Chapter 23
Liana
The magic shop looked harmless enough.
Nestled down a narrow lane dotted with similar dwellings, the compact two-story cottage gave off a rustic feel. A wooden gate blocked the entrance, and a short cobblestone path led to a wraparound porch. Perched next to the door was a sign reading, “Daniels Curses, Cures, and Crimes.”
“What an odd name for a shop,” I muttered, angling my head to peer through the frosted window.
“Apparently, she partners with the royal agency on their cases. Gavin checked her out, and she works with that Detective you met when you arrived in the kingdom.”
My eyebrows rose. “Oh, right. The handsome one, Detective Chambers.”
Bowen snarled, and his tone was layered with distaste. “He’s not that handsome. I think he’s rather dull if you ask me. A total stickler for rules.” He continued to grumble about the detective’s seemingly poor traits under his breath while I tried to contain a knowing smile.
I tuned him out and rubbed my hands together, flexing my fingers in nervous trepidation. I’d only ever met one witch, and that didn’t go well. Naturally, they weren’t all the same. I knew that! But try telling it to the knot of fear inside my chest. What if they looked similar? Stringy gray hair, dark, soulless eyes, a hooked nose, and yellowed teeth. I shuddered.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this? I can talk to her alone if you’re not comfortable.”
“No, I’m fine. I don’t think Vivian would have told me to come here if Tessa was the type of witch to take people hostage and use them for nefarious magical purposes.” Squaring my shoulders, I reached for the door handle. “Let’s do this.”
A bell over the door jingled as we entered.
Inside, one half of the shop was filled with shelves of potions, hanging crystals, and bundles of herbs drying from the rafters. A giant bookcase with ancient-looking tomes rested against one wall. The other half was more formal. There was a desk in the corner with stacks of files, and a chair for visitors. A large dressing screen had been placed between the two spaces, giving the desk area a semblance of privacy.
“Hello! Welcome to Daniels Curses, Cures, and Crimes,” a young woman singsonged from somewhere in the back of the shop. “I’ll be right out. Just waiting for this cauldron to finish bubbling. The last time I left it unattended, there was an incident.” Her voice echoed down the hall. “I won’t go into details. Suffice to say, everyone lived.”
I cast Bowen a questioning glance. He shrugged but also made a crooking motion with his finger, signaling me to go stand behind him. When steam began to billow from the back room in thick waves, I obeyed, peeking from around his shoulder.
An odd smell permeated the shop, and then, from out of the vapor, a young woman appeared. She dusted her hands on an apron and used her sleeve to wipe the steam from her brow. Her long brown hair was slightly frizzed at the ends, likely from the steam bath, but her smile was warm and genuine.
She looked nothing like the witch from my nightmares.
“Sorry about the smell… Wow.” Her fingers pressed beneath her nose. “How is it worse out here?” Hurrying toward the window, she cracked the pane, letting in a stream of blessedly fresh air. “Anyway, welcome to my shop. What can I do for you? Are you here for magic or murder, because I’m open for both at the moment? Though I do apologize—I’m in a bit of a rush today. I’m attending a magical summit with my best friend, so if you want to make an appointment and come back, that works too.”
When she paused for a breath, I broke in. “Actually, I think I met your friend last night. Vivian James, right? That’s why we’re here.”
Tessa’s jaw dropped, and her gaze darted between the two of us. “Wait. You’re Liana Archer, the woman who helped Viv escape? The one living with Bowen the Beast?”
I made a little clearing noise in the back of my throat. Tessa wasn’t nearly as rude as the headmistress from the orphanage, but I was officially putting an end to that nickname. “It’sBowen MacKenzie, and yes, that’s me.”
“Oh, right.” She gave Bowen an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that. That’s a pretty dreadful nickname, and believe me, I’ve had my fair share of those. It’s no fun. Kids used to call me Tess the Mess until I figured out a spell that made their skin itch until it bled.” She made a face and rubbed her arms through her sleeves. “It’s as awful as it sounds. But so was the nickname.”
I bit my lip to keep from smiling at her antics and realized all my nerves were gone. The scariest thing in the shop was probably the smell wafting from the back room. There were no cages, no sickly-sweet mints, no cruel laughter. I breathed in relief, instantly regretting the act when the lingering smell filled my lungs.
Coughing lightly to clear the smell, I said, “Vivian mentioned if I ever needed a favor, I should come find her or you. The thing is, we’re looking for information about a witch and figured you might be the best person to ask.”
“A witch, huh? Weird. You’re not the first person today to ask me about a witch. Argus Ward was in here earlier too, asking about blood magic. Seems he’s interested in a witch as well.”
Bowen bristled beside me, but I placed a hand on his arm. “Does that mean you’ll help us?”
She waved a hand through the air dismissively. “Of course! Viv made you a promise, and anyone who helps my friend gets my help in return. I won’t even charge you my usual fee.” Tessa scratched the back of her neck, looking a little sheepish. “I do take tips though. Every bit helps when you’re headed to a magical summit. The prices there will make your head spin, and I have my eye on a pretty fancy jar of crystals.”
Bowen chuckled and reached into his jacket pocket. The bag of coins thumped against the worktable, crushing a sprig of herbs. “I’m sure we can make it worth your while. Get two jars.”
Tessa’s eyes went wide. “Now, that’s how you negotiate. My partner is super stingy. I mean, I love him, but it’s always a big deal when we’re handling vendors.”
Bowen flashed me an “I told you so” look while Tessa made a quick count of the coins and tried to muffle her squeal of delight.
