Ramona blinked, trying not to actively roll her eyes. “That’s not really how?—”
But the woman had already opened the velvet pouch, dumping all six crystals into her palm. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said in a voice that suggested she’d taken exactly one yoga class: “I call upon the power of these stones to reveal all hidden truths in my presence.”
Ramona watched, thankful the woman’s eyes were closed, because her ability to hide a smirk was nonexistent.
Nothing happened.
The woman opened her eyes. “I don’t feel any different. Are you sure these are real?”
“Well, crystals don’t usually cause immediate physical sensations?—”
Then Ramona felt it.
A tug. Sharp and sudden, like someone had hooked a fishing line directly under her ribs and yanked.
She gasped, stumbling forward into the counter.
And between her chest and the wall separating Mystic Moon from the café next door, a line of golden light materialized.
It wasn’t thick — barely the width of twine — but it glowed with a steady, pulsing luminescence that was absolutely, undeniably visible. The thread ran from somewhere beneath Ramona’s sternum, through the air, through the wall, in the direction of?—
Oh.
Oh no.
“What is that?” the woman asked, eyes wide.
From next door, she heard the scrape of a chair, a muffled curse, rapid footsteps.
“Totally normal!” Ramona’s voice came out too high. “We’ve been testing our new lighting system. Isn’t it pretty?” She grabbed the credit card reader, practically shoving it at the customer. “That’ll be forty-seven fifty, here’s your receipt, thank you so much for shopping with us?—”
“But what is the light?—”
Ramona was already ushering her toward the door. “Thank you, have a blessed day, namaste!”
She practically shoved the woman out onto the sidewalk and locked the door behind her, flipping the sign toBack in 15 Minutes.
The thread pulsed. Once. Twice. Like a heartbeat that wasn’t hers.
Ramona yanked at the thread. Her fingers passed through it, but she could feel it. Warm. Solid in a way that had nothing to do with physical matter. It didn’t budge. Didn’t even flicker.
“Ramona!” Zara’s voice, muffled through the door. “Ramona, open up!”
Ramona unlocked the door, stepping back as Zara walked in.
Zara burst in, eyes wild, one hand pressed to her own chest. She was wearing jeans and one of Ramona’s hoodies — civilian clothes, nothing glamoured — and her short dark hair was sticking up like she’d been running her hands through it. The golden thread ran directly to her, disappearing somewhere beneath the hoodie.
“What the fuck?” Zara asked.
“I don’t know! A customer activated a crystal bundle and it just… appeared!”
“Crystals don’t do this.” Zara stared at the glowing thread between them. “Mortal crystals don’t have this kind of power.”
“Well apparently, these ones do!” Ramona gestured frantically at the thread. “Can you make it stop?”
“I don’t… know. Let me think.” Zara pulled out her HellBerry, already swiping. “There has to be a reversal protocol for magical activation?—”
The back door opened. Marcus walked in through the back office, took one long drag, then slowly lowered his vape pen as he stared at the glowing golden rope connecting Ramona to a stranger in his shop.
