Free Vendetta (Deadly Curiosities Book 2) by Gail Z. Martin Page B

she would know what I had just gotten myself into.
    It didn’t take long to walk down to the Lowcountry Museum of Charleston. I make a yearly donation to the museum, so I got an email every time they have a new exhibit. That meant I knew all about the ‘Voodoo and You’ special exhibition curated by Dr. Lucinda Walker, College of Charleston Humanities Department. And I was counting on Lucinda to be at the museum, overseeing the installation of her exhibition, so I could figure out just how much trouble we were in.
    As much as I love history, I avoid museums. My magic reads the history of objects that have been imprinted with strong emotion or magic. That pretty much covers the pieces in museums. It’s caused me some unpleasant experiences, especially the time I took a wrong turn and ended up in a ‘Plagues and Pestilence’ exhibition.
    “Hello, Cassidy! To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?” Alistair McKinnon, Curator of the Lowcountry Museum, spotted me and came my way with a wave.
    “Hi, Alistair,” I replied. “Have you seen Lucinda Walker?”
    He raised an eyebrow. “You skip attending an exhibition on imported porcelain dishes and show up early for a Voodoo exhibition?” Alistair knows about my magic, but not about Sorren and the Alliance. Or perhaps I should say he doesn’t ‘remember’ that he knows Sorren. He’s been a big help when I’m trying to research something in Charleston’s past, and I’ve helped him out when the museum happens across dangerously haunted acquisitions.
    “I promise not to touch anything,” I said with a wry grin. “You won’t have to scrape me off the floor again.”
    Alistair chuckled. “No harm done, but that encounter couldn’t have been pleasant for you.” No kidding. In addition to the horrific vision I experienced, there was the utter humiliation of having caused a scene in public.
    “Goes with the territory,” I replied. Boy, and how. We chatted for a few more minutes, then Alistair directed me into the wing of the second floor where traveling exhibitions were showcased, and I promised to meet up with him for lunch soon. Alistair went back to his office, and I climbed the steps to the next floor, trying to get a feel for the museum’s vibes without knocking myself into a full-blown vision.
    What’s on display at the museum varies by the season and the themed exhibits. Like any similar institution, the Lowcountry Museum has a much larger collection than is ever out for viewing at any given time. I’d been down to the storage area in the basement once, and that was enough for me. It didn’t go well.
    Sometimes when I had tried to attend an event at the museum, I knew from the sensation I got just walking through the door that it would be better to turn around and go home. Today, the museum felt pretty neutral. I picked up on something strong and negative – but not dangerous – down on the first floor, and another hotspot at the far end of the second floor, and resolved not to go anywhere near those areas. On one hand, I was pleased to have gained enough ability with my magic to sense some problems without having to be right on top of a troubling item. On the other hand, anything I could sense from that far away was probably a doozie.
    Ahead and on the right, I saw where the new temporary exhibition was being installed. ‘Voodoo and You: Loas and the Lowcountry’ the banner read. From inside the room, I could hear boxes and glass cases being moved around, and the sound of Lucinda’s voice. I poked my head into the room. Lucinda is a tall, slim woman with skin the color of espresso and shoulder-length hair done up into a mane of hundreds of tightly-woven braids. Today she was dressed in a business-casual tan pantsuit with a richly-hued animal print silk scarf and tastefully-sized gold hoop earrings. I could see that Lucinda was in her element, directing the museum staff on where to place the artifacts.
    “Dr. Walker!” I called from the