Page 71 of Crowe
When I came back out to the living room, Mika was hanging up the phone.
“Jackson says to take someone with us,” I said.
“I already called Hawk. He said just to stop by his office and grab him when we’re ready to go.”
“I’m ready if y’all are.”
We stopped by Hawk’s office, and Caden looked up from his desk. “What are y’all up to?’
“We’re going to my friend Mars’ shop so Noah can get some custom tea blends,” Mika said.
“I switched from coffee to tea a while back, so I’m excited to try some new kinds.”
Caden glanced over his shoulder at Wolfe’s office, then back to us. “I think a few people around here could do with a little less coffee.”
“You should come with us then,” Julius said. “Mars’ shop is amazing. He has so much to choose from, not just tea.”
He looked hesitant. “I don’t know. I have work to do.”
“I think they can survive without you for a couple hours,” Mika said.
“Who can survive without who?” Hawk stepped out of his office and looked at the three of us.
“The office,” Mika said. “We were telling Caden he should come with us. That we were sure the office could survive without him for a couple hours.”
Hawk chuckled. “I’ll go talk to Wolfe and let him know you’re coming with us. I think he can manage to answer the phone for a couple hours.”
“But—” Caden started, but Hawk had already gone into Wolfe’s office.
A minute later, he came back out and said, “All good. Let’s hit the road.”
The north side of Vesper was older than the downtown area, and it had that look of a place that had once been the busy part of town but wasn’t anymore. The Chrysalis Moon was in an old house with a painted sign by the front walk and wind chimes on the porch that moved in the breeze.
Hawk held the door for us, and we went inside.
The front room was lined with shelves of figurines, tarot decks, books, and the earthy scent of patchouli hung in the air. A cat was laying on a window perch, and it opened one eye, assessed us, and closed it again.
“That’s Kismet,” Mika said. “She’s very judgmental.”
“She sounds like Trixie,” I said.
“They would either be best friends or mortal enemies.”
From somewhere in the back of the house, a voice called out, “I’ll be right there.”
And then a man around my age walked into the room. He was wearing a pair of loose linen pants and a flowy shirt. He carried what appeared to be a bundle of dried herbs, and when he saw Mika, his face broke into a genuine, unguarded smile.
“Mika, Hawk. It’s good to see you.” He set the herbs down on the counter and crossed the room. “I didn’t know y’all were coming in today.”
“I know. It was a last-minute decision.” Mika hugged him. “This is my friend Noah. Noah, this is Mars.”
“Nice to meet you, Noah.”
“Noah is a tea drinker, and I was telling him he had to come in and try your teas, and Caden wants some, as well.”
“Great. Come on back to the tea room, I’m sure I have something that y’all would like.”
The tea room was exactly what its name suggested. It had a wooden table, mismatched chairs, shelves of tea along one wall, and a peaceful feel. There was a cat bed in the corner that Kismet apparently used when she felt like gracing the room with her presence, though she was still in the front window as far as I could tell.
