Page 31 of Rebel Spell
After we ended the call, I summarized what happened to the guys. “I have an appointment tomorrow. She told me to stay away from the space, so I’ll stay at Gianna’s tonight.”
“You sure?” Diego asked. “Our sofa folds out into a sleeper.”
He was sweet. I couldn’t believe how wrong my first impression was. “Thanks, but I think I could use a breather. I mean, just knowing what’s over there.” In a smaller voice, I added, “IfI didn’t imagine it.”
“Of course you didn’t imagine it,” Sebastian added.
“Now I’m not sure.” A wave of foolishness washed over me. What if it had all been caused by anxiety again? Maybe I needed to see a shrink rather than a witch. “I’ll know more once I talk to her.” After I exhaled, I said, “Guys, I don’t know what’s going on, or if I can trust my thoughts, but please be careful. If you sense any threats, get out and call the network right away.”
The more time I spent with them, the more I liked them. I hoped I was wrong about the whole dark magic thing as I couldn’t stand the idea of them being in danger.
Especially Diego.
“That is messed up,”Gianna said after I got her up to speed with all that had been going on.
We sat at the bar of Danger Zone while Samantha Fox’s “Naughty Girls Need Love Too” played. Each of us drank a glass of the house red wine they’d namedA Vampire’s Caress.
I thought of one vampire in particular and how it would feel for him to caress me and then shoved that thought aside.
“Do you think I could have made it all up?” I asked her.
Gianna took a sip of her wine and put down the glass. “Honey, I have no idea. The only person who can answer that is you.”
“That’s the problem. I was so certain when it happened, but once I started to think about it, I second-guessed myself.”
“Never do that, Nova.” She pointed at my chest. “You need to believe in yourself.”
That was a problem rooted way back in childhood. Maybe I should see a shrink instead of a witch.
“Thanks for letting me stay at your place again. Once I talk to a witch, maybe my nerves will settle. It’s ridiculous how spooked I’ve been since I returned to Salem. It’s like I haven’t spent the last couple of years in New York becoming desensitized to all the weirdness.” Then again, Salem had its own brand of peculiar.
“Stay as long as you want.” Gianna gestured around the club. “I’m here most nights, anyway.” After taking another sip of wine and a scan of the male clientele, she returned her gaze to me. “Have you thought about sticking around longer?”
“Not really,” I replied. “Actually, the incident made me lean more to the idea of selling and soon.”
I hungaround Gianna’s apartment until it was time to leave for my noon appointment with Colleen. I walked down to a stretch of retail businesses in a brick building near the waterfront where I found the store. Witch globes and crystals hung in the window, twinkling in the sunlight. After I entered the store, a songbird of wind chimes announced my arrival. Sunlight streamed in through the glass. Various displays were set up on tables and shelves at different levels—one with herbs, another with Tarot cards, another with silver jewelry, and so on.
A young woman with blonde and lavender ombre hair and Goth makeup looked up from the herb display she was restocking. “Hi, there, can I help you find something?”
“Hi, I’m Nova Adams. I have an appointment with Colleen at noon.”
“Right over there.” She motioned to a woman by the cash register with curly blonde hair who appeared to be in her forties.
“Welcome,” Colleen said. “Let’s go into the back.”
I stepped around an orange tabby cat and followed her through a colorful beaded entryway at the back of the store and into a small room. She closed the door, and I glanced around. A bookshelf was stacked with books, a crystal ball, tarot cards, a bamboo plant, and more trinkets than I could count. A round table had three chairs set around it and a dark blue velvet tablecloth on the top. Another set of tarot cards was half-covered by a burgundy velvet wrap.
“Have a seat.” She motioned to one of the chairs. After I did so, she sat and asked, “Tell me what the issue is.”
I told her about inheriting a house from my aunt.
She clasped her hands together. “I know Margaret well.” She frowned. “Knew.” After shaking her head, she said, “I’m so sorry,” and clucked her tongue. “Such an unexpected tragedy.”
“Yes, indeed,” I agreed.
Colleen tipped her head. “Oh, I’ve heard of you. You live in New York, right?”
“Um, yes.” I crossed my legs. It was downright strange to have this stranger know about me. Then again, just about everything since I’d stepped back into Salem was downright peculiar.
