Page 40 of The Glittering Edge

“I’m not here to ask for forgiveness,” Alonso says. “I’m here because I want to help.”

“I said I’ll figure out the mixer. I already found this video—”

“I’m not talking about the mixer, Penny.”

She stops, trying to figure out if she misheard him. “But you said—”

“I know what I said.”

Even though it’s not smart to hope, Penny can’t help it. She places both hands on the counter and whispers, “Then your magic…”

Alonso frowns. “Yeah. I have it.”

He has magic. Alonso hasmagic. Penny wasn’t seeing things in the woods all those years ago—one minute the cat was dead in his arms,and the next thing she knew, it was alive. It was clear in that moment what she was looking at—it was something superhuman, something beautiful. But their conversation at Village Blues Records had made her question everything.

“You lied to me,” Penny says.

Alonso smirks and it’s almost playful. He leans in, and this time, Penny doesn’t reflexively lean back.

“Yeah, I did,” Alonso says, and she can feel his breath on her face. Surprisingly minty. “But you don’t look mad.”

Penny is about to say she’s extremely mad, but she never gets the chance. Because a hand grabs Alonso’s shoulder, and he yelps as he’s pulled backward. The excited chatter in the room dies immediately.

In front of Alonso stands Corey, fists clenched.

“Oh no,” Penny mutters, her heart plummeting.

“Real brave to come here while Penny’s mom is in the hospital because ofyou,” Corey growls, his voice too low for the crowd to hear.

“Technically, it’s not because of me,” Alonso says. “That was Grandpa De Luca. I just inherited his good looks—”

“Are you trying to be funny right now?” Corey doesn’t wait for an answer; instead, he turns to Penny. “You should stay away from him. I thought you knew better.”

Penny’s face goes bright red. “Excuse me? I can take care of myself.”

Alonso smirks. “Yeah, what the hell, Corey?”

Corey looks like a long-dormant volcano on the verge of eruption. He doesn’t bother responding; he goes straight for the kill.

As the entire room watches, Corey shoves Alonso.

Alonso gasps as he stumbles back. His arms flail as he grabs for purchase on something, anything as he falls. One hand comes close to the counter, but he overshoots it and grabs the laptop Penny was using to run sound.

Time slows as the laptop falls. Penny lunges for it, but she’s too late. It hits the floor, and the screen cracks, going fuzzy before it goes black.

Penny’s hands fly up to her mouth. She registers the sound of heavy footsteps and then Ron bellows, “What in sweet hell is going on here?”

Nobody answers. Ron’s eyes go from Alonso to Penny to Corey to the computer. Understanding dawns on him.

“You two,” he says, pointing at Corey and Alonso. “With me. Now.”

“Oooh,” the crowd says as they follow Ron into the back. Penny runs after them, the laptop momentarily forgotten on the floor.

“Close that door behind you, Penny Anne,” Ron says when they get into the office. He’s wearing his cowboy hat and lipstick, and it’s hard to take him seriously when he crosses his arms and widens his stance. He stares the boys down, and Corey and Alonso shift uncomfortably.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Corey says, his voice even. “It was an accident.”

Ron raises an eyebrow. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happened here. I went to high school with your parents. They’re the reason Idlewood Central doesn’t offer archery anymore.”

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