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Without waiting for his response, I unlocked the shop and headed straight inside.

Rook followed right on my heels. He was persistent, I’d give him that.

“What are you looking for?” he asked as I rummaged beneath the bathroom sink.

“Bleach,” I answered.

“Bleach?”

“To burn that image out of my mind.”

He barked out a laugh but didn’t ask any more questions. I was only joking about the bleach, anyway.

I snagged the journal I was looking for and went to the front desk, ignoring the alpha while I looked for the Mayor’s page. My pen flew across the paper as I recorded the incident this morning. Then Mr. Johnson’s latest car curse.

“What is that?” Rook asked, snatching it as I went to tuck it away from prying eyes.

“A log of all the curses in town along with incidents. Curses can be complicated and take many forms.”

He started to move closer but a loud explosion in town had my entire shop shaking like we were experiencing an earthquake.

Rook’s eyes lit up as he ran out the door. “This town is so exciting.”

He could go investigate. I was good where I was.

Now that the shaking stopped I spent time fixing my shelves and displays, making sure no breakables were in danger of bursting against the polished floors.

Only when I was satisfied did I step outside. Blake was running past me, her outfit from earlier fitting tighter, somehow.

“Wait…” I said, eyes wide as I watched my friend do more cardio in five seconds than she’d done in our time as friends.

“Was that me?!” Blake shrieked as she ran down the sidewalk. “What the fuck is going on?”

“At least you aren’t naked,” I offered, unsure of what else I could even say in a moment like this.

Just as she was moving back, the fake-Blake transformed into Mr. Johnson, sponge still dripping with syrup.

The sound of boots hitting pavement had everyone looking down the street. Just for a moment, fake Mr. Johnson’s eyes locked on me. My head tilted between the buildings and I stepped aside.

“My shed is unlocked, just lock it behind you while you calm down,” I hissed as he passed me. There was no reason for me to help this cursed man, but I could practically feel the anxiety wafting off of him.

I couldn’t just do nothing. Sometimes we had to stick together against the magistrate and this was my version of a middle finger today.

“What?” Blake asked, turning to look at me.

“I said they need to calm down. We’re all cursed, stuff like this is going to happen,” I muttered.

“Can it not happen with my face, though?” She shuddered dramatically as a new wave of enforcers walked through.

“Everyone, back inside!” they bellowed. Most listened, turning and heading in. Blake gave me a look that said we’d absolutely be discussing this whole incident over dinner, before heading back to her shop.

I closed the door behind me and grabbed a duster. My eyes were glued to the street outside the front windows as I pretended to dust every surface. The enforcers filtered through the streets.

There were only about six of them but they were well-practiced at clearing the streets. No one lingered now and they finally gave up and headed back to the Magistrate building.

Good riddance.

I stopped in the break room for a bottle of water and a small vial of relaxation potion. Anxiety was an old friend of mine and I kept a few on hand for when I truly needed it.