Bound In Blood (The Adams' Witch Series Book 1) by Erin Butler Read Free Book Online Page A

“o”. “Of course she’s your aunt. That’s just perfect.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “Marlene,” Drake said, his voice a warning.
    She ignored him and kept her eyes on me. “Didn’t Drake tell you?”
    I swallowed, my throat thickening fast. “Tell me what?”
    “Knock it off, Marlene. Just get us some menus.”
    Drake’s gruff voice made me stiffen even more on the stool.
    Marlene pulled out a pen and pad from her apron and started to write as if she hadn’t said anything at all. “I’m sure you want your usual.”
    “Sarah needs a menu.” He over-pronounced my name like he was talking to someone who couldn’t understand English.
    She froze mid-writing and then walked away.
    “What the hell was that all about?” I whispered.
    “Don’t worry about it.” He took another sip from the mug, drawing it out this time, ending the conversation.
    “That’s not likely.”
     
    ***
    “So, here we are…downtown.”
    Drake pointed down Main Street from the corner by Abigail’s Diner. We’d shoveled breakfast into our mouths as fast as we could to get away from the prying Marlene.
    From this point of view, downtown consisted of one long street. It was small. Way small compared to downtown Miami. All the businesses hooked together and were made out of the same red brick. Some of the buildings were taller than others and the only distinguishing thing about them were the windows and the signs above the doorways announcing what they were.
    It was as if I was on an old movie set. I half expected to see horses and carriages, with people wearing top hats and girls barely breathing because of their restricting corsets.
    A long grassy area lined with benches was in the middle of downtown and split the street in two. Pink and purple flowering shrubs surrounded a statue of the first settler. At least, that’s what Drake said. I squinted to read the name on the plaque, but the only letter I could make out was a C.
    It all seemed so quaint, like an illusion that could be easily wiped away. I was used to living in gated communities and cities with more than one stoplight, places people around here probably only dreamt about. I had to admit, though, this was nice. The houses and businesses were immaculate. Everything was clean in an old-fashioned way. I imagined my dad happy growing up here. He called Adams home .
    I’d never felt at home anywhere. Home may as well have been an alien plant as far as I was concerned.
    Drake led me down the sidewalk, past the big, black-iron lampposts and signs stating “Special Settler’s Day Sales” in the little trinket shops' windows. We turned toward the park where the opening ceremony took place last night.
    Today, the park attracted just as many visitors. Carnival-like games, bounce houses and slides, concession stands, and booths littered the grounds. Signs announced “Marla the Magnificent” and “Psychic Sam”.
    At Abigail’s, Drake saw an advertisement for the Psychic Fair in the Adams Gazette and pointed it out. “You want to know what your dad would have done? This is it,” he said, tapping the paper on a black and white crystal ball that took up half the page.
    So here we were, making our way there. Drake stopped just on the edge of the park, eyes shining as his stare wandered over the different booths. Finally, he grabbed me by the wrist and tugged me toward a table with a sign that read “Palm Readings $5 by Jennie”.
    Drake and I sat in front of a rather normal looking girl who was barely older than me. She was probably Drake’s age and appeared to be sane, like someone you might come across in a grocery store, green polo shirt and jeans with shoulder-length blonde hair. “Hello,” she said. “I’m Jennie.”
    I smiled back and went to say hi, but Drake launched right in. “Sarah needs her palm read.”
    My mouth dropped. I assumed he would be the one getting the reading. Besides, I didn’t know how I felt about all this see-into-your-future stuff.