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  Within the Crystal

  The Crystal Collection Book One

  Kat Blak

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to places, events, or real people is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2020 Kat Blak all rights reserved.

  Written by Kat Blak

  Edited by Emma Luna at Moonlight Editing

  Formatted by Kat Blak

  Front Cover Art by Sirenic Creations

  Blurb

  Little did Alexandrite know that when the little brass shop bell rang, and four insanely seductive men walked into her mother's shop to have their fortunes read, that her and the strangers’ fates would become entangled.

  The crystal can show the future, but not the path that must be taken to achieve it. With many twists and turns, can Alexandrite make them believe in fate?

  Dawn (Shot Master), thank you for everything you have done for me, you have stood by my side when no-one else did. You have been with me throughout the crazy, the tears, the drunkenness and, most importantly, the laughs. Your dad is up in heaven laughing his ass off right now at our antics ❤️

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Afterword

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Kat Blak

  Chapter One

  Dusting off the shelves in my mother's shop, I always find things that I have never seen in here before. Crystals, wooden runes, and other trinkets just seem to breed in here. I never noticed it before, but since mom has got me taking on more work after graduating high school, I’ve started seeing some strange things. However, being raised as I have been, with the knowledge and understanding of the supernatural community, the strange and abnormal doesn't faze me anymore. Which is good considering I’m from a long line of powerful Seers.

  I'm what people would call a Gypsy, originally a Romany traveller. Some of my people consider it to be an offensive term, but I’m proud of my heritage and choose not to see it that way. I don't mind the name Gypsy, and I tend to play into the stereotype: long pink dreadlocks, loose-fitting flowing clothes, and lots of accessories. Every time I move, I jingle and jangle from all my metal bangles, rings, and beads that I have adorning my body. I find they help keep me grounded. Sometimes the power I hold inside can cause me to go into a dreamlike trance, and the sound of my jewelry helps the fog recede, bringing me back to the here and now.

  I head around the shop, lighting the different candles and sage bundles as I go. Each candle I light doesn't have an overpowering smell, but I light them for their different properties. The sage is to purify the space, it helps cast out any negative energy that may be lingering. This is one way to tell the difference between a true Seer and an imposter: most con artists will have their parlours stinking like a French boudoir, with lots of different incense burning. I don’t understand how people can spend more than a few minutes inside those places without their eyes stinging and hacking up a lung. The fragrances need to blend together correctly to harmonise, and a true Seer knows exactly how to do that.

  Taking one last glance around the room, I make sure everything’s in its place before heading over to turn on the neon ‘open’ light in the window. With the light announcing our status, I unlock the door.

  Don’t kid yourself, we are not so popular that people would be lining the streets waiting for their readings, but we do have the right reputation for ourselves. It helps that we are Seers with a strict code of ethics. We don't give wrong information or anything that could cause someone stress. If we feel that it's going to hurt someone, we keep it to ourselves. Same with death - if we know someone is going to die, we don't tell. Death is one of Fate’s paths and must be walked by everyone. Preventing someone from death can have huge repercussions. We don't even tell friends or family if we have a vision about them because it's not wise to know too much about the path you walk. I know me and Mom find it difficult keeping the things we’ve seen about the other person to ourselves, but it's the code we live by and we do it for a good reason. Doesn't mean I have to like it.

  As I wander around the shop, I'm strangely drawn to the rose-coloured crystal ball. I'm normally called to the runes, but as I walk towards the shelf that holds all my Seer tools, the crystal sets off a slight glow. ”Ok, looks like you want to come out and play today,” I say out loud as I reach up and grab the ball from the shelf. Once it's in my hands, the fog inside starts to swirl around. “Nobody is here, no need to start yet. Cool your beans.” Don't worry, I'm not crazy, I always talk to the artifacts. It helps us to connect. Walking over, I plant the crystal in the middle of a round table that I usually do my readings from. It has a dark velvet cloth with silver stars covering it. It’s one of our favorites that’s been passed down from Mother to Daughter for generations, and still looks brand new. Not a crease, pulled thread or fading anywhere on it. Grandma used to tell me when I was a child that the Goddess herself had spun the thread to make it, and that it was cloaked in magic. Just thinking about her now brings a smile to my face and warmth to my heart.

  Watching the white fog spin inside the orb has me staring hypnotically, the spinning gets faster and faster until I can see a mini-tornado forming inside. How strange, it has never done that before. Walking quickly over to the table displaying all the crystals,I grab several that I know will help me to ease the energy that is causing the mini-tornado. Maybe the spirits are antsy today and are giving out a strange energy. Laying various specific crystals around the crystal ball in a circular pattern helps calm the fog. Yep, overexcited spirits it is.

