#Chapter 105: Teddy Bear Picnic

Ardal The bell on the door chimes as I step inside the shadowy occult shop. The fragrance of juniper incense hits me, making my heart speed a little as I remember the juniper bush in the forest. I swallow nervously and try to ignore the feeling of unease. "Hey Bernard," I say, removing my sunglasses. It takes a second for my eyes to readjust from the bright sunshine to the dim, crowded room made dimmer by the haze of the incense smoke. "Well, hello there." The white-haired man looks up from a box of palo santo sticks and bundles of eucalyptus leaves and other herbs. "Back for more, eh? Or something new this time, perhaps?" "Same old, same old," I say. He nods and pulls down a stack of books from a shelf behind the counter. "Plenty more to choose from," he says, spreading them out on the countertop for me to parse through. "Funny how popular this subject has grown. I may move these out with the rest of the books." His eyes flicker to the large bookcase in the corner of the roo