Nordic Fairies (Novella Series, #1) Read Free Page B

your beauty sleep. I don’t mind going on my own.”
    “ Gemstones?” Sarah frowned.
    Svala stayed composed but grew annoyed by the tone in Sarah’s voice.
    “ Yeah.” She shrugged again, like she realized it was a stupid thing to take an interest in. “But seriously, you don’t have to come with me.”
    Jen looked at her wristwatch. “We still have six hours. You shouldn’t have to go alone.” She looked at the others.
    “ Of course. We’ll come with you.” Sarah agreed.
     
    The small silver bell at the top of the door chimed when the four girls entered the tiny shop. A comforting scent of incense met them inside. Svala’s friends looked around, then turned to Svala with forced smiles. Their discomfort shone through.
    Along the shop wall stood a long table with small wooden boxes filled to the brim with different gemstones. In the middle of the room stood a cabinet with similar boxes filled with silver ornaments. Necklaces and earrings hung from tiny wooden constructions on the table. They resembled miniature leafless trees.
    The middle-aged woman behind the register read from a book when they came in. At the sight of costumers, she removed a pair of black-framed reading glasses, and closed her book. “Welcome. Please let me know if you need any help.”
    Svala nodded a silent thanks, forced herself to look away, and went over to the display by the window. The woman placed her book on the counter, and studied Svala.
    Fairies remembered everything from every life they lived, but the people in their lives did not. To them, it was as if they’d never existed. Even so, this woman kept studying Svala, like she was trying to place her.
    Svala walked over to the gemstones and focused on breathing normal. Her hands trembled. This had been a bad idea from the start.
    Her friends were quiet. They walked over to the table with the silver necklaces, pretending to take an interest. She ignored their silent ridicule as they picked up a pair of earrings and exchanged looks of amusement. In a way, it was a good thing they came along. It prevented her from initiating contact.
    A bright amber necklace caught Svala’s eye. The sun outside the window reflected against the necklace’s heart and made it glimmer in a familiar way. Svala reached out and ran her finger over the smooth surface. As a child, she thought amber the prettiest thing in the world. Her mother had a necklace made of this particular gemstone, though much smaller.
    She removed the jewelry from the posture and let it weigh in her hand. “How much for this?”
    The woman walked out from behind the register. Her heels clicked against the wooden floor and the heavy set of necklaces around her neck clattered to the beat of her heals.
    “ There is something special about amber, isn’t there?” The woman’s blue eyes lit up. She had been a real looker in her younger days, and still had an elegant charm about her. The lines on her face and the streaks of grey in her blonde hair only emphasized her beauty.
    “ It’s always been my favorite,” Svala said.
    Their eyes met. The woman tilted her head to the side. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but you aren’t one of those teen celebrities, are you?” her smile hesitant.
    Svala bit her lower lip. Her friends caught the odd question and turned around to listen.
    “ No.” Svala shook her head.
    The woman kept observing her, obviously not convinced. “It’s so strange, I could have sworn I’d seen you somewhere. Are you from around here?”
    “ No.”
    A moment of silence passed, their eyes met again. Svala looked back at the necklace to focus on something other than the woman’s eyes.
    “ I’ll take this.” She closed her hand around the amber stone.
    The woman studied her a while longer, then turned toward the register. “Good choice,” she said, walking across the room.
    Svala’s friends eyed each other as she went over to the register, necklace in hand. The woman reached under the counter and