Page 3 of Bright Dark Curses

“Bestie!” I exclaimed with delight.

She was scowling with displeasure, an expression I knew well by now. It meant some poor soul had had the misfortune of crossing her and now they were going to suffer hell on earth.

Here was hoping that wasn’t me.

“Good, you’re here,” she said very seriously. “Come with me.”

Alarms went off in my head. “Where to?” Was there a magic emergency? Had someone attempted to make their own potion and poisoned themselves accidentally? Should I keep a magical emergency bag like doctors did? How much did those cost? Maybe there was a knock-off version. Maybe something like a diaper bag?

Dru walked up to me and snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Hope. Focus.”

Right. Emergencies. I ushered her into the back of the shop. “What’s wrong?” I leaned closer and added, perhaps a little too eagerly, “Is someone magically ill?”

Dru’s scowl deepened. “No, why?”

“Never mind. What do you need?”

“I need your…” She stopped, breathed in deeply, looking for all the world like she’d rather be gulping hard liquor, then continued. “Help. I need your help.”

I clapped my hands with delight. “Of course. What can I do?”

“I need to secure the votes for the shop.”

As a member of the paranormal community, Dru needed permission from the PBOA, the Paranormal Business Owners Association, to open her new shop next door, whether she sold magic or not. If part of the membership didn’t give their consent, things could get dicey.

For a newcomer, convincing a bunch of surly paranormals who didn’t trust new people would be a problem, but Dru had been in Olmeda for years.

“Nobody’s going to vote against you,” I said soothingly.

“Really? Have you gone and asked everyone?” she asked sarcastically.

I frowned. “No…”

She pointed at me, close to stabbing my chest with her manicured nail. “Exactly.”

“Dru,” I began in a reasonable tone.

“You’re coming with me and making sure to let everyone know if they don’t vote for me, you won’t be making any potions for them.”

“I don’t think we need to resort to blackmail just yet,” I say wryly.

Her eyes narrowed. “Preston might be working against me. He’s been asking about my purchase of the shop.”

Preston, Dru’s ex-boyfriend and general pain in the butt. “I seriously think he has better things to?—”

“I saved you from Vicky’s murder van.”

Ouch. Dru meant business. I lifted my hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I’ll go with you.”

“Good.” She turned and pushed the bead curtain aside.

“Oh, right now?”

Her imperious look answered better than any words. I hurried to retrieve the dogs and joined her outside, trying not to laugh at the fact that Brimstone all but jumped on top of the counter at the sight of Fluffy and Rufus prancing through the shop.

“Where are we going first?” I asked, zipping up my winter jacket.

“Bosko’s.”

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