Witch Betrayed

Chapter Two

Jasmine

Waking up in our hotel room, still no closer to finding a hint of what I'm looking for, is frustrating. Today, Gavin suggested we try to take my mind off of things and have a "date". Since we are in a human dominate area, it probably wouldn't hurt to try his suggestion. Come to think of it, I've never actually gone on a date. Things like that don't really happen when you are in fear for your life, constantly being hunted. I can't deny that I'm not a little excited, human cities have lots of interesting things that we are so isolated from, it always amazes me when I see them. We've been staying in random motels, in the middle of nowhere to keep a low profile, but recently I've had a strong desire to move closer towards the city. Last night we could only find one available room, in the area, which happens to be in the main part of downtown. If we don't find anything today, we will have to leave immediately, we can't risk being discovered.

Grabbing a quick shower, I change into my best "blending in" outfit. We haven't stumbled across any other supernaturals so far, but they would sense Gavin a mile away if we do. Werewolves are so in tune with their sense of smell, they are easily able to tell if someone isn't human. Thankfully, my mother taught me how to make a masking spray that will leave him undetected for a couple of hours. My supplies are really low, so we only have this one opportunity, till I can get more ingredients needed for the mixture.

"You ready to go babe" Gavin asks, as he walks out of the bathroom.

"Yep, just give yourself a couple sprays of this and we can head out" I say, handing him the bottle.

He takes it into his hands, giving it a quick sniff before spraying it on himself.

"What's even in this? I can't smell anything"

"Hmm that's the point" I say, laughing as I take the bottle back.
"It's only going to last a couple of hours, so whatever you have planned needs to quick"

"Guess we better hurry then" he says as he grabs my hand and pulls me towards the door.

Stepping out into the bright sunlight, makes me wish I had a pair of sunglasses handy. The city is in full bustle, with people everywhere. I hold onto Gavins hand a little tighter, feeling anxious about being discovered. He gives me a smile, as he pulls me into the flow of people walking along the sidewalk.

"I asked around in the lobby, and found out there is a really good Italian restaurant just up here" he tells me.

We head toward the direction of the restaurant, passing by lots of shops and small businesses. Out of the corner of my eye, something catches my attention. A small store, "Healing Wonders", blending in with the boutiques next to it, but in the window is a symbol that I've seen before. My mother had that same symbol on her necklace that she always wore. A pentagram with two crescent moons on each side. It stops me in my tracks, not believing what I'm seeing.

"Gavin, I have to go to that store, right now" I say, darting toward the road. He grabs me back, stopping me from crossing.

"Okay, but how about we take the crosswalk? I'd prefer it if you didn't get run over today" he tells me, pointing to the light next to us.

"Sorry, I was just really excited that we might have a lead for what we are searching for. I wasn't even thinking about that"

Impatiently waiting for the light to turn, I glance back over to the shop. It looks like a generic apothecary store, targeted for tourists. I hope I'm not wrong about this, but for some reason I really feel a pull towards it.
The light finally changes, and we make our way across. As I get closer, I can see a few people coming out, carrying bags with the same symbol on them I saw before.

"Do you see those bags, those people have? That symbol is the same one that my mother wore on her necklace she always had on. It can't be a coincidence, can it?" I ask Gavin

"I'm not sure, Jas, but there's only one way to find out" he says, as he opens the door for me.

Stepping inside, I can smell a familiar scent of incense burning. The shelves are lined with so many herbs and different jars of plants and flowers. There are cases of candles and incense stacked in the middle of the shop, with a small section in the back full of books.

"Welcome to Healing Wonders, my small apothecary shop. Can I help you find something" an older woman, walking out of the back, asks us. I turn to look at her, trying to sense anything familiar about her.

"Hi, I was looking to restock a few herbs and such for my collection. Do you happen to have Frankincense, lavender and rosemary?" I ask her

"Of course dear, I'll be happy to package that up for you" she says, moving towards the jars on the wall.

As she's pulling down the items I requested, I make my way to the book section. Browsing through her collection of random assortments on "best herbs for healing properties" I stumble across a small worn book with the same symbol on the window. I pick it up to examine it closer, as I open it, I feel a rush of familiarity hit me. The book sings to me, I can feel the energy flowing inside of me.

"That's interesting, that's not supposed to be out here" I hear the woman say behind me. I slam the book shut, and turn around to face her. She gives me a confused look, as I pass the book over to her.

"Oh I'm sorry, I saw it and had a strong desire to pick it up" I tell her.

"I've finished with your items, they're ready on the counter. But if you have a minute, id like to show you something else" she says, walking toward the front door. "I'm just going to lock up, it's lunch time so I usually close the shop for an hour. That should be plenty of time for us to discuss what I need to say and what I need to show you"

Gavin looks over at me, giving me the same expression as I'm giving him. He's apprehensive of her, as I am, but we came here for a reason so I need to hear her out.