Page 96 of Valkyrie Unknown

A god’s blessing wasn’t like an enchant. It would only serve followers.

Which it seemed Azzie was. I held the jewelry out, nestled in the palm of my hand. “Please.”

I’d take any extra safety for her that I could find.

Twenty-Six

Finn

“What’s in your pocket?”I asked Azzie to distract her as much as because I was curious about what Enid had handed her.

She patted her hips and ass as we meandered down the sidewalk. “Nothing.”

“Then whatever Enid gave you magically vanished?” It had seemed to, and that still concerned me.

Azzie glanced at me with faint frustration. “You’re a big spoil sport and it’s not nice to ask people about what they’re picking up, especially around other people’s birthdays.”

We walked past a building with severalAvailablesigns in the window, and a realtor’s phone number that seemed to fuzz and was hard to focus on. It was like trying to read a book in a dream.

“Present for me? I like presents.” That had Zeke’s attention.

“No.” Azzie’s exaggerated huff very much meantyes. “But it’s not the kind of thing you can open here, in the middle of the street.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught one shadow and then another scurrying around the inside of theabandonedshop front. I suspected if someone knew the code for the lock hanging from the door handle, they could walk into some sort of magical business.

Best not to stare too long. If one didn’t know the code, the magic used to make people ignore the place would fuck with my head. “Is it a butt plug?” I asked Azzie.

“It’s notyourbirthday.” Azzie had stopped glancing back at Enid’s.

“That could be a present for everyone,” Zeke said.

Azzie wrinkled her nose. “Filed under lists of things I don’t let other people borrow—my panties and butt plug.”

“Oh. I wasn’t supposed to borrow your panties? You’ll have them back tomorrow,” I teased.

The look of disgust and disbelief that Azzie gave me could’ve withered a rose on the vine.

“What? They were just lying in the living room.” This entire street was fascinating. It looked like any small-town street on the surface, but the air tingled with magic, and a quarter of the shops radiateddon’t notice mewhile another quarter whisperedyou know you want to.

Azzie huffed and shook her head. “Keep them.” She led us toward a building with an old pharmacist sign near the door, and a black and white striped awning. The windows were painted in white and trying to pretend the entire place was an old-fashioned pharmacy.

Inside was nothing like the exterior. The room was light bright white, with generic carpet, and glass cases lining the wall and in the middle of the room. It reminded me of modern dispensaries.

“Not sure you realize this, given how you grew up, but weed isn’t magic.” Zeke was looking around with wide eyes despite the teasing sarcasm.

I still had so much to teach him. “There are plants that have far more interestingside effectswhen they’re bred and prepared properly.” Considering how few people were on the street outside, the couple dozen milling around in here was a surprise. “Is this where the gate is?” I assumed there was some fast way to get to this town, if Azzie visited regularly on her own.

She nodded. “The owner is an elf, and makes sure the street can do steady business. But there are more than justgo home and get stonedherbs here.”

Which made sense. I’d figured out early on that Azzie didn’t like anything that fucked with her perception and awareness, and that included booze and drugs.

Her loss.

“I’m gonna look around.” Zeke was already wandering toward one of the cases. “Why haven’t I ever seen a place like this before?”

Despite him knowing a lot of immortals and gods, and the things I’d taught him, the only magical places he’d visited had supplies for drawing or blacksmithing.

Some of that was on me. I worried about him being places someone might associate him with a prophecy. There were organizations out there working hard to either make sure fate happened, or were willing to kill to hold onto their power. That especially applied to potentials who were meant to be gods. “Never got around to it?” I said.

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