Tower of Light (Under The Cowl Book #2)

CHAPTER 18

     With all the wealth she acquired since her arrival on this earth, Bekka did not appreciate whenever she had to wear the clothing of a commoner. It's a visit to an old acquaintance that required such a costume. And she had to fit in if she didn't want to stand out.

Bekka entered a tiny shop and locked the door behind her. It's from one end of an aisle to the next where she crept along to take peak inside. Just a glance until she reached the last one, Bekka removed her hood from over her head once the coast was clear. 

She then made her journey towards the back. She squeezed and sidestepped her way to the counter when she found who she was looking for. 

"Hello, Nimue."

Madame Xanadu turned around from hanging her trinkets for sell. "If privacy's what you wanted, you didn't have to lock the door."

"Does being alone with me make you uncomfortable?"

"Of course not. But I'm guessing this is a personal visit since you've come here dressed beneath you."

Bekka's eyes narrowed. "That a joke?" 

"My sight is no longer a problem for me."

"So you can see me? You must tell me your secret." 

"Would that have stopped you from sneaking in here?"

"No. But last I checked you can hardly see the door from here."

Madame Xanadu pointed at the security monitor of the camera aimed at the front door. "Modern day technology makes life so much easier."

"Did your modern day technology tell you why I'm here?"

"I don't need that to know why you're here."

"Does that mean you've already seen into my future?"

"I see into everyone's future, although it doesn't mean it will come true."

"Then you know about Jessica Cruz?"

"I do. And she was here. She needed help accessing her ring."

"Why?"

"She had an unwanted visitor." a woman behind Bekka answered.

Bekka remembered locking the door. How did she get behind me? She quickly searched around the shop when one of the shelves against the wall clicks; a hidden doorway. "And you are?"

"Forgive my employee. She forgets her manners from time to time."

"Only when the entitled think the working class should drop everything when they pay us a visit."

"This is Lianna."

That's the name of the woman she came here to look for. But what stood across from her was a human woman, not a Maltusian. "I'm looking for someone who shares the same name as your human. But the woman I'm searching for is a Guardian."

"There are no Guardians here." Madame Xanadu promptly answered. "But since we do not want to alarm anyone who comes into this shop, I put a cloaking spell to hide Lianna's true form."

"Nimue!" Lianna objected. "What are you doing?"

"And does that form happen to have blue skin?" Bekka then asked.

"Too bad you can't hide who you are." Lianna's replied with a vexed tone of voice, mostly aimed at Madame Xanadu for revealing her secret.

"Do you have a problem with me?" Bekka turned to matched Lianna's resentment.