Page 13 of With the Potion in the Courtyard

"I want to meet a bigfoot," Robbie said, nonchalantly.

"I want to meet the Loch Ness monster," I added.

Jessie laughed at both of us. "We all have to have goals."

I found the fact that she didn’t tell either of us whether the creatures were real or not suspicious. I’d have to ask her about them some other time. For now, the mysterious bottle had to be our focus.

Jessie guided us down the cobblestone street, past a series of storefronts that seemed to buzz with an energy all their own. It was quiet, the kind of slow-paced atmosphere that made you want to saunter rather than walk.

Jessie's stomach grumbled loud enough for all of us to hear. "How about we grab something to eat before finding the shop?" she suggested, eyeing the Moonbeam Cafe and Bakery with a look that bordered on longing.

"Food does sound good," Robbie agreed, and I wasn't about to argue with my stomach either.

The cafe was a cozy little thing, the air inside thick with the smell of cinnamon and sugar. We found ourselves drawn to the glass case displaying an array of cookies, each labeled with quaint,whimsical names.

"Try the Giggle Snickerdoodles," the woman behind the counter said with a wink. "They're today's special."

"Enchanted?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Guaranteed to lighten your mood," she assured us.

I exchanged a glance with Jessie and Robbie, and we shrugged in unison—why not? We each grabbed one of the sugary treats and settled at a small table by the window.

The effect was almost immediate. After the first bite, a warm sensation bubbled up from my belly, spreading through my limbs until I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Soon, all three of us were laughing over nothing at all, the cookie's magic making our previous worries miles away.

"Okay, that's better," I said between giggles, brushing crumbs from my lap. "What's next?"

"Let's check out some shops," Jessie said, still chuckling.

"Great idea. I want to get something for Tilly and Simon," I said as we left the cafe, still riding the high from the enchanted cookies.

Two stores down, we stumbled upon a tiny pet boutique with a sign that read "Whisker Wonders." A bell jingled as we entered, and I quickly spotted something very cool—an enchanted toy designed for indoor cats. The shopkeeper, a friendly woman with a cat-patterned apron, explained how it worked.

"Place this in your room, and it'll create a virtual outdoor space for your cats to explore."

"Perfect." I pictured Tilly and Simon's delighted faces as they 'ventured' outside without leaving the safety of our room. It was a little pricey but seeing them happy was worth every penny.

"Anything else?" Robbie asked as we left the store, my new purchase in tow.

"Nope, I think we're set," I replied, tucking the toy into my bag.

We made our way down the street. There was a place where you could fix your carriage. Another one called "Pest Be Gone," which had a number of creepy-looking rubber critters hanging from the ceiling, and one called "Love Spell One." We avoided all of those but stopped at a shoe store called "Fabulous Foot Finds."

"Can we stop in?" Jessie asked, as excited as a little kid.

Robbie and I exchanged a smile, and I said, "why not?"

Because, seriously, why not? Yes, we had an investigation, but there was no reason we couldn’t have a little fun in some magical shops. I might be out of my twenties, but I still had plenty of new things to discover in this world.

"Look at these." Jessie pointed to a pair of sleek, midnight-blue shoes. "That tag says you can move like a ghost in these."

"Quiet as a whisper?" I asked, intrigued by the concept. The shopkeeper nodded with a knowing smile.

"Try them on." Robbie grinned with a curious look on his face. "I wish they were in my size."

Slipping off my old sneakers and stepping into the shoes, it was like my feet had found their silent partners. I walked around the small shop, my steps muted against the wooden floor.

"Can't hear a thing,"Jessie confirmed with a grin.