Page 54 of The Little Shop of Curiosities Cursed Object 1, The Music Box

“Thank you, but there’s no need.” Harrison shakes his head. “I’m having a large metal safe installed in the back room in a few days.”

“A large metal safe?” I blink. “Are they really that dangerous?”

“In the wrong hands, yes.” He chews the corner of his mouth thoughtfully, and this time my fingers twitch with the urge to reach out and touch those tempting lips.

“Lately, I–” He breaks off, his brows wrinkling.

“What?” I unconsciously lean in closer. Even though there’s a sturdy desk between us, I can’t help but gravitate towards him.

He shakes his head. “Nothing.”

“No, go on,” I urge.

He blows out a heavier breath. “It’s just that the last few cursed items I’ve acquired have been…” He hesitates, but not because he doesn’t want to tell me. It’s more like he’s looking for the right words. “Stronger,” he decides. “Cursed objects always pack a punch and not in a good way.”

“Is there a good way to get punched?” I grin to lighten his mood, and he rolls his eyes.

“You know what I mean.” He goes back to chewing his lip, and I want to tug it free of his teeth and replace it with my mouth.

“What I’m trying to say is that most cursed objects are pretty potent, it’s their very nature, but these ones have been almost supercharged.”

That startles me from my inappropriate thoughts and back to the subject. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure.” He shakes his head slowly. “The original curses would’ve been bad enough, but now they seem more somehow. Like something is powering them up.”

“For what?”

He shrugs. “I wouldn’t have a clue. Right now I’m not even certain what’s causing it.”

“The storm?” I offer.

He stares at me contemplatively, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You know it’s not natural?”

I nod and think back to the restaurant and then again at Danny and Tristan’s place. Beneath all the prickles, there’s a real sense of vulnerability to Harrison, and it makes me want to give him a little part of myself that I’ve only shared with Danny so far.

“I know that the storm is supernatural in origin,” I say, drawing in a breath. “I’m not exactly…normal myself.”

His head tilts curiously as he studies me, and it spurs me on.

“You already know I can see spirits like Tristan can.”

“You said you had a near death experience?” he says, his tone soft.

“Yeah.” I swallow, trying to force back the hidden memories always hovering at the edge of my mind. “I can…when I touch objects, I see things, sometime feel or smell things.”

“Psychometry?” Harrison murmurs.

“I guess so.” I shrug. “When I researched it, that was the closest explanation I came to that explains the things I can do.”

“Hmm.” He purses his lips in thought, glancing at the cabinet of curios. “That would make you especially susceptible to cursed objects.” He turns his head back to me. “You didn’t have anyone to help you? When you first discovered your abilities?”

I shake my head, unable to stop myself from thinking back to those long months of pain and loneliness as I tried to heal.

“The first few months of my recovery were…” I close my eyes and shake my head, not able to force the words past my lips.

I feel a warmth blanket my hand as it rests on the desk, and when I open my eyes, it’s to see Harrison’s hand covering mine. I look up and he seems as surprised as I am. His big blue eyes widen, and an arc of electricity shoots through his hand into mine, like static electricity but a thousand times stronger. For one brief second, I see an image, a black-edged mirror, and it’s so clear it’s almost like I’m standing in front of it.

Harrison gasps and yanks his hand back, cradling it to his chest.