From the back of the room came a loud thump. I hurried in that direction, Sebille hot on my heels. No further sounds occurred to help us pinpoint the problem. After hurrying down aisle after aisle of dusty objects that didn’t seem to be out of place, we came to the end of the last aisle and found the source of the problem.
Actually, he was the source of many of my problems. But he was just so dang cute!
I jerked to a stop and cocked my head, glaring down into a pair of round, orange eyes.
“Mr. Wicked!” Sebille uttered in her most irritated tone. “What have you done?”
The cat narrowed its startling eyes, which were actually a really dark gold but they often looked orange in the low light. He skimmed a glance in my direction and gave me a long, broken “Meow,” then looked down at the thick, dusty tome his bottom was resting upon.
“What are you doing in here, Mister?” I asked the gray kitten as I scooped him up and placed a kiss on top of his head. His purr rumbled against my chest as I snuggled him close.
Sebille bent down to pick up the ancient, leather-bound text the cat had apparently knocked to the ground. “This book is two hundred years old, Naida,” she whined, her long fingers wrapping around the spine. “It’s delicate...”
The book skimmed sideways, banging against my foot. I looked at Wicked and he seemed to smile, even as his gaze narrowed with innocence. “What are you up to, cat?”
He shoved his back paws into my belly and I released him, watching him drop gracefully to the ground. He twined around my legs a couple of times and then looked up, giving me another throaty “Meow!”
Sebille put hands on hips, expelling an angry sigh. “Blast you back to the hellish environs you came from, you wicked feli…”
I slammed a hand over her mouth. “Don’t you dare!”
Sebille glared at me over my hand, and then slowly tugged my appendage from her face. “I’m going home.”
My first instinct was to agree, but then I remembered the magic wave. “But we haven’t found the magical artifact that needs protecting.” Even to me, my voice sounded a bit whiny. I couldn’t help it. Sebille and I were like oil and water, but without her help I was totally in the dark.
A truly frustrating experience which made me feel inadequate on a daily basis.
She tossed a hand over her shoulder and kept walking. “You’ll be fine. Let that damnable cat help you find it.”
She slammed the door between the front room and the artifact library and I fought to keep from stamping my foot.
“Meow!”
I glanced down to find Mr. Wicked sitting beside the book, whacking it with one of his paws as if trying to kill a bug. “Here, young man. Don’t destroy the magical items.” I grabbed the thick book and lifted it, brushing grime from the floor off its leather cover.
To my horror, the cover seemed to roll underneath my fingers, as if basking in the rubbing action of my touch. I almost dropped it, barely keeping hold with the tips of two fingers as it finally stopped moving. “Ugh!” I shook my head at Wicked. He was watching me as if he expected me to do something interesting.
I opened the book and flipped through its gold-edged pages, noting the yellowed but surprisingly well-maintained condition.
The pages were entirely blank.
I frowned. “Why in the world?”
The front door slammed and I jumped, sighing. Setting the book back into its spot on the shelves, characterized by a rectangular, dust-free area midway up from the floor, I headed toward the front room. “Come on, Mr. Wicked. We need to close the shop. Miss Huffy left without locking the doors.”
Wicked hung back for a moment. But, by the time I reached the door into the bookstore, he was bouncing along beside me, short gray tail stuck straight up behind him. The kitten loved the stacks of books inside my magical bookstore and he never missed an opportunity to explore beneath the rows of shelves and in the corners for scraps of paper, bits of fluff, or forgotten string.
Check out the entire series here: https://samcheever.com/books/#enchanting
Also by Sam Cheever
If you enjoyed Unbaked Croakies, you might also enjoy these other fun mystery series by Sam. To find out more, visit the BOOKS page at www.samcheever.com:
Enchanting Inquiries Paranormal Mysteries - For more fun adventures with Naida, Sebille, and Wicked!
Reluctant Familiar Paranormal Mysteries
Yesterday’s Paranormal Mysteries
Gainfully Employed Mysteries
Silver Hills Cozy Mysteries
Country Cousin Mysteries
About the Author
USA Today and WSJ Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes contemporary and paranormal mystery and suspense, creating stories that draw you in and keep you eagerly turning pages. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 80+ books.
To learn more about Sam and her work, visit her at one of her online hotspots:
www.samcheever.com
