Chapter 9 - The Little Magic Shop and The Z Brothers

Fallon POV

Bruce and I step out of the hotel onto Royal Street. We are in the heart of the French Quarter. The music is coming at us from all directions. There are street performers dancing up the street. I have never seen so many different types of people. I watch them for a moment taking all of it into my soul.

People are dressed in costumes, posing in the streets for tourists. I understand why people come here. As we walk down the street toward the little magic shop, I close my eyes for a moment and let my heart listen to the music. I am in heaven.

"It's beautiful. I cannot believe what I am hearing and seeing," I say.

Bruce stops. "Not as beautiful as you," he says. He touches my chin and gives me a half smile.

I smile. I have been in New Orleans for maybe an hour, and I already feel peaceful and at home. The noise doesn't bother me. Bruce stops in front of a storefront that is boarded up and closed. His expression drops from happy to upset.

"This is it. But there is nothing here. It is an old out of business building. This cannot be right," Bruce says.

My heart sinks at once. "It isn't here anymore. What do we do now? We came all this way, and it is closed. Where did it go," I ask Bruce?

Bruce looks at his phone and the directions on the map. "Maybe this is wrong," Bruce says.

I look at the boarded windows and see a reflection of the ancestors. This is it. They are here, somehow. I am not sure how. "NO, this is it, come on. I am going inside one way or another," I say.

I take Bruce by the hand and start walking toward the little magic shop. "It is boarded up, and we can't go in there," Bruce says.

As we step over the sidewalk and onto the small concrete pad in front of the shop, it begins to change. "It must be a spell or something," Bruce says. He looks at me like I should know.

"I only became a witch yesterday. I have no idea," I say, shrugging my shoulders.

When the storefront changes, it is a little magic shop, after all. The image of the three ancestors fades away, and two old men appear in the doorway.

"No one can break my spell except family. Who the hell are you?" one of the brothers asks us.

The other brother steps out in front of the grumpy brother. I am not sure if he is less grumpy as he peers down his nose at me. He is tall and looks like a gypsy. He reminds me of the crazy lady I saw at the service station. Please do not let me be related to that nut!

"I am Fallon. The ancestors sent me. Umm. Anna, Onya, and Sonya sent me. They said you are my uncles," I say. I stutter a little bit and have trouble getting my words out. For some reason, the uncles scare me.

"I am Jeb, and this jerk is Uncle Zeb. I see they kept your name after they took you," Jeb says.

"Come on," Zeb says. He motions for us to follow them into the little magic shop.

Bruce and I follow the two uncles into the magic shop. The door closes behind Bruce, but he doesn't shut it. The door closes on its own, and that is not creepy at all. I look back at the door as Bruce jumps out of the way. I grab his hand and hold onto it tightly. Not sure exactly what I think is going to happen, but I am scared.

"We don't bite," Jeb says.

"Not anymore," Zeb says, and he moves his false teeth around in his mouth. Eww.

"Why am I here?" I ask.

"You came to us," Zeb snaps at me.

I step back. "I had three women floating in my bedroom, telling me to come to see you about my past. They said you would tell me everything," I say.

Zeb and Jeb look at each other. If I wasn't so terrified, the two might be comical to me, but right now, I just want answers.

"We can't tell you everything, Fallon, but we will tell you what we know," Jeb says.

Jeb moves his head quickly. His long hair moves swiftly over his shoulders. He taps his hand in the air and then claps. "Heads up," Jeb says.

A book comes floating into the room and lands between us. "This is everything you need to know about your family, Fallon. Your beautiful mother, our sister, was a powerful witch. Your father was a hunter. Before you read any of this, know that there are supernatural beings that want you dead because of the sins of your father," Jeb says.

I take the book and hold it in my hand for a moment. There is golden writing on the front. It looks like the writing on the map. "Wait, you said was. Are they both dead?" I ask.

Jeb and Zeb look at each other. "Yes, they are both dead. Did they not tell you? I mean, your adoptive parents should have been notified when it happened. We kept in touch with them on anything going on that might affect you. You can ask them when you go home. Do they know you are here?" Zeb asks.

"No, they didn't tell me, and they are dead too," I say.

The room becomes silent for a moment. Zeb and Jeb look as if they want to say something to me, but they don't. Maybe they don't know how to say what they are thinking. Bruce pulls me closer to him.

"He should be careful too," Jeb says. He winks at Bruce. I look back at Bruce.

"I plan to tell her everything," Bruce says. Whatever it is, the thing that allows him to see into my mind, the uncles know what it is, and they are worried about it.

"You two should get going. Come back tomorrow after you have a chance to look over your family history in the book," Jeb says.

I hold the book close to me and then stick it inside my bag. I didn't think it would fit, but it seems to reshape itself and slide right inside. It almost disappears inside my small bag.

We walk toward the door, and then I remember the map. "Wait, I found a map after my father died. Someone broke into my house and set it out for me. The ancestors sent them," I say.

Jeb and Zeb quickly look at one another. "You have the map?" they ask.

The two begin talking in another language. It is heated for a moment. Then they look at Bruce. "Did you understand any of that?" they ask him.

Bruce shakes his head. "Yes, you know I did," he answers.

"Come back tomorrow, bring the map. We will explain everything after you go through the book," Zeb says.

Bruce takes me by the elbow and almost pushes me out the door, and boom, we are on the sidewalk. I look back and see nothing but a broken, boarded-up storefront.

"Let's get that drink," Bruce says.

We take a few steps. "What did they say?" I ask him.

"They said that if you follow the map, you will come into the same power as your mother, and it could be dangerous for you," Bruce answers me.

"I need that drink," I say.

I take Bruce's hand, and we follow the music. I have never been one to drink, but today is the day.