Page 28 of Wings of Ebony
She smooths her cheeks clean, nodding.
“Iwillfix this.Nobodyis hurting my family.”
She sniffles and chuckles all at the same time and my chest is a little lighter. “It’s ironic, isn’t it? You never even wanted to know anything about your dad’s side of the family.”
I bristle at the word “dad.”
“And yet it’s the magic from the family you havenolove for that’ll protect the family youdolove.”
For a second words don’t come and a bitter taste spreads on my tongue. “They’re the enemy, T. Don’t make it more than it is. Finish up that drink and let’s get out of here.”
She takes a sip, wrapping her long fingers around the cracked porcelain. Moms said we could play piano with our long fingers. Never tried, but I bet Tash’d be good. In another life. Or maybe a different time.
Life will be different for us.
I’ll make sure of it.
The line at the register has lengthened and Full Lips is blushing at someone placing an order. Next to the trash can a pair of guys wait in line for the restroom.
“So I-I mean I-I saw things when you touched me by the car, but, like… what is it like there?” Tasha reaches for my wrist, rubbing the onyx beneath my sleeve. “Does it hurt?”
“Getting it fused to my skin hurt like a bitch.”
She snorts. “Does everyone there have that?”
“Mostly, yep. They call it being Bound… like bound to magic. The Chancellor calls it an ‘act of benevolence.’?” I add air quotes to the last part.
“Which one was the Chancellor?”
“He’s basically like the president in Ghizon. He runs everything, and his right-hand man—the General—does his dirty work.”
“So Mr. Magic Giver is a jerk behind the scenes but puts on a nice face in front of the people? Doesn’t sound much different from here.”
I snort. “Exactly. You get it.”
“Where does the stone come from?” She studies my wrist. “Like, could I get one? Maybe if there were two of us with magic…”
My stomach sinks. It’s only normal she’d wonder, but we can’t even start thinking like that. Going back to Ghizon is like a brutha in baggy clothes walking into a police station. I’m trying to keep usalive.
“No, there’s no way. They don’t want my Black ass with magic, you think they gon’ hand it out to you, too?”
She laughs and I feel a smidge better. She’s right: Two of us with magic would probably be smarter, but there’s no way that can happen so I don’t even want to get her hopes up.
The taller man waiting to get into the restroom still hovers near the trash station. We meet eyes. He darts his gaze in another direction a bit too quickly.
“So, I mean, what do they look like when they come here?” she asks. “Patrol, or whatever they’re called. If they’re going to be after us I should at least know what to look out for.”
The restroom door opens and the sound of flushing grows faint as it clicks closed. Vacant. The man near the trash can doesn’t move. Ithinkhe’s waiting on the restroom. I mean, he’s been there for a minute… what else could he…
“Rue?” Tasha pokes me, but my eyes are fixed on the empty restroom and the man who’s been waiting outside of it as long as I’ve been here. I don’t like this. Maybe I’m being paranoid?
“I was just asking what they look like, if they all wear the same thing or.…” Her words trail off as old dude’s eyes find mine again. His jacket shifts and metal glints from his belt.
“Get up,” I say.
Tasha looks confused, but she stands. “What are…”
I shush her. “Act calm and just follow me. We’re fine.”
