Death Wish (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #5)(6)

I surveyed the rest of the store before stepping up to the counter behind him. Only one other person was inside, an older woman with a clean-cut appearance. Her brown hair was twisted into a bun. With glasses perched on her nose, she thumbed through a book on the far side of the shop.

I waited patiently while Brogan spoke to the guy about his purchases. With another glance at the lady reading, I psychically touched her ever so slightly, sensing what kind of power she had, if any. She didn’t react; she had no idea I was feeling her out. Nothing.

Turning my attention to the Goth guy in front of me, I did the same to him. And, I was stunned. Power didn’t roll off him the way it did with some, but once I reached for it, I couldn’t miss it. He was a natural alright, clearly born with this power. He was pure human, a witch. A potentially dangerous one.

He didn’t seem to suspect that I was psychically analyzing him. Or, if he did, he didn’t let on. He was engrossed in conversation with Brogan. Peeking around him, I tried to get a look at what he was buying without being too obvious.

Brogan was busy wrapping a black glass chalice in bubble wrap. “Are you sure this is the one you want?”

“Yes, that’s the one.” He seemed anxious, like he wanted her to hurry up.

A few crystals lay on the counter, each a different color. Brogan reached to wrap those next. A scrying mirror and an amulet of some kind completed his purchases. It was hard to get a good look at either. Something was carved onto the amulet, but I couldn’t make it out.

“Remember, if you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to call or email.” Brogan beamed a friendly smile at him and received a half-hearted shrug in response.

She met my gaze over his shoulder, and I lifted a brow in question. Only then did he turn to look at me. Fear shone in his eyes as he looked me over. It took me a second to realize that he was reacting to my power.

I imagined I felt dark and deadly. To me, his energy felt human, but it went deeper than that. It tapped into the unseen, the force that made us all so much more than mere physical bodies. I knew my energy hadn’t felt human like that in a long time.

I forced a smile and stepped back, hoping to seem less threatening. He must have thought I was a vampire – I felt like one to everyone else – so I made sure he saw clearly that I wasn’t sporting any fangs. Well, at least not until the wolf came out.

Brogan pushed his change and the bag filled with his things into his hand. Flustered and rushed, he took the bag and shoved away from the counter as if he were afraid I might chase him.

“Have a nice night, Gabriel,” Brogan called after him. The door chime sounded, and he was gone.

“Sorry about that,” I apologized with a grin. “I think I freaked him out.”

Brogan glanced at the woman browsing the bookshelf and lowered her voice. “You feel like you’ve sprung a leak and can’t contain yourself.”

I shrugged and leaned on the counter. “It’s one of those better safe than sorry kind of nights. I’m tapping a little more than necessary tonight.”

“Understood.” Brogan nodded knowingly. “Let me see what I can do for this lady.”

With a friendly smile pasted onto her face, she slipped out from behind the counter and approached the woman. I lingered where I was, checking out the items stocked near the cash register. I was curious about Gabriel and his intentions with the things he’d bought.

After a few minutes with Brogan, the woman chose a few books and stepped up to the counter. I smiled politely and moved out of her way.

I picked up a crystal from a box near the cash register. Turning it over a few times, I admired its smooth surface. The crystal started to hum, a strange sound I could feel more than hear. I quickly dropped it and rubbed my hands together as if that would remove the strange sensation.

Once Brogan and I were alone in the store, I said, “That kid, Gabriel, how old is he?”

“I’m not sure. Eighteen or so.” Brogan’s hazel eyes narrowed, and she glanced toward the exit where Gabriel had disappeared. “He’s so young but so skilled. I don’t think he has any idea how dangerous that could be.”

“Power makes him a potential victim. Let’s hope he stays off the radar of the real big bads.” I didn’t elaborate. We both knew what that could mean.

Brogan looked worried; her brow creased in a frown. “I do worry about him. I hope he doesn’t do anything to get himself in trouble. He’s a regular here. I try to watch out for him. My mom always believed our abilities should be used for helping others, but she also warned me of how dangerous that could be.” There was a distant look in Brogan’s eyes as she remembered her mother.

“He’ll be alright.” I was in no position to make such claims. The kid was so young and walking in such a dark world. The last thing he needed was to turn out like me: blood hungry and working for the bad guys.

My thoughts strayed to Lena. Guilt over how she had died still plagued me. Maybe it wasn’t directly my fault, but someone killed her in an effort to get to me. It was hard to accept.

“Your mother was so good to me. I’ll always be sorry for what happened to her.”

I reached to brush a hand over Brogan’s in a quick gesture of offered comfort. Our skin met briefly, and my power reached out to taste hers, rich and earthy but pure and untainted by the darkness that fed the undead power burning in my own veins.