Flipping the Bird (Shift Creek #1) - Carrie Pulkinen Page 0,55
the creepy clown from It than an adorable animal.
She wasn’t sure if she should laugh or shudder, so she pressed her lips together, trying to keep a neutral expression.
“Oh, and I actually like pets,” he said, “so any time you feel like giving me a scratch, go for it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“All clear.” Daisy picked up the book and carried it to a table in between the bookshelves. “I’ll give you two some privacy, but you have to promise to tell me what it says.”
“Thanks, Daisy.” Alice settled into a chair next to Donovan and gazed at the book.
The simple brown binding was unremarkable, and the volume couldn’t have held more than fifty pages. It was hard to believe such a nondescript little book could be the secret weapon that saved the creek, but she crossed her fingers, hoping to high heaven it was.
Donovan placed his hands on either side of the book and pressed his lips into a hard line. “If magic is required to bring out the ink, I…”
She put her hand on top of his. “I know. Let’s just see what happens.”
He nodded and opened it to the first page, while Alice braced herself for a blast of light to shoot from the paper or a cloud of glitter to puff up in front of them…something to indicate the magical seal had been broken. Even shifters sparkled when they activated their power, so an enchanted book should have emitted some sort of light or sound.
Sadly, it was as plain as a piece of buttered white bread…not even the honey butter kind either. Plain ol’ unsalted butter. No, worse. Margarine.
She sighed. “It was worth a shot.”
Donovan glanced at her before returning his gaze to the book. “A Magical History of Shift Creek as Recorded by Cyrus Rainecourt, Master Warlock, and Beatrice Monroe, Crow Shifter.”
Alice’s mouth hung open as she stared at the blank page. “You’re joking, right?”
He gave her a quizzical look. “What would I be joking about? That’s what it says right here.” He pointed.
“I don’t see anything.” Excitement coiled in her muscles, making her blood hum. “Turn the page.”
Donovan flipped a few pages, his eyes scanning them from top to bottom. “It explains how Cyrus and Beatrice met and how the creek came to be enchanted.”
Marty hopped from Donovan’s shoulder to hers, his little claws digging into her shirt. “I’m with Alice, boss. Those pages are blank.”
She ran a finger down the familiar’s side. His fur was coarse like a short-haired terrier’s, and he stretched his body, closing his eyes like he enjoyed it. He’d missed out on so many pets by being a little doo-doo head.
Donovan’s smile could have lit an entire city block. “They’re not blank to me.”
Alice was tempted to pluck Marty from her shoulder and set him on the table. His claws must have been doing a number on her shirt, but she didn’t dare reject him when he’d finally accepted her. “What does it say?”
“Cyrus was an artifacts dealer like me.” He laughed. “He was passing through Texas on his way to acquire a relic.”
“What kind of relic?”
“It doesn’t say.” He turned the page, and Alice held her breath as he scanned the contents. “On his journey, he came across an injured crow. He used healing magic to restore her health, and she transformed into a woman named Beatrice.”
Alice gasped. “The crow shifter he married.”
He scanned a few more pages, nodding. “Beatrice brought him to the town to help the others. All of the shifters had contracted a mysterious disease, and several had died.”
“Disease? How can that be since we’re immune? Heck, we don’t even catch colds. The only things shifters ever die of are accidents and old age.”
Donovan held up a finger, practically shushing her. She would have been annoyed—and told him so—under any other circumstances, but she was so excited to find out what else the book said, she might molt if he didn’t hurry up and tell her.
After reading a few more pages, he looked at her. “Another warlock had poisoned the creek when the shifters refused to accept him as their leader. It was the town’s main water source.”
“That bastard turkey! They didn’t have the same water purifying systems we have now, either.”
“Filters wouldn’t have helped. It was magically poisoned.” He continued reading. “I need to find out how Cyrus extracted the poison and what spell he used to bless the stream. Give me a minute; there’s a lot of superfluous information in here.”
Marty finally hopped