Read Online Scars of Silver by S.A. Archer - Free Book Online Page A

only Malcolm lacked for any better ideas.
Not like he could ask someone for directions to a fey hangout or
anything.
    Mostly, Malcolm would’ve figured the place for a
joke, if not for the smell. The smell turned his head the first
time he walked past. The smell promised something. Proved
something.
    Malcolm couldn’t put a finger on what, exactly. But
something.
    Something more.
    Something not normal.
    Something special.
    Maybe even magical.
    The moment a middle aged woman walked in the shop,
Malcolm hopped up. Not the best of distractions, but waiting made
him fidgety. The bell on the door clattered way too loudly as
Malcolm entered. He clenched it, silencing it, as he closed the
shop door.
    A mishmash of curiosities crammed every available
wall shelf and island display. A short bookcase provided cover and
he crouched as he slipped along beside it. He peeked around the far
side to catch sight of the customer discussing crystals with the
shopkeeper.
    Malcolm had seen the shopkeeper through the window
before. Probably early thirties, the woman decorated herself in a
flowery, gauzy hippy skirt and floppy, knit sweater that somehow
screamed both “new age” and “thrift shop” at the same time.
    Ducking back, Malcolm scanned the titles. His
fingertips danced over the spines. Some had a feel to them, like
heat or static, but the titles didn’t jive with his search. His
sharp hearing kept tabs on the conversation, trying to note if it
was coming to an end or if the speakers moved closer or further
away.
    Until he found the book.
    Malcolm’s palm hovered over the spine. The gold
embossed title simply read, “The Secrets of the Fey.” What if it
contained garbage? Then why did his hand tingle? His excitement
bubbled through him. He had to have the book. Had to find the
answers to the questions that clawed at him mercilessly.
    He slipped the book from the shelf and tucked it
under his shirt.
    Only then did he notice the bell clanging at the
door. His head snapped up. Had someone come in? Or the customer
gone out? Distracted by the search, he’d forgotten to keep tabs on
his surroundings. Hugging the hidden book to his chest, Malcolm
crept to the edge of the bookcase.
    The place was dead silent.
    He peered around the bookshelf. Oh… so… slowly… No
one seemed about. The place had an abandoned stillness. Creepy.
    A hand touched his shoulder.
    Malcolm yelped. He spun about, eyes wide. Heart ready
to burst from his chest. The shopkeeper just smiled. “Who are we
hiding from?” she asked, and then peeked around the shelves herself
in a conspiratorial way. “I don’t see any scary monsters.”
    He backed away, clutching his chest. The book made an
obvious bulge under his t-shirt.
    “What are we reading about?” she asked, all
kindergarten teacherish.
    Malcolm stammered, not making much of a coherent
answer as she reached beneath his shirt and plucked out the book.
He backed away, ready to bolt.
    She simply turned it over and smiled at the cover.
“You have questions about the fey?” She flipped to the table of
contents. “How to find them perhaps?”
    Malcolm gaped at her. After a long pause, he blinked.
“Uh... yeah.”
    “The fey are real, you know,” she said. “But, of
course you do.” She gave him a knowing smile.
    Malcolm trembled, the urge to run nearly
overwhelming.
    She pretended not to notice his reaction, but instead
simply flipped through the book. “Ah, yes. So simple, really.” She
closed it with a thump. “Let me jot down the directions.”

Chapter Two
     
     
    Malcolm checked the hand drawn map, then the
surroundings. The little stone bridge spanned the stream there.
Check. Clumps of trees down the little hill to the left. Check. So
far so good. So where the hell was the circle of stones? He turned
the map upside down. Didn’t make sense that way, though. Was he
supposed to build the circle of stones? Hell, there were not even
any stones around.
    According to Flora’s supposed expertise,