Page 43 of Body of Echoes


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“Ah-ah-ah,” the woman said, shaking her finger at him. “There’s no magic in this store.” She pointed to a large sign behind her. “If you try it, I’ll hurt you. Some of these books are too fragile to be subjected to magic.”

He huffed then stomped out of the store.

“Gosh, that guy drives me nuts,” she muttered.

I gave a friendly smile in acknowledgement then said, “I’ll be back tomorrow morning to pick up the book.”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Thanks,” I whispered.

I made a move toward the door, but she called after me. “Princess Ripley?”

I turned around and saw that she was rounding the counter to stand in front of me. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Um. I’m so relieved you’ve found your way back to us.” She bit her lip and took a hard swallow like she was suddenly nervous in my presence… or maybe about her question. “I was just curious—if you don’t mind me asking—who found you?” There was a beat of silence before she said, “Was it Fletcher Darkly by any chance?”

Hearing his name on another woman’s lips sent a strange spike of something nasty through me. “Yes.” Then, I prepared for the worst. Maybe a lecture about how terrible of a person he was. Maybe some screaming even. I could feel my magic simmering in response. It was okay. I was prepared for this. Nothing was going to change the way I viewed him.

She blinked, tugging on the straps of her overalls. “Is he okay?”

I lifted my brows, beyond surprised as my magic settled back in my chest like it was reserving judgment for now. “Why are you asking?”

“Oh,” she giggled, “I, um, I am just curious I guess. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him.”

A tension filled the air, my magic swirling in my gut, and Fletcher’s too. “He’s fine.”

A relief washed over her face as she smiled. She fiddled with her black choker necklace. “Oh good. Will you tell him I say hi when you bring him the book? I’m taking an educated guess that it’s for him.” Another nervous giggle spilled from her lips.

I screwed my eyes shut and shook my head. “I’m sorry, how do you two know each other?”

She leaned against the counter, picking up his favorite book and gently tracing her finger around the edges. “The Wizened Navigator.His favorite. He used to come in all the time and steal it from my parents when they ran this shop. I’d have to hunt him down,” she said with a nostalgic laugh, “and steal it back. It was a fun game of cat and mouse that went on for years.”

The air knocked from my lungs. As if it was hard enough staring at the caged woman who had Darklywritten all over her, I had to talk with another woman who did as well.

She shook her head. “You know what? Don’t say anything to him.” She handed me the book. “Here. Just take it to him. I’m sure he’ll know it’s from me.”

But it wasn’t fromher. It was fromme. If I gave this to him, would he think it was from her? Would I be nurturing some sort of relationship he had with this young woman? I put my hand up. “This isn’t for Fletcher,” I lied. “It’s for me. And I will pay for it.”

“Oh,” she said in surprise as she took a quick hop back like she physically wanted out of the embarrassment. She nodded once with a blush overtaking her cheeks. “Then, I shall keep it on hold.”

“Okay.” Feeling a bit off center, a part of me wished I could brave teleporting back to Fletcher and make out with him just to remind him of… me.

I left the bookshop wishing she had just insulted him instead of gushing over him. At least I would have been prepared for that. With a bruised ego, I waited for the king to notice my presence.

He said goodbye to his friend and smiled at me. “Find any books you like?”

“Yes, but I have to return tomorrow to pay for it.”

“Would you like some coins?”

I bared my teeth and snarled.

He put his hands up defensively then gestured to the road ahead. “Next stop, the gardens.”

The garden was massive, sprawling out across a few acres that were partly in the sun and partly protected by the shade of trees in the distance. Rows of flowers bloomed in an assortment of vivacious colors. Sweet flowers and the songs of exotic birds filled the air. Butterflies with glowing blue patterns along their wings fluttered, spreading pollen to other areas of the garden. Winding paths twisted and turned through a kaleidoscope of flora and fauna.