  It helps to know which crystals work with different energies. I've used amethyst and obsidian on the table. The purple and black stones work perfectly for grounding and cleansing. Even before my Seer powers had manifested I was obsessed with crystals. Everything about them, from their colors to their individual properties: every stone works independently, but they work together too. They can also be like people, very temperamental. Some stones won’t work with others, or can even cancel out the other stone’s power. I always thought that my seer tool would be a crystal ball, but nope, it’s the runes that seem to make my power come forth. However, with the way the orb is glowing today, I think it wants to work with me.

  Lost in a cloud of thought, I sit shuffling my tarot cards. It's become a bad habit of mine, needing to keep my hands busy. I hear the bell over the door tinkle. Glancing up, I see a breathtaking giant. I say giant, as the gentleman in question just ducked down to come inside the shop. He must be at least 6 foot 5, give or take a few inches. As he steps inside the shop, his eyes rise up to meet mine. They look like a perfect African Turquoise crystal; green with dark dashes throughout. They are framed with long dark eyelashes, enough to make camels all around the world jealous.

  Having his eyes boring holes into me causes me to lose my rhythm on the cards and they fly everywhere. Seventy eight card pick up anyone? Wait, make that seventy seven, as one card is sitting perfectly in my lap facing up.

  Death!

>   The card of death; the image is one I’ve seen with many different readings that I have performed. No matter the type of cards you have, Death is normally depicted as a skeleton wearing armor, riding on a white horse, holding a white and black flag. On this card you can see a man bowing down to Death, as Death doesn't discriminate between anybody or thing. Death takes up all eventually. However, the card may show death, but the ending of a life isn't always its meaning. Death can be anything from the end of one chapter in your life, before the start of something new or even better. It can represent depression, long-term illness and resisting change if it’s pulled from the deck upside down. In simple terms, Death shows an ending of something. However, when pulled out of the deck upright, the card takes on a whole new meaning. It could represent a profound change, letting go of previous attachments or failure.

  This card, right here, should have been my omen of what was to come. I should have heeded the Fates warning. But the stubbornness in me pushed it to the back of my mind to examine at a later date.

  If only I had listened.

  Chapter Two

  ‘Hello?” I say, clearing my throat. “Can I help you?”

  We don't normally get his type in here, and by his type, I mean young and male. We get plenty of females, of all ages, but not many males. If the male species decides to enter the shop, it's normally to buy candles for romantic nights or any other aphrodisiac type of item we offer. A few years ago my mother accidentally made a strong batch of wannabe ‘lust potion’. We sold out in weeks when a guy on social media told everyone that this potion helped him have a hard-on for hours. She hasn't tried to recreate it in case someone ends up doing some serious damage to their hardware. Subtly I allow my gaze to travel up and down his body, I see that the stranger is wearing jeans and a dark long-sleeve Henley top. He also has dark rimmed glasses on, giving him the perfect hot nerd look.

  “Umm, my friends and I would like to have our fortunes read?” he says, sounding confused.

  “Is that a question or a statement?” I ask back with a raised eyebrow.

  Smiling to myself at his unease, I watch as his eyes flit around the shop, taking everything in. His shoulders are rigid and up around his ears. I can clearly see he is uncomfortable in a place like this. Before he is able to open his mouth, the bell above the door rings again, announcing another presence coming into the shop.

  This new guy is a little shorter than the first, but seems to be more at ease straight away. He immediately walks past the first guy and heads directly to the table. Taking out one of the high back seats, he plops himself down and makes himself right at home.

  The newcomer has eyes that are just as startling as the first stranger, but his are a bright Citrine color. He looks almost feline. I bet I look like a crazy person right now, with my eyes swinging from one set of unusual orbs to the other.

  “Hey, baby doll,” the newcomer says with a wink at the end. Oh God, he has sexy eyes, but it’s a damn shame about that mouth though. He’s a grade A cocky asshole for sure.

  “What can I help you two with?” I say whilst slowly rising to my feet, feeling the sudden urge to pace. These two are starting to make me a tiny bit uncomfortable, well the newcomer is at least. I can't really put my finger on what’s causing it, maybe it's just his attitude? I don’t normally let any kind of guy get me worked up like this.

  Trying to break up the silence and gloss over the fact that all my hairs are standing on end, without looking at them I speak over my shoulder. “You guys can have a look around. The stones and crystals are over here…The statues and tarot are by the door… If you need help, please just holla and I will be right with you.” God, I hope these two will quickly look around and then head out. If I stay in the back till then, and a few items go missing, that is fine with me.

  “So, what kind of services do you offer?” Stranger Two says, over pronouncing the word services to make it sound dirty. I glance over at Stranger One and see that he is still yet to move from his original spot. In fact, he is starting to remind me of a marble statue, one that seems to be getting redder the more his friend speaks.

