Page 22 of Stolen Magic
“Demons.” My hiss made her crack a fleeting smile. “I could kill for a cup of coffee.”
“Ask and ye shall receive.” My friend walked stiffly to the small table serving as a TV stand and plucked one cup from the cardboard tray I hadn’t noticed until that moment.
As soon as I had the coffee in my hands, the roof of my mouth blistered from the large gulp I sucked through the sippy lid, but I relished the burn. The bitter taste fired up all my senses as well as my sluggish brain, and the room came fully into view. Char must’ve left the bathroom door open because light spilled from the one lightbulb through the crack. I stared at the line it formed on the frayed carpet while sipping the coffee cradled between both of my hands like something precious.
“I love you.” My sigh sounded wistful.
Char jerked in surprise but managed a murmur. “Love you too, Allie.”
“I was talking to the coffee, but I do love you as well, Char. Like, you are second on my list of ‘things I love.’”
“I’m not a thing.” Her glare was exaggerated, and we both snickered, although without too much joy.
It was difficult to find any semblance of normality when stress was draining both of us like leeches. I was sure, even with the couple of hours of fitful sleep I got, I didn’t look any better than Char did. We stayed silent until the tray was full of empty cups. There wasn’t much any of us could say, yet the air in the room was oppressive and heavy with unspoken words. I couldn’t take it anymore. Neither the silence, nor my best friend avoiding eye contact.
“I think I should go alone, Char.” Her loose bun unraveled from how hard she shook her head before I finished the sentence. “From what we’ve seen so far, Dimitri is calculating and anal for everything happening on his time. The guy takes organization skills to a whole new level, don’t you think? This will throw him for a loop. I honestly don’t see him reacting badly. Not while I’m in his office, anyway.”
“That’s too many what-if’s than I’m comfortable with.” Fiddling with her hair, she kept her gaze on the floor. “You’ll be alone inside that building while everyone there is on his payroll. I’m not liking the odds of that.”
“There will be humans inside it, too. I really don’t think he will make a scene. Last thing Ice Matrix CO. needs is a spectacle in their headquarters. Can you imagine the headlines if magic starts flying all over the place?” Halfway through my tirade, I’d begun nibbling on the side of my thumb, so I lowered my hand and curled it into a fist when I caught what I was doing. “It’s not like I want to face the shifter alone. But I’m also not walking in unarmed.”
“I just have a bad feeling about it, Allie.” Finally, she stopped trying to wrap the thick mess of her hair and yanked the elastic band off it with a huff. “Everything we talked about makes perfect sense, and yesterday I totally agreed with it. Now …” Shuffling closer, she moved my feet to the side and sat on the bed where I was still stretched out. “Now, I’m not that convinced. Something is nagging at me that we are missing the bigger picture here.”
“There is only one way to find out.” I had to lower my hand again. I had no idea when I started the habit of chewing on my nails, but there it was. Cannibalism in its finest.
“I have a plan, though.” Peering at me through her lashes, Char was rasping her teeth over her lower lip. Her anxiety was not helping mine one bit. “I know we have this pact where we don’t ask each other anything about our powers, but—”
“But?” I prompted when she didn’t continue.
“Maybe you can do whatever you do when you are on a job to me?” It came out as something between a statement and a question. Her inflection rose slightly at the end, showcasing her uncertainty.
“I don’t understand.”
“Until now, no one has seen the White Kalla. She was a ghost.” Her gaze seared mine, and my heart picked up speed. “Whatever magic you use on yourself, I’d like you to use it on me. That way, you will be alone as far as anyone in that building is concerned, but I’ll be right next to you.”
“The reason I am in this mess is because that jerk can see through my spell, Char. Did you forget that little detail?”
“Very true, but only he can see it.” I thought she would be discouraged when I pointed out the facts, but instead, my friend became more animated. “As long as I’m in that building, close enough to rush to your aid if you need it, I’m good. I’ll even stay in the bathrooms the whole time if you want.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. Let’s say you are there, and he does attack.” Waiting long enough for her to understand how serious I was, I continued after a long sigh. “We are no match for Dimitri Bell, Char. We are both toast, or dog chaw, whatever tickles your fancy.”
“And that’s where you are wrong.” Her arms folded across her chest, and she squared her shoulders. “Alone, we may not be a match for the Alpha. Together, we will wax all the fur from that wolf while he begs for mercy.”
I barked out a surprised laugh, and she giggled. “Wax his fur? Really?” Chortling, I shook my head at her pleased grin.
“You are laughing, aren’t you?”
“It might be the last time I do, so I’m going to take full advantage of it while I can.” I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.
“So not funny.”
“I didn’t think it was.” A long breath whistled through my pursed lips, and I nudged her away so I could swing my legs off the bed. “Let me jump in the shower so I can be ready when the time comes. We will have an early lunch before I have to face the shifter. I have less of an attitude on a full stomach. Who knows, maybe if I keep my mouth shut and don’t snark, he will decide having me around the city is not that bad of an idea?”
Char said nothing, so I dragged myself to the bathroom. Avoiding the cracked mirror the best I could, I peeled off my sweats first, then my t-shirt with “I can drive a stick” and a broom printed on it off my body, as the small space fogged up with steam. The water pelted my skin and, leaning on the tiles with both palms pressed on them, I let my head hang down to my chest. My heartbeat was galloping between my ribs, so I took slow, measured breaths until I calmed it. It was beyond my power to turn back time and decline the job I’d stupidly accepted. Things were out of my control, and all I could do was go with the flow. If that stream took me to a tête-à-tête with the reaper, well …
So, be it.
When the water turned off and my fingers were wrapped around the plastic curtain that was slightly moldy at the corners, a shriek burst out of me when the door of the bathroom banged open. Forgetting all about the disgusting mold, I clutched it to my chest so I could cover all the important bits of my anatomy. Char sashayed inside with her arms full of makeup, a hair drier, and a bunch of brushes like I was not standing there naked.
