I shook my head vigorously. “Not happening. I don’t sing.”
“Everyone sings after their fourth pint,” Liam insisted, sliding another full mug toward me.
As the next victim took the makeshift stage, I suddenly remembered the little antique shop we’d passed earlier. I’d wanted to check it out, but we’d been running late for our lunch reservation.
“I’m going to slip out for a bit,” I told Dani, rising from my seat. “I want to look at that antique shop before we head back.”
Dani checked her phone. “We’re leaving in about thirty minutes, so don’t get lost.”
“I won’t,” I promised, grabbing my jacket and weaving my way through the crowded pub.
Outside, the evening air was crisp and refreshing after the stuffy warmth of the pub. The village was picture-perfect, with cobblestone streets and stone buildings that looked like they’d stood for centuries. Soft golden light spilled from windows, and the few pedestrians nodded politely as I passed.
I found the shop easily, a narrow storefront with a weathered wooden sign reading “Curiosities & Antiquities.” The display window was crowded with an eclectic assortment of items from old brass instruments, leather-bound books, vintage jewelry, and what appeared to be a taxidermied fox wearing spectacles.
A little bell jingled as I pushed open the door. The interior was exactly the kind of organized chaos I loved. There were shelves crammed with treasures, narrow aisles winding between display cases, and that distinctive smell of old books and polished wood.
“Hello?” I called out, not seeing anyone at first.
No response came, but I could hear movement in the back of the shop. I began wandering the aisles, running my fingers along dusty book spines and examining delicate porcelain figurines. Noodle stirred against my wrist, his curiosity piqued by the strange new scents.
‘Old magic here.’
I nodded, feeling it too. It was a subtle thrum of energy in certain objects, the kind that suggested they’d been owned by zodiacs or had brushed against our world in some way. Or maybe it was just the magic that lived in the earth. Magic that was drawn to strong points of energy like Imperium.
As I rounded a corner, I found a glass case filled with jewelry. My eyes were immediately drawn to a small silver pendant. A crescent moon cradling a tiny opal that seemed to contain all the colors of the universe inside. My mom would absolutely loveit. She collected celestial-themed jewelry, and this piece was exactly her style.
“Can I help you find something?” a deep voice asked from behind me.
I turned to find a large man standing there. Easily six and a half feet tall with broad shoulders and powerful arms. He appeared to be in his fifties, with salt-and-pepper hair cropped close to his head. His features suggested Pacific Islander heritage, with warm brown eyes that crinkled at the corners when he smiled.
Something about him struck me as oddly familiar, though I was certain I’d never met him before.
“That pendant,” I said, pointing to the moon and opal piece. “Could I see it?”
“Excellent eye,” he said, unlocking the case and carefully lifting out the necklace. “This piece is quite special. The opal is from Australia, and the silver was hand-forged by a craftsman who worked only by moonlight.”
I wanted to giggle. There was always some kind of intense story behind everything at these places. In reality it was probably made by some 30-year-old crafter in her apartment office by the light of her phone while she scrolled TikTok.
He placed it in my palm, and I was surprised by its weight. It was heavier than it looked. The opal caught the light, flashing blue and green and purple.
“It’s perfect,” I murmured. “My mom would love this. How much?”
“For you?” He paused, studying me dramatically. “Thirty pounds.”
That seemed suspiciously reasonable for such a beautiful piece, but I wasn’t about to argue. I handed him the pendant and dug in my pocket for my wallet.
As he wrapped the necklace in tissue paper, I browsed a nearby shelf of small trinkets. My phone buzzed with a text from Dani:
D: 15 mins and we’re leaving! Where are you?
J: Just finishing up.
The shopkeeper placed the wrapped pendant in a small paper bag and handed it to me with a warm smile. “There you are, love.”
“Thank you,” I said, passing him the money. As our hands briefly touched, I felt a strange jolt. Something like… recognition, but not quite. Like I’d known him somewhere or seen his face before. His eyes widened slightly, confirming he’d felt something too.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” he asked, his voice careful now.
