Page 43 of Bright Dark Curses

“Yeah, boss,” Shane said in that assured way of his.

“Will you come later if they go out to the bars?” Key asked in a whisper.

They, meaning our suspects. I wanted to go, but I also needed to get the Council test potion done. If there was something I’d learned in my tenure as a shop owner was that nothing beat getting things out of the way sooner than later.

And to check for possible ghosts before signing the lease.

“I can’t today. I need to make a big potion.”

They nodded in understanding, then exchanged a glance.

“We’ll call Alex,” Shane said.

“That’ll make things easier,” Key agreed.

Three strays with three fake IDs to follow three suspects into the bars of Old Olmeda. The math checked out. “Don’t do anything dangerous. If it looks like trouble, you stay back, okay?”

Key agreed eagerly while Shane gave me a one-eyed pointed look. Right. I was one to talk.

I cleared my throat. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Update me tonight, please?” I might be passed out, but I’d see the texts first thing in the morning.

“Sure, boss,” Key said happily.

I left the set by the same security guard, who again made no effort to check I belonged there. No wonder they were having sabotage issues! The question was how they were only having that one issue.

THIRTEEN

Fluffy was ecstatic at my return, and even Rufus rubbed his massive head on my hip in greeting, almost sending me into the wall. I got them ready for their walk, and soon we were out and about in the beautiful streets of Old Olmeda. Between the sabotage and the Council witch, I’d forgotten all about the upcoming Christmas, and I was delighted anew by all the decorations already twinkling behind shop windows and on balconies. The sights also reminded me I needed to prepare a gift for Ian.

Sure, it was a bit over a month and a half away, but the sooner I started thinking about it, the more special it’d be. New black jeans? A new black jacket? Black socks? No, too mundane. Black socks with puppy paws printed on them? Now we might be talking.

I allowed Fluffy and Rufus to stop and sniff at will and texted Ian, asking if he was free.

His answering call told me he was.

“Hello, Hope,” he said in his usual deliciously smooth tone. Perhaps it’d been a mistake to call him on the street instead of waiting until I was home. I could already feel my cheeks heating and he’d only spoken two words.

“Hi, Ian. How was your day? When are you coming back?”

He chuckled. “I miss you too. My day was boring, and I should be coming home soon.”

“Hah.”

“I sense some doubt at my statement.”

“Maybe because you’ve been saying ‘soon’ for days now.”

“At one point it’ll have to be true, right? Isn’t that one of your affirmations?”

“More of a way of life—believe in the words until they become true.”

“Ah, yes.”

“It’s worked so far,” I told him primly. All those mornings back home, staring at my lack of orders in my Etsy shop and repeating my favorite mantra—I am a witch shop owner—had worked like a charm.

“I have no doubts,” he said with clear amusement.

“Don’t make me start wishing you get stuck there for another week,” I warned.

---