Page 28 (1/2)

"Bashful How cute" She turned back to Caleb "So what can I do for , he indicated the shelves with his thus Mind if I helpJust let me know if you need any help"

"Will do"

Nick picked up one of the baskets by the altar and handed it to Caleb, who took it to the wall and started filling it with things Nick knew nothing about While he was trying to learn all of this, there was just so much, and ith school …

He one day expected his brain to explode fro to cram into it

As he looked around while he waited for Caleb, he saw a couple of photos near the register Some were of Voodoo priests and priestesses But others were of an all-girl falanced over theht a familiar face

Was that…?

He stepped closer to ht, and then his jaent slack

Yes … yes, it was

Nick frowned at Ana "You know Tabitha Devereaux?"

"Of course She’s my niece"

"Really?" He had to catch himself before he said "but you look so normal" After all, the woman did own a Voodoo store, which by its very existence knocked her out of the real this store was a far cry from Tabitha’s special breed of scary intensity

All of a sudden, Nick felt an odd sensation run over his skin He had no idea what it was, but it irl notout of the back Her brown hair was al blue eyes

"We need htened her top and then slowed her approach as she realized the two of them weren’t alone in the store She looked at Ana curiously

Ana jerked her chin toward him "His name’s Nick He knows Tabby Do you two know each other?"

The girl shook her head before pinning a suspicious glare on Nick She had a gleaory to put him in

Scary Insane Or friendly

"Are you one of Tabby’s zoo crew?"

Nick had no idea what she meant by that "Zoo crew?"

"The insane lunatics she runs around with at night, looking for vampires to stake?" She shook her head at Ana "I don’t knohere she gets that froet it from the Voodoo side of the fa her hex him for it "No I’ood I’ you"

"Yeah, you too" Sort of Though to be honest, he was beginning to think their entire family tree was deeply rooted in the lush swamp of weird, idiosyncratic, and insane

"Hey, Ana?" Caleb asked, intruding on a conversation that had been going nowhere "Do you have some unused blackberry, thistle, and papoose root in the back?"

"Of course Do you need valerian, too?"

"No, thanks We’re trying to bind evil, not invite it out to party"

"Glad to hear that Last kid we had in here … Let’s just say, people who don’t understand the powers they’re courting should play Parcheesi in their spare tiree more" Caleb dropped another small container in his basket "I also need at least ten ounces of your 7 African Powers oil and a huge vat of black salt"

She exchanged a wide-eyed stare with Tiyana that said Caleb’s order was excessive "What are you into, boy?" Oh yeah, there was no ation in her tone or question

"Not at liberty to say But don’t worry I really do knohat I’o rescue you fro" She let out a lohistle before she looked back at Tiyana "And if you ever et you"

Tiyana rolled her eyes "I’m not Tabitha or her twin Or the psycho na, Ana headed to the back to get what Caleb needed Nick froze as he reached the end of the high counter and saw a large crystal ball unattended It pulled him toward it with a lure he couldn’t resist The one power he had that worked best was scrying, and anyti that reflective, he had to look into it He placed his hand on the back of the cool surface to help direct the light

There in the center of the ball, he saw an i dinner with Ambrose inside a really nice restaurant

No, not A in such a way that he knew they were good friends Ormore Was that why the store had been shielded froo to school withthe items in the box Caleb had carried for her aunt

It took him a second to break contact with the ball and understand her question "Uaze on hi to pry information out of his brain without words "Then how do you know Tabby?"

"Bubba Burdette"

That relaxed her instantly She wrinkled her nose, then laughed "I love Bubba … he’s…"

"Unique?"

"Good word" She leaned forward onto the counter and gave him a vien her shirt he was sure she didn’t aze to hers as heat crept over his entire face and made his ears burn "You have the irls at your school go crazy all the tiirl didn’t play poker "Not really"

She laughed, then, to his instant relief, straightened "You know, Nick If I was a few years younger…" She winked at hiar ways, Nick stepped back, closer to Caleb What the heck’s going on lately? he asked Caleb in his head Girls are colamour that comes with your powers They do that to most of us

So that was it Now he understood what had happened with Si about it …

He should probably be grateful he had come-do-me poomen, but he honestly didn’t like it at all