Page 71 of The Nowhere Witch

The gleam in his eyes should’ve warned me off. But I was past that point.

“Yes, I do.”

“Because you can’t kiss me the way you do and tell me you’re into Gregor.”

“This kiss was business. And I didn’t kiss you. You kissed me.” I went back to gooping. Handling the wall repair material, literally from hell, was safer.

“Would you like to test that theory?”

He was mocking me, and it still made my insides get tingly.

“You need to stop. You only want me because you think I’m one of your toys, and you don’t like other people playing with your toys. I’m not your toy.”

He leaned in closer. “Does that mean I can’t play with you?”

Why did that shoot like a heat-seeking missile to every sexual organ in my body? I grabbed my bucket and stepped away from him.

“There will be no playing.”

“No playing at all? Because you’re right. If I can’t play with you, I’m not going to take well to others playing with you.”

“I’ll play with whomever I choose.” I dropped the bucket by his feet, ducked under his arm, and walked away. I’d hike back down alone.

28

I pulled out my notepad, skimming through the names. I still needed to get back to Zark’s and ask some of the people there. If they all said yes, I might still be short on references.

“How many do you have?” Zab asked, pulling a chair over to my desk.

“Thirty-five.” I’d numbered each name.

“We’re running out of time. We’re down to days, not weeks.” Zab sighed, leaning an elbow on the desk as he looked it over. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get more. I’m surprised at how many people hesitated to stand up as a reference when I asked.”

“I get it. They don’t want to get in the middle of a fight if they don’t have to, and it’s easier to say no to you than me.” Everyone in Xest knew if they stood up as a reference for me, they were definitively choosing a side. As someone who’d hung out in the shadows most of her life, it was completely relatable. It didn’t help matters any, but it was hard to condemn them for something I’d done myself. Staying out of the fray had been my life goal before I’d gotten to Xest.

“Still, I feel like I’m letting you down.” He tapped the page. “We should check with Bibbi and Musso. I’m sure they’ll help out.”

I shook my head, closing the book. “I don’t want to ask them yet. If they say no, it’s awkward, since I see them every day.”

“But you need the numbers,” Zab said, then yelled toward the back room, “Musso, Bibbi!”

“Zab…” I said, my words dying as the two of them walked out of the back room.

“Will you stand up as references for Tippi at her immigration appointment?” Zab asked, ignoring my glowering.

Musso squinted, as if he didn’t understand the question, and my stomach felt like it was doing a triple loop. This was what I’d been afraid of. Dammit. Now it was going to be weird here.

Musso crossed the room to stand in front of my desk. “You already asked us weeks ago. Why don’t you already have us on the list?”

“Yeah, I said yes when she still hated me,” Bibbi asked.

I turned to Zab. “I guess when you said you were sure, you really were sure.” I jabbed Zab in the arm, laughing. A sudden idea stole all the laughter. “You didn’t say anything to Hawk, right?”

“I’m not anidiot. You’d kill me, and you’re getting better at magic, so you might be able to do it, thanks to me.” He smiled, polishing his nails on his shirt.

“I am, right? I mean, getting better at magic.”

“Yeah, you’ve haven’t blown anything up once. I’m even thinking maybe you could send your own newsflashes soon.”

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