“Yep. Very cute.”
Entering the store, they headed to the clothes racks. Sasha tried on the outfit from the window plus several more. Her heart felt lighter minute by minute as she twisted and turned in front of the mirror along with Caroline. As she paid for her purchases she checked her phone for the time. “OMG, we’ve spent nearly an hour playing around here.”
A breeze fluttered across her cheeks as she stepped outside. She brushed her hair behind one ear. “I feel like fish for dinner tonight,” she said, glancing sideways at Caroline. “Do you think Mummy’s Diner has that?”
“They should. Maybe tilapia or something, if that’s what you’re after.”
The snow leopard shifter in Sasha was partial to fish. She swept her tongue along her lips. All she’d had today were a handful of seeds and a couple of berries. A delicious seafood dinner was just what she needed. Her stomach growled at the thought.
Caroline grinned. “Oh my. You are hungry, aren’t you?”
Sasha picked up her pace. Her precious time would go by in a blink. She had been in Nocturne Falls for five days now and had determined that, even though it was a small, quaint town, there were a lot of places she’d like to visit—the winery, Delaney’s Delectables, the Illusions jewelry store, to name a few. But with her time limitations, she’d had very little time to check out the town in human form. And moving forward, all her efforts needed to be focused on connecting with the witches of Nocturne Falls. So far, she’d learned that Alice Biship was the most powerful witch, although there seemd to be many reasons why people wouldn’t want to approach her. Corette Williams was also a very powerful witch and owned the Ever After bridal boutique in town. She had three daughters: Pandora, a local real estate agent; Charisma, who was a professional life coach; and Marigold, who owned a flower shop. Surely one of them would know how to reverse this confounded spell.
When they reached the entrance to Mummy’s Diner, Caroline held the door open for her. Sasha’s eyes adjusted quickly to the dim lighting as she entered, her cat instincts taking over. The sign at the entrance advised SEAT YOURSELF, so she headed for the vacant booth in the back where it was quiet and secluded.
Sasha checked her watch. Fixating on the time was becoming a bad habit. She sighed.
The waitress came over with a smile. “Hi. Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, thank you,” Sasha replied. “I’m mainly interested in food.” As if on cue, her stomach rumbled again.
The waitress raised a brow. “Okay. We can handle that.”
“Caroline?” Sasha asked, finding her manners.
“I’m just going to glance at the menu,” she said. “You go ahead.”
“I’d like seafood. Any recommendations?” Sasha asked.
“We have a Fish-and Chips special” the waitress told her.
“Perfect.”
Caroline set her menu on the table. “I’ll have the same, actually, and just some water please.”
“Excellent,” the waitress said, picking up the menus. “Two Fish-and-Chip specials coming right up.”
As the woman walked away, all Sasha could think was, Hurry.
Chapter Two
It was almost seven by the time Kianso pulled into Nocturne Falls. The sun had set, and the automatic street lighting came on as he progressed. He drove down Main Street, noting the orange-and-purple Halloween motif and the jack-o’-lanterns that graced many of the business doorsteps and windows.
“They are really serious about the town’s themed moneymaker,” he said.
“Hey, Mummy’s Diner is up on the right,” Seth said, ignoring Kianso’s comment. “Pull in there and we’ll grab a bite before we go to the condo. I’ll restock the fridge tomorrow.”
Kianso did as instructed and parked the car. “How often do you come here?” he asked when he joined Seth on the sidewalk. He looked at the archangel, noticing that he didn’t fold in his wings the way he usually did. Instead, he let them drape free in all their glory, the shimmery feathers reflecting the twinkling lights along the sidewalk.
“Mummy’s or Nocturne Falls?” Seth asked.
“The latter.”
“Not often enough. I purchased a condo in the Excelsior right after it was built. Figured it was a good investment and close to Tyler and my duties there. But I’ve only used it a handful of times. Hopefully, I can visit more this year.”
