Fox?"
Dives nodded. "The only one."
I stared down at the floor and blinked. "Wow. William Fox, the billionaire in charge of Indigo Industries, bought a phoenix." I raised an eyebrow and furrowed my brow. "You think he wants it as a mascot?"
The bell above the door rang. Cotio cringed and slid towards the central door. "If you'll excuse me, a customer awaits." He slipped through the door and shut it behind him.
I turned to Dives. "So what's so special about having a phoenix? Besides home fire insurance not covering its habit of combusting."
Dives pursed his lips and shook his head. "I'm not sure, but it's a very rare creature and Fox never buys anything except for a purpose." He glanced at the bird who continued to stare at us. "Unfortunately, there's not much we can do. Even if Fox bought the creature illegally there's no system in the paranormal world to stop smuggling of this nature."
"I'd hate for normal people to get a hold of it. The thing would be plucked dry," I commented.
He nodded. "I agree. But we should-" A horrible cry came from the front of the shop.
CHAPTER 9
We rushed to the front and slid to a stop against the desk to look over the counter. A wizened old hag stood before the cowering Cotio. The woman wore a simple black dress, a wide-brimmed black hat, and clutched in one of her wrinkled hands was a large purse. Her other hand was outstretched with the palm facing Cotio. There was a scorch mark on the floor close beside him.
"P-please don't hurt me! That brew was good when I sold it to you!" Cotio insisted.
The hag sneered at him and her hand glowed with a purple light. "So you're saying it's my fault now?"
"I'm saying there's no refunds," Cotio told her.
"It didn't work! It turned my hair blue!" She knocked off her black hat and revealed short, curly blue hair.
Cotio winced. "If you read the instructions-"
"I did! It didn't get me my true love, so I want my money back!" she snapped.
Dives sprang over the counter and stood between the hag and Cotio so he faced the woman. "I think you've made enough noise. You should leave."
She sneered at him with her false teeth. "Get out of my way, boy, or you'll get some of this, too!"
Dives's lip curled up in a sly smile. "You'll have to hit me first."
The woman growled. The light in her hands grew brighter and a pulse of energy shot out. I could feel the heat from where I stood. The shot barreled towards Dives. He ducked and rolled out of its path, and the energy hit the floor. The wood boards singed and another black scorch mark remained.
"My floor!" Cotio moaned.
Dives rolled towards an aisle of bookshelves. The witch followed him with her palm and her light charged up. Dives grabbed one of the tomes from the shelf and opened the pages. A large, furry arm stretched from the pages. The witch flung up her arms as the fingers wrapped around her. Her purse clattered to the ground as she was pulled into the book. She disappeared, and Dives slammed the pages shut. The book shook in his hands, but remained closed.
Cotio climbed to his feet and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I think I'll close up shop early today. Business is too dangerous."
"Not a bad idea," Dives agreed. "Here." He tossed the book to the shopkeeper.
Cotio caught it in one hand and glared at the cover. "Damn witches and their fickle magic. . ." he mumbled.
Dives strode over to me and leaned an elbow on the counter. He flashed his smile at me. "So what do you think of your second taste of the paranormal?"
"I think I'll never visit an old folk's home again," I quipped.
He chuckled and pushed off the counter. "Does make you look twice at everyone, doesn't it?"
"And think twice about selling those home-made love potions," Cotio spoke up.
He picked up the purse and walked around to the rear of the counter where he dropped the book and purse into a box filled with various personal items. There must have been a dozen wallets and two dozen purses, along with a few books and
Dives nodded. "The only one."
I stared down at the floor and blinked. "Wow. William Fox, the billionaire in charge of Indigo Industries, bought a phoenix." I raised an eyebrow and furrowed my brow. "You think he wants it as a mascot?"
The bell above the door rang. Cotio cringed and slid towards the central door. "If you'll excuse me, a customer awaits." He slipped through the door and shut it behind him.
I turned to Dives. "So what's so special about having a phoenix? Besides home fire insurance not covering its habit of combusting."
Dives pursed his lips and shook his head. "I'm not sure, but it's a very rare creature and Fox never buys anything except for a purpose." He glanced at the bird who continued to stare at us. "Unfortunately, there's not much we can do. Even if Fox bought the creature illegally there's no system in the paranormal world to stop smuggling of this nature."
"I'd hate for normal people to get a hold of it. The thing would be plucked dry," I commented.
He nodded. "I agree. But we should-" A horrible cry came from the front of the shop.
CHAPTER 9
We rushed to the front and slid to a stop against the desk to look over the counter. A wizened old hag stood before the cowering Cotio. The woman wore a simple black dress, a wide-brimmed black hat, and clutched in one of her wrinkled hands was a large purse. Her other hand was outstretched with the palm facing Cotio. There was a scorch mark on the floor close beside him.
"P-please don't hurt me! That brew was good when I sold it to you!" Cotio insisted.
The hag sneered at him and her hand glowed with a purple light. "So you're saying it's my fault now?"
"I'm saying there's no refunds," Cotio told her.
"It didn't work! It turned my hair blue!" She knocked off her black hat and revealed short, curly blue hair.
Cotio winced. "If you read the instructions-"
"I did! It didn't get me my true love, so I want my money back!" she snapped.
Dives sprang over the counter and stood between the hag and Cotio so he faced the woman. "I think you've made enough noise. You should leave."
She sneered at him with her false teeth. "Get out of my way, boy, or you'll get some of this, too!"
Dives's lip curled up in a sly smile. "You'll have to hit me first."
The woman growled. The light in her hands grew brighter and a pulse of energy shot out. I could feel the heat from where I stood. The shot barreled towards Dives. He ducked and rolled out of its path, and the energy hit the floor. The wood boards singed and another black scorch mark remained.
"My floor!" Cotio moaned.
Dives rolled towards an aisle of bookshelves. The witch followed him with her palm and her light charged up. Dives grabbed one of the tomes from the shelf and opened the pages. A large, furry arm stretched from the pages. The witch flung up her arms as the fingers wrapped around her. Her purse clattered to the ground as she was pulled into the book. She disappeared, and Dives slammed the pages shut. The book shook in his hands, but remained closed.
Cotio climbed to his feet and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I think I'll close up shop early today. Business is too dangerous."
"Not a bad idea," Dives agreed. "Here." He tossed the book to the shopkeeper.
Cotio caught it in one hand and glared at the cover. "Damn witches and their fickle magic. . ." he mumbled.
Dives strode over to me and leaned an elbow on the counter. He flashed his smile at me. "So what do you think of your second taste of the paranormal?"
"I think I'll never visit an old folk's home again," I quipped.
He chuckled and pushed off the counter. "Does make you look twice at everyone, doesn't it?"
"And think twice about selling those home-made love potions," Cotio spoke up.
He picked up the purse and walked around to the rear of the counter where he dropped the book and purse into a box filled with various personal items. There must have been a dozen wallets and two dozen purses, along with a few books and
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