Page 18 of White Little Lies

Maybe I was getting the hang of working with a devil after all.

7

“So this personwe are going to meet, is she a friend of yours?” I watched Sebastian out the corner of my eye as we walked down the street. Our destination was only a few blocks away, or so he claimed. Even so, with all the walking we had done tonight, my feet were going to be aching in the morning.

“An acquaintance, nothing more.” His words were clipped.

“An acquaintance I’m going to have to bargain with?” I pressed, apprehension thick in my throat.

Devils weren’t the only creatures who would bargain with humans. Fae and goblins both had just as many tricks up their sleeves. I wasn’t sure which of the three I was hoping for. Couldn’t anyone just take cash these days?

“She does not give her potions for free. And she has no use for more money.”

I frowned at his words echoing my own thoughts. “And what exactly does she have use for?”

We turned onto a street of low buildings, most lit up with old school neon. A few cloth banners fluttered in the air, offering various goods and services. I suspected that during the day there would be stalls outside for the general public, but at night… The darkened buildings had an ominous feel, and there was a hint of residual magic in the air.

He stopped outside of one particularly ominous building with a purple potion bottle glowing in neon through the front window. “In all likelihood she will want a sample of your magic.”

I stared at him. “A sample?”

His eyes slid toward mine. “I told you, you would have to pay.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t know what I would be paying with. This feels like a trick.” I crossed my arms, suddenly feeling a chill even through my jacket.

“You begged me like a small dog to bring you here.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Good point.”

He gestured toward the glass and metal door. A heavy purple curtain hung across the inside, and the blinds were drawn behind the neon sign, blocking any view of the interior.

I studied Sebastian’s face for a moment longer, but he was right. I had asked him to bring me here, and Aaliyah‘s life was hanging in the balance. I couldn’tback out now. I grabbed the door and tugged it open, jingling the bell attached to the inside.

I was met with a smell so acrid it nearly made me choke. I waved my hand in front of my face, trying to shoo away the smoke. Ringo scurried down the sleeve of my coat and back into my messenger bag, coughing and sputtering.

When my vision finally cleared, I took in a long gleaming countertop with shelves of filled bottles behind it. There was a door open to a back room—the source of the smoke. An antique lamp on the countertop flickered as if irritated.

“Who’s there?” A female voice called from the back room.

Since Sebastian was standing next to me like a useless statue, I stepped toward the counter. “Hello?”

A woman peeked out of the room. Her red hair was cropped into a messy pixie cut, leaving her soft, rounded features bare. She looked like she was in her forties, but it was always hard to tell with different creatures. Judging by her simple white T-shirt and baggy jeans, my guess was she wasn’t one of the really old ones. They tended to cling to more refined styles of dress.

“Well? What do you want?” Her eyes darted from me to Sebastian. “Oh hey, I know you. It’s been a while.” She stepped fully out of the back room and walked toward the counter, suddenly interested. “Tellme you’re here for another potion. The sample you gave me last time did all sorts of crazy things.”

Great, he had brought me to a mad woman. And he was simply looking at me, waiting for me to do the talking.

“Actually, I’m the one who needs something.” When she continued observing Sebastian, I had to wave my hand to get her attention.

She looked me up and down. “Oh. You don’t look very interesting.”

“Gee, thanks.” I approached the counter. “I know someone who I think has been poisoned. Sebastian believes you might be able to offer a cure.”

She looked at him again, one eyebrow raised. “A cure for an unknown poison? My, you do think highly of me, don’t you?”

When Sebastian still didn’t answer her, I cleared my throat. “Can you do it?”

She sighed, leaning her elbows on the countertop. “I have a sort of all purpose concoction. It will work for most of the common poisons, but not everything. And if the person poisoned isn’t human, it might work differently.”

---