  “I think you must be looking for Pussy Galore, the stripper club down the road,'' I say with a sickly sweet smile on my face. “Now if you boys don’t mind, I have shit to do.” I make sure the emphasis is on the word boys. Nothing pisses men off more than belittling them with the word boy.

  “I'm so sorry for my friend’s bad attitude! Can we start over?” Stranger One has managed to come out of his statue impersonation to speak. With his palms raised up in a peaceful gesture, he adds, “We are from the university, and one of our assignments is to have our fortune read.” Wow, out of everything I was expecting to come out of his mouth, that was not it. I can see from his crystal clear eyes that he is telling the truth.

  “You guys are taking my mom's class?” I respond, taken aback in shock. She teaches astrology there twice a week. It's how we are able to stay here with the shop; the private school pays extremely well. I mean, the shop doesn’t do too bad. We have our regulars and our online shop does well, but the rent prices in this area are a killer, mostly due to the fact it is in walking distance to the university.

  “I thought it was mostly girls who took her class?” I blurt, thinking out loud. Maybe these guys found out their teacher has a daughter and wanted to try their luck. Joke’s on you boys; I don’t shit where I sleep. Plus, if mom found out I had slept with anyone from that school, she would tan my hide.

  “This bozo here,” he says while pointing at the cocky guy, “persuaded us it would be an easy A, and full of ‘dripping wet chicks’, I believe was the exact quote.”

  His cheeks go bright red on the word ‘wet’. Oh God, he’s adorable when he’s embarrassed. I'm still staring at his amazing African Turquoise eyes. Everything he’s said has been the truth. I can read it from him like a book.

  “Ok,” I say, releasing a long breath. I want to kill my mother for this. Why has she changed their assignment? It’s normally to go out at night and map a constellation. “Sit around the table and we can get this shit show on the road,” I say slipping back into my high back chair.

  Glancing at the crystal ball, I see that the fog is speeding up again. I hope one of these guys doesn't have a dead, angry girlfriend because that shit really throws out bad Juju.

  Both guys are chuckling at my use of profanity. It's like guys don’t expect potty mouths on girls. Well, they need to get over it; I swear like a drunken sailor and have a tendency to drop the f-bomb regularly.

  “Ok, are you guys ready? Do you need to make notes or anything?” Thinking about what I’m about to do has me grinding my teeth. Me and Mother dearest will be having several words when she gets back.

  “Can we wait for our other two friends to arrive?'' Stranger One says, picking non-existing lint off the cloth that’s over the table.

  “I usually read futures one-on-one,” I say with a slight grumble because the power it takes to do all four will be draining. That train of thought brings a slight chuckle to my lips. I can’t help having a dirty mind, and if the next two boys are as hot as these two then I’m not sure I would be against doing all four. I try to snap my brain away from those thoughts. It’s going to be impossible to do this unless I manage to get my head out of the gutter.

  “They should be arriving any minute. We are so sorry to hold you up, I bet you have loads to do,” Stranger Two says with a wicked grin.

  “Well if it is a class assignment, as you say it is, I will have a lot of people to do.” I make sure I put the emphasis on the word do. Two can play at your game, bucko.

  “Do you have many guys in your class this year?” I ask Stranger One. He is definitely the easier of the two to talk with.

  “Nope, just us four,” he responds with a shy smile. Just as he is finishing his sentence, the bell over the door chimes again. I would bet money on it being the two missing guys. Not that I need to be a Seer to figure that out.

  “I see you
two finally made it, we have been waiting hours for you,” Stranger Two says with a whine in his voice, causing me to roll my eyes.

  With my eyes still on Stranger Two, who seems to be trying to have a hidden conversation with the newcomers, I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Swinging my eyes around, I see both newcomers staring straight at me. Looking over at the first one who entered the room, I see that he has dark Tektite colored eyes. They are as black as night, I can’t even see where his pupils end and his irises begin. Looking at him, I feel like I'm being pulled into a swirling void. With a slight cough from somewhere in the room, I'm able to force my eyes away and look directly at newcomer number two. This guy has Charoite colored eyes. They remind me of the lavender bush that used to grow outside my grandmother’s house. She used to run her hands through it whenever she would enter or exit her home, claiming it helped ban evil spirits from piggybacking her.

  “Ok, new guys, grab a seat around the table and let’s get this freak show started,” I announce.

  I bring myself so my arms are laying flat on the table. Getting ready to reach for the crystal ball, I notice that the fog inside is swirling like a mini-tornado again. This is just strange. The crystals I placed around it earlier should be helping to stabilize any wayward energy. They should also be grounding the crystal ball and siphoning off the extra energy. I will have to take a better look at the crystal ball again later and find out what is causing this reaction. Bringing my hands together and bending my fingers, I hear each one of my knuckles crack. I can feel all the guys’ eyes on me, but I ignore them as I need to find my zen place.