Tempting Darkness [17+] ✔

Chapter 23

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Chapter 23

       I tried to ignore it as best as I could. That completely insane, unfounded, stupid urge to ask about that picture to her. Yet, there I stood the next day, staring at that crystal covered window and the bizarre entry sign. 'Embrace the cleansing aurora of dreams.'

       Yeah right.

       If someone asked me why I thought this was a good idea, I would have laughed and said, 'it's fucking not'. But I never did have many good ideas.

       I tried to avoid Siena and River all day. I wasn't sure I could face them again after my hasty getaway at the library. I could have played off finding the image as a coincidence, but when they both started exclaiming 'holy shit, maybe the legend is real', I had to bail. Spending time with Dri only worked at pushing the insanity away when he was there. Last night had been perfect, but as soon as he got up for work reality crashed back down on my shoulders like an eighteen smashing into a cement wall.

       And I was getting a sick feeling it was a reality I wasn't going to end up surviving.

       I can't believe I was starting to believe in this shit.

       I sucked in a shaky breath, and another, then another until I could control my breathing enough to face the crazy psychic. I really wasn't sure why I was doing this, but I couldn't think of anything else that would help. I skipped the second have of classes for the day just to avoid an awkward conversation with Adriel about why I wasn't home. He made it pretty clear he wasn't happy about any of this stuff. I had a feeling he would just make my life harder if I told him everything.

       I pushed through the door, the entry bells jingling as I did. I couldn't see her or the counter around the many aisles and shelves of witchy crap, but I could practically feel her in the back. Waiting for me.

       Our eyes locked as I rounded the corner, and she made no move in surprise. That look in her gaze was anything but shocked. She had been expecting me. "This is a dreary time for you, dear." Was her greeting as I stopped a few feet away from the counter. Those bright green eyes were drawn in concern, and her long dirty-blonde hair was tied in an elegant braid down her back.

       I bit the inside of my cheek anxiously. "Yeah, you can say that."

       "Come with me, we can talk." She turned and walked out from behind the counter. I had a fearful moment where I thought she would take me back into that freaky dark room, but she flipped the 'open' sign to 'closed' and walked towards a door on the other side of the store instead. I hesitated only a moment before following her. I was bound to die eventually, at least if she tried to kill me I had a fair chance of defending myself. She was pretty small.

       "I live in the apartment above the shop." Jess explained as we walked through the door and up a row of stairs. She took out a set of keys from the back pocket of her skinny jeans and unlocked her apartment door.

       I walked into the small living room hesitantly, but it wasn't as creepy as I thought it would be. There was a wall of windows pressed against the back of the room, with plants hanging from various hooks and on the window bench. A comfortable looking couch, coffee table, and recliner sat facing a flat screen TV, and a small bar on the other side of the room lead to her kitchen.