Nora's POV
The familiar chime echoes through the bookstore as I push through the entrance. Sunlight streams through the large windows, casting golden rectangles across the wooden floors. The afternoon rush has begun, and customers browse the shelves with focused intensity.
Vivien stands behind the counter, her animated conversation with a patron about some literary recommendation filling me with cautious relief. On the surface, she appears to have bounced back from her terrifying encounter. Yet I can't shake the nagging worry that she's simply burying her trauma deep, waiting for it to explode later. Assuming I survive whatever dark entity is stalking my property, and assuming my boyfriend isn't secretly murdering members of my coven, I need to have a serious heart-to-heart with her.
