“Do you know how to ward off lingering spirits, Aggie?”
“Not a fucking clue. I used to specialize in Sight Seeing; the paths of our future. The future is easy to see, the afterlife, not so much. But I’m blind. And I’m a mage. They assume I’m getting the job done. Therefore I am.”
I nod at that. She does look like she’s doing it right, I guess.
“The harping girl across the street keeps asking if I need scents of cotton and orchard to assist me in my warding.” She points to the house two houses down from Helen’s. “Several times a day she offers me these pink—sorry—fuchsiacandles. I put a stop to that real quick.”
I look up, past the thin vines of branches to find a pretty blonde woman watching the two of us.
“How’d you keep her off your back?”
Aggie winks at me with a smile.
Abruptly her hands fly up, reaching high to the sky with uncontrollable shakes wracking her body.
“Do with me what you will, Spirit of Ocknala. Save those around me. Take me for yourself but save them all.” Her voice is hoarse as she calls out to an unseen presence.
I bite the inside of my cheek as my brow arches at the woman’s flailing antics.
She’s good. I’ll give her that.
“I’ll leave you to your warding then.” I push back the vines just as Aggie peeks one eye open.
“Bye, Low.” A smile lines her face before the seriousness settles back in and more chanting is sent out to the Spirit of Ocknala.
I’ve barely made it a few feet when the woman scurries over to me. A younger girl with mouse brown hair trails after her.
“Can you see her too?” the blonde asks.
I blink at the woman’s wide blue eyes. Fear and bubbling curiosity are in her pretty gaze. The young girl at her side holds more fear than curiosity in her eyes.
“Ocknala? No, Ocknala only reveals herself to those worthy enough.”
Like Aggie and her crazy mind.
Her full lips make an O as she nods to me.
“I offered her scents of Passion Fuchsia to help, but she said Ocknala prefers gifts of chocolate chip cookies and gin.”
Chocolate chip cookies and gin.Seriously, Aggie?
I peer back at the jarring dancing the old mage is now doing as she hums a song that I can’t quite hear. An older gentleman pauses in front of Agatha and I almost can’t tear my gaze away from him when he says something to her. A charming smile graces his lips, and I swear a blush warms my friend’s cheeks.
Oh, my goddess. He’s hitting on her. My head angles to get a better view but then the blonde shoves her face right back into my personal space.
My eyes narrow on her.
“Are you two shifters?” I try to imagine the beautiful woman ripping scales all over her petite body, but I just can’t picture it.
“No, shifting is rare in women. My father, Lord Carlin is a shifter. A great and honorable man here in Valencia.”
Is he their leader?
For some reason, I can’t imagine another alpha alongside Kain. I wonder how that works for them. My mind drifts for a second. Are his horns bigger? Horns are important to shifters. Is that what determines his leadership?
I make a mental note to ask Kain later.
“I’m Brylee. And this is my assistant Natalie.” Her hand is small and she extends it to me with a sweet smile that shines in the beaming sunlight.
