Page 16 of Mochas and Minotaurs

Chapter 8

Marcus

I peered outside mygym’s window through the teeny-tiny unfrosted gap in the logo. Sure enough, the guy Arcane Development had sent had not returned.

I guess he was still dealing with his new wasp friends.

“It’s going to be a while before he can move his car,” Declan said. “Considering there’s a wasp nest in his front seat.”

We’d made sure there were no cameras in the area. Who’d believe someone would launch a wasp nest through a car’s windshield? Can you imagine the stings the perp would amass? Totally unplausible.

“I had one witness, though,” Declan said. “But she works next door at the Witch’s Brew. After I shifted and dressed, I went in to check, and she was behind the counter.”

“I don’t think she’s going to say anything considering her job is at stake. No coffee shop, no job.”

The mirrors had finally arrived, and we’d spent the day putting them up. We’d learned the hard way that all mirrors in gyms, dojos, and dance studios had to be glued down in addition to the mounts. All it had taken was one accidentally flung weight. Glue prevented the mirrors from shattering into a billion impossible-to-clean-up pieces.

“So the witch next door knows your story now?” Declan asked casually as we lifted the large sheet up, fitted it inside the mounts, and held it to the wall.

“Yeah. I had to tell her. I didn’t expect Elise to show up when she did. We’ve been hiding so well.”

Up until this point, Declan had been the only one I trusted with my secret.

“I wonder how Elise found out. We were so careful to edit out your face in all the gym photo ads.”

“What if it’s not the photos?” I wondered.

If it was, how had she known where to look? Bullseye Fitness could be owned by any minotaur. And I was all the way here in America; the last time she saw me was in Europe.

“Maybe it wasn’t Elise herself,” Declan suggested. “The dragon could have a team working for him. Maybe they’ve exhausted all their leads in the old world and came here.”

I’d originally decided to hide in plain sight as a minotaur because it seemed almost silly. Surely a minotaur going into hiding would pretend to be a human or something, not another minotaur. It had worked. I’d been free for almost a decade. But had it really worked? Perhaps the dragon had simply let me believe I was safe until I needed to do my duty.

We were just finishing up trimming out the larger wall of mirrors and were about to start putting up the smaller one when my phone chimed multiple times, signaling that someone was at the back door. My hackles raised immediately.

The video feed didn’t show my mother, but my little witch, her brows furrowed and looking visibly tired.

“It’s Gigi,” I said, tucking the phone back into my pocket and heading toward the back door.

“Wait. It could be a trick. I’ll come with you too, just in case.”

“You’re right.” I reached for the charmed earring Gigi had given me, rubbed it three times and whispered the ridiculous words, hoping Declan didn’t hear them.

The familiar feeling of a glamor spell settled on my face. Unlike the magic of The Wall, which hadn’t felt like anything at all, most single-use, ready-to-wear glamor spells available in stores were heavy and uncomfortable. Some have likened it to dry contacts but all over the face. I’d never worn contacts, so I couldn’t confirm. Gigi’s spell was lighter, feeling more comfortable as time went on instead of the other way around.

With both Declan and me in the stairwell, it was cramped, but I liked knowing that he had my back.

Gigi’s face greeted me behind the door. She made to step inside, looking relieved, but I stopped her.

“Wait. What are the magic words?” I asked, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

“Magic words.” Her brows furrowed in the cutest way.

I scratched my neck under the earring to give her the hint.

“Oh! Hot-crossed man-buns,” she said.

Behind me, Declan let out an almost girly giggle. “Hot-crossed man-buns? So that was what you were mumbling!”

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