Witch's Bell Book One

down.'
    Ebony crossed her arms, red fingernails drumming around the sleeves of her white summer-dress.
    'Ebony,' Ben's voice had a note of pleading, 'don't do anything too-'
    A pile of old books and magazines suddenly tumbled off the counter and right into the path of the retreating Detective Nate. The Detective obviously had quick reflexes, and dodged to the side with little effort.
    'This place is a death trap,' Nate noted through a grunt.
    Another pile of books tumbled over, and another. None of them were close enough, or large enough, to do any damage to the rude detective. But still, the man's face started to tighten with fear. 'What,' he snapped quickly, 'this store is coming down around your ears!'
    'This store,' Ebony said, voice a cold whisper, 'doesn't like to be insulted. Me,' she brought an expressive hand up to her chest, 'I don't care what you say about me, pet, but you really shouldn't insult the store.'
    The man's eyes widened as another pile of books tipped over by his side. Old novels and yellowed magazines were now strewn everywhere, as if Ebony had simply gone up the spiraling steps that led to the second level and tipped box after box over the railing and onto the floor below.
    'You're going to have to say sorry,' she raised up her face to meet the detective's gaze. His eyes were wide, his brow more creased than a shoreline after a storm. But still, somehow, he didn't appear to be all that shaken. Boxes may have been erupting books like geysers at a hot spring, but somehow the man still had that determined tilt to his jaw.
    'You aren't serious-' he began.
    Books now started to simply tip from the bookcases, as if shoved from behind. The open-sign somehow fell off its hook, striking the floor with a thud, and coming to rest against Detective Nate's particularly shiny shoes.
    Nate looked down.
    'Quickly,' Ebony hissed,' before he starts tipping the bookcases over.'
    There was an ominous thud from upstairs.
    Nate carefully looked up, then to each side, and finally back at Ebony. He tilted his head down, chin close to his chest, and looked up at her. 'Sorry,' he began.
    A tenuous silence filtered through the store.
    'But this is ridiculous,' Nate finished.
    Ebony sucked in a sudden breath. 'Why you little-'
    One of the large, wooden bookcases just behind the counter began to tilt forward. Left alone the thing would likely crash right over the counter and splinter on top of a truly surprised Detective Nate.
    'Cowboy!' she spat at him as she stalked up to him. She grabbed his arm and yanked him towards her, out of the way of the teetering bookcase and out of the line of danger. 'If I had a dollar for every time an arrogant idiot like you got yourself into trouble around magic,' she paused as she pushed him to the side as one of the light-fittings fell from the lamp above, 'I'd buy you all life insurance and finally cash out. Really, is it so hard to believe in magic?'
    With the now thoroughly surprised detective still in hand, Ebony whipped an arm around her head in a small circle. At her feet a soft blue glow appeared, spiraling outward until it encompassed bother her and Nathan Wall with ease.
    Finally the detective looked surprised. No, that wasn't quite right. He looked bone-shaken, with pallid skin and a sharp, breathless look on his face.
    'Now,' Ebony said, voice genuinely soft, 'for some reason this store has taken a spectacular disliking to you. He's never usually quite this rude. But unfortunately for you, you are the one who started it.' Ebony was standing close enough to the detective that she could feel the heat of his breath. 'Like it or not, you're going to have to finish it as well. Now, all you have to do is say only one little word.' Her sharp gray-blue eyes twinkled out at him. 'Just one little word.'
    Detective Nate just stood there and stared at her, bottom lip jutting slightly forward. 'What on Earth is going-'
    Ebony mouthed "sorry" expressively.
    And finally the dolt did what he was told. With a quick little cough, and a startled but sheepish look on his face, he announced “sorry” in a loud voice.
    'Ah,' Ebony clapped her hands together, 'finally'.
    The books stopped falling, the magazines stopped fluttering, the bookcases no longer tipped themselves all over the ground, and somehow the open sign had reverted to its usual place above the door.
    Ebony patted at her hair. 'Now, that's certainly a strange way to start the morning.' She clicked her fingers, the blue circle of