by Dakota Brown
"Great. The brothers have spoken for you for next weekend, too."
I raised my eyebrows. "Um, sure, pending homework, okay."
Victoria laughed. "I'll let you know when I get bored of being your manager."
I giggled. "What are you up to this weekend?"
"Oh, I should have told you. I'm headed down to Denver to visit my guy and some of my friends from high school who are in town. Last minute plans. My parents are coming up next weekend. I'm going to schedule some time for you to hang out with us."
Sputtering, I put my pillow over my face. "Yes, I would like to meet your parents, and now we won't have to worry about this weekend, since you'll be gone and I'll be with the guys."
"Yeah. And next weekend, I'll be mostly with my parents. One week at a time, Sofia. Hopefully, Doc's discussion with whoever had the desired result. Has anything weird happened since then?"
"Other than the abnormally large number of hot guys who seem to be interested in me? No."
Victoria laughed. "Okay, time for food."
It was a little early, but I was hungry, and Alex would meet me after.
"Jacket," Victoria reminded me before we left.
"Thanks. I'll get used to it at some point." I smiled.
"It'll be cold soon, and you'll want it all the time. Oh, and call me if you want me to pick you up tonight. I know Alex is cool and all, but I've got your back if you need me."
"Thanks. I really appreciate that."
"That's what friends are for."
We headed out of our room and clattered down the stairs. It was still very warm outside, and I felt silly carrying a jacket. Victoria was right, I'd probably want it later. Mountain weather was crazy. The habit to carry a water bottle was a lot easier to get used to.
I tied my jacket around my waist and followed Victoria as she led the way toward town. In a car, it took moments to get there, walking took about fifteen. I knew Victoria had a car, but we both enjoyed the exercise, and the weather was perfect. It was supposed to be nice most of this weekend, though there was a chance of rain tomorrow afternoon. I would see how this winter went, before I tried to talk my parents into a car. They weren't against it, I just wasn't sure if I needed one right away, or what would be the best thing to look at. When I was home, I just took one of the family vehicles.
We walked past Sam's Curios, and I stopped and backtracked. The shop itself was basically mountain town touristy stuff, some handmade from local artisans according to the signs, some the standard post cards, and other things with people's names on it.
Victoria and I shared a quick look, and then she pushed the door open. A bell chimed as I followed her in.
The air still felt tingly to me, and I rubbed my arms. It wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it wasn't exactly welcoming, either. Today, I recognized it as some sort of magic. I didn't know enough to know what it was.
A younger woman stood behind the counter and gave us a quick look and a friendly smile before going back to whatever project had her attention. Victoria and I browsed through the handmade section, and I wondered what exactly we had hoped to accomplish by coming in.
It didn't take long before Sam came out of the back.
"I wondered how long it would take the two of you to drop in again. Honestly, I thought it would be quicker," she stated when she stood next to us.
My initial impression of a younger woman with gray and white hair still felt accurate. Today, she wore jeans and a plain gray T-shirt. She didn't exactly look happy to see us, but wasn't throwing off unfriendly vibes, either.
"What can I do for you?"
"We don't actually know," Victoria answered, sharing another glance with me. "We just kind of came in. We're heading out to get pizza."
Sam glanced at me, and I nodded. "We just came in because, well, we did."
She sighed and shook her head. "Why don't you two come into the back with me, and we can talk."
"Okay," I replied.
We followed her back. The girl behind the desk gave us all another quick glance. She didn't seem overly curious as to what was going on.
The back of the shop looked mostly like a storeroom for merchandise with boxes and bags scattered on shelves, and Sam led us through another door into what would either be a very large office, or a small room. There she had a couple of comfortable couches, a desk with a laptop, and a low, round table.
Sam gestured to a small plate of chocolate chip cookies sitting on the table. "Help yourself." She took one and sat on one of the couches.
Victoria and I both took a cookie and sat on the other couch.
"So, what questions do you have?"
"I'm not even sure I really know enough to ask any questions," I sighed, feeling a little out of my depth.
"How much danger are we in?" Victoria knew a lot more about this world than I did.
Sam studied both of us for a moment before shaking her head. "It's really hard to say. The local group here is usually so quiet that most of us don't even worry. They went after Ed and Allan because they're orphans and thought no one would miss them. That was several years ago, and Doc set them straight. I would imagine you would only be in danger if they made a grab for Sofia and you happened to be there."
Victoria glanced at me. I clenched my fists and stared at the table. "That sucks. What could they possibly want with me?"
"Magic user away from home? If you disappeared and your parents knew what happened, they could always go to the magical community for help and would probably get it, but maybe too late to do anything for you."
I frowned. "Um, my parents would go straight to the cops. They don't even know anyone in the magical community, and this would be a pretty big deal pretty fast. Especially once the cops found out that magic users were involved. I thought this magic black market tried to avoid that kind of notice."
"Your parents would risk losing their jobs by going straight to the police?" Sam arched her eyebrows. "Most mages try to deal within the community first."
"Uh, my parents are about as normal as you can get." The furrows in my brow deepened.
"Your parents aren't mages?"
