Page 52 of Her Ghostly Embrace
“No?” The man crossed his arms, muscles bulging. “Last I checked, what happens on this street is my business. I suggest you take your shit elsewhere.”
“Fine. Gia, let’s go.” Marc gestured to the car.
Gia turned away and walked past the random guy without glancing at him. She was grateful for the interruption, but so fucking tired of needing people to step in.
“Wait,” Aurora’s disembodied voice hissed, and Gia realized she’d walked past the apothecary.
She doubled back and ducked into the faded green shop. The scent of herbs filled her nose, and her head pounded. Would Marc follow?
The door opened behind her, bell ringing as someone else entered. “Do you need help?”
Gia turned to see the man from the street staring at her, his gaze much warmer than it had been, but she wasn’t comforted. “Are you following me?”
He maneuvered carefully around her. “No, this is my shop.”
She registered his stained apron as he slid behind the counter. “Oh.”
“So, can I help? Or are you browsing?”
Maybe Gia should relax, but between the budding migraine and Marc, it was impossible. “You’re a witch?”
The man nodded. “And so are you.”
Gia’s gut twisted. It was so weird how they could tell. She’d need to ask Aurora how to detect witches herself. “Is that why you intervened outside? Because I’m a witch?”
“No.” He shrugged. “It looked like trouble, and like I said, trouble doesn’t fly around here. I’m Nico, by the way.”
This was the man who was friends with the Lockwoods. Gia took a reluctant step closer to the counter, wishing Aurora were visible so they could confer. So she didn’t have to face this unknown witch without a clue what she was doing.
“A friend recommended I come here,” she began.
Nico nodded, waiting patiently for her to go on.
“I’m not, um, I haven’t known about magic long, but I get really bad migraines and was wondering if you had anything for pain?”
Nico turned toward a well-stocked shelf on the wall behindhim, perusing the vast array of tiny bottles. “Sure do. Have you tried any potions before?”
“No. I didn’t know about witches until I met one recently. I brought the pills I usually take, if that’s relevant?”
Nico selected two bottles and set them on the counter. “May I see them?”
Gia extracted the bottle from her backpack, careful not to let the cash show.
Nico took it. “This isn’t a standard label.”
It seemed normal to Gia, but she’d been taking these pills for years.
“May I open it?” Nico asked.
Gia nodded, and he unscrewed the lid, shaking a few pills onto the counter. He frowned, a deep crease forming on his brow.
“Mixing magic and human medication can be risky,” he ventured.
“I can stop taking the pills while I try a magic solution. Are those potions?” She pointed to the little bottles.
“These?” Nico looked confused. “Yes, they’re potions. But I meant mixing magic with the pills, like you’ve been doing.”
“Like I’ve beenwhat?” Gia couldn’t help glancing to the side, as if Aurora would explain. A comforting spark nudged her shoulder, but no clarity came with it.
