“No, Rafe’s been minding his manners,” I admitted, and Rafe shot me a grin.
“Yes, she-witch. Stay away from me.”
Luna glared at him again, then crossed her arms over her chest.
“Talk. You all but ran in the door.”
“There was a body – someone was murdered and laid out on the pentagram that we drew in the sand.” The words rushed out, and I watched as Luna’s eyes went huge in her delicate face.
“I’m sorry. Did you just say that a dead body was laid out on our pentagram?”
I nodded vigorously, sucking coffee through my straw with a loud slurping noise.
“I did. And he had seeds drilled into his head, along with saplings.”
“No,” Luna said, backing up a bit.
“You know what that means?”
“It’s an offering. The seeds are meant to grow from thebrain, instilling the wisdom of the human into the universal consciousness of the world,” Luna explained.
“How could you possibly know that?” I exclaimed.
Luna held out both hands in front of her.
“You can’t know white magick without learning about dark magick.”
“I told you she’s crazy,” Rafe whispered behind my ear and I flinched, turning to swat him away like an annoying gnat.
“And she also told you that I have power too. So watch it, Rafe,” I said, menace lacing my words.
“This is not good,” Luna said, beginning to pace my shop.
“Captain Understatement over here,” I muttered, picking up my cards and beginning to slide them through my hands to soothe my nerves. The moon card fell out and my hand stilled over it. The picture was of a full moon, overlooking a beach. It took me instantly back to last night, and I shivered as I ignored the message in the card and slid it back into the pile. The moon card signified illusion and deception, showing that everything is not as it seems. Plus, the picture pretty much outlined where we’d been the night before.
“Death into life,” Luna muttered as she paced, “Earth element.”
Our eyes met.
“Horace.”
The bell signaled a new customer on Luna’s side of the shop, and I already knew.
“Say hi to Chief Thomas for me,” I whispered, andLuna shot me a look before slipping from behind my screen.
“Chief Thomas, I just heard,” Luna exclaimed and I heard a low murmur of voices before Luna poked her head around my screen again. “You’re wanted.”
I shot a glance at Rafe, making a shushing motion, then crossed to Luna’s side of the store. Lavender incense cast a soothing scent and a few candles flickered on a high shelf in front of a whitewashed wall. All was serene here.
“Chief Thomas,” I said, greeting the new sheriff with a smile. He filled out his uniform well, and still radiated a boyish honesty that I found appealing.
“Althea, good to see you again. How have you been since…” his eyes darted between Luna and me, “the incident?”
“Fine. In shock for a few days, if we’re going to be totally honest.”
“And sad about losing the best sandwiches in town,” Luna grumbled, causing a smile to flit across Chief Thomas’s face.
“Yes, I know it’s quite a loss to the town. Though Beau seems to be fixing the restaurant up nicely,” Chief Thomas said. I could sense that he was stalling.
