Page 10 of The Fallen
Zero nods and glances around at the shop. “Did you two move everything around?”
I make my way out from behind the counter, walking past him. “We did. There was a new shipment of spell books, andRook wanted to open up the walkway so we could add a reading chair to that corner.” I nod toward the window.
“Smart. Sunlight on the books is a nice touch.”
We walk around for the next several minutes as I point out all the changes to the apothecary. Rook’s dream has always been to own his own shop. One that witches, paranormals, and humans alike are welcome. It’s a beautiful dream, and definitely doable here in Heart’s Hollow.
Suddenly, the front door chimes again and Rook walks in, rich brown hair shining in the sunlight behind him. He dips his head slightly to accommodate his large frame. I wave energetically at the big wolf shifter just as Zero’s shoulders relax.
“Hey there, boss man. Any luck with the witch?” I ask.
Rook grins, rushing toward the counter. “Actually, yes. I hired him.”
“Holy shit.” Zero whistles. “Wait? Are you smiling? Please tell us all about this witch who has my best friend grinning like that.”
Rook places a brown satchel on the counter and pushes it toward me. “It’s amazing news for the apothecary. The elemental witch I interviewed agreed to work with us. We did a trial run and went out to the woods just behind the shop. He found ingredients I didn’t even realize were mere feet from my building.”
My eyes widen when I open the snaps on the satchel and peek inside. “He found all this?” I pull out some magical herbs, flowers, and branches. Things like basil, poppies, and violets—they might look like common things to a human eye, but an elemental witch can feel the magic within the plants. But I’m really impressed when I place a few snapdragon flowers on the counter.
“I see these flowers everywhere,” Zero says as he picks up one of the snapdragons. “How do you know this guy is legit?”
“Oh, he’s legit,” Rook replies, gathering some of the plants to start preparing them for their proper storage methods. He rushes to the back room with hurried steps.
“Here, let me show you.” I pluck the flower from Zero’s fingers. “Close your eyes, and hold out your hands.”
As soon as Zero’s palms are facing up, I lightly place the yellow flower on his hand and start chanting.
Zero gasps. “It almost feels like it’s giving me strength.”
I giggle. “It is. The weaker flowers might be able to protect you from common spells, but a strong snapdragon will give a person strength. The yellow ones represent happiness. Rook’s right: the elemental witch is the real deal.”
Zero opens his eyes, forehead scrunched. “But if you can tell that the flower is powerful, why can’t you just go into the forest and get them yourself?”
I shake my head. “It doesn’t work that way. I’m a demon. Plants usually hide their true nature from me while out in the wild. Only elemental witches can communicate or feel the power of the plant while it’s still growing.”
Rook reenters the room with several glass bottles in hand. “That's why I can’t feel them either. Witches know how to find magical plants. I could go out there and pick all the flowers I spot, but chances are only one of them might be magical.”
“Fascinating.” Zero swaggers over to the table in the middle of the shop and sits in one of the chairs, crossing his legs. “And is this witch handsome, by chance?”
Rook narrows his eyes. “No. You keep your charming ways away from my new employee.”
“Hey!” Zero laughs, grasping his chest. “I’m wounded. You didn’t tell your flirty little demon over there not to hit on the new guy.”
I stand, throwing my arms up in mock surrender.
Rook peers over at me with a knowing glance. “Trust me, Cass won’t be flirting with my employee,” he replies, tone sad.
I told him all about my mysterious human mate, who cast a summoning spell out into the world. I’ll never forget that night. The pure desperation pulsing through the spell. That pull. It was unlike any summoning I’d ever experienced. It chimed differently for me because it was my mate, and he was dying.
To this day, I still thank all the gods in existence for letting me be close by. If I wasn’t in the next town over, I might not have latched onto the spell quickly enough. Another demon easily could have been pulled by the magic, ultimately severing the line that told me exactly where he was.
Blaze Sinclair.
It was only recently I discovered his name. The moment I met the big guy, I knew he was a witch. I could feel what little power he had running through him. My mate was strong. Anyone else, paranormal or not, wouldn’t have survived, let alone still have magic in their blood.
Just healing my mate almost drained all the magic from my life force. I almost died trying to help him, not that he knew that. Shame swirls through my stomach as I remember the scared look on my mate’s face. Most people don’t see demons in their other form, and Blaze didn’t react well. Was he repulsed by me?
The next morning when I woke up to find him gone, I was devastated. But I didn’t blame him. Blaze had been tortured. It wasn’t until a few months later that I realized how long my poor mate had suffered. I don’t blame him for running. Without a clue to go on, I decided to look in the witch’s archives. I poured myself over their missing person reports for hours. That’s when I found a photo of him. A Sinclair, no less.