“But the hesitation in your voice says you don’t expect to.”
Seth shrugged his massive shoulders, causing his wings to move with the motion. “There’s a lot of ruthless evil and destruction going on right now. So I won’t hold my breath.”
Kianso wondered if angels actually breathed. He’d never really paid attention.
“Come on,” Seth nudged. “Their Better-Than-Sex Pie is divine.”
“Hmph,” Kianso grunted. “Guess you have privileged info on that. I mean, you hang out in heaven, right? Can pie be better than that?”
“Maybe one day I’ll give you a glimpse.”
“I’m in no hurry.”
Inside, Seth guided them toward the only empty table left in the place. Thankfully, there was enough space to accommodate his wings. A waiter appeared, barely giving them a chance to glance at the menu in his enthusiasm. Kianso wondered if he was new at the job. He and Seth both ordered Zombie burgers…big bad burgers.
Kianso swept his gaze around the room. There seemed to be a balanced mix of supernatural beings and humans. A troll couple was sitting in the corner booth, a foursome of vampires was at another table, a pair of human women were giggling at a nearby table, and then another set of women were at the booth next to Seth and Kianso.
As he watched the two women nearest to them, the one on the far side of the booth peered across the space at him. Her eyes latched on to him and held. In that moment, he couldn’t look away.
Did he know her? A flutter winged through his gut, and as he continued to look at her, her smile grew.
She had intense, deep-blue eyes that didn’t blink or waver. Her white-blond hair barely touched her shoulders. She looked stunning in tan pants and a leopard-print top. Who was she? What sort of creature?
A beautiful one, his mind answered.
She was sitting up straight in her seat, her slender neck and head angled toward him. She wore it swept to the side, so he could see her brow pinch slightly before she glanced down and the curtain of hair fell and hid her face.
Look up, he thought. Look at me.
She did, tucking a lock of her hair behind one ear with her delicate fingers.
The vibe she was emitting reached out and touched him, curled around him. His energy crashed into hers, and they circled in the space between them. Heat swept through him, settling in his groin as she looked at him from beneath long lashes. He had to learn who she was.
Seth turned his head and followed Kianso’s gaze. “She’s striking,” the archangel said.
“Yes. And there’s something going on with her. I can’t quite put my finger on it,” Kianso admitted. “I just…feel her tension.”
At that moment, she glanced at her watch and an anxious expression flitted over her features. She rose quickly, dropped her napkin onto her plate, and dashed past him, practically running out of the diner.
Before Kianso realized what he was doing, he was following her. But when he got to the door and scanned the walk, she wasn’t anywhere in sight. Where did she go?
He blinked and peered left, then right. Strange. The crowd on the street was too light to get lost in. Did she possess magical powers where she could simply disappear?
Frustrated and disappointed, he went back inside Mummy’s, where a woman with a riot of red hair stood beside the table speaking to Seth.
The archangel made introductions. “Kianso, this is Pandora Williams, the top real estate agent in Nocturne Falls. She gave me the heads-up when the Excelsior condos were being built.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Kianso said, offering his hand.
Her green eyes flashed with enthusiasm. “Likewise. Welcome to Nocturne Falls. What do you think of our little town so far?”
“It’s very unusual,” he said. “I’ve only just arrived, so I’m looking forward to the tour tomorrow.”
She paused, seeming to assess him with those shrewd emerald eyes. “I’m sure Seth knows all the best places to show you.” She looked at Seth. “Don’t you, darling?”
Seth grinned. “Absolutely. And they have some of the best food anywhere.”
Kianso chuckled softly. “Leave it to him to know where the finest crepe, sushi, or steak is being served.” Then he let his gaze slide past Pandora to the table where his mystery woman had been sitting. Her dining companion was still there.
“Pandora, who is that woman?” he asked. Since she seemed to have a finger on the pulse of the town, he figured Pandora may know her.
