Page 2 of Kiss of Magic

“Hey, want to stay for a quick drink? It’s been a long night.”

“Thanks, Mandy, but I gotta get home. I’m wiped.”

The brunette shrugged and turned away.

“Suit yourself.”

Dani watched the others gather at the bar. She knew they thought she was stand-offish but it couldn’t be helped. She couldn’t afford to get too close to anyone. Grabbing her coat, she made for the door.

Outside, the parking lot was lit in the garish pink and green neon of the illuminated sign. Gino’s Bar. Dani knew for a fact the manager was called Barry, but she supposed ‘Barry’s Bar’ didn’t have the same ring to it.

She took a deep breath, trying to shrug off the last six hours. It was well after midnight and the cool air filled her lungs, bringing a sense of calm.

It had been three weeks. They hadn’t found her. The warding glyph was working.

She ran her fingers over the tattoo she’d needled into her forearm. An ancient symbol which flowed and curved. She told anyone who asked it was a Celtic rune, but it was much, much more than that. It was protection.

She closed her eyes and let the stillness of the night calm her.

“Hey there, sweet-cheeks.”

Startled, she swung round. Five figures were loitering by a pick-up truck, drinking from bottles of beer. With a sinking heart, she recognised the stag party.

She turned to go and a hand closed over her shoulder.

“Don’t run off, doll-face. Stay for a drink.”

It was the beefy dude again. Best Man. She fought down her irritation and kept her tone light.

“No, thank you. My boyfriend’s waiting.”

“You hear that? Our blue-haired beauty has a boyfriend!” Best Man made an exaggerated search of the parking lot. “Thing is, I don’t see anyone else here, doll-face.”

“He’s close by. Really close by.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind you staying for just one drink. C’mon. Hank here’s getting hitched tomorrow and he needs one last hurrah before he’s tied down by the old ball-and-chain.”

The men guffawed loudly and Dani realised they were a lot, lot drunker than before. She tried to extricate herself from the meaty grasp but found herself being propelled towards a bearded man.

“How about a kiss for Hank? It’d make his night!”

“Let go of me,” she snapped.

“Don’t be like that. Just one kiss, angel.”

To a chorus of whistles and cat-calls, Dani was shoved into the groom’s arms. He smelled of beer and sweat. His hands closed on her bottom and squeezed.

Common sense evaporated into a red mist of fury. With single-minded ferocity, she head-butted him.

The man’s nose exploded in a gush of blood. Shocked, he staggered backwards, clutching at the shattered bone.

“What the fuck did you do?”

Dani could understand his point. His wedding photos were going to be ruined. Best Man grabbed her by the arm and spun her round to face him, his expression a rictus of drunken rage.

“You little bitch, you’re gonna pay for that.”

“Get your hands off me, you bastard,” she snarled.

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