Beauty and the Magician (Tales of the Red Witch Book 1)

Chapter 8 - A path to mincemeat

As dusk approached, Annika locked up the flower shop and the greenhouse located over the courtyard behind the shop. She grabbed her coat pulling it over her mint green dress and tied her straw hat on over her blonde-ish curls. She exited out through the greenhouse and into the narrow hidden alleyway that passed behind the neighboring shops. She walked down the alley holding her skirts up above her ankles to avoid dragging them through the unidentifiable puddles.

She emerged from the alley on to the street and rounded the corner to make her way to the laundry where her younger sister Sofie worked, when she collided with a large hard object.

"Excuse me-." She started to say when she looked up and saw Valdimir staring down at her with a hard yet slimy smile. She knew he must have been waiting for her. There was no other reason he would be on this side of town.

"Dearest, what a surprise running into you like this." He drawled out in his usual condescending way.

Annika fought the urge to vomit. She steeled herself putting on her proud determined face. Her temper and disgust were broiling about in her head and she was determined to keep them at bay.

"It's Miss Gerst and such unfortunate things such as this are bound to happen in a small town. Now if you'll excuse me I'm really in a hurr-" She started to side step around him but he moved over to block her again.

Ignoring her words he smiled and pushed on. "I'm sure you're aware of my feelings for you by now. Perhaps you'd allow me to call upon you tomorrow to discuss your future?" She knew he would call upon her whether she agreed to it or not.

"As pleasant as that sounds, I have to work tomorrow." She stated firmly.

"No matter, I'll come by your shop." Annika cringed. She hated when he came by the shop.

"I'm sure that won't be necessary. You can have nothing to say to me." She tried again but to no avail. He took a step forward pushing her up against a wall and boxing her in.

"Nonsense. I have plenty to say and besides I know you can't run away from me in the shop."

That was precisely what she was afraid of. She would be trapped like a lion in a cage. Pacing and fuming with nowhere to go. Annika had had enough. She ducked under his arm and spun quick, taking off at a sprint.

"Until tomorrow, my love!" He shouted for the entire street to hear.

Annika winced. There was no escaping him now. No other man in Wohnort would even bother to approach her with such a public declaration from the most eligible bachelor in the entire area. Gossip of his intentions would spread like wildfire. A part of her wanted desperately to turn around and march back to him and slap him until he took it back. It wouldn't matter if she did, it might get her out from under Valdimir but it would only affirm the village's assumption that she was a volatile shrew. She felt trapped by propriety.

She bristled. Fighting against the invisible bonds that held her down. But these bonds couldn't hold her thoughts or her words from bubbling over.

"That idiotic, slimy son of a –" She cursed under her breath as she wished for lightening to come down and strike a certain scoundrel into dust. Why did he have to want her?

She willed herself to take deep breaths calming her temper. Townspeople and travelers crowded the street even though it was nearing dinner time. She could feel their eyes on her, hear their whispers as she passed.

"What does he see in her?"

"She is a pretty thing."

"But she's so horrible and cold..."