Mystical (Mystical #1) (Revising)

Chapter Twelve ☆

Jared entered the room with an endearing bounce in his step, heading towards the little house he'd made.

"Cute," she chuckled. "You bounce."

"Shut up." Jared looked up, burying his head in the clothes around him, and she laughed.

"Whoa, where did you get those?" he blurted, glancing at her chest. "And you look... different."

"I woke up, and my chest was killing me. My bra didn't fit anymore." Awkwardness washed over her as she talked to her brother about her bra size. She shivered, and out of politeness, he averted his gaze.

"Second phase, huh?" Jared cleared his throat. "Mine was quite the experience." He chuckled.

"I can only imagine," Eliza replied, shaking her head.

She gazed out of the window in front of her and sighed. Grabbing her laptop from her dresser, she walked back to her bed. Her room was adorned with light yellow walls, and her toes played with the fluffy white plush carpet. Plain and simple, just the way she liked it.

She typed "witches" into Google, but the results were disappointing – nothing about witches being assassin or ninja killers. Trying a different approach, she searched for "witch stores" and after endless scrolling, found a somewhat creepy store not far from her location. Taking a deep breath, she jotted down the address and tucked it into her purse.

"Wanna come?" she asked Jared.

He was snoring away, snuggled up comfortably. She grinned, slipped out of the room, and was met by her roommate, Dawn, waiting with her arms crossed. "We agreed not to sneak around," Dawn said.

For a moment, Eliza forgot that her best friend was her roommate. Despite her demanding work schedule, Dawn wasn't knocked out yet. Her expression showed displeasure at finding Eliza outside the room at this hour.

"I can't get a drink of water? In my own house?" Eliza retorted.

"With a purse slung over your shoulder and your keys in your hand?" Dawn countered.

Eliza rubbed her forehead. "Look, I don't want you getting hurt, Dawn."

"I'm coming wherever you're going." Dawn's demand was firm.

Dawn darted into her room and hurried downstairs, wearing a blue leather jacket. There was no point in trying to dissuade her. Rain was still pouring, so they pulled up their hoods. Eliza started the car as Dawn scrolled through her iPhone.

"Where were you sneaking off to?" Dawn inquired.

"I wanted to check out this witch store," Eliza explained.

"Oh my God, like the whole witchcraft thing?" Dawn exclaimed.

"Pretty much. Just stick close in case anything happens."

Eliza started the car, and they set off down the road toward Witcher's Place.

☆☆☆

Eventually, they arrived at the store, which surprisingly seemed to be open. Dark orange and gold light spilled out from the windows, casting an inviting glow. Eliza locked her car and glanced at the address she had scribbled down. As she squinted up at the sign above her, drizzle started to fall and thunder rumbled around the area.

She scanned their surroundings – an urban area filled with independent stores, conveniently near campus and not too far from where she and Dawn were staying. In front of them, where Dawn stood, trees swayed in the cold wind, and Eliza caught sight of a rabbit darting into the forest.