“You can’t just?—”
“The tether.” Zara said it like she was explaining basic math to a child. “Unless your workplace is in this apartment, I’ll need to accompany you.”
“Right. Of course.” Ramona rubbed her temples as they returned to Ramona’s room. “Marcus isn’t in on Mondays, so you should be fine. If he does come in, just… browse. Look at books. Don’t talk to Marcus. Don’t mention Hell. And for thelove of any shred of sanity left in this world, don’t tell anyone who you really are.”
“I’m a demon, not an idiot.”
“Don’t…” Ramona quickly glanced over her shoulder. She turned back to Zara and scolded in a whisper. “Stop saying the word demon. You’re from across the pond, not across the realm. Got it? No demon talk.” Ramona grabbed her bag, started shoving things into it. Wallet. Keys. Phone charger. The grimoire, because she didn’t trust leaving it where someone might find it. “This is going to be a disaster.”
“Likely.”
Ramona glared at Zara. “You could try to be more reassuring.”
“I could,” Zara agreed. “But that would be dishonest.”
Ramona sighed, pulling on her coat. “Come on. We’re already late.”
CHAPTER FIVE
The morning airwas cold enough to sting. Ramona pulled her coat tighter as they walked the three blocks from her parking spot to Mystic Moon Books, very aware of Zara walking beside her with a swagger like she belonged on a magazine cover instead of the cracked sidewalks of downtown Fernwick. Zara had gotten a lot of delight out of her car, opening the glove box several times, asking what every dial was for, even tuning the radio to the sad country station as some woman crooned out a mournful plea for her lover to return.
“You’re going to freeze,” Ramona said.
“I don’t get cold.”
“That’s weird.”
“Perks of being from Hell, Mortal. The temperature regulation is excellent.”
Ramona didn’t have the energy to argue. Her head still ached despite the aspirin, and the morning sunlight felt personally aggressive. She just needed to get through today. And tomorrow. And Wednesday. Then she’d have Thursday and Friday off, except she wouldn’t really have them off because Zara would still be tethered to her, which meant?—
She stopped thinking about it. One problem at a time.
Mystic Moon Books sat on a corner between a coffee shop and a vintage clothing store, its purple-painted facade and hand-lettered sign designed to look whimsical and mystical. Ramona had always thought it looked like someone’s first attempt at a witchy Pinterest board brought to life.
She unlocked the front door and flipped on the lights. The store materialized around them in warm yellow tones — shelves packed with books, crystals displayed in wooden bowls, tarot decks fanned out on velvet, bundles of sage hanging from exposed ceiling beams. Incense lingered in the air from yesterday, mixing with old paper and dust.
Itlookedmagical.
It wasn’t.
“So this is it,” Ramona said, dropping her bag behind the counter. “Welcome to my personal hell. Which is ironic, given present company.”
Zara stood in the doorway, surveying the space with an expression Ramona couldn’t quite read. Her dark eyes moved methodically across the shelves, the displays, the layout. Like she was cataloging everything.
“It’s…” Zara paused. “Charming.”
“That’s one word for it.”
“I was being polite. The actual word is ‘chaotic.’” Zara reached out to touch a crystal, switching its place as she muttered something about selenite.
“Yeah, well.” Ramona started the register, the ancient machine whirring to life with a sound like grinding teeth. “Marcus prices things based on vibes and organizes based on whatever makes sense to him in the moment. Which is to say, nothing makes sense.”
“I noticed.” Zara stepped farther inside, her gaze landing on a shelf where protection crystals sat next to romance novels. “Whyare the black tourmalines shelved with books about finding your soulmate?”
Ramona sighed, counting money into her drawer. “I’m pretty sure my boss thinks ‘protection’ and ‘love’ are ‘thematically connected.’”
“That’s not how organizational systems work.” Zara’s tone was bored, but her eyes were wide with interest.
