Chapter 4



After leaving the diner (don’t worry I left a tip) a started on the way back to the shop. I rolled the earrings around in my palm, pondering the mysterious missing element. A strong emotion was needed in order to fully utilize the enchantment’s power. Now when I say strong emotion I don’t meaning a feeling of happiness when you’ve won the lottery. I mean an emotion so powerful, it leaves you speechless, breathless.

I knew that it wasn’t going to come from me. I was emotionally invested in this but not that invested. I was pondering this problem when I saw my next uninvited guest awaiting me by the street.

“Unsolicited companies are abundant on this auspicious day.” (Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness appears again. Don’t worry it doesn’t last.) An older woman, gray hair in a proper bun and wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. Hazel eyes were set in a stern face. She carried herself with an air of authority and importance, someone used to having people do what she said.

“You are Travis Xander?” It sounded more like a statement than a question but I answered anyway.

“That would be me.” I inclined my head. No need to anger the matriarch. At least not today anyway. Angering Eddie had been enough of a thoughtless deed for the day. “Do you need me for something?” Her hazel eyes sharpened to almost hawk-like intensity as she scrutinized me.

“I will be honest with you young man. Are you deceiving my daughter?” She hardly gave me time to answer before she plowed ahead. “She has enough to deal with without some charlatan claiming to be able to cure her of her ills.” I stepped back, more than a little intimidated by the fire in her eyes. Before I could get too far she had my hands in a vice-like grip. (strong for a sixty whatever-year-old) “If you do anything to harm her, I will make it my duty to put you and your scamming ways out of business and out of this town. I may not be so young anymore but I still have plenty of pull in this city. Are we clear?” A trail of fire, warm and fierce, flared in our clasped hands.

I could tell she couldn’t feel it, but I could and it was hot. I could feel a rush of power as the enchantment sealed, like the air packed up and left my lungs. I almost couldn’t speak from the force of it. As soon as the sensation ended, I yanked my hands back, never had been grateful to a cold wind as I was then.

“Transparently clear ma’am.” I finally answered, trying to shake some feeling back into my hand. I walked past her, a grin on my face despite my hands feeling numbed. That was it. The last piece of the puzzle. A mother’s love was strong enough to move mountains if applied correctly. I hurried back to the shop.