Pandora twisted around to eye the woman. “Oh. That’s Caroline Linzer. She owns Creepy Critter Pets.”
His heart began to race. If Pandora knew Caroline, maybe she also knew his mystery woman. “Did you happen to see the blond woman who was with her?” he asked. “She just left.”
She frowned. “No, I’m afraid not. Why?”
“Just wondering. She, um, looked familiar,” he said, which was true. He simply couldn’t recall where he’d seen her before.
Pandora stepped backward, giving him the once-over, then leaned in closer. “You’re not a normie, are you?” she whispered. “You’re a supernatural.”
“Not really,” he answered. “Back home in Hawaii, I was a shamanic warrior. But that was a lifetime ago. I’ve given that up.”
“Have you now?” She raised an eyebrow. “Once a witch doctor, always a witch doctor, I always say.”
Seth hooted. “You tell him, Pandy.”
Kianso straightened and cleared his throat. “Shamans are not witch doctors.”
Pandora moved in the direction of the door. As she traveled by him, she patted his shoulder. “If you say so.” She glanced at Seth and gave a wave. “See you boys around.”
Kianso watched her exit and then slid into his chair. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Caroline Linzer scurrying after Pandora and catching the witch’s attention on the sidewalk outside.
The waiter delivered their food, and Kianso murmured his thanks. When he glanced out the front window again, the women were gone.
Seth smacked his lips. “I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving.”
“Food is one of the simplest pleasures life has to offer.” He lifted the thick, good old-fashioned hamburger from his plate and sunk his teeth into it with a throaty moan.
Kianso paused, admiring the work of art, the plump, pub-style burger with lettuce and tomato and red onions. He took a bite and then dabbed the napkin at his chin as the juices of the burger ran over his stubble. As he ate, he had to admit that the food at Mummy’s Diner really was terrific.
“If you like Italian we can eat at Guillermo’s tomorrow,” Seth said.
“Sounds good to me. Mmm, this is delicious.” He ate another bite. “Although, I’m happy to eat Italian food seven days a week, too.”
“An Italian-lovin’ Hawaiian. Learn something new every day.” Seth lifted a shoulder—and wing with it—and then let it fall back into place.
The waitress slid two slices of Better-Than-Sex pie onto the table. Seth raised his fork and waggled his brows in an exaggerated show of anticipation. A forkful of the creamy-chocolaty dessert disappeared into his friend’s mouth and he closed his eyes as a satisfied expression washed over his face. He pointed his fork a Kianso. “Try it.”
He did. The pie tasted delicious. Even so, his gaze drifted to the next table. There was just something about her he couldn’t ignore.
The next thing Kianso knew, his fork was scraping an empty plate. And while the first bites had been fabulous, he couldn’t say he’d noticed the rest. He was too fixated on his thoughts of the girl with the white-blond hair. Which seemed odd since one, he didn’t usually go for blondes, and two, he wasn’t looking for a woman to complete him…and all that romantic gibberish.
Chapter Three
Sasha only had to fly a short distance to find a place to land. She was breathing hard and her heart beat wildly against her ribs…not due to exertion but because of the way the gorgeous stranger’s look had made her feel. Like he desired her. And for those few crazy moments, before she’d had to flee, she’d known an all-consuming need to meet him. How could the sensations of belonging and desire be so intense in such a short time?
Once again, this blasted curse had interfered in her life. Ugh, ruins and rain. She couldn’t take this much longer.
Letting go of her immense disappointment, she scanned the area to get her bearings. Her claws tried to grip a substance as hard as rock. She glanced down. Actually, it was rock. She perched on the shoulder of the massive stone gargoyle that adorned the fountain in the center of town.
From the direction of Mummy’s, Caroline approached, carrying their shopping bags and talking to a woman with a riot of red hair. They paused a few feet away. She strained to overhear the conversation between them, and learned Caroline was speaking to Pandora, one of the town’s witches she sought to interview.
