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“Yeah. Pretty sure. Tabitha said she got them at a store named Divination. On Frenchman Street.” Rafe texted his sister and looked up to the sign. “Yeah, she says this is it.”
Julian scanned his surroundings. Though music from the jazz bar filtered out into the street, there was no one around. The single shotgun family home turned metaphysical store had been painted bright purple. A rainbow of metallic Mardi Gras beads had been strung along the top of its wrought iron fence, surrounding it in color. A five-foot, white, metal butterfly perched upon its siding beckoned shoppers. Upon first glance, it appeared whimsical, welcoming to visitors.
Yet the hunch in his gut refused to be convinced. The Alpha sniffed, detecting the faint scent of hellfire in the air. His senses went on alert, and he glanced over his shoulder, but still not one human or paranormal made itself known. “Do you smell that?”
“You’re damn right I do. Lovely little house though.” Greyson reached for the door.
“You buying the sweet woo-woo vibe it’s giving?” Julian asked.
“Not for a minute. This is New Orleans.” The ancient vampire held open the door and waited on the wolves. “Fly me to the moon.”
Julian inhaled the scent of cinnamon that filtered throughout the shop A bright blue and green world sculpture hung overhead, the words ‘Wheel of Fortune’ painted on the white ceiling in swirly black calligraphy. A variety of crystals and books lined the shelves of the small occult store. Along the far side of the back, an antique, well-stocked, ceiling-to-floor apothecary displayed metaphysical ingredients. From dragon’s blood to coffin nails and cemetery dirt, one could conjure their own spell. In the far right, an altar adorned with candles invited customers to light a candle for a wish granted from the Goddess with the obligatory donation jar next to it.
“What in the witch hell have we stepped into, boys?” Greyson asked with a smile.
Julian inspected a clear resin heart which held a four-leaf clover frozen in time. “I don’t know, but I reckon we all could use a little luck.”
“I can’t believe a thousand-year-old vampire wouldn’t believe in spells.” Rafe smiled.
“Oh, I believe all right. That’s exactly why I prefer to keep witches out of my life whenever possible. This hocus pocus,” he pointed to a Ouija board that hung on the wall, “this invites the darkness. The kind I’m not looking for. We got enough problems with demons without opening portals.”
“You’re scared of a little Ouija board?” Rafe teased.
“I hold a healthy fear of the devil and don’t go courting trouble where there doesn’t need to be.”
“I felt something outside,” Julian commented. “We definitely don’t want trouble. Do you see the cards anywhere?”
“I don’t see the cards but I do see these.” Rafe held up a voodoo doll. “You want one for your kitchen, Grey? Maybe you could put it on your mantle.”
“Don’t say another word.” Greyson held up a silencing finger to the young wolf.
Julian chuckled. “Never would have classed you as a superstitious vamp.”
“There’s nothing superstitious about it. This shit is real. And I’m not feelin’ it.”
“Yeah well, my home just burned down in Idaho and some ghost woman saved my life. I’m feelin’ … pretty out there right now, myself. A little sage might be just what I need.” Julian picked up a red candle and laughed. “Or sex magick. Maybe this is exactly where I need to be.”
Rafe laughed.
“Let’s find the cards,” Greyson mumbled.
“Onyx Moor. Where are you?” Rafe ran his fingertips over a peacock feather.
“Over here.” Julian pointed to a shelf lined with packs of tarot cards. He reached for a dark blue gold-embossed box. Onyx Moor. “This is it. This is the brand. Now let’s find out where they get it. Maybe they have a record of who they’ve sold them to. At five hundred dollars a pop, I can’t imagine many people are paying that much for a tarot card deck. Collectors maybe.”
Julian approached the counter, observing the young saleswoman who appeared to be in a spell, glued to her phone.
A loud thud sounded as he dropped the box onto the glass countertop. “These cards.”
“Yo. Dude. Easy. You’re gonna break the glass.” She swiped her hand across the counter and looked up to the wolf. Her expression turned from cool to flirty upon seeing the handsome wolf. “Oh, sorry. It’s just you scared me, is all. But I guess we’re all safe with such a big strong guy here, huh?” She glanced to Greyson and Rafe. “Hey, who are you guys?”
“The cards here …” Julian noted the silver pentagram she wore around her neck and smiled. “Where do you get them from?”
“I don’t know. They’re designer though. Pricey. You know how much these are, right?” She scooped the box up off the counter, protectively guarding it.
“You read tarot cards on the premises?” Julian asked.
“Yes. We’re one of the best rated metaphysical stores in town. Our readers are the very best in the city. You can check our ratings. Real deal.” She bit her lip and looked to Greyson and back to Julian. “You, uh, you want a reading?”
