PROLOGUE #2
“I don’t believe that.” Lorrianne shook her head, as if the motion could somehow cancel out what Tennyson was saying.
“Did your string of bad luck start before or after the break up?”
“After,” Lorrianne said.
“Which is why you thought you’d been cursed, right? All of these bad things started happening all at once.”
“Right, but, Jason would never-”
“Jason came to see you one last time. Gave you a lame excuse about having forgotten something in your apartment, right?”
“Right, he said he left a ring in his nightstand. I let him go into the bedroom to get it. He was in and out in a matter of seconds. He begged me one more time to get married and when I said no, he stormed out of the apartment. It was the next day that I was fired from my job and when I left the office, all four of my tires were flat. I could see nails sticking out of the rubber.”
“You keep your purse in your bedroom,” Ten said. It wasn’t a question. He could see her Coach bag sitting beside the closet door.
“I do,” Lorriane agreed. “Again, what does that have to do with anything?”
“I need you to look through your purse for something that doesn’t belong.” Ten got up from his seat and opened the reading room door. “I’m gonna need your help,” he called to Carson and Cole, before ducking back into the reading room.
“I’ve got my wallet, sunglasses, phone,” Lorrianne laid the items on the table as she named them. “Checkbook, date book, and, what’s this?” She pulled out a small blue velvet bag. It was tied with twine and Ten could smell something faintly earthy. “I’ve never seen this before.”
“What is it, Ten?” Carson asked, walking into the room.
“It’s a gris gris bag.” Ten didn’t know a lot about black magic, but this he knew for certain. “I need latex gloves, scissors, one of our selenite bowls, a piece of charcoal, and matches.”
Carson shot Ten a confused look, and left the room. Cole stepped in behind his brother.
“Oh, and a hammer or something to break up the charcoal.”
“Tennyson, what the hell is going on?” Lorrianne asked.
“Jason cursed you. This bag is proof. What we need to do is counter the curse.” Ten felt slightly out of his depth here, but had a clear course of action.
“You know how to counter curses?” Cole asked.
Ten nodded as Carson walked back into the room with the items he’d asked for.
He slipped on the gloves, hating the way they smelled, and picked up the scissors.
He began gently cutting the twine that held the pouch together.
“About a month ago, we got a shipment of new books. One of them was damaged. It was about curses and countermeasures. You were going to send the book back for a refund-”
“But you asked for a few days to read it first,” Carson said.
“Exactly,” Ten agreed. “One of the chapters was about curses involving mandrake root and how it’s carved to look like a person.
You put a personal item in the bag with the root and hide the bag somewhere it can do the most damage.
I assume Jason stuck it in your purse because it’s with you day and night.
” Ten snipped the last piece of twine. He gently pulled the fabric apart to reveal a diamond earring and a small figure.
Carson and Cole looked dumbstruck. “Holy shit,” Carson said, taking a step away from the opened bag.
Lorrianne gasped. “I’ve been looking all over for that earring.”
“What we have to do is burn the root with the charcoal.” Ten set the bag into the selenite bowl and used the claw of the hammer to break apart the charcoal, hammering it to dust. “Cole, grab the fire extinguisher, would you?” Ten carefully placed the charcoal on top of the bag and root, struck a match, and dropped it into the bowl.
Bright green fire blazed up, reminding Ten of Maleficent’s dragon fire. A dark, pungent odor filled the air. Slowly, the root caught fire and burned to ash. “The curse is broken.” Ten pushed aside the ash to reveal Lorriane’s earring. “It will need a bit of cleaning, but it’s good as new.”
“I already feel lighter,” Lorriane said. “How can I ever thank you?” She reached for her wallet.
“Live a happy life, Lorriane, that’s how you can thank me. And, in future, don’t tell dates or boyfriends about your money.” Ten was certain she was going to be all right going forward.
“I promise.” Lorriane set a hand against her heart.
“Let’s get you checked out.” Cole led her from the room.
“I want to set up weekly readings with Tennyson,” Lorriane said, just before Carson shut the door behind her.
“Holy shit!” Carson’s blue eyes were bright and filled with awe. “You got all this from a damaged book in the shop?”
Ten nodded, a smile breaking across his face. “I’m single and don’t know a lot of people in town. I read at night after Jeopardy is over.”
“I know plenty of single guys, but in the meantime, I’m ordering books for you. I’ll get you the catalog, and you pick out the ones you want. Cole and I should get reading too. The more you know the more you can help, right?”
“Right.” Ten laughed. “The more services we can offer, the more clients we get and retain.”
“I like the way you think.” Carson slapped Ten’s back. “Mom told me hiring you was the best thing Cole and I could have done for the shop and, as usual, she was right.” Carson laughed as he opened the door and walked out of the room.
Ten sat by himself for a few minutes, mentally reviewing everything that had just happened. He’d gone from fearing for his job to becoming part of the Craig family.
“Welcome home, Tenny,” Bertha Craig’s voice filled his head.
Home was something Ten had been searching for since that day his parents put him on a Greyhound bus. He’d finally found his place in this world with people who loved him. Maybe he’d take Carson up on dating someone.
Maybe if he opened himself up to the idea, he’d find the man of his dreams.