Reluctantly, he sat.
She shuffled the cards, let him split them, and then shuffled again. Keeping her eyes on him, she laid out the cards in front of him.
“Something will happen between you and your lover. Death can’t be stopped.”
His gut twisted. Catty.
“You’re wrong.” He shook his head. “I don’t have anyone special.”
“Don’t you?” The old woman snorted.
He growled and stood. The breeze lifted a card off the table and carried it into the street. She frowned and ran after it. When she sat back down, her eyes were wide with fear as she clutched the card between her trembling fingers.
“What is it?”
She pointed her gnarled finger at the black cat on the card. “You see this. There is something evil around you. Something hates you, wants to hurt you in the worst way.” Her voice trembled as she spoke.
He didn’t believe in this stuff, he reminded himself.
“You need to watch your step. Trust no one. Not even your instincts. Everything is veiled so you can’t see who is bad and who is good.”
“Wait.” He placed his hand on the table and leaned in. “You said veiled. Why did you use that word?”
She eased back in the chair. “I only speak what I see. You watch yourself, hombre lobo.”
Hombre lobo. The Spanish word for wolf man. She was clearly human. He could tell by her scent. How the hell did she know what he was?
“Relax. I’ve been around a long time. I’ve seen many things. I know too many things.” She looked away as sadness washed over her expression. “I am no threat to you. Your secret is safe with me.”
Lucien studied her weathered face for a lie. He saw none.
“Thank you,” he whispered before walking away.
He quickened his steps down the sidewalk, his gaze assessing the people on the street. He knew he had to be careful not to run into Granny again. If she spotted him going into the apothecary, she’d want to know if something was wrong. She wouldn’t stop until she was satisfied with an answer.
He came to a halt when he saw the worn sign for the apothecary hanging above the entrance. A Closed sign hung on the door. He checked the business hours, then glanced down at his phone.
He still had two more hours to wait.
Damn. He didn’t have two hours.
He pressed his face to the glass and cupped his hand around his eyes. Wood shelves lined the wall, all filled with vials, bottles, and jars. The small space had a bookcase set up near the cash register, along with some candles of various shapes and sizes. Looked like any other shop in New Orleans.
The movement of a dark shadow near the corner of the room caught his eye. He squinted and made out the shape of a person setting some bottles on a shelf.
He rapped at the window.
The figure, a woman, stopped and turned to face him. She shook her head and motioned to her watch on her wrist.
He gritted his teeth and shook his head. “This is important,” he called to her through the glass.
The woman stood, crossed her arms, and scowled.
“Please.”
Shaking her head, she made her way to the door. She cracked the door a couple of inches and assessed him through the gap.
“We’re not open yet.” She scowled.
He inhaled her scent. Human. Her dark brown hair, which matched her dark eyes, was cut into a severe bob. Wearing a dark blue skirt and matching top, she looked more like a principal than someone peddling spells and magic and potions.
“This is important,” he insisted.
“It’s always important.” She snorted. “Let me guess, you need a love spell or something to heal a loved one?” She gave him a bored look.
“Not exactly. If you could look at this list and tell me if you even have the ingredients, I would appreciate it.” He pulled out the list Ella had given him and shoved it through the crack in the door.
The owner took the list while keeping her gaze trained on him. She unfolded the crinkled paper and glanced down. Her eyes tracked down the page. She swallowed and raised her widened gaze back to him.
“Who gave you this list?” Her voice trembled, and she clutched the paper to her chest.
“Someone trying to help me find someone.”
“Only a true witch would know the ingredients to a spell as powerful as this.” She cut her gaze from side to side, looking over his shoulder before throwing opening the door and motioning him inside.
“Hurry up.” She grabbed him by the arm and tugged him inside.
“Thanks for letting…”
“Shush. Keep your voice down and get away from the widow.” She locked the door and took another glance outside before turning to face him. “The last thing I need is for someone to see you in my shop.” She hurried toward the back of the shop.