Page 14 of Infernal Secrets

“Ah, no. I mean…” I laughed. “I’ve had a terrible day with the worst luck. I wondered if it was written all over my face if you think I need something to improve things. I didn’t mean—” I pressed my lips together at her soft laughter.

“I understand. While you look tired, this is more… call it intuition.” The woman looked at the book. “Inside this tome is a small spell I think will do you good.”

“Spell?”

“Mmhm,” she hummed, a musical quality to the sound.

“While I work at a New Age shop, I don’t really study things like witchcraft.”

“Nothing and no one in this world—or the ones beyond—have ever prospered so brilliantly as with those who take risks and follow their instincts. What are your instincts telling you, Raelynn?”

I looked down at the book, the tug in my chest returning the moment I stilled. I didn’t understand it.

She saw what she wanted in my expression because she said, “This spell will do two things for you. If you’re lucky, the results will intertwine.” She glanced at the grandfather clock before returning her attention to me.

“What two things?”

As our gazes locked, the room seemed to lose warmth; the tension in the air made my skin crawl.

“Within these pages are the words to summon your soul’s greatest need and answer your heart’s call. However, I must caution you, once you spin the wheel of fate, you cannot undo what you set in motion. Be absolutely certain of your decision before you speak these words.”

I wanted to laugh at her newfound seriousness. It wasn’t in my nature to treat things like this seriously, but an inexplicable longing compelled me to grab the book and run. The feeling made no sense. This entire interaction was absurd.

“I can’t afford this.” The leather looked real, the condition perfect. “Anyway, I need to go, or I’ll miss my bus.”

“This book is special and exists only for one purpose. Take it.”

“I can’t just take it. If it’s important, it shouldn’t sit on the shelf in my house collecting dust.”

“Dear Raelynn, trust what’s inside you. What does your heart tell you?”

I studied the book again and placed my hand on top of the symbol burned into the leather. A jolt like lightning shot up my arm, ripping the air from my lungs, forcing me to remove my hand. A need I’d never known before burned my throat and made my body warm.

The woman’s voice took on a firm tone, sounding far away. “Take the book.”

Without giving myself time to second-guess my decision, I shoved the book into my bag, grabbed the cake box, and rushed across the wooden floor, careful to avoid the candle wax.

“Raelynn, you forgot something.”

I stopped and turned to find the mysterious woman holding up a rainbow umbrella.

4

SPIN THE WHEEL

RAE

Going back for the umbrella didn’t help much. As soon as I opened the colorful parasol, a gust of wind ripped it from my hand and hurled it across the waterlogged parking lot.

By the time I caught the bus and made it home, I resembled the girl from the Ring with hair plastered to my shoulders and face. Nothing a hot shower couldn’t fix.

After confirming the rain hadn’t soaked through the box and damaged the cake, I showered and wound my long hair into a messy bun. Then I changed into cozy black and white flannel pants and an oversized black T-shirt.

Once downstairs again, I sighed. I’d tracked rainwater across the hardwood floor between the coffee table in front of the gray sectional and the entertainment center by the stairwell.

Grabbing a mop, I started cleaning.

As I worked, my mind drifted back to the peculiar interaction with the woman at the bookstore.