She rounded the counter, snatched the stone with her bare hand, and approached the brunette. When she reached over the brunette’s shoulder and flipped the Open sign to Closed, the rest of us shared a glance.
Ness chewed nervously on her lower lip as she watched her friends. Cerri placed the stone in the brunette’s hand. The brunette stiffened, her wide eyes dropping to the stone.
“Addie, I need your help to break this. If each of us use our arcana to pull, we can shatter it. Whatever Harvey used to attach this curse to Ness will break, too.”
Addie nodded, but I could see the hesitation written across her face when she turned her attention to the stone Cerri presented. When Addie covered Cerri’s open palm with her own, the room filled with shadows. A gentle light rippled around Cerri. It was a bright contrast to the way the shadows slithered closer to Addie. My stomach dropped when the shadows grew faces and limbs. They reached up with spindly fingers and dragged them down Addie’s pantleg, as if beseeching her for attention.
If the woman noticed the spirits around her, she paid them no attention. The vixen crouched behind the counter saw them, too, if the way her eyes lingered on Addie’s legs told me anything.
A crack resounded through the café. A burst of wind blew our hair back. Cerri staggered back. I stepped forward to catch her. Addie slammed into the closed door behind her. The way her chest heaved, I thought she might have a panic attack, but she shook herself, and her fright vanished.
Ness had a strange group of friends. I peered at them all and wondered who they were. While I could recognize most shifters on sight and sniff out witches and vampires easily, this crew left me confused. I could not figure out what they were.
Ness stared at the cracked stone on the floor. The air no longer seemed as thick. I stepped forward and lifted my foot with the intention of crushing it beneath my boot.
“Wait!” Ness called out.
She jumped over the counter and snatched the stone before I could destroy it. With my foot still hovering in the air, I gave her a questioning look.
“We should find the witch who made it and talk to her. She might be able to tell us what Harvey meant to do with it.”
“Do you really think a curse crafter will share that kind of information with you?” I asked.
Ness shrugged. “Maybe? I’m not sure, but we can try.”