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Heart and Soul

Chapter Twelve

Waiting in an office where everything was pure white, I fumbled with the seams of my trouser leg.

Finding Mason Marketing hadn’t been too hard; convincing the receptionist that I was a potential client who urgently needed to speak to ‘the guy on the poster in the window’, as I had so eloquently put it, had been a little bit more difficult.

The door in front of me swept open and the receptionist appeared, looking a little less then pleased to be ushering me into the office. She left quietly and shut the door behind her, leaving me standing in the room, awkwardly shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

In front of me a man stood with his face to the window. His suit was bright blue, with white pin stripes down the legs. His reflection in the window was not what I’d been anticipating from a troll.

His hair was long and tied at the back of his head. It shone in the ending sunlight, a light bronze colour. As he turned I was captured by the colour of his skin. In the sunlight he’d looked pink like a human, but now as he turned his handsome features were coloured with a reptilian skin, that looked rough and green, yet suited him well.

“I hope you don’t mind my natural appearance. The sun is setting and it’s a little late.”

“No, not at all.” I stammered, as he walked past me with a confident stride and took a seat in a soft leather chair behind his expansive desk.

“Please, take a seat. I’m assuming you’re not actually here for marketing?”

Blushing lightly, I sat down, “no, no I’m not. I’m here for portal tokens?” I asked rather than stated, my sentence ending higher than I’d started.

“OK, how many would you like?”

I blinked in shock, was it as easy as that? “Um, I don’t know, as many as I can. I have $100 I think, maybe 2? Is that enough to buy me a couple at least?”

He watched me for a moment, he sat stock still, his eyes weighing me up. After a second he laughed, although quelled it when I didn’t join in. “You haven’t been to the Underlands before have you?” He asked, his voice not trying to sound patronising, even though it did.

“No, I haven’t. So what if I haven’t? I’ve lost my magic, so I need portal tokens, how much are they?” I demanded, feeling a little insulted. Again someone treating me like a child.

For a second he smiled, a finger traced his lips, his brow creasing as though he was thinking hard. “Money is not what a portal token will cost you. I will sell you two. It will cost you, witch, a favour. To be demanded by me at any point. Do you accept the price?”

I didn’t take a second to consider it, though maybe I should have. I’d heard the horror stories of deals like this with a price too high to pay in the end. But a sample favour? That I could live with. “I accept.” I stood and we shook hands, as I pulled away I noted that my palm was heavier.

Looking down, two shiny coins both bronze in colour laid in my palm. The markings on them were a mixture of symbols and words I couldn’t possibly comprehend. Nodding in thanks I turned and left, the receptionist eyeing me as I went.

Heading back to the magic shop I drew in a deep breath, it was time to go the Underlands.

Stopping to pull Blaire’s necklace over my head, where it laid heavily on my chest, I made my way back to Sticks uttering a protection spell, though I knew it would do me no good without any magic, as I walked in the door.

The door chimed and again the air drew thick with scents of herbs and flowers. Nodding briefly to the woman in the back, who looked younger than before, I made my way to a small table that I’d noticed earlier. Eyeing the flower suspended in the jar I picked it up and made my way to the Wiccan. “Can I buy this, please?” I asked as I fumbled in my pocket for some money.

“Keep it. You’ll pay me back soon enough. That’s a nice necklace, witch.” I gave her an odd glare, she wasn’t making sense, I always got the feeling she knew what was going to happen next.

Undoing the jar and scooping out the dragon flower I put it in my bag and dropped the heavy spell book she’d given me earlier onto the desk. “Thank you and thank you for this, I won’t need it again, I can remember the spell now.”

She nodded and lifted the book with a flick of her hand and placed it back onto the book shelf next to her. I took a few steps backwards, not eager to turn my back on her, before turning and walking towards the small booth stood to the side of the room.

Drawing back the disintegrating red curtain I stepped inside the tiny wooden box. “Please enter your token to begin. Please remain seated on the chair provided and ensure that your eyes are in line with the white mark on screen. Keep your arms next to you and your hands on your lap during operation.” An automated voice instructed.

Much like a photo booth, I took a seat on the tiny plastic chair and lined my eyes up with the white mark on the screen. Pushing a token into the slot on the right I placed my hands in my lap and waited patiently.

At first nothing happened and then with a whir and a click the box began to shake. At first I was tempted to brace myself against the sides, but knowing I had to keep my arms where they were I prayed to the above that I was doing this right.

Wind, lights and sounds whirled past me in a flurry of movement, somewhere during the journey I screamed and curled over into myself waiting for it to be over and finally after it felt like an eternity, it was quiet and the world stopped shaking.

Tenderly standing up I took a deep breath before pulling open the red curtain and stepping out. At first I thought I was in the same place, the magic shop was still in a state of disarray with various objects scattered around me, but it was the wiccan owner that confirmed everything had changed.

Her eyes glowed a low yellow and her hair band was a mixture of reds and gold’s, still she looked like her sister from Sticks, but there was a difference about her, a change. One that without my magic I couldn’t sense. What I could sense was the oppressive feeling this place had. If I'd thought the human magic shop had, had a dark feeling before, I was in for a shock now. I could already feel a creeping, crawling anger seep through my veins.

I felt like the darkness in this place would taint my soul, if I still had it.

Nodding to the Wiccan's sister in respect I moved towards the front door and opened it with a low chime of the bell above me, I stepped outside waiting for the rush of fresh air that my lungs were craving, yet I got nothing but a strong, harsh stench. I took a quick look back at the magic shop, it looked so similar although instead of green painted it was black and the sign that swung in the non-existent breeze read “Styx” which was not the most encouraging sign I’d ever seen. Now I was unable to think of anything other than the River of Styx and the legends behind it.

Above me the sky was lit only by a few glowing orbs of light, the work of sprites, I recognised it from some of the books I’d read. The cobbled street I stood on was not too busy, but I could hear the hubbub of crowds not far away. The few people that wandered these streets watched me with a knowing glare, they know I don’t belong here
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Thank you for your comments/recs/subscriptions! You're all wonderful people - and I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Annika has finally made it to the Underlands....what could possibly go wrong?! :)

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