"No." I hesitated, the proverbial light bulb coming on. "Oh. Uh, yeah, I'm adopted. My parents are just regular humans. That I know of, I've never met anyone with magical talent before. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the oil field guys are, like werewolves or something, but I don't actually know that. We don't know much about my birth parents, other than that they were killed in some sort of accident. I was only a few months old at the time." I forced a smile.
Sam stared at me for a moment, her jaw dropping slightly, before she took a deep breath and composed herself. "That explains so much."
"Such as?"
"How you can be so completely untrained."
I let that sink in for a moment before I shrugged. "I never have a bad hair day, but I really can't do much."
"If you had training, you could do quite a bit, and I think you do more than you know."
"I do?" That worried me. I didn't want to be doing magic without realizing it.
"I'm not going to teach you, but you should find someone who will. You'll be safer. You should also let Doc know about your background," Sam said.
"Why Doc?" Victoria asked.
"He's…" Sam hesitated. "He's not someone the local black market is going to mess with lightly. If he wants to tell you more, that's up to him."
"And why won't you train Sofia? You're a mage, right?"
Sam shook her head. "I am, but I'm not a teacher. If the shop is open and you feel uncomfortable, you're welcome to drop in and hang out for a while. I'll let the staff know you have access to the back room. Otherwise, I can't really do anything."
"Thank you," I offered and glanced at the cookie I still held. Before I could take a bite, the air filled with the sounds of thousands of tiny bells. Sparkles appeared before my eyes and descended on all the cookies in a crazy clash of sound and light, and then everything that was left, including t
he cookie in my hand, was gone.
I laughed when a few faeries came back and landed on my hand.
"Hold still," Sam ordered.
"I've met them before," I breathed quietly so as not to disrupt the faeries with my breath.
I thought I heard delicate laughter before the entire group took to the air again and vanished.
"Where?" Sam asked once the fae were gone.
Victoria and I both smiled broadly with the experience.
"Doc and the brothers took us to Lost Lake," Victoria replied.
"Really?"
We nodded.
"Wow, they've got it bad." Sam shook her head and stood.
"Got what bad?" Victoria demanded.
"I shouldn't keep you from your dinner. Be careful, keep your eyes open, and make sure you tell Doc your family are normal humans." Obviously, Sam wasn't going to answer.
"Thanks, Sam," I said as I also stood.
Victoria also got to her feet, and we followed Sam to the front of the shop. At least we had a little more information, if nothing else. I still had more questions than answers, and a great deal of fear. Was I putting Victoria in danger? Was I putting everyone in danger? I didn't want to leave school, but if it was safer, maybe I should find a college somewhere else. Should I tell my parents? Magic talk made them uncomfortable, and while they'd never told me not to do magic, they had made sure I only did it in the house.
I twisted my hands together as we headed to the pizza place.
"Hey, cheer up," Victoria ordered. "Everything will work out."
I forced a smile, not convinced, but not willing to drag her mood down either. Maybe she was right.
Chapter 10
Sofia
"You haven't said a word since we left the shop except to order. What's on your mind?" Victoria took a sip of her drink and stared at me.
I took a deep breath, and was about to answer when our pizza arrived. The silence stretched while we each got a piece, and I took a bite.
"You do know that it's weird that you never burn yourself on fresh pizza."
"I didn't realize that was a thing." I pursed my lips.
"Maybe it's magic." Victoria winked.
I dropped my pizza, hands shaking. The fear that had slowly taken a hold of me at Sam's clutched at my chest, and I gasped for breath.
"Hey, it's okay, Sofia."
I shook my head, not wanting to cry, but not able to contain the fear any longer. I'd lived so long trying to keep my secret hidden from everyone except my parents, and now so many people knew, and some of those people were trying to capture me. Why though? I wasn't an orphan, I would be missed. I didn't seem to fit the profile of people they would target from what little I knew. Obviously, I didn't know enough.
"Hey, it's okay," Victoria said again. We were at a corner table again, and she slid around and put her arm around my shoulders and squeezed. "We're going to be fine. You've got powerful friends here. They'll keep you safe."
"I'm worried about me," I said. "I'm also worried about you, and the others. It sounds like they had things worked out until I showed up. Maybe I should leave."
Victoria held me for a moment before she shook her head. "It depends on why they want you. If it's for more normal reasons, like exploiting your powers, then going home will keep you safe. If it's for something different, then I don't know what will work. What we really need to do is find someone to teach you magic so you can defend yourself."
I took a couple of deep breaths, and Victoria slid back to the other side of the table and picked up her pizza.
"I think you need to have a long conversation with Doc, Ed, and Allan. They've been relatively open with us, and I bet they can help."
"Well." I picked my pizza back up. "I should have a lot of time this weekend."
"If there's anything I can do, please let me know. I don't want to have to find a different roommate." Victoria grinned at me. "I like the one I have."
"Thanks," I whispered.
"Now, let's eat this perfect-temperature pizza before it gets cold. Wait, does your pizza ever get cold?"
I shook my head.
"Yeah, definitely magic."
