Free The Guardian's Protector: The Chamber of Souls by Debbie Kowalczyk Page B
Authors: Debbie Kowalczyk
Just walking past the elegant three-storey building made her feel calm. She made a mental note that she must visit it more often.
As she turned the corner, she saw a sign on the new age shop’s door saying ‘Back Soon’. Amy sighed and stepped to the side to look through the tall glass window. Adorning the shelves behind it were crystal balls, tarot cards, books on mediums, psychics and dreams, and surrounding all of these were bizarre and beautifully detailed, yet creepy, ornaments.
A set of wind chimes rang as a woman with long, scraggly, straw-coloured hair popped her head around the door.
‘Come in,’ she said in a lethargic tone, her many bangles jingling as she used her forefinger to lure them inside. The lady held the door open wide enough for Amy to push the pram inside, and her long gypsy skirt swept the floor as she moved.
As Amy entered, Tom’s head turned from side to side as he took in the ceiling-high shelves lined with hundreds of books that Amy presumed were filled with anything and everything strange. The smell of sandalwood tickled her nostrils and as she reached the counter she met the culprit of her irritation: incense, halfway through a burn, stood smoking in a blue, ceramic holder.
Amy settled the pram by the counter and took in the full extent of the ominous shop. There were candles and trinkets, weird jewellery and strange oddities that made the stuffy room look like an old antique store. With nothing in any kind of order, Amy didn’t know where to start.
The lady’s squinting eyes lit with excitement as she closed the door. She smiled dreamily and, swaying her head from side to side as if dancing to music, glided ethereally towards them.
‘Who have we here?’ she asked, her eyes wide with interest as she peered over Tom’s pram.
‘This is Tom. My name’s Amy. I’ve just come to have a look around.’
‘Tom,’ she said, staring into his wide eyes, ‘and Amy,’ she added, peering back at Amy with a disbelieving smile.
‘Yes,’ Amy said, bewildered. The woman stared for a moment like she’d been placed on pause. Her strange attire and behaviour, her odd mannerisms and ageless yet serious face made her as mysterious as the shop.
‘He’s impressive,’ she said, gazing intently at Tom. ‘And gifted!’ she added, turning to Amy, her eyes wide and intense.
‘Are you psychic?’ Amy asked.
‘Something like that.’ The woman smiled. A flicker of hunger shone in her eyes as she turned her attention back to Tom. ‘But he…is a very special boy!’ Her eyes were fixed on his. Just as Amy began to feel uncomfortable, the woman prised her eyes from Tom and turned to Amy. ‘My name is Rose. What is it you desire?’ she said in a tone that told Amy she shouldn’t bother trying to lie to her.
Amy stood, looking vacant. She didn’t have a clue where to start. She looked up at the shelves in search of an answer but was lost for words.
‘You can trust me,’ Rose whispered suspiciously.
Amy gathered she had nothing to lose. ‘What do you know about evil souls?’ Amy tried not to look as strange as she thought she must have sounded.
Rose raised her eyebrows. ‘What do you know?’
‘I know of evil souls called…’ Amy paused, wondering if, because of the rules, she was about to cause some kind of trouble for Rose, and, as if it would make a difference, whispered, ‘Dogods.’
Rose looked at the ceiling as if someone was watching, then whispered, ‘Where did you pick up such a word? You curious wasp. Are you a member of the Order?’ Her expression was a mixture of desperation, intrigue and awe.
Amy was stunned. She clearly held a world of information. Amy stepped closer to Rose and looked into her eyes, searching for any hint of a sparkle. ‘I’m the…’ Amy gulped. ‘…Protector.’
‘Flegh!’ Rose squeaked. ‘I’ve already been told off this week.’
‘What do you mean?’ Amy asked.
Rose hopped from foot to foot, flapping her arms with
As she turned the corner, she saw a sign on the new age shop’s door saying ‘Back Soon’. Amy sighed and stepped to the side to look through the tall glass window. Adorning the shelves behind it were crystal balls, tarot cards, books on mediums, psychics and dreams, and surrounding all of these were bizarre and beautifully detailed, yet creepy, ornaments.
A set of wind chimes rang as a woman with long, scraggly, straw-coloured hair popped her head around the door.
‘Come in,’ she said in a lethargic tone, her many bangles jingling as she used her forefinger to lure them inside. The lady held the door open wide enough for Amy to push the pram inside, and her long gypsy skirt swept the floor as she moved.
As Amy entered, Tom’s head turned from side to side as he took in the ceiling-high shelves lined with hundreds of books that Amy presumed were filled with anything and everything strange. The smell of sandalwood tickled her nostrils and as she reached the counter she met the culprit of her irritation: incense, halfway through a burn, stood smoking in a blue, ceramic holder.
Amy settled the pram by the counter and took in the full extent of the ominous shop. There were candles and trinkets, weird jewellery and strange oddities that made the stuffy room look like an old antique store. With nothing in any kind of order, Amy didn’t know where to start.
The lady’s squinting eyes lit with excitement as she closed the door. She smiled dreamily and, swaying her head from side to side as if dancing to music, glided ethereally towards them.
‘Who have we here?’ she asked, her eyes wide with interest as she peered over Tom’s pram.
‘This is Tom. My name’s Amy. I’ve just come to have a look around.’
‘Tom,’ she said, staring into his wide eyes, ‘and Amy,’ she added, peering back at Amy with a disbelieving smile.
‘Yes,’ Amy said, bewildered. The woman stared for a moment like she’d been placed on pause. Her strange attire and behaviour, her odd mannerisms and ageless yet serious face made her as mysterious as the shop.
‘He’s impressive,’ she said, gazing intently at Tom. ‘And gifted!’ she added, turning to Amy, her eyes wide and intense.
‘Are you psychic?’ Amy asked.
‘Something like that.’ The woman smiled. A flicker of hunger shone in her eyes as she turned her attention back to Tom. ‘But he…is a very special boy!’ Her eyes were fixed on his. Just as Amy began to feel uncomfortable, the woman prised her eyes from Tom and turned to Amy. ‘My name is Rose. What is it you desire?’ she said in a tone that told Amy she shouldn’t bother trying to lie to her.
Amy stood, looking vacant. She didn’t have a clue where to start. She looked up at the shelves in search of an answer but was lost for words.
‘You can trust me,’ Rose whispered suspiciously.
Amy gathered she had nothing to lose. ‘What do you know about evil souls?’ Amy tried not to look as strange as she thought she must have sounded.
Rose raised her eyebrows. ‘What do you know?’
‘I know of evil souls called…’ Amy paused, wondering if, because of the rules, she was about to cause some kind of trouble for Rose, and, as if it would make a difference, whispered, ‘Dogods.’
Rose looked at the ceiling as if someone was watching, then whispered, ‘Where did you pick up such a word? You curious wasp. Are you a member of the Order?’ Her expression was a mixture of desperation, intrigue and awe.
Amy was stunned. She clearly held a world of information. Amy stepped closer to Rose and looked into her eyes, searching for any hint of a sparkle. ‘I’m the…’ Amy gulped. ‘…Protector.’
‘Flegh!’ Rose squeaked. ‘I’ve already been told off this week.’
‘What do you mean?’ Amy asked.
Rose hopped from foot to foot, flapping her arms with