Before long Azura, Shakra, Altair and Alice were all sitting around the table, mugs of tea sending swirls of steam curling into the air in front of them. There was silence for a moment, and all Alice could hear was the steady ticking of multiple clocks from the living room. Then Shakra burst out,

“I have to go after her!”

Alice glared at her, “I assume you mean Athena. There’s no way…”

                “She knows where I am, that much is clear!” Shakra interrupted her. The woman’s dark complexion had gone pale, and her hands trembled as she curled her fingers around her mug, “you got stabbed because of me!”

Alice frowned down at her shoulder, about to say there was no wound. A tell tale splotch of dark blood stained her skin exactly where she’d been stabbed.

Azura shrugged apologetically, “The spell doesn’t work for that. You’ll have to wash up.”

Alice leaned forward, eyes fixed on Shakra’s face, “Listen to me. They weren’t even after you. I…sort of asked them…I mean, I didn’t say your name of course. I asked them if they were here for me, or someone else.”

Shakra had fallen silent, her voice came out in a shaky whisper, “this wasn’t a mistake? They didn’t just break into the wrong apartement?”

Alice shook her head, stomach twisting, “No, they meant to get me. Athena sent them after me. She wanted to see if they could kill me. She was testing me.”

They all jumped when Shakra pounded one fist onto the table, making the mugs rattle, “this makes no sense! How did she know we were here?"

Azura glanced over at Alice, brows creased, “Well she's a god, our Alice does seem to attract strange types.”

Altair snorted and scraped one hand across his face, “Oh man, you mean she attracts pissed off gods,” he shot a sideways look at Alice, who just rolled her eyes at him.

“It’s as if I’m walking around with a sandwich board on me. A sign that says, “Hello, crazy god types! Come have a go at me!” I don’t know what it is, but if it keeps happening I’m not going to survive for very long!”

                She looked down, realizing that she’d been rubbing the metal links of her charm bracelet fiercely between her finger and thumb. What would Aunt Ruby have done? No doubt she would have had some solution or explanation.

                “Maybe it’s a trick,” Shakra protested, “maybe they were just here to make you think they were after you and then I’ll relax and they’ll come after me,” she stuttered to a halt, clearly grasping at straws, “or..I don’t know. But Alice, don’t you see? I have to go to her. If something happens to you and it’s my fault…”

                Alice made her voice as firm as she possibly could, “No, absolutely not. I forbid it,” she saw Altair’s brows shoot up in amusement and made a mental note to give him a smack later on, only right now he was rubbing her upper back, and it felt really nice, “look. We can’t give her the satisfaction. She can’t just send people to try to kill me and then we let her win. If I’ve learned one thing about gods it’s that they need lessons in not being so bloody full of themselves!”

                Altair choked on his tea, but he didn’t say anything when she gave him a look. Alice continued, “Right now, it would be best if we went to bed. Azura, it’s obvious no one can get in through a window without things going off. Like the duck phone. But what about the hallway?” She remembered a certain nasty siren who’d managed to get into her apartment that way.

                Azura smiled slightly, “The shop is perfectly safe. As long as the “closed” sign is up, no one can get in without being invited. That’s how the magic works.”

                “But last year…” Altair began.

                “She was invited,” Alice murmured, “but we won’t talk about that. Poor Gabriel still has a guilt complex a mile wide about it.”

                “Alright,” Azura stood up and brought her mug of tea to the sink, “you heard Alice, it’s bed time. This will all look more manageable on a good night’s sleep.” She turned back and smiled at Alice, “that’s what Ruby always said.”

                How she wished her aunt was here now!

                “Alright,” Shakra set her mug down on the counter, she reached out with one slim hand and touched a gentle finger to her shoulder, “Azura healed you?” Her face was rueful, “I’m so sorry you were hurt on my account. I should never have let you get mixed up in this.”

                “They came for me,” Alice shook her head and patted Shakra’s hand, “trust me, I get mixed up in enough trouble all on my own. Well…you know.”

                Shakra smiled, “I do, but I still think you should let me go to her. But no matter, we’ll talk more in the morning.”

                “Goodnight,” Alice said, and sighed when Altair pulled her under his arm, curling both arms around her. She buried her face in his chest, listening to the thump of their footsteps in the hallway as Shakra and Azura went back to their suite, breathing in the fresh soap smell of Altair’s t-shirt.

                “You okay?” His low voice made his chest rumble, and Alice smiled a little, “I’m fine. Let’s go back to bed. “

                “Alright,” Altair took her hand and led her into the bedroom, “Now I’ll just be listening for mad quacking sounds from the living room all night long.”

                She couldn’t help but laugh.

       Aunt Ruby was right about one thing, Alice thought as she shuffled downstairs the next morning, everything felt a little better in the light of day. She said good morning to Azura on her way through the back room and walked into the shop, set her coffee mug on the front desk, smiling at Maya, “Morning.”

                “Hi! How are you feeling?” Maya looked anxious, “Azura told us about last night. That’s so horrible!”

                Gabriel popped out from behind a set of shelves, a bottle of love potion in each hand, “Are you okay? How’s your shoulder?”

                “It’s fine,” Alice gave them both a reassuring smile. She looked down at her shoulder but all you could see was her green cable-knit sweater anyways, “just a little tingly where Azura did her healing spell.”

                “I’ll have to teach you that one,” Azura came in and crossed over to the fireplace, setting down into the arm chair, leaning down to blow over her coffee mug.

                “That would be great,” Alice said, “it’s been awhile since we’ve had spell lessons.”

                “I think we should get Shakra to pitch in too,” Azura mused, her expression thoughtful, “She’s a Sorceress, I think learning from her could benefit you very much.”

