Chapter 4

Four

The fates are not kind.

In fact I bet they’re having a laugh at me right about now, watching as I try to duck and run like an undercover agent trying to sneak by security on my way to steal the royal jewels.

“No no no no,” I hissed, peeking around the corner of the tampons and aspirin aisle, snagging a box of ibuprofen while I was at it because I have a feeling I’m going to need it, “Don’t you dare look this way you scruffy little weasel.”

From the moment I entered the building I have been on high alert for the creep. My magic trailing through the air like invisible ribbons, searching the area, until it found his signature. Which of course meant his magic senses mine as well, but that’s the chance I gladly took to know exactly where he is at all times.

Which currently just so happens to be six feet away, standing in front of an end cap while restocking bags of candy. Dull brown hair slicked back into a ponytail, complete with a standard black hairnet, Danny groaned and wheezed as he leaned down to grab several 15 pound bags from a stack of boxes. Sweat stains created large circles in his light blue shirt, under the pits of his arms. Talk about gross.

“Stars above I need a few bags of candy too,” groaning, I debated on whether to grab them now, while I’m here, or risk forgetting them on my way to the register.

“Moira!” A shrill voice, at least it sounded like it to me, called out over the soft music playing overhead, “By the stars! It’s been so long. How have you been?”

Confused, I stood up, having given up on my mission to hide. There’s no way he didn’t hear her. I’m pretty sure half the store did.

Head tilted, I studied the young woman who called out to me. Long blond hair and a deep bronze tan, there was no way this woman was a local and yet, something about her chocolate brown eyes and lightly freckled nose reminded me of someone I knew long ago, “Kattie?”

“Psh, it’s Katherine now,” she waved her hand as she pushed her filled cart across the aisles, “Had to leave that childish name behind when I packed my bags and left. Fresh start and all that, you know?”

No, I didn’t know but I nodded my head anyway.

For as long as I can remember Kattie, I guess Katherine now, had always talked about leaving the village to make her way in the world. Having been born here, the same as almost everyone else in our village, she had an almost insatiable itch to travel. She even had a countdown to graduation she updated daily the first day we entered high school.

“What brings you back?”

“The parentals,” she rolled her eyes, her finger twirling about in her blond hair, “They caught me at a hostel in France and begged me to come back and visit. You would have thought I’d been gone for a decade, with the way they were going on.”

“Well, it has been five years-”

“Exactly!” she shouted. I don’t remember her ever being this loud in school. Thankfully her voice lowered back to normal levels as she continued, “I knew I should have gone straight to my next stop before checking in with them but Michael made me promise we would after our tour of the Eiffel Tower. He’s been wanting to meet the parentals and I can’t say no to him when he begs me so sweetly.” A slight blush darkened her cheeks as she finished, most likely realizing what she had just said.

A hand touched my shoulder, causing me to jump. My grip tightening on the shopping cart to keep from pushing it away. Knowing my luck it would crash into some display and I would be responsible for any damages caused.

“Hey, Moira. I didn’t see you standing there,” Danny smiled as he pulled his hand back. Yep, same crooked smile giving off the same creepy vibes.

I take it back, I should have pushed the cart. You better believe I would have made him pay for any damages.

I scowled as I pulled away from him, just now realizing I had stopped monitoring my magic, while being distracted by Katherine. Said magic was currently being the moody cat that she is, standing with her back arched, hair standing up, hissing with her claws unsheathed.

Another thing that makes me different from my mother, and pretty much almost everyone else. While she would compare her magic to feeling like warm waters contained in a well deep within her soul, mine is more like a temperamental cat. Curious and loving, she has been my protector and friend for as long as I can remember, with an uncanny sixth sense. And right now she was telling me to get my stuff and go.

“I was hoping I would catch up with you,” he continued, obviously oblivious to my unease and the hostile vibes my magic was giving off. Either that or he just didn’t care.

“Oh, would you look at the time,” I looked at my wrist, knowing full well there wouldn’t be a watch there, “It’s been nice catching up with you, Katherine, but I need to get some things and head home. Soul cakes don’t bake themselves, you know.”

“Moira,” Dany called out but I was already walking away, focused on the sign for the baking aisle four aisles away.

As I passed the bagged candy end cap I snagged several bags, tossing them into my cart without even looking at how many I had grabbed. There’s no way I’m going to pause long enough for him to catch up to me. Besides, I figure anything left over from Halloween can always be used in future cookie or brownie recipes.

Thankfully he takes the hint and doesn’t follow, allowing me to take a slow, deep breath as I pause in front of the bags of sugar halfway down the aisle. Hopefully far enough away where he can’t watch me, like a creeper, while I pull my list out of my coat pocket.

Further down the aisle an elderly woman was pacing several feet away from me before spinning around, the hem of her burgundy skirt flaring around her ankles, before continuing her pacing back my way. All the while her eyes remained focused on the top shelf, her brow furrowed in deep thought.

“Oh dear. Oh dear,” she muttered, pausing long enough to finally take a step towards the shelf.

Quietly I watched as she reached up, scowled when she found herself too short, and took a step back. A scent of crisp apples and warm cinnamon filled the aisle, coating my senses in warmth. Relaxing my frayed nerves after my encounter with Danny. It even coaxed my magic to curl up and purr.

“Excuse me,” smiling, I walked away from my cart and approached, “Is there something you would like me to get down for you?”

For a moment she just looked at me, slowly blinking her large owl-like eyes, before squinting at me. Maybe she forgot her glasses at home.

Fidgeting with the long sleeves of her peasant top she cocked her head to the side, the crows feet at the corner of her eyes becoming more pronounced as she smiled, “Would you mind? I don’t want to bother you. You’re probably busy with preparing for tomorrow's festival but I really need that bottle of vanilla up there, the real thing, not that imitation monstrosity, of course.”

I nodded, quickly agreeing. While the imitation stuff will do in a pinch when you have no choice, there’s nothing like the real thing, even if it comes with a cringe worthy price tag. In the end it’s just worth the cost. “Of course.”

Reaching up, I felt around the cubby hole until I found several boxes of vanilla extract. Meanwhile the woman continued rambling, “I had asked that young man but he ignored me. Walked right on by without a single word. The young these days. Always so impatient. Never stopping to help those in need. Though not you dear. I’m talking about the stock boy and that woman with the high pitch voice.”

“Happy to have helped,” I held out the two boxes, waiting for her to take as many as she needed, “I’m sure there’s more up there, if this isn’t enough for what you need.”

“One box is more than enough. Thank you dear,” and without another word, she placed the box in her cart and walked down the aisle.

For a moment I just stood there, smiling, as I watched the billow of her skirt disappear around the corner. Once again distracted from my mission. As she disappeared I suddenly remembered the list that was once again in my pocket.

Huh, I wonder when I put it there.

Placing the second box of vanilla extract in my cart, for it was on my list as well, I began to wander up and down the aisles, somehow knowing Denny wouldn’t be bothering me as I proceeded to fill my own cart.

The rest of the trip through the store goes by in a blur. Before I realize it, my cart is full and I’m checking out without running into anyone else. The backpack I brought to carry the items is filled and I make my way to the large sliding glass doors.

“Pardon me,” a familiar voice calls out, causing me to come to a halt just a few feet from the entrance. A smile on my lips as I turn in the direction the voice came from.