4. Clark

Clark

" I 'll see you on Thursday, boss." Louis raps his knuckles on the door frame. "Don't stay up too late."

He smiles, knowing full well I have a habit of losing myself in the web of reading when new spells are out, along with an approaching harvest moon.

"Thank you, Louis. I'll do my best." Laughing, I rise from my seat and follow him to the front door. "You know me well."

"I know what hard work and dedication look like. And I say if it brings you joy, then good. Life is too short, you know?"

"It certainly is. Have a good night, Louis."

Locking the shop door behind him, I switch off the main lights, leaving the window security lighting on.

Once I'm back in my office, I pull out my supper from the mini fridge and eat my loaded salad while scrolling through the various threads on a witchcraft chat board. Discussions have been ramping up the last few days with excitement over the moon phase and magic pull.

I'm just as excited. My regular magic club meeting will be a larger than normal group because of the phenomenon, I hope. And I want to harness the moon's energy and attempt a new spell.

For him.

The man from the club has consumed my thoughts. I've lost sleep researching spells and potions to bring me something, anything, to help find him. Going back to the sex club seems like a waste of time. My pass was only for one day as a trial. Purchasing a membership and going every spare moment hoping to find him seems more difficult than attempting a new spell.

"Hmm…this person added simple spearmint to a base of cardamon-infused distilled water and changed the words in her spell to… Oh ! This is interesting!"

Setting my dinner aside, I scribble notes of ingredients and outcomes and spells until my hand cramps. My eyes droop, but I fight the sleep my body wants. I want a chance to try this spell before Thursday's meeting, but perhaps I should do it in the comfort of my home tonight.

Switching off my computer, I gather my coat and pack up the rest of my dinner to eat later. Before I leave, I scan the store shelves to make sure I have the right ingredients and pack away what I need to bring home.

Patting my pockets to locate my keys, I sigh. "Crap, I forgot my phone on the desk."

Hurrying back to the office, the moment my hand closes on the phone, the entire store plunges into darkness. A thick electricity snaps in the space, making the hair on my arms stand up. A low buzz vibrates through my feet, and my mouth turns dry.

What the hell is going on?

Feeling my way out of the office, I hope the streetlights might cast a glow inside the shop, but the feeling of being rubbed against a balloon only grows stronger. There's no light, but there are muffled voices.

"What do you mean, you can't see it?"

"I'm telling you, all I see is a brick building with paper on the windows!"

"This is the place. I'm looking at the sign. There's stuff on the shelves inside. It's a store, X."

My heart pounds in an erratic rhythm. The voice belonging to the one who can't see Beautiful Belladonna imprints on my entire being. There's a visceral need bleeding through their voice. Like they can't go on with life until they enter. A plea that feels oddly personal and I can't ignore.

They need to see me.

And I need to find the owner of that smooth voice.

The voices grow distant, and the electric feeling vanishes almost as fast as it came. The lights pop back on, and an icy breeze rushes by me as I catch my breath.

"Magic," I whisper into the silent store.

Something or someone was here. I know it as sure as I know my name.

My knees wobble, and I reach for the wall.

Who were those voices? What did they do ?

Most importantly, can they come back and teach me what it was?

Scrambling to the front window, I look out onto the street and see no one, but that static feeling still lingers.

Along with something else I can't quite put my finger on.

After tossing for hours, I slide out of bed and head to the kitchen for a cup of tea.

I've been on edge since the lights went out and that crackling filled the store. The phrase I overheard keeps running through my brain.

"What do you mean, you can't see it?"

A person speaking couldn't see the building. Standing right outside and looking at my storefront, they couldn't see Beautiful Belladonna.

Unless they're actually blind, what does that mean?

As the kettle whistles, I pull the well-used reference book off its shelf and sit at the table.

A History of Witchcraft: Spells, Potions, and Lifestyle.

The leather-bound book was the first thing I bought myself when Beautiful Belladonna turned its first profit. The kettle clicks off, and after pouring my pomegranate tea, I flip to the section on cloaking and invisibility.

Only the most powerful sorcerer could master a cloaking spell and render an entire storefront invisible. Which begs the question, why? Who or what would want to hide Beautiful Belladonna?

It's not a simple spell to learn and needs years of practice to master. But it also needs an initial potion containing fairy dust, which isn't something you can find unless you have access to supernatural beings.

Sipping my tea, I let that sink in.

"If that person couldn't see my store…" The teacup clatters back to the saucer. "Oh, my god. Real sorcery is happening to my store."

Shoving away from the table, I pace the small kitchen.

They noticed me and are hiding me. Why?

Am I getting too good at real magic and they're suppressing me? That seems absurd. Why wouldn't they want to take in the guy with magic skills? Unless they feel threatened.

And who the hell are they !?

"Shit. Maybe I'm onto something that threatens them."

My fingers tug at my hair while I try to puzzle out what this means, and I'm only coming up with two possibilities.

Either I'm great with my spells, and they're nervous I'll discover a secret, or they're hiding me for protection. I don't know from whom, but they cloaked my shop from that voice for a reason.

Not only do I want to know why, but I want to find that voice.

I need to.

Turning back to the witchcraft book, I read until the sun comes up and it's time for work.

But I'm no closer to any answers.