The Sentinels: Sins of the Past
Sins of the Past - Subplot #2
Sins of the Past
Nathan yawned slightly as he unlocked the door to the shop and picked up the early edition of the York Gazette from the front step. He had been up late both Sunday and yesterday trying to learn more about Guardian’s background, hoping to find out what caused her to hate him so much.
At least Aidan was able to tell me about what happened to her family, he thought. If my parents were murdered by mages, I’d probably hate them too. Nathan went back behind the counter, opened up the newspaper and began to scan through it. Hmm…. There’s a rare book auction next month. I ought to ask for a catalogue. You never know what you might find.
He was flipping over the obituaries when a name caught his eye: Gabriella Duncan.
The breath caught in Nathan’s throat, as he grasped for the stool. No!! Not her! Nathan’s mental shields dropped, the sounds of the city around him assaulting him. Rebuilding his shields, Nathan calmed his breathing before picking up the paper once more, forcing his eyes to the type he doesn’t want to read.
Nathan slowly read the obit on Gabriella twice, committing every word to memory.
“Gabriella Duncan. Tragically taken from us in a car accident, you will be sorely missed by friends and family. Services to be held at the Parkins Funeral Estates, New York City, May 13. Viewing from 9 -11 am, ceremony at 12 pm. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the New Horizons Youth Centre.”
Must make a note to check into this New Horizons centre., and also give Darren a holler. He’ll have a better idea on whether I should even consider going….
Nathan barely heard the tinkling of the chimes when the door to the shop opened. Out of the corner of his eye, a strikingly beautiful woman dressed in casual clothes entered, and then it hit him. She was a mage, perhaps a bit more powerful than him, but followed no specific school of magic.
Nathan folded the paper up, and set it aside in it’s usual place under the register.
“Morning… May I help you??”
She turned her head to look at him with a brilliant smile on her face. “Yes, you can. I’m looking for a book Tibetan ritual chanting and some incense.” Her eyes were warm and welcoming, and for a split second he thought he knew her, but the feeling disappeared.
That article has really unsettled me… I had better watch myself. Hesitating for just a moment, Nathan smiled at his customer. “Sorry… I don’t think I’ve quite woken up yet. Was that a book called on Tibetan ritual chanting, or was that the subject?”
The woman’s smile widened. “No problem. I’m not much of a morning person either. It’s the subject of the book actually.” She began to scan the racks. “Your shop was recommended to me by an acquaintance.”
“It would be over here.” Nathan leads her over to his ‘Odd’s ‘n Ends’ section. “I must confess that I’m curious as to who might have recommended my shop, that is if you don’t mind.”
The woman laughed softly. “To be perfectly honest, I don’t remember his name. I met him at a book auction and he said if I was ever in York and needed something, to give the Sacred Circle a try.” She began to look over the books and quickly found the one she was looking for. The woman took the book off the shelf and leafed through it.
“This will do. How much?” She looked over the book trying to find the price.
“The price should be on the back cover. Book auction?? I attend a few of those myself. I find you can get some interesting finds there.”
“Very true,” she replied as she headed for the counter. “I don’t often buy anything at the auctions, but I sure do like to look.” The woman took out her wallet and waited for Nathan to tell her the total.
“If you would hold on for a second, I’ll look up the price.” Nathan pulled out a register, and looked up the title. “That will be 50 dollars.”
The woman took the money out of her wallet and put it on the counter. “Thanks. I don’t need a bag,” she said as she put her wallet away. “Be seeing you.” She turned and headed out the door of the shop.
Nathan took the money off of the counter, put it in the cash till, then noted in his ledger the particulars. After a while he pulled out the newspaper again and returned to the obituaries. I still can’t believe it, he thought. She’s gone……
To be continued….