Page 134 of Demise

What the fuck did I just read? What the fuck did…

“While you’re here,” she says, shaking me out of my thoughts, maybe intentionally so.

She gestures for me to follow her, leading me over to the wall filled with rocks and crystals. Her fingers delicately trace over the shelving before she stops on a gold and grey rock.

“Pyrite Stone,” she says. “It draws energy from the earth and transfers it to you, helping build a protection layer of energy around you. It helps block out negative energies, but also physical and emotional harm.”

“It’s pretty,” I say as I examine the quarter sized stone.

“Carry it on you at all times, okay?” she says.

I nod, and she hands it to me.

“No,” I say. “I’m paying you this time.”

“Skyla. You don’t—”

“I’m not taking no for an answer,” I say with a shake of my head.

She smiles at me and nods but walks me to the register. Rachel goes to grab a necklace that has a little metal fastener in it. She twists it around the Pyrite Stone, holding it into place before handing it to me. It’s a long chain. So long that you’d never see the stone in even the deepest V-neck. That’s probably the point.

“Thank you,” I say as I slip the sage bundle into my purse.

“Thank you,” Rachel says as I turn to leave the store.

I’m almost to the door when she calls out.

“Could you come back tomorrow?”

I pause, looking over my shoulder.

“I have something coming in tomorrow. I think it would be perfect for you.”

Intrigued, I nod my head, though I’m not sure how I’ll slip away two days in a row.

“Sure, I’ll be here around the same time.”

“Perfect. See you then,” she says with a nod and a smile.

I smile and wave as I step out the door and back into the restaurant. Maggie and Maryia appear to have finally come up for air and are eating their food while mine sits in front of my seat. I slide into the booth and Maggie looks at me.

“Where did you go?”

“Bathroom,” I say.

“Mads just went to the bathroom, and she said you weren’t in there.”

My eyes widen slightly as I nod. “Yeah, all of the stalls were taken when I went in there, so I used the one next door,” I say.

Maryia lifts an eyebrow. “There was only one stall.”

I close my eyes and let out a breath when Maggie speaks.

“Hey, you don’t want to tell us why you wanted to come to the old part of town and disappear for twenty minutes, that’s your business. Just tell us to stuff it.” She shrugs as she takes a big bite into her burger.

I give her a grateful smile and nod as I pick up my food and begin eating.

Chapter Forty Two

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