Read A Breath of Magic for Free Online

sellers.
    I double-checked the order on my computer screen, hoping I hadn’t forgotten anything, typed in my account information and clicked send . There. Done. Barely midmorning, and my to-do list for the day was nearly completed. Another reason I enjoyed Mondays.
    My fingers hovered over the keyboard. Without allowingmyself to think about it, I opened the browser and began typing in “Malone & Associates.” I got to the first s before common sense took over. What was I doing? Something stupid, that’s what. I stared at the cursor, fighting the urge to continue, because yeah, part of me figured, “What the hell?” The other part, the engaged part, freaked out. Pushing away from my desk, I went to see if Paige needed any help.
    The store was empty, which didn’t surprise me. Paige had set up in one of the back corners, resituating shelves to better showcase the spiritual artwork we’d just been shipped. I stopped behind her, pleased with her progress. “It looks great!”
    Turning, she grinned. Her jet-black hair was slicked back into a short ponytail, and I saw with great humor that she’d matched her purple eye shadow with a purple stud in her left eyebrow. “Yeah, I like it too. I should be able to finish before I take off.”
    Paige was slowly working her way through college, which for this semester meant half days on Mondays and Wednesdays. I gave her a lot of credit, because she made up the missed hours on other days. “Do you need any help? I’m almost caught up,” I offered.
    She considered it, but shook her head. “It’s kind of tight back here. We’ll just get in each other’s way.”
    “Okay. Let me know if you need anything.” She nodded and got back to it. I spent a few minutes walking around the shop, ascertaining that everything was neat and orderly. It didn’t take long, as the store itself was only about four hundred square feet and wasn’t overly cluttered.
    When I was done with that, I hesitated. The joys of payroll waited, but I sort of thought staying away from the computer for now would be smart. Luckily, the bell jangled a customer’s arrival, and then a few minutes later, another’s. The first customer, a middle-aged woman who was a regular, selected three chakra-energy candles.
    “These are gifts,” Mrs. Delinsky confided at the register. “I’m giving the abundance candle to a friend who lost her job, the healing one to my aunt, and the happiness candle is a wedding gift.”
    “How nice of you to think of them! I’m sure they’ll appreciate it,” I said, ringing up her purchases.
    We continued talking for a few minutes, and then, out of nowhere, goose bumps coated my arms. Strange, because the room didn’t feel cold. I brushed it off, glancing up to see how the other customer was doing, only to find a third customer I hadn’t heard come in. She hovered in the middle of the store, and she appeared young, maybe around sixteen or seventeen. She had long blonde hair, sky blue eyes and a turned-up nose. As if sensing my gaze, she turned and smiled.
    I smiled back. Her eyes rounded, and very slowly, she lifted one hand and waved at me. I held up a finger to tell her I’d be with her in a minute and returned to wrapping up the candles for Mrs. Delinsky. Tucking them in a bag, I handed them over. “Here you go,” I said, just as the phone rang.
    She nodded her thanks and took off. I rubbed my arms to chase the chill away before grabbing the phone. The caller wanted information on the next month’s tarot class. Facing the wall, I referred to the calendar of June classes we’d posted, and gave her the details. By then, the second customer—a young man—was waiting to purchase the books he’d selected.
    When he was taken care of, I went in search of the girl I’d seen. Except, other than Paige and I, the shop was empty. Apparently, she’d gotten tired of waiting. “Hey, Paige? Did that girl have any questions?”
    Paige stopped arranging the artwork. “What girl? I