Page 88 of Autumn L.A.W

Victoria followed him to the shelf where he pointed to the book, and she eagerly grabbed it off the shelf. She hugged the book tightly to her chest, beaming with joy. “Thank you so much,” she said in a shaky voice, almost in tears. “The longer I stay in this body, the more I seem to be losing my French accent. I like my accent.”

“I like it too.” Then Duke hesitated, as if wondering if he should share something he knew. He must have changed his mind, because he smiled and said, “Enjoy your book.”

Victoria thanked Duke once more before heading off to a private corner of the library. A modern orange leather sectional supported her body comfortably. Her feet even met the floor. Did Duke adjust it? He seemed like the kind of considerate person who would, if he could. She wondered if he had magic but didn’t take the time to ask.

She eagerly opened the book, her eyes devouring the words. She had never seen a book like this before. It seemed to weave together knowledge from the occult and scientific realms. She felt a thrill of excitement as she read through the pages.

Suddenly, pages flipped on their own. A passage jumped out at her that seemed to answer her question. She read it over and over, her excitement growing as she realized that it held the key to what she was looking for. Victoria couldn't believe it. She'd found the spell.

Now, with the knowledge she had gained, she could move on to the next step of her journey—with Duke.

He sat beside her on the couch.

“Did you see this?”

He looked over at the passage she pointed to and nodded.

“Are you willing to help me travel to all these places?”

“I am,” he said. “Pack light. No designer gowns.”

“You wound me.”

He chuckled. “You’re currently wearing sweatpants. Your standards are already slipping.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Grab whatever water or snacks you want. We may have to visit places where the locals have built up immunity to certain bacteria, but we have not. You can grab another change of clothes, but be practical, please.”

She laughed. “The designer clothes in my closet won't fit this body. I’ll have to buy a couple of things to replace these horrible sweatpants.”

“One pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, and a couple of safari shirts should do the trick,” he said. Then he waved a hand over her, murmured a few words under his breath, and she glanced down to discover that she wore a new outfit… Denim shorts and a tan safari shirt, both with deep pockets. The jeans and T-shirt, plus a jacket, were folded and sitting on the couch she had vacated.

“Thank you!”

“De rien,” he said with a smile.

“Let’s review,” she said, ticking items off on her fingers as she and Duke stood on the front steps of the library. “Stone dust from a world-famous pyramid, a flower that smells like death’s armpit, a carnivorous plant, a fossil that refuses to die, a ghost flower, a bleeding tree, and an orchid that costs more than my first car.”

Duke adjusted his bag. “When you say it like that, it sounds excessive.”

“It is excessive. This is not a spell. This is a bizarre scavenger hunt.”

“If it’s any consolation, I brought the plant from Borneo with me. I was there before Joell called, and I had one on my bedside table.”

“You brought the $5,000.00 orchid with you?”

“Surprise…”

“Wow. I’d kiss you, but I’m not in my right body. I’d be using someone else’s lips.”

He didn’t have a chance to respond. The library vanished from Tennessee, taking them on the first leg of their adventure. They landed in the jungle behind their destination and walked the rest of the way.

Chichén Itzá greeted them with blazing sun, tourists, and a pyramid that radiated power like it knew it was famous.

Victoria shaded her eyes. “So, we’re just stealing dust from one of the Seven Wonders of the World?”

“Borrowing,” Duke corrected. “And it’s not one of the seven wonders, although in my opinion, it should be.”