The Whimsy Witch Who Wasn't - Donna Augustine Page 0,32
supposed to charge this to the broker?” I said.
As soon as the shopkeeper turned his back to open up a large leather tome, I picked Sebastian off my shoulders, in spite of him trying to hold on with claws in my coat, and put him on a nearby shelf. He immediately flew back to me and perched on my shoulder again, licking any piece of me he could get his sharp tongue on. I tugged at him again, but he dug his claws in, refusing to leave.
I dropped my hands as soon as the shopkeeper turned around. The last thing I needed was for anything to add to his suspicions.
He looked at his cat-bird again. “So, Hawk took you to work for him out of the blue? Did you know him at all?”
“He needed a low-level Whimsy witch to run errands for him, so he went to the factory. Luck of the draw, I guess. Well, thanks!” I grabbed the bag he’d placed on the counter and tipped sideways, hoping to encourage Sebastian off me.
“Bassy, come here, now.” The shopkeeper held out his hands.
Bassy wasn’t having any of it as he continued to lick my hair.
“Bassy, boy, come on.” The lines on the shopkeeper’s forehead were deepening.
When Bassy still didn’t listen, the shopkeeper made his way around the counter, trying to lift Bassy off me. Sebastian tried to resist again, but the shopkeeper eventually got him off my shoulders after some hissing and growling and disgruntlement.
The second I was free, I made for the door. “Thanks for the help.” I got out of there before he could ask any more questions.
I stepped out of the building, dodged some people, witches, warlocks, and the like, as I walked down the street until I was a safe distance from the stationery store. Definitely not going back in there while I was here. That guy was way too nosy.
I tucked myself close to a building and tried to become invisible as I scanned the list for my next stop.
Oil of Newt
Essence of Evil Vapor
Shavings from a three-headed turtle
Once again, it was hard not to wonder what I’d done so wrong to end up here. Some people were meant to have blue eyes. I seemed to be destined to live with crazy people.
With a glance to my right, I saw Al’s Chemist Shop. Worth a try, and it was a long list. They’d have something I needed.
Unlike the stationery shop, this place was bustling. I moved toward the counter, waiting until one of the few people gathering supplies off the shelves could help me. Other than a few glances in my direction, these people seemed too busy to care much about me, what I was doing here, who I was working for.
Maybe after I got out of here, I could swing past the factory. Rabbit hadn’t believed I’d come back for her, and it had been days since then with no word. If she continued to not hear anything from me, she’d surely assume she was forgotten. I had to get over there, and soon.
“Who’s lighting the potions? Whoever it is, cut it out. You should know better than to do such a thing in here,” one of the clerks behind the counter yelled. He seemed to be the one in charge, or at least the loudest.
The bottles lining the back shelf were all glowing. It might’ve been the prettiest thing ever, with the various shades of reds and blues, purples and yellows, all lighting up almost to some sort of rhythm, some even twisting about like a lava lamp.
They continued to light as the man became angrier, his eyes searching the crowd until they settled on me. It was probably because I was the only unknown person there. I looked around and realized the entire place was staring at me. The longer they stared, the warmer my face got and the stronger the potions glowed.
“Who are you?” the shop owner called out.
I looked around again, hoping he was talking about someone else, but everyone was still staring at me.
I put my hand to my neck and searched for a chain that wasn’t there. I’d forgotten to put the necklace back on. I’d left it on for so many years that I hadn’t thought about it. It hadn’t occurred to me to make sure it was back on, because I so rarely took it off. So much for not drawing attention to myself. It was game over.