AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“This is… interesting,” Malcolm said. It made him itch, being so close to so many mortals. Two screaming children dressed as demons raced down the sidewalk in front of him.
“That’s one word for it. It’s really very charming,” Sofia said. “Let’s go in here. This shop has potential. I’d bet dollars to donuts we’ll find Mytheans peddling goods to mortals in a few of these places. They can tell us where to find Salem Hollow.”
Malcolm ducked through the low doorway behind her. The shop was small, with bundled herbs and flowers hanging from the ceiling and candles and knickknacks on every surface. Books crowded the two tables inside. Wicca, or whatever it was the mortal witches practiced, was obviously the theme of this particular shop.
He sensed no magic within. The proprietress, a blond woman wearing layered skirts and about a dozen scarves, smiled at him. He nodded at her, then caught Sofia’s eye. Shenodded briefly, and after a moment of browsing, they turned and left.
“All right, that was a bust,” Sofia said. “I mean, if I wanted my house to smell nice, that’s the place I’d try. But for anything more than that? Nah.”
It took them three more shops before they found one that reeked of magic. Black and red candles burned in the window and pentagrams were painted on the glass. He pushed open the heavy door and held it for Sofia, then followed her inside.
The interior was dark and cramped. It screamed black magic—or at least, what mortals thought black magic might be. Crystals and candles decorated the shelves, along with animal bones and vials of brightly colored liquid. Fog drifted along the floor, coming from a black door in the back.
A young, dark-haired demon from an unidentifiable afterworld sat on a stool behind the narrow counter, snapping her gum and reading a book. She glanced up when the door shut, her eyes widening slightly behind black-framed glasses. She looked like something out of the 1950’s, with bouffant hair and red lips.
“Can I help you?” she asked. “You’re not from around here.”
“No, I’m not,” Malcolm said. “What’s a demon doing selling spells and trinkets to mortals?”
“Gotta make a living. And besides, they’ll pay out the nose for this crap. I stay away from the Wicca stuff. Respect their religion and all that—I’m not a monster.”
“What do you sell?”
She shrugged. “Folks who frequent my fair establishment aren’t interested in mortal witchcraft. They just want to cursetheir colleagues and make people fall in love with them. So I don’t exactly feel guilty about selling them a bullshit spell and a black candle.”
“Fair enough,” Malcolm said.
“What are you?” Her green gaze darted to Sofia. “She’s a witch. What kind, I don’t know. But I can’t tell with you.”
Good. The charm was working. “Sorcerer. We’d like to find Salem Hollow.”
“Oh? Why’s that? You know we locals like to keep that on the down low. Hard to hide the street from mortals if we have all kinds of strangers coming and going.”
“We’ll be subtle. My friend here is looking for someone.”
“How do you know you’ll find them in the Hollow?”
“A hunch.”
“Hmm. Well, it’ll cost you.”
“How much?”
Her gaze ran up and down his form. “Thirty minutes in the back.”
“That’s quite the offer.”
She smiled. Before it could fade from her lips, he slipped the charmed cuff off his wrist and reached out to touch her temple, sending a burst of his magic and will into her mind that broke down her barriers.
He lowered his hand. “Do you know anything about the Salem Coven?”
In a slightly wooden voice, she said, “They live here. Not sure where. No one really knows.”
“No?”
“No. They keep to themselves. Not all witches are part of the Salem Coven, though. Only twelve. Maybe thirteen. No one is quite sure. They’re secretive.”
“Where’s Salem Hollow?”
