After Angel and Charlotte left the apartment to enjoy the day together, Cassie went downstairs to her shop. As she entered, she stopped to take a deep breath. Cassie loved the smell of her shop, with its incense, candles, and various items of enchantment. She kept a large variety of witchcraft-related items in stock, as she was always learning and exploring, with crystals and amulets being one of her favorites that she had on display.
But it was another kind of magic—powder magic; a type that was relatively unknown and rare in the witching community—that she was unusually adept at and really called to her. Moving behind the counter and opening a small door nestled between two shelves of items yet to be tagged, she stepped into a tiny pantry-like room, filled with dozens of jars of various powders in different hues and textures. As she glided her fingers over some of the jars, deftly realigning them or repositioning them, she listed them off in her head. Healing, cloaking, and a powder that was especially dangerous in the wrong hands and could blind or destroy someone's vision were among some of the more potent of them. She frowned somewhat, seeing that none of these worked with memory. The sensory powders were trickster magic only, and the rest reacted physically. Still, she wondered if any of these would be useful now that she had a demon in her home.
Exiting the pantry, she closed the door and headed to the book section. Looking over the titles and genres, Cassie picked out a few selections to start with. She checked the clock and figured she had about forty minutes before Davis, her assistant, arrived. She set the books down on the front glass counter case, displaying her favorite amulets and charms. Stepping around to the employee-only side, Cassie pulled up her stool, leaned forward, opened the first, and began to read. Flipping through the pages and finding little that she could use, she pulled another book over and started again, browsing the chapters. She repeated this process over and over.
Lost in her reading, time flowed fast, and the next thing she knew, Davis was walking through the front door, carrying two large cups of coffee. She looked up and smiled at the young man. "Good morning, Davis. I'm sorry to call you in on your day off."
"Good morning, Cassie." Davis said brightly. As he closed the door, his oversize black rimmed glasses fell down his face. Moving one cup to the other, he pushed the rims back up to rest on his freckled nose. His frame was not too thin, yet he didn't carry a lot of extraneous muscle. He looked like an avid reader who took daily walks and ate well, and his short, cropped black hair was kept neat and tidy. His eyes were hazel, large, and always curious, like the world was an adventure novel he couldn't put down.
Stepping up to the counter, Davis handed her one of the cups, which she took gratefully, and he eyed the book collection on the counter, "It's really no problem. I planned to study all day today, and I can do that at home or here and make a bit extra for my trip over Christmas break."
Taking a much-needed sip of hot coffee, Cassie sat the cup down, gathered the books to clear up the counter for customers, and teased, "You know the summer is supposed to be for fun, not school, right?"
"I want a jump on next semester, and working here is where I have the most fun. I learned from you about spells and the supernatural, meeting all kinds of cool people who come in to shop and browse. I don't need much else."
"Well, then, if you'd do me an extra favor, I'll add on a bonus for your time today."
Intrigued, Davis sips at his coffee, "Really? Of course! What is it?"
Tapping the pile of books she'd pulled, "I'm not sure what I'm looking for is going to be found in these mass-published books. I sell them for the customers, but sometimes they frustrate me with the novice knowledge of the authors. Still, there could be some treasures in there. If you'd take some time during your studies to look through our inventory, I need information on memory spells. Whatever you find, pull those books out of inventory and stack them in my office. I'm going to go out for a few hours and visit a couple of my friends for their advice."
"Gladly. Memory spells. Anything else?"
Thinking, Cassie nodded, tapping the counter, "Yes. For today, everything in this case is not for sale. Put one of the satin display clothes over it for me, please."
Davis nodded, and they switched sides, with Cassie picking up her coffee and asking, "How much do I owe you?"
"It's on me, Cassie, but maybe bring something for lunch later?"
"You got a deal," Cassie smirked, and with a final goodbye, she left the shop by way of the side door to go collect her purse and shawl out of her apartment. Davis immediately got started on the favor Cassie had asked for. His studies could wait. He'd never seen her this intense about research, and he wanted to help as much as he could.