Windstorm (sampler)

Chapter 1

If there was one thing my demon half couldn't eviscerate, it was my undying love for sunshine. The beautiful, warm light streamed into the antique shop, bathing the human, as well as the not-exactly-human artefacts in the alluring streaks of a spring's day.

Not that demons had any physical aversion to the beauty of the sun, aside from a single week leading up to the summer solstice. The purification spells kept the pureblooded from walking upon the earth during that time, but the rest of the year, the issue was purely psychological.

If I were to guess, I would say that sunbathing just didn't sit well with the menacing image they tried to project. Honestly, I'd never come across an embodiment of evil that liked to tan. At least not among those born of shadows.

I, on the other hand, was a Nightwraith. Half witch after my Koldun father. And that part of me loved to drown in the ethereal caresses of the golden rays.

The darker side of my heritage I kept safely locked away. Out of sight, out of mind. Not an entirely effortless affair, but so far it seemed to do the trick.

The clicks of the keyboard fell silent as I finished inputing this week's numbers into the designated spreadsheet. I leaned back in my Thonet bentwood chair, glancing at the digits on the top right of the computer screen. Just one more hour until midday. One more hour until I could close the shop for the weekend.

With spring knocking heavily on our doors, every nerve in my body was urging me to go outside and enjoy what the season had to offer. A good glass of red wine in the cafe on the riverbank seemed like an excellent way to start.

Though the park that stretched on both sides of the Savinja river tended to overflow with people and their less than pleasurable offspring as soon as the warmer weather began, it was easy to use my magic to steer them well away from my table and keep their voices from invading my personal space. A girl had to enjoy her time off, and no whiney kid or nagging parent was getting in the way of that.

Besides, if I already used my altered powers to aid people in need on a regular basis, there was no harm in tapping into them to help myself on the odd occasion or two. Sure, my services didn't come cheap, but no amount of money could make up for all the nightmares I encountered on the job. Sunlight and a little peace at least kept the worst of them at bay—even if they couldn't wipe them from the depths of my memory completely.

Somehow, I suspected that nothing could.

I glanced up at the ornate gold clock perched on the wall. Unsurprisingly, only a couple of minutes had skidded by. I sighed. Might as well use the remaining hour to get some work done.

Without any particular enthusiasm, I pushed away from the desk and strode into the back room. I left the door open to hear the bell chime in case someone decided to do some last minute shopping, but the ward stayed in place, moving only to accommodate my body. I certainly didn't want anyone stumbling into the storage area by accident if their patience wore thin and they decided to seek me out. Even if they weren't sensitive to magic, having a customer spot me while I worked would raise too many questions I had no desire to answer.

Although I didn't exactly expect anyone to trade the lovely weather outside for antique shopping today, I'd learned over the past four years that sensible rules like that didn't apply on Saturdays. I could spend the entire morning alone then have more people inside right before closing than the store could fit. Without any discernible reason in sight. So the ward stayed.

The lights in the storage area hissed to life as I flicked the switch, illuminating the many shelves and the too many boxes they supported. The objects whispered to me immediately—an array of voices that had become familiar over the past weeks, ever since this massive shipment arrived.