Page 45 of Magic's Rise

MINOR INCONVENIENCE

“Rise and shine, my little mutton chops!” Haut’s booming voice crashes through my dream like a bass drum, jerking me awake.

Beside me, Tris sits upright, blinking in confusion. The dark room messes with my sleep-fogged brain, the only light coming from the bathroom.

With a groan, I flop back onto my pillow. “Why are you such a morning person?”

Tris snuggles back down with me, pulling the blanket over our heads. “Five more minutes.”

“No can do. It’s time to hit the road.” The cover whisks away, letting the cold air of the room in, and Haut grins down at us with far too much cheer for this ungodly hour. “We’ve got miles to drive today, so get a move on!”

Legs curling to my chest, I glare up at him through the screen of my hair. “You’re a monster.”

A hand wraps around my ankle, dragging me to the end of the mattress. “Fee-fi-fo-fum.”

“No!” I reach for Tris, who rolls over, mashing his face into the pillow.

“Wake me up when you’re done.” The words come muffled from the depths of fluffy down.

Shocked by his betrayal, I gasp. “You are quickly losing your place on my BFF list!”

Haut drags me off the bed, shoves clothes into my arms, and pushes me toward the bathroom with a swat on my ass. “Don’t worry, he’s not getting those extra minutes.”

I hustle inside, Tris’s alarmed shout following me, “Okay, okay! I’m awake!”

Balance not being the best while still half asleep, I wobble from one foot to the other as I exchange my sleep shorts for green-suede leggings and swap my nightshirt for a cream camisole and an oversized, cable-knit cream sweater.

I leave in the braid from last night, wrapping it around my head like a crown and pinning it in place to keep it out of the way.

As I brush my teeth, Tris limps into the bathroom, looking more ruffled than he did when he first woke up. He already wears a pair of dark-wash jeans and a brown hoodie that brings out the strands of gold in his unruly hair.

He hip-bumps me to make room at the sink and makes faces at me in the mirror as he brushes his teeth.

A giggle escapes, and I bump against his side, earning a jostle in return.

“Stop playing!” Haut shouts, and our gazes jump to the empty doorway in unison.

How does that evil man know everything?

I rinse and spit, then drop my toothbrush into our overnight bag, and Tris’s follows. He runs his hands under the faucet before scraping back his hair in a half-hearted attempt to tame it.

“Let’s roll!” Haut drags our luggage to the door. “Levi and Aspen are already getting breakfast downstairs, so if you want any say in what you eat, get a move on.”

I zip up our bag. “Who invited him on this adventure?”

“You.” The reminder comes with a glare from Tris.

A second later, the door latching sounds from the entrance.

My eyes widen in shock. “Did he just leave us behind?”

We rush to put on our shoes and race out into the hall in time to see Haut stepping onto the elevator. Tris and I run to catch up before the doors close.

I lean against the wall, gasping for breath. “What happened to not leaving us alone?”

Haut arches a brow. “Are you alone?”

Tris stuffs the bathroom bag into Haut’s duffle. “Only because we ran after you!”

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