The Storyteller’s Daughter by Victoria McCombs

Author:Victoria McCombs [McCombs, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Parliament House

Chapter Twenty-Two

The bookstore’s door was unlocked as always, and the air smelled like dandelion tea. A new rug sat beneath the bookshelves. The fire was going, helping light the room as much as the morning sun.

Old Mr. Walters sat in his chair with a pipe, rocking back and forth gently. He had a teapot and cup sitting on the small table next to his chair, and his feet were propped up to soak in heat from the fire. At the sight of me, he almost dropped his pipe.

I intended to come out before the town woke up, and before the stories of me returning with the prince could circulate. I knew that Old Mr. Walters would be awake, though; he always woke before the sun. Only a lazy man lets a thing as slow as the sun beat him to the day, he always told me.

What was left of his hair had been cut recently, and his jacket seemed to have new buttons. His late wife had always stitched his clothes before, and I wondered who was taking care of him.

He started to rise and greet me, but I motioned for him to stay seated. I carried myself to his chair and sat on the floor beside him.

“I’m looking for a book on old magic, particularly curses.”

“Got yourself in a bit of trouble, eh?” he asked. I grinned. Old Mr. Walters was a bit of a strange man, and not many folks stopped by to talk to him. He had always been a dear friend to me, however, as we shared a similar spirit. He owned the largest collection of books in the town and was always quick to share them with me.

I slid a few coins out of my pocket, grateful that I remembered to grab them that morning. “Any information you can find. It’s important.”

He got up slowly. “Are you looking to cast a curse, or break a curse? Because those are two very different books.”

I laughed at the glint in his eyes. “Break one. A very old one.”

He nodded as if he knew just what I was talking about. He moved around me and toward his books. “The old king from that castle of yours?”

My head whipped around to him as my mouth dropped open. “How did you know?”

Now it was his turn to laugh. “Many from my time spoke about his curse. When I was a lad, the young king was going crazy trying to break his curse. I never knew what became of him, but I figured he settled down in the castle to wait out his punishment.”

I had so many questions for him, but the most important one came out first. “Do you know how to break it?”

He moved away from his books and disappeared into his room without another word. Confused, I waited for a few moments as I heard his shuffle around. A while later he reappeared with a book in his shaky hands. “I know how to break some curses, but I’m not sure about his.

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