                “Where is she anyways?” Alice asked, “is she alright?”

                “I think she’s more exhausted then she pretends,” Azura smiled absently at the fireplace, “she’s still sleeping.”

                Alice was about to reply when I high reedy voice from the back of the store shouted, “theif! Stop, theif!”

                “Alice!” Gabriel’s voice came from behind another set of shelves, sounding very cross, “Alice, come help me with him! He’s impossible!”

                Alice snorted in amusement. She’d nearly forgotten about the painting. He’d been quiet for the last couple days, after Azura had told him to calm down. He seemed to have taken a special liking to the grey haired witch. Now here he was beginning all over again.

                She sighed and rounded the shelves, coming face to face with the flustered little man in the painting. He squinted at her over top his small round spectacles, his wrinkled face scrunching in agitation, “Another one! Theif! Theif! Stop, you scoundrel! You cur!”

                “Do you see?” Gabriel’s long blonde hair was standing up every which way as if he’d been yanking on it, and his face was flushed with exasperation, “he’s started it again. If Azura’s gone he goes on all day.”

                Alice put her hands on her hips and looked the painting right in the eyes, “Mr. Duff!” She said very loudly.

                The old man in the painting stopped in the middle of flapping his arms and looked at her suspiciously, “What?” He snapped.

                “Listen here,” she said firmly, “you be quiet this moment, or I’ll take you off the wall and hang you up in the bathroom.”

                “The bathroom?” His eyes went very round and he sounded scandalized, “You wouldn’t!”

                “Try me!” Alice began to reach for the frame of the painting, but stopped when he began to shriek and wave his arms,

                “Stop, stop! I’ll be quiet!”

                “Good,” she said, “Now, if you see someone stealing something, you have my permission to howl as loud as you possibly can.”

                “Really?” He looked hopeful, peering around her as if he was hoping to see a vandal or a shop lifter that very instant.

                “Really,” she said, torn between laughter and frustration, “that’s your job, you’re an alarm painting. You shout if anyone tries to steal.”

                “Oh,” Mr. Duff’s shoulders slumped, he looked rather dejected, “but it’s much more fun to yell at everyone walking by,” he perked up for a moment, looking up at Gabriel, “You never know, he could be a thief...”

                “Well he’s not…” there was no doubt exasperation was winning out at the moment. Alice sighed, “You be quiet now. Remember, the bathroom.”

                Mr. Duff shuddered, “cruel girl! That’s the worst possible fate for a painting! Horrible girl!”

                “If I’d wanted a painting to insult me I would have ordered one,” Alice grumbled to Gabriel as they walked back to the front of the shelves.

                Gabriel chuckled and began straightening the boxes of warming socks and hats, “I’m sure I could find one in the catalogue for you if you like.”

                “No, no,” Alice said hastily, “I’m sure one shouting painting is quite enough.” She paused in front of the desk, where Maya was putting the finishing touches on a new display.

                “Oh, the listening telescopes are in!” Alice pulled one of the little bronze tubes out of the top box, pulling on both ends. The telescope unfolded until it was quite long, nearly the length of her arm, and she held the spy glass to her eye, turning around to point it out the window.

                Outside the other shops were just starting to get busy. She trailed it on the store opposite  them, which happened to be the Mystics Gallery. She could see a couple of women standing in front of the paintings, and when she trained the telescope on them they came into focus with astonishing speed. The first woman was a dumpy little witch in a black pointed hat and robes that swept the floor. Alice snickered at how terribly old fashioned she was. The laughter died on her lips when she moved the telescope to the right and saw Sara. The owner of the gallery was in a tight purple dress this morning, so short that it showed her slim, pale legs all the way to the very tops of her thighs. Alice couldn’t help it, her lips pulled back in a snarl of distaste. She jumped when thin little voices began to omit from the telescope. The first little voice said,

                “Oh Josie, darling. You should see this man. He’s just a dish. Shaggy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. And he’s always got this sexy five o’clock shadow going on. I’m just determined to sink my claws into him. He’s positively delicious.”

                The telescope shook in her hands, and she felt her chest tighten. There was no way she could be talking about, Altair, could she? But that description…

                “But hasn’t he got a girlfriend?” The witch called Josie asked, and her voice was high and tremulous, “and Alice Cunningham of all people.”

                Her stomach dropped, and Alice’s fingers tightened so hard on the telescope that her hands began to hurt. I’ll kill her! I’ll go over there right now and rip her throat out…

                Sara was talking again, “Oh, Alice. She’s just a slip of a girl. She’s barely an obstacle. I’ll have that man eating out of my hand in no time at all.”

                Her entire body was quivering with anger now, and she was breathing very hard. Sara’s friend Josie said, “Oh, I don’t know if I would be so dismissive, darling. Haven’t you heard the stories about Cunningham? There are rumors she did something to Alexie Ambrose when he insulted her terribly, and he’s a god. Nobody has seen him in positively ages.”

                Rumors that she did something to Alexie. There, that was her fears confirmed. But it sounded as if they were just rumors, and no one wanted to confront her with them. Everyone in the community would just mind their own business. She would never be charged for the murder of Alexie Ambrose. Not that she’d actually killed him anyways….

                “Rumors,” Sara purred, “just rumors. I doubt that pathetic girl can even do more than a few basic spells. In any case, she certainly doesn’t deserve that man. He’s going to be mine, all I need is a few seconds with him.”

                Alice tried to take a deep even breath, someone behind her said in a worried voice,

                “Alice?”

                She turned to look into Maya’s wide brown eyes.

                “Maya, talk to me. Tell me about the new product coming in, anything.”

She needed distraction desperately. She’d never murdered someone, not really. But if she didn’t calm down fast that was about to change.