Page 2 of Lila

Chapter 2

Lila

“Itworked!Oh,thankgod! I was so worried we’d screw it up somehow,” my best friend cries from behind me.

Spinning around, I gape at her. “I thought you were so confident! That’s the only reasonIdidn’t freak out and mess up.”

“I know. You’re welcome.”

“Whatever,” I mumble. “How’d you know about the high priestess anyway?”

“How do I know anything I know?” She arches a brow at me. “I was just relaxing in my meditation room when the vision hit me. Man, she was not happy to be caught. I thought she knew about your ability. Why would she think she could get away with cursing anyone?”

“I don’t know. I guess she forgot.” I shrug. Not everyone knows, but the high priestess knows everything about everyone. She must have been really emotional to not think about the consequences of being caught.

“Oh, well. Doesn’t really matter.” She shrugs. “You’re here now and I’ve been trying to get you to visit me for forever. I’m so excited you’re finally here! Even if it is under these circumstances. I can’t wait to show you the town. You’re gonna love it! By the time shit’s back to normal in Seaside Cove you won’t even want to leave.”

“You think so?” I challenge.

“Oh, Iknowso.” She smirks and I wonder if she’s had a vision she’s not telling me about. I glare at her, but she doesn’t give. Guess she’s keeping this one to herself. I’ll remember that.

“Come on, I’ll show you your room. Then we can get something to eat while I show you around town,” she says, walking out of her meditation room.

“Dude. How many rooms do youhave?” I ask as she leads me down a long hallway with doors on both sides.

“As many as I need.” She throws the words over her shoulder with a laugh.

“Are you for real, right now? You found some kind of magic apartment?” I accuse.

“I told you, you’re gonna love this town.” She smirks. “Silver Springs is a haven for supernaturals. Yeah, humans live here, but the entire town is geared toward supes with humans as an afterthought. There’s a ward over the town that prevents humans from seeing anything magical. Which is a good thing with all the shifters we have. They like being able to run around in their animal form without having to worry about humans seeing them. Then there’s poor Ford. He has really bad allergies and when he sneezes he transforms into his pegasus. Humans just see a horse and don’t even question it.”

“Wow. How many kinds of supes live here? I feel so sheltered thanks to the coven. I didn’t realize there were so many.”

“I know. They didn’t want us to know about the outside world. The coven was the beginning and end of our world. Once you see the reality they hid from us, you won’t want to go back.”

I’m starting to understand why she was so cocky when she said I wouldn’t want to go back. I haven’t even left her apartment and this town is already a million times better than home.

She opens the door to my new room and I peek in to see the perfect room for me. There’s a queen-size four-poster bed with sheer curtains hanging from the top, obscuring my view of the blue bedding. To the right of the bed is the coziest-looking chair I’ve ever seen with a side table the perfect size for holding a drink and my book. There’s a door next to my book nook and I open it to reveal a bathroom with a walk-in shower built into one side and a huge garden tub against a wall of mosaic tiles directly across from the door. To the side opposite the shower is a long marble counter that’s half vanity and half sink. The toilet is hidden behind a half-wall next to the shower.

“Yup. It’s settled. I’m never leaving.” I exit the bathroom and find my best friend smirking like a haughty little know-it-all.Brat. “Don’t say it.” I point at her with a glare.

“I didn’t say anything,” she chuckles.

“Whatever. Show me your stupid town,” I grumble.

Her laughter echoes down the hallway as she leads me through the spacious living room to the front door. We exit into a hallway and I get my first glimpse of the building outside of her apartment. The floor circles around the building with a glass wall and metal rail in the center. There’s a shimmer separating the two sides of the building and I stare at it, trying to decipher its purpose.

“Oh, that’s where the living spaces of the building are split. Humans on that side, and supes on this side,” she explains. “Their apartments aren’t magical. They’re nice, but they don’t change. The shimmer is where the magic on the supe apartments end.”

“Huh. Interesting,” I hum as I walk to the railing. Looking down I’m surprised to see a water park just five floors down. “You have a freakingwater parkin your apartment building?” I screech.

“Yup! Shadowbrook Residents get in for free, Silver Springs residents get a discount and outsiders get charged an arm and a leg. There’s also a floor of nothing but shops and restaurants.”

“This place sounds too good to be true. Where’s the catch? Is it haunted or something?”

“Ha! Not haunted, but there’s plenty of drama. Really, the only bad thing I’ve found about living here isDoyle. He’s the property manager and a complete dick. I try to avoid him at all costs.”

“Doyle? Sounds like a douchebag name. What’s he look like so I can be sure to avoid him too.”

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