Bloodmagic (Blood Destiny 2) by Helen Harper Read Free Book Online Page A

with, but I had my sense of humour and my freedom and the relative excitement of the open road stretching away from me.  And let’s face it, things could always be worse.
     

Chapter Six
     
    The light was already fading from the sky by the time I made it back to the arcade.  Most of the shops were shutting up for the day, even though it was still relatively early.  If the bright delights of the Scottish trinket shop, posh looking gentleman’s outfitters and old fashioned sweet shop weren’t enticing customers in, then there was little chance that Clava Books was faring well, I thought grimly.  Then I tightened my lips and hardened my heart.  It wasn’t my problem; I had bigger things to worry about.  Staying around Inverness would just bring more trouble down on my head – and, by default, Mrs Alcoon’s also.  I couldn’t be responsible for everyone in the world, I just couldn’t…  So why did I feel so guilty about running off then?
    As I neared the little bookshop, I could see that the lights were on.  I noted with some satisfaction that the windows at least looked clear and the place was entirely more inviting and less grubby.  From the outside anyway.  The bell jangled as I walked in, feeling a bit nervous about the conversation I was about to have.
    “Mrs Alcoon?  Hello?”
    There wasn’t any answer so I figured that she was round the back in the little kitchen or her office.  I glanced at my watch.  There was just over an hour to drop off the herbs, speak to her, grab my belongings from the bedsit and catch the last bus.  I steeled myself and called out again.
    “Mrs Alcoon?  Are you there?”
    The shop remained silent.  Cursing slightly under my breath, I headed for the kitchen and popped my head in.  An empty cup lay in the little aluminium sink with some green gunk that I took to be some more odd tea leaves lingering in the bottom of it.  I turned back out again and went for the office door, knocking first.  For fuck’s sake, where was she?
    I knocked again and cleared my throat.  “Umm…Mrs Alcoon?  I need to talk to you.  I have the blisterwort too.”  I pushed open the office door gently and peered inside.  She was sat in a chair behind a neat desk upon which lay a beautiful leather bound notebook and a couple of old books.  A desk lamp lit the windowless room, leaving a soft glow.  This was the first time I’d been inside the office and I was rather surprised at the tidy appearance.  The front of the shop didn’t look anywhere nearly as organised as this.  I was caught for a split second by a reminder of John’s little office and then pushed the thought away before it could take further root.
    “Mrs Alcoon?”
    The old lady shook herself, her eyes deglazing somewhat.  “Why, hello Jane.  I see you made it back in one piece then.”  She smiled at me warmly.
    “That I did, Mrs Alcoon, that I did.”  I was feeling much more relaxed in her presence now, with the incident with Jack the drunk doing me much more good than harm at reflecting my own over-enhanced insecurities back at me.  Another flicker of sadness that I was about to leave ran through me.  I pushed it away and instead pulled the herbs out of my backpack.  “Here, I’ve got the blisterwort that you were asking me for.”
    “Oh, that’s simply wonderful!  And so much of it too!  Thank you so much for going to all that trouble.”
    I felt a warm ripple of pleasure run through me at her words.  It was nice to be praised for a change.  Mrs Alcoon reached out to take the green leaves from me, brushing my hand as she did so.  Before she could take hold of the blisterwort, however, she pulled back and looked at me with a serious glint in her blue eyes.
    “You will be safe from him here, Jane.  And the other means you no harm.”
    Uh, what? 
    The old lady shook herself.  “I’m sorry.  Sometimes I…see things.  I don’t entirely know what they mean but I get flashes of, well, I