I sighed, and she nudged me with her foot. "Hey, I'm loving not having to wait until the pizza cools to eat it. We'll figure this out, Sofia. Do you know any self-defense or martial arts?"
"Yeah. Some."
"Good, we'll get your boys to practice with us. I bet they know how to fight."
I sputtered.
"You know, you can date them all, right? If they agree." Victoria winked at me.
"What?" The switch in topics caught me off guard. "Date them all?"
"Sure. Everyone just needs to be on the same page about the boundaries of your relationships. It's a lot more common than it used to be, and it's not a bad thing."
"I don't think Alex and Ed would ever agree to something like that."
Victoria's eyes glinted. She glanced around and then leaned close. "No, but I bet the three of them would. You might have to choose between Alex, or the werewolf pack, but if you chose the wolves, you'll probably get all three of them."
"We don't know they're werewolves," I whispered. No one was close enough to hear over the loud rock that played, but it still felt weird to be discussing this out in the open. "And Doc's my teacher!" My cheeks heated.
"I bet you twenty bucks that Ed and Allan are." Victoria shoved some pizza in her mouth. "And he's only your teacher for a few months."
I groaned. "I'm not betting you, because I think you're right, still... Don't we have more important things to worry about?"
"I'm your social manager," Victoria stated. "And it's all related anyway. Keeping you safe, keeping you with the werewolf pack, and me not having to deal with drama while I manage your social life." She laughed.
The knot in my chest finally relaxed, and I could feel my heart rate drop a little. The situation was ridiculous, and there was no way something like that would ever happen. Besides, the semester had just started. There were plenty of other single, datable, far safer to be around, girls out there. The guys would find someone else soon enough. Especially when they figured out how dangerous being around me was apparently turning out to be.
We would talk this weekend. I would have to talk to Alex tonight. Somehow, I would have to figure out how to warn him without telling him what really was going on. He didn't need to be involved if I could help it.
"Cheer up, Sofia," Victoria said. "We'll work through this. I'd say things could be worse, but this is pretty dangerous. Still, it really could be worse. You've got a support network, and parents who love you. It'll be okay."
Finally feeling a little better, I nodded. "Thanks, Victoria. I'm really glad I ended up with you as a roommate and friend."
"Hell yeah," she replied. "Now, eat up and remember, call me if you need anything tonight."
"Yeah, you, too. If something comes up, don't hesitate to interrupt my, uh, date?"
She winked. "I've got Doc's number, too. But yeah, if something does happen, I'll let you know."
Satisfied that we had a plan, I re-discovered my appetite and dove into the pizza.
∞ ∞ ∞
"Have fun," Victoria ordered, giving me a quick hug when Alex met us in front of our dorm later.
If things hadn't been crazy, I would have met Alex in town, but I didn't want Victoria to have to get back to the dorm by herself. She went inside, and I went over to Alex. He wore a silvery gray long-sleeved button-down shirt that bordered on being a dress shirt. He wore it with black cargo pants, which dressed it down a little.
"How are you tonight?" He held out his hand and I took it, my conversation with Victoria echoing in my mind as I did so. I would have to make a choice at some point, and it wasn't the choice I had thought I would potentially have to make about dating guys. One, or three?
"I'm doing okay." Victoria had lent me one of her sun dresses. It was dark green and just a tiny bit snug, but it fit well enough. I wore one o
f my own sweaters and leggings due to the cooling air. I had already put water in my backpack purse, and had that slung over my shoulder.
"You look nice." He grinned, sapphire eyes dancing in the fading light.
"Thanks, you do, too. So, what's the plan?"
Alex tucked my hand under his arm and walked with me to his red Mustang parked on the curb. "I know a great place to stargaze. There's a small observatory that the college owns. We can go there. Ice cream first?"
The warmth of the day lingered enough that ice cream sounded great. So did stargazing. It would probably be safe enough. I wasn't worried about being alone with Alex. Of course, we may not actually be alone, and that was okay, too.
"That sounds good. I think I remember reading about the observatory."
"It's pretty neat. Small scale stuff, but enough that the science classes that deal with astronomy have some place to go, and the students can go, too. I thought you might like it."
"Yeah."
"And the ice cream place in town is delicious. They make all their own stuff. Hope you're not on a diet." Alex grinned as he took the roundabout far faster than Doc's truck would.
"No, no diet."
"Great."
We fell quiet while he navigated the road into town and found a parking spot right outside the ice cream parlor.
Lots of people wandered the sidewalks on this nice Friday evening, and we were lucky to get a place so close. Not that I minded walking, but it was nice not to have to.
Alex made it around the front of the car before I managed to get myself out of his sports car, and he gave me a hand up.
"Thanks."
"Of course." He squeezed my hand and then let go.
In just moments he opened the door to the ice cream parlor, and I walked in. It was crowded, and I got in line and enjoyed the heady sugar scent that permeated the air.
"So, I'm a huge fan of their waffle cones," Alex suggested. He stood right behind me, not quite touching me as we moved through the crowded store.
"I'll get one. I like waffle cones, too. This is a popular place."
