The Story of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book One

Chapter Two

 I finally reached the squat, red-brick building, "Mike's Magic Shop" scrawled in curly gold letters on the glass. Luis lay outside, eyes narrowed at the door. I sighed, wishing he'd just come in for once. All he ever did was question me about Mike—never trusted him, or me, for that matter. Today, of all days, I wanted his support. But he just turned his back, refusing to even look at me.

My eternal beef with Luis got me glaring as I walked into the shop. I wanted to see him trust me for one. I'd stayed out of trouble for the most part. Hadn't I?

It would have been a nice birthday present for him to trust me.

Besides, I never understood Luis's disdain for Aisa or Mike, considering he was the one who got us involved with both of them in the first place.

No matter how much Luis hated Mike, he never stopped me from coming here, despite arguing with me about it.

It was proof enough that we needed Mike's money—along with the tips I earned at Franco's Pizza.

"Mike, I'm here!" I hollered as I opened the door, the bells jingling in response. Behind me, Luis snorted, sulking like a child. He wasn't going to win this one.

The shop was dim and musty, smelling of cheap cigars. The racks of costumes were slightly askew, evidence that customers had been here recently. The dust that coated everything danced in the beams of light that slanted through the windows.

To me, it had always felt like a fairyland, even if it was rundown. Mike had become the closest thing to a father figure after Aisa "adopted" me. He taught me more about my magic, helping me harness my affinity with the dead. Before meeting him, I hadn't dared use my powers.

I passed a faded magician's box meant for sawing a lady in half and a rusty iron maiden prop. Persimmon, the ghost cat haunting the shop, blinked at me lazily from a perch on a stack of top hats.

"Mike?" I called again, squinting at the lazy cat, who yawned at me in response.

"What is it?" a heavy, New York-accented voice grumbled from the back of the shop. A wizened man, no taller than a child, shuffled into the room, scratching his stubbly chin. He held out a cherry cola to me, knowing it was my favorite, even though he despised the stuff himself.

"Thanks, Mike," I grinned, popping the top. The first sip was like Heaven. Sure, people said cherry cola tasted like carbonated cough syrup, but those people were wrong.

Mike sat down in an easy chair custom-made for his size, his feet barely touching the ground. He studied me with a furrowed brow. "Something's bothering you. Spill."

I wasn't aware my face had given me away, but Mike was usually good at reading me. "You're right," I admitted. "Today's my birthday. I just... I miss someone I'm never going to see again."

Mike didn't know the truth behind why today was significant. He didn't know I was supposed to change back into a girl today. Neither did Luis, not really. I hadn't told anyone why my mother had changed me. Even with them, I kept those parts of me hidden.

Mike's sharp gaze lingered on me. "What's with your eyes?"

My heart skipped a beat. I'd hoped my bangs were hiding them, but apparently not. I pointed at my eyes with an awkward smile. "You like them? They're new contacts."

"Sure, sure," Mike muttered, looking away. His usual gruffness faltered, and for a moment, I thought something about his expression was off. He seemed nervous, edgy today. His right leg jittered up and down.

I fidgeted, wiping dust off a nearby top hat to distract myself from asking questions about his nervousness. He hated questions as much as I did. The movement sent a small cloud of dust into the air, making me sneeze.