AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Can we swing by Carmen’s shop?” I ask, since we aren’t too far, and I’m still concerned for her well-being.
Dante agrees and drives me over. My skin itches as we pull into the parking lot, and my eyes narrow when I see Carmen’s shop is now empty.
“What the—”
I jump out of the vehicle before Dante has finishes parking the car and run up to the empty windows and peer inside. It’s completely fucking empty. There isn’t a trace of her, not even a magical residue.
I rush into the shop next door, with Dante hot on my heels. The woman behind the counter of the small boutique startles at my sudden entrance.
“Hello, I was wondering when the psychic reader closed up. Did you see Madam Carmen moving her stuff out?”
“Who?” The woman appears to be confused as if I were speaking a foreign language. “What psychic?”
“Next door.” I point to illustrate which way, like the woman is a complete idiot.
“Never had a psychic in the plaza.” She shrugs. “That unit has been empty for more than a year.”
I race back to Carmen’s shop and look for the repair where I broke the window to get in, but the glass looks old and original.
“Are we at the right place?” I ask, doubting my sanity.
“Yeah. Evan took us here the day we figured out you were spying on us.” Dante touches the glass. “This glasswasbroken.”
“I don’t understand.” I lean against the door. “How is this possible?”
“How is anything we know about possible?” Dante glances around. “We should go.”
I agree.
When we get inside the safety of the SUV, he asks, “What is she? A goddess?”
“Uh… I don’t know what she is.” I rub my arms, which have gone numb. “Something more powerful than I expected.”
“What is her interest in you?” Dante asks, almost to himself.
“I hate to be paranoid, but…”
“But it seems divinity is out to get you,” he finishes.
“Seems like.” My breaths become shallow and fast.
“Slow down.” Dante reaches out and strokes my back.
A calm wave crashes over me, easing me out of my panic attack, and I quickly regain my composure. “I don’t know if it was stupidity or ignorance that made me think I could ever just have a sweet little romance with you.”
“I prefer to think of ours as a passionate and well-endowed love story.”
I bust up laughing—not at him but at the entire absurdity of my life. “Well, asgirthyandamorousas my love life is…” I eye him. “I hoped that once in my life I could be okay and happy for an entire day, but Death’s visit shook me up, and now, Carmen is an unknown player in all this.”
“Hey.” Dante pulls me into a hug.
I’m glad we haven’t started driving so I can have this quiet moment, and that Dante doesn’t give me some empty promises, just comfort.
26
INNER CIRCLES
Dante and I meet the guys at the sacred circle.