“Pandora, so you see, my friend is looking for someone—another witch—who might be able to undo the spell put on her in the midst of a quarrel.”
If Sasha had hands, she would have clapped. Caroline was pleading her case to Pandora Williams, one of the witches in town she’d told her about. Excitement whirled in her chest.
Suddenly, the world began to move, as did the stone beneath her claws. She shifted her weight, but she couldn’t find purchase in the stone.
“Get off me,” a hard voice grumbled.
Sasha felt as if she was on a roller coaster until she flapped her wings and then resettled. Water splashed about, and then a large stone hand swatted in her direction. “Off, I say.”
Whoa! The gargoyles were real creatures, she realized, not merely fixtures!
Another spray of water droplets fell through the air, and Sasha flew to the fountain’s edge. Pandora and Caroline both turned their heads and stared at her.
“There she is,” Caroline said, brushing wetness from her arm. “Sasha, this is Pandora Williams. She’s the witch I told you about.”
“Hello,” she squawked.
“She doesn’t like talking much in bird form,” Caroline explained.
Pandora frowned. “Well, fiddlesticks. Then I don’t see how I can help you, darling.” She turned to leave.
“Wait,” Sasha said. “For three hours every evening I’m human again. Maybe we could meet you during that time tomorrow? Between five to eight in the evening. That’s when I’m my normal self.”
Pandora glanced at Sasha and then back at Caroline. “That’s a difficult time. And tomorrow’s Saturday. My family always gathers for dinner, and then we have a party to attend.”
“The engagement bash Nick is throwing Van and Lisa?” Caroline asked.
“Yes. Are you attending?”
“I am. Sasha, too, granted the timing works out in her favor. Perhaps we can talk a little more then?”
Pandora nodded. “In the meantime, I’ll confer with my mother and sisters. Maybe they’ve had some experience with spells of wrath.” She withdrew a business card from the side of her purse and offered it to Caroline.
“Perfect.” She accepted the card.
“Thank you,” Sasha chirped, gratitude swelling in her chest.
“You’re welcome. See you then.” As she passed the fountain, Pandora said, “Nick, you may want to go below and dry off.”
“A few drops of water never hurt anyone,” the gargoyle muttered and struck a different pose.
Sasha was awestruck. She learned something new about Nocturne Falls every day, and it was always something as remarkable as it was strange.
* * *
It was after ten t
hat evening when they arrived at Seth’s condo.
“Just pull up front,” Seth told Kianso. “The valet will park the car.”
“Seriously?” Kianso said, surprised at how nice the place was. He craned his neck and looked up at the five-story building as he got out of his Mustang and grabbed his bag out of the trunk. It wasn’t the fanciest or largest place he’d ever been, of course. The big cities with their high-rises would surpass it in a minute. But for a small Georgia town, the Excelsior was pretty swanky. All clean lines, accent lights, and modern touches.
He recalled what Seth had said about buying the place as an investment. How many such investments did the archangel have?
They entered a small lobby, and the man at a bell desk waved at Seth. “Good to see you, sir,” he said.
“Same here,” Seth replied as he led the way to the elevator on the left. Kianso guessed the right one was exclusive to the penthouse, as it was in many luxury buildings like this one. While they waited for their ride up, he noted a fitness room and pool set back behind a classy glass entry off to the right. Too bad he didn’t come prepared to use either.
They stepped on the elevator and took it to the fourth floor. When they exited, Kianso immediately discerned a distinct division in occupancy. The space seemed to be divided into two condos, both quite spacious judging from the size of the building.
“I’m to the right.” Seth indicated with flick of his hand. “I liked this place because of its security. Since I only come here once in a while, it was perfect, and as I mentioned, close to Tyler.”
“It’s really nice,” Kianso remarked.
Seth smirked. “I think so.” He punched in the code of an electronic combination lock beside the door to his condo and entered.
The Shaman Charms the Shifter Page 2