Chapter Text
Laura found herself outside Nightshade Books again. She lingered just long enough to see the chalkboard sign out front had been changed to:
Today’s Special: Ask me about the ending of your favorite book. I dare you.
She snorted, but instead of going in, her attention drifted to the storefront a few doors down.
A bright purple-painted door with a hanging sign that read: Toil & Trouble. The window was crammed with potted herbs, jars of colored powders, and what looked suspiciously like a copper distillery still. The bell above the door chimed as she stepped inside.
“Laura Hollis, is that really you?!”
She turned and was immediately enveloped in a hug by Lola Perry. Same curly bun from college, same enthusiastic squeeze.
“Perry!” Laura laughed. “You look exactly the same. Except for the…cauldron?” She glanced at the copper contraption bubbling quietly in the corner.
“Don’t call it a cauldron,” Perry scolded gently. “It’s an artisanal infusion system. LaFontaine, get out here!”
From behind a curtain, LaFontaine emerged, goggles pushed up in their hair, hands dusted with something that smelled faintly like rosemary and…battery acid?
“Laura! You’re alive!” LaF grinned. “We figured you’d have been eaten by a headline in New York by now.”
“I almost was,” Laura admitted. “You two own this place?”
“Yup,” LaF said proudly. “Science, magic, and baked goods. Perry handles the front of house, ‘questionable legality of our experiments’ side.”
Laura grinned. “That’s awesome. So…what can you tell me about—”
Perry’s face twitched. “Carmilla.”
“Yeah, I’ve met her. I’m doing an article on the shop. I’d love to include you guys in it too.”
LaF smirked. “Oh, you’ve met her. Did she do the thing where she stares into your soul like she’s deciding whether to marry you or eat you?”
Laura choked on a laugh. “I—what?”
“Carmilla’s…complicated,” Perry said diplomatically. “She’s been here forever, never seems to age, and somehow keeps that store afloat even though she barely seems to have customers.”
“And don’t even get me started on the basement,” LaF added.
Laura perked up. “What about the basement?”
Perry shot them a look. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing you need to worry about.”
Laf grinned wickedly. “Except for the weird noises, the power surges, and that one time something made our cat hiss for a solid five minutes.”
Before Laura could ask for details, the bell jingled and in walked Detective Danielle (Danny) Lawrence—tall, broad-shouldered, red hair pulled back in a no-nonsense ponytail.
Laura froze. “Danny.”
Danny froze too. “…Laura.”
“Ohhh, awkward ex reunion,” LaF muttered under their breath.
Danny glanced at Perry and LaF. “I just came to pick up the sage bundles for Mel. There’s been some weird stuff near the waterfront.”
Perry handed her a paper bag. “Tell her to call me if she needs more.”
Danny’s eyes slid back to Laura. “You’re back in town.”
“For now,” Laura said, trying for breezy.
Danny nodded once. “Be careful, Hollis. Weird stuff’s been happening all over, and Nightshade’s not exactly…drama-free.”
Laura frowned. “What do you mean?”
Danny hesitated, then just said, “Ask Carmilla,” and left.
Well that was weird. How did Danny even know they were talking about the bookstore?
The whole interaction and information received made Laura uneasy. Danny seemed different. It was expected she’d be a little standoffish since their breakup in college—Laura had ended things when she got her job in NYC and didn’t want to do long distance.
But something was strange. And she was going to get to the bottom of it.
Laura chatted with her friends, catching up over a pot of tea that was Perry’s special blend. She thanked LaF and Perry for the complimentary pouch of crystals they sent her with and headed to the bookstore. Laura definitely lost track of time—the sun was descending quickly in the late winter’s sky.
When she went to open the door to Nightshade, it was—locked. Laura furrowed her brows, stepping back with surprise. Carmilla told her to come back today, right? She glanced at the window and the ‘closed’ sign was indeed up, even the hours posted indicated the store should still be open.
Well, I guess mysterious bookstore owners have emergencies too, Laura thought. She sighed and decided to go home, but just as she turned to leave she heard clattering from the alley next to the bookstore.
Every instinct was telling her not to go down a poorly lit alleyway—but the journalist in her just had to investigate.
She walked slowly, following the alley to the back of the store.
The back door was framed by two old brick walls, a flickering security light overhead. She crouched behind an overflowing recycling bin, notebook in her pocket, her phone ready in case she saw something worth photographing.
And then she did.
The door swung open, and Carmilla stepped out carrying a wooden crate—not heavy enough to be full of books, but something inside rattled faintly. She glanced both ways down the alley, and for a moment Laura thought she’d spotted her.
Then Carmilla did something impossible.
She crouched by the heavy steel hatch Laura assumed was a storm drain cover…and lifted it one-handed, like it weighed nothing. The metal groaned, revealing a set of stone steps that disappeared into darkness.