The Triple Goddess and Horned God have been punished for a crime they didn't commit. Cursed to love and lose each other in every life, they've been thrown into the mortal realm to endlessly relive their heartbreak. With a bit of magick, will they be...
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Emmy looked out of her bedroom window, watching the rain pour from the sky. Though it was mid-morning, the storm clouds overhead gave room for doubt, making the flood lights outside turn on as if it were night. She sighed, assuming it would be another slow day at the store. No one liked sloshing through the rain, especially for non-essentials. The roads would be flooded soon, as was common during the island's wet season, and most people would stay tucked into their homes.
The atmosphere from the rain was mirrored in her as well, a bit down and pessimistic. She wasn't moody often, but there was always an exception. The pulsing in her head was easing somewhat, but she still drooped more than usual, and Hobi and Jay spotted it immediately when she met them in the living room.
"Why the down face?" Jay asked, noting her melancholy mood. An hour before, she was giggling and playful, but now she looked gloomy.
She shrugged, not knowing how to answer. Sure, it was bleak outside, and her head hurt, and she was sure to have a dull work day, but she had way more reasons to be happy than to frown. So she forced a small smile, adopting a fake it till you make it attitude, hoping she could cheer herself up.
The two men followed her as she walked down to the bookstore below. Alexi had already opened, but the store was as empty as she had predicted. The complementary coffee, tea, and cider she always had up front looked untouched, besides the steaming cup of black coffee in a bored-looking Alexi's hand.
"Everything from the back is stocked, all the shelves are dusted, and I updated the website with the new releases," he said as the three approached the counter. His emotionless eyes never left the book in front of him, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. She'd seen him read Jules Verne numerous times before, with him saying the author relaxed him. Emmy patted Alexi's shoulder in thanks and checked the register to see if it needed change, a pointless task when no customers had come in yet.
There wasn't much else to do but wait and hope for customers to show up. She fleetingly wondered if she should close for the day, knowing that the few people that might trickle in wouldn't even pay for a day's worth of electricity. Still, she knew that being reliable about her hours of operation was crucial. She wanted to be a place people could always count on, which meant, sometimes, having slow days like this.
"Hey, Emmy? Take a look at this," Alexi said, handing her his phone. The screen had a large advertisement with big blinking lights and Mr. Gulliver's smiling face. The lights overhead flickered ominously as thunder rolled, mimicking Emmaline's turbulent mood.
"Buy two books, get one free. Become a member and get 40% off store-wide, free online shipping, plus more exclusive benefits. See store for details." Emmy read aloud, voice growing more agitated with each word. "You have GOT to be kidding me!"
"That's some sale," Alexi muttered as she handed him back his phone.
"A sale we would never be able to compete with! Ugh!!!" She paced back and forth, anxiety seeping from her pores. "He's obviously doing this on purpose, trying to put me out of business. Or force me to sell. How could I match prices like that? I mean, our prices are already higher on a regular basis due to the fact that we're a small business and he's part of a major franchise, but this? How are we supposed to keep up with THIS?!"
