The Fallen Empath-Book 2-A Rose-Red Tyrant TEASER

Chapter Eleven: Secret in the Oysters

"There! Finally got 'em all Pureed!" Ace gorans.

"My arm is killing me..." Deuce rolls his arms around.

Trey gives a small airy laugh. "Nice work. It'll be all the sweeter for your pain."

"The smell alone already has me droolin'..." Grim rocks side to side.

"I just need to add butter and sugar to the chestnut paste, and a sensible splash of oyster sauce—that's my secret ingredient!" Trey crosses his arms.

"Oyster sauce?!" Deuce, Ace and I shout.

"Yep." Trey puts a hand on his hip, looking completely serious. "The umami of the oysters gives the cream a deep, savory flavor. I use this one here: Walrus-brand Young Oyster Sauce." Trey holds up a bottle with a walrus on the front giving a thumbs up and winking, holding an oyster. "All the best bakers use it in their tarts."

"Really?" Deuce puts a finger to his chin. "But isn't oyster sauce like, super salty?"

"Some folks put chocolate into curry, don't they? Maybe it's the same idea." Ace smiles.

Trey laughs. "I'm totally lying! No one in their right mind would put oyster sauce into a pastry."

"What?! So your were just yankin' our chain?" Ace puts his hands on his hips.

Trey continues laughing. "I mean, if you'd use your brain, you'd have realized how ridiculous it was! Let that be a lesson to you. Don't believe everything you hear."

Now I just feel silly for believing him. I feel like I should have known that he was joking.

Grim huffs and crosses his paws. "And here I thought that human was actually somewhat decent."

"Next, I'll put in the cream... Oh!" Trey puts a hand to his head.

"What's wrong?" Ace questions.

"You guys gathered so maybe chestnuts that we may have overdone it with the chestnut paste." Trey sighs. "I don't think we have enough cream to mix in."

"Then I'll go buy some." Deuce volunteers, putting a hand on his hips. "Do they sell it at the school store?"

"They sell pretty much everything, so...probably. Can I have you pick me up a few other things? I need two cartons of milk, two packs of eggs, some muffin cups, five cans of fruit..." Trey lists off.

"I don't think I'll be able to carry all that back. Yuna, could you come with me?" Deuce looks over to me.

"Oh, sure." I nod and give a smile.

"Then I'm comin' too! I'm getting dizzy from all this sturin'. I need a break!" Grim pumps his paw up.

Deuce, Grim and I head to the school store, Mister S's Mystery Shop.

"Hello." Deuce says as we enter the shop. "Can I get some he— Whoa. This shop is wild. They have crystal skulls, grimoires, taxidermied... Uh, I don't even know what animal that is!"

Deuce is right about the shop. It was filled to the brim with everything you could imagine and more, there's even a piano.

"You think they really sell cream here?" Grim's eyes widen as he looks around.

"Greetings, my stray imps, How fare you today?" A dark skinned man smiles and winks as he waves with a white gloved hand.

He's wearing a purple suit jacket and magenta vest with buttons that look like spine bones. His hair is in dreads and a stitched together top hat sits on his head.

"Welcome to Mr. Sam's Mystery Shop. What among my humble selection interests you? A charm from a secluded land? The mummified remains of an ancient king? A cursed tarot card?"

"Myah! I wasn't espectin' this kinda selection," Grim says from my shoulder.