Free King of the Mutants by Samantha Verant Page B

I crossed over the threshold of the doorway, careful to avoid stepping into a pile of ground-up red dust scattered just before the doorway. I didn’t have to ask its purpose.
    “I use the red brick powder to protect myself from enemies and to draw customers to my business,” said Adelaide. “Mind your step.”
    Inside the shop, hundreds and hundreds of labeled jars packed the room. Some of them were filled to the brim with the strangest things I’d ever seen—fish eyes, bat wings, raccoon’s private parts, alligator teeth, and other freakish things. You name it—if it was bizarre—it could probably be found on Adelaide’s shelves. Chicken bones, skulls, and other twisted animal carcasses adorned the walls. Strange candles shaped into things like black cats lit the room. My nose twitched from all the smells. I’d catch a whiff of strawberry. Then it would be replaced with something earthy like grass or clover or rosemary.
    “Now something tells me Serafine has something special planned for you. See, I taught that fine woman everything about conjuring I know and now she has surpassed me.” Adelaide took off her sunglasses. “She be fine at all the root work, but she has something I don’t have. She has the third eye.”
    Speaking of eyes, Freddie’s bulged out of his head. He pointed toward Adelaide’s, which were a strange bluish color, and all clouded up like someone had spilt milk in them. Without a doubt, she was blind.
    “Don’t you be pointing no fingers at me, Freddie,” scolded Adelaide. “I may not be able to see like you or Maverick here, but trust me, boy, I have vision.”
    Freddie’s jaw dropped wide.
    Just as he was about to question her, a bunch of chickens came running into the room from out of nowhere. A strange, unfamiliar urge came over me.
    I couldn’t control myself.
    Like a starved lion hunting on the African plains, I pounced on one of the chickens and bit into its neck with my razor sharp teeth, ripping it apart like I hadn’t eaten in days. I shook my head violently from side to side. Blood sprayed everywhere–all over Freddie, all over the store.
    “Maverick! What the…” screamed Freddie.
    Alarm raced through my veins. What was I doing? I dropped what was left of the now dead chicken from my mouth, spitting its guts onto the floor. Feathers floated around my head like red tinged snowflakes on a battlefield.
    “Don’t mind him,” said Adelaide. “Just his instincts kicking in.”
    “What? Like a murderer?”
    I couldn’t speak.
    “Maverick here is part alligator,” said Adelaide. “Twas his animal, carnivorous nature rearing its head. Surprised this hasn’t happened before.”
    Freddie glared at me with distrust. “I wouldn’t be here with him if it did.”
    “I’m really s-s-sorry. I don’t know what happened,” I said with a shudder. Considering how much his hair reminded me of a chicken, I started to fear I might try to attack Freddie. More than a little embarrassed, and totally flipped out, I whispered, “I’ll clean it up.”
    “Now don’t you worry your head, Maverick.” Adelaide felt her way behind a counter. “Things gets loads messier when we’re making up our potions. My followers will clean it all up. Just take a seat and let me feel that mug of yours.”
    Like my body had a mind of its own, dumbfounded, I climbed onto a stool in front of her. Freddie backed away into a corner, eyeing me with fear. I tried to smile at him, my lips quivering, but he turned away. My heart sunk. Great, I thought, I’ve ruined things with the only friend I had on this planet.
    What was wrong with me?
    Adelaide reached across the small counter and placed warm hands on my face. She pushed her fingers into my blood-tinged mouth and softly prodded my teeth, muttering things like, “Mmmm-hmmm,” “Well I’ll be,” and “Lordy, Lordy, Lordy.”
    I managed to mumble, “What are you doing?”
    “Just seeing how this’ll work.” Adelaide turned around and