove in hopes to experience the atmosphere and magic of the town with the vast haunted history.

“Come with me,” Taylor said, grabbing my arm. He led me toward the back room. A sign advertising palm and tarot readings hung above it, and there was a huge line of people waiting their turn. “Well, shit.”

“Go ask your boyfriend if we can cut in line,” I said.

Taylor thumped me on the chest. “He’s not my boyfriend, you ass. And I doubt he’d give us special privileges. Guess we’ll have to wait in line like the other peasants.”

“Peasants?” a smooth voice said from our left. Callum came into view, wearing a blood red shirt and black tight pants. The shirt had the top two buttons undone, showing just a peek of his toned chest.

Taylor’s mouth popped open. I had the urge to push it closed but didn’t want to embarrass him.

“Cat got your tongue?” Callum asked, stepping closer to Taylor. The smile on his face veered on cocky. When it came to his supposed gifts, he remained humble. It was just his looks he was arrogant about. With good reason. The guy was magnetic.

“Um, hey,” Taylor finally said. “We came to see you.”

As if suddenly realizing I existed, Callum looked at me, and all traces of his smile vanished. That same fearful look he’d had the first day I met him surfaced again. “What have you gotten yourself into, Mr. Jones?”

“Hey, no need to call me mister,” I said, holding up a hand. “Your Highness will suffice.”

Ben snorted from beside me. “Good god, Carter.”

“Follow me,” Callum said, before turning on his heels and passing through the hanging beads of the archway.

“Guess we get special privileges after all.” I looked at the both of them before stepping after Callum.

“Did you see the shirt he’s wearing?” Taylor whispered in my ear, as he walked behind me. “I went brain-dead just looking at him.”

“I noticed. I think the whole store did too.”

Taylor pushed against my back and called me an asshole.

People grumbled about us cutting in line, but we didn’t head for the same room everyone else was waiting to go into. Callum opened a door for us, revealing a set of stairs going up. We followed him up the stairwell to another door at the top.

“I normally don’t invite people into my home, but this is a special set of circumstances.” Callum unlocked the door and pushed it open.

“You live above the shop?” Taylor asked, entering the loft behind him.

“I do.” Callum closed the door once we were all inside. He immediately went to the kitchen and grabbed a box from the pantry. “I’ll put us on some tea. I hope you all like Earl Grey.”

“Never had it,” I said. “It always sounded too fancy.”

“I’m not picky,” Taylor answered. “I’ll drink anything.”

“Not anything, I hope,” Callum responded. “If so, it would be much too easy to poison you.”