Read Online Witch's Bell Book One by Odette C. Bell - Free Book Online Page B

could fully expect someone to run past and dump a cocktail in your hands.
    No, Ebony always had to be careful what she wore. So really, it was quite lucky that she had such a giant number of clothes to choose from.
    'Okay,' she ran a hand down her face, 'what do I have to do today?' she asked her assembled collection, playing with the bangles around her wrists. 'Well, I have to go to the post office to buy more tough bags for the store – I also need more pens.' Ebony ticked something off her imaginary list using her French manicured pinkie. 'Then I have to go to Wonda's Witch Wonders and buy more candles for Friday's seance.' Ebony looped her long hair around her hands, lifting it up off her neck, and then letting it fall down again softly. 'Then I have all those files to look through for Ben,' Ebony ran a hand through her rack of dresses. 'Then I have to go down to the police depot and remove curses from all that jewelery.'
    Ebony nodded briefly. 'Okay, that's it. Well, it's really simple then, isn't it? I have just too much to do today, and I just don't want to be bothered by anyone when I'm just so busy,' Ebony clicked her fingers. 'So I simply must wear white.'
    She grabbed at a very pretty pure-white summer's dress. It was a light, but thankfully opaque, cotton. The shoulders were tied into little bows at the neck; it was pinched in at the waist, and flared out at the hips. Ebony also grabbed at a pair of white high-heels – not too tall, but not too short. Then she finally grabbed the white hat from before – the one with the wide, but stiff, brim.
    Now she knew how to meet the day, Ebony dressed quickly and was out the door in under five minutes.
    'Ah ha,' she said as she closed and locked the door behind her, 'wear a summer's dress, and invite in the sunshine,' she said, her face angled up to the perfect blue sky above her.
    It was a truly dazzling day. There wasn't a cloud in sight, and the sky was a bright shade of azure blue. The slightest breeze gently moved the leaves on the trees and played against the tips of Ebony's loose hair. The background hum of insects was in the air, and there was such a pleasant hush to things that Ebony almost felt like she was off in the country somewhere – not smack bang in the middle of a city.
    Ebony gave a happy sigh as she walked along the street, her heels clicking softly against the pavement.
    She made quick time to the post office. The day simply moved around her – not dragging or sticking, like some days did – but gliding gracefully like a bird on the wing.
    'You're in luck,' one of the post-office-workers declared as Ebony walked in, 'Bob was late this morning, and still hasn't delivered to your shop. We can have him deliver these postbags and pens to you, if you'd like?'
    'Hmm,' Ebony smiled appreciatively, 'you mean rather than have to walk two boxes back to my shop, you can have someone else actually drive them there. Well,' she said, beaming at the man, 'I think that would be lovely.'
    'Okay then,' the old man tipped his hat at her in such a gentlemanly fashion, 'you have a nice day there.'
    Ebony waved at him as she left the shop. 'Oh,' she touched the rim of her own hat, adding a wink, 'I think I will.'
    By the time Ebony had made it back to her shop, she was literally shining. It was just such a nice day. Everything was going right: the sun was shining, birds singing, people smiling. It was almost the type of day where nothing could go wrong.
    Almost.
    Ebony announced a cheerful 'good morning' to her store as she opened the door. It replied with a warm silence, dust motes drifting to and fro in the bright sunlight that shone through the open door.
    'It's going to be a good day today, Harry,' she said as she walked behind the counter, retrieving a file she kept there. 'All I have to do is look through these files for Ben, do a tiny little bit of work down at the depot,' she patted the counter, 'and then I'm free. To do what?' she continued the one-sided