to look like, particularly not one with the power of a vampire. With my long, ash blonde hair and brown eyes framed with smoky dark makeup, I probably looked much like any average twenty-something woman. Petite and casually dressed in blue jeans and a tank top with a rainbow colored peace sign, I was sure nothing about my appearance screamed supernatural. Of course, those who could work magic or possessed power of their own saw right through my outward appearance.
As if on cue with my thoughts, the shop door opened, and Gabriel slunk inside. Gabriel was tall, lanky and drenched head to toe in Goth attire. From the spiked collar to the thick eyeliner to the metal band t-shirt, he looked more like the type one might expect to see in a magic shop. However, this kid had serious power. I’d felt it myself, and my curiosity had been piqued.
Relief swept through me. After the look of horror he’d given me the last time we’d both been here, I was surprised he’d shown up. Brogan had arranged this meeting. I had some magically encrypted files that I desperately needed to get into, and she’d been sure Gabriel had the talent to do just that. He shuffled over to the other side of the store without so much as a glance my way.
Shaking my head at some of the silly love spells, I returned the book to the shelf. Did people really think that a few herbs and the right words would make someone love them? Even more disturbing was the possibility that one’s will could be bent that way. I suppressed a shudder and moved on to a rack filled with chalices and crystal balls.
“Finally,” Brogan announced after she’d locked the door behind the last customer. “Are you two ready? We can go in the back.”
I followed her into the back room where several large storage shelves lined the wall, laden with various spellcasting items. In the center of the room was a large round table covered with a red cloth. It sat inside a big circle painted on the bare floor. Gabriel joined us a moment later, sitting opposite of me.
“Gabriel, have you met Alexa?” Brogan was all smiles, clearly used to his sullen teenage behavior.
At last he met my eyes. With a half nod, he said, “You have a pretty wild reputation. How much of it is true?”
“I guess that depends what everyone’s saying about me.” I shrugged. He was curious and trying hard to prove that I didn’t intimidate him. I had to admire his grit.
“Did you really make a vampire’s head explode?” He asked with undisguised interest.
I stifled a laugh. “Yes. Several.”
“And, did you really kick a demon’s ass?”
“That’s a bit of an exaggeration.” My expression turned sour. Hoping to redirect the conversation away from demon talk, I pulled my laptop out of its bag and slid it across to him. “So, you think you can do this? I’m completely lost.”
“I’ll give it a shot.” Gabriel’s mood lightened, and he grabbed the laptop eagerly. “Let’s see what we’re dealing with.”
He peered through a fringe of long, dyed-black hair. I waited impatiently while he clicked around on the keyboard. I had swiped those files months ago. Judging by how heavily encrypted they were, there had to be something worth finding on them.
“Oh yeah,” Gabriel murmured after several minutes had passed. “These are definitely spelled somehow. It doesn’t feel like serious magic, though. I’m sure I can break it.”
“What do you need?” Brogan asked, awaiting instruction.
“Maybe a gemstone. Lapis Lazuli should work.”
Brogan grabbed a large black box from a shelf and began to dig through the padded display boxes inside. I watched her with a knot in my stomach. Close to finally finding out what information Veryl had been hoarding, I was as excited as I was anxious since I expected to discover something I would rather not know.
“Here.” Brogan placed a royal blue stone next to Gabriel. It was the size of a small egg, streaked with gold that glinted brightly despite the low lighting in the back room.
“What does that do?” I asked, eyeing up the stone.
“It’s a truth stone,” Brogan explained. “It helps set the truth free.”
Gabriel ran a hand over the smooth edges of the stone. It responded to his touch by glowing a deep but vibrant blue. The room grew warm with Gabriel’s strong energy. I was drawn to it, unable to tear my gaze from him as softly spoken Latin tumbled from