I recognized Tessa right away. She had a pale, heart-shaped face framed by curly hair the color of cinnamon. She was talking to an older woman as she unrolled her mat. The stoop-shouldered older woman looked too brittle for yoga, but she was dressed for the occasion. I watched as Tessa patted her arm and spoke in soothing tones. She seemed way too nice and normal for Flynn.
I found a clear patch of linoleum in the back of the room and unfurled my mat.
"Ooh, I love that color," said the woman next to me, as her eyes coveted my yoga mat.
"Thanks." Some little voice inside of me said that I was supposed to return the compliment, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Her mat was a hideous green and her outfit was so tight, I was fairly certain her breathing was compromised. How did she expect to do yoga if she couldn't breathe?
Tessa took her place at the head of the room. "Namaste, everyone. It's great to see you all." Her smile was infectious. The entire class smiled back, except me. I observed with grim fascination.
"It looks like we have a new student," Tessa said.
Oh no. She meant me. Slowly, I raised my hand and wiggled my fingers.
"Welcome. There are no strangers here. Only friends you haven't met yet," Tessa said. "What's your name?"
"Alyse," I replied, looking anxiously around the room. I'd been in many uncomfortable situations -- like trapped between two Ghuls in an open grave and a half-ravaged corpse beneath me -- but this moment was way up there on the list.
"Can everyone please give a warm welcome to Alyse?" she asked.
The whole class welcomed me with toothy grins. It was unnerving. I began to question my sanity. Why did I listen to Flynn? I didn't need yoga. I was a djinni. My mist form was as flexible as an entity could get. Of course, I couldn't shift into it now, but that was only a temporary problem. Or so I hoped.
"Let's start with sun salutation," Tessa began and moved into position.
I tried to match Tessa's moves. I really did. It was my body that refused to cooperate. I thought this body was hot and fit. Apparently, I'd deeply underestimated the value of flexibility. Then again, it had been quite some time since I'd needed to demonstrate any.
I wobbled several times when trying to master the art of standing on one leg. My core strength was excellent. Ask anyone who'd ever tried to punch me in the stomach.
"Alyse, if you focus on my face, you'll wobble less," Tessa said. "A fixed point in the room is always a good starting point."
What was I doing here? Yoga was supposed to relax me, yet I could feel my blood pressure rising with each note of encouragement. Maybe yoga only worked for straight-up humans.
I proved my mettle during plank. The other women collapsed in a heap on their mats before Tessa urged me to move on.
"Well done, Alyse. I think we can all agree that your plank is excellent. Now why don't we try something else?" She gave me a little clap. It was pretty condescending, if you ask me. Which no one did.
She cycled through a few more maneuvers and I struggled to keep up with the class. It dawned on me when I was bent over with my butt in the air that Flynn knew exactly what he was doing when he suggested that I come here. This wasn't stress-busting. This was pure torture.
"Alyse, if you don't lock your knees, you'll find this position easier to manage," Tessa chirped.
I twisted my neck to see her face pressed against her thighs. I was beginning to think it would look better shoved up her pert ass.
I released a groan of frustration when I realized I couldn't even touch my toes. If I had my powers, I'd turn invisible right now and hightail it out of here. This was humiliating. I had no doubt this was Flynn's intention. He was, to my endless embarrassment, intimately familiar with this particular human body, knew its strengths and weaknesses. I closed my eyes, shoving the thought aside.
Tessa scrutinized my form. "Alyse, you need to actually reach for the floor, not dangle..."
"Like a tampon out of your ass?" I offered. Oh crap. Did I really say that?
The other women gasped.
Tessa blinked. "I beg your pardon."
"Nothing. I said nothing." I fooled no one.
Tessa straightened. "I'm sorry, Alyse, I appreciate that you're a new student, but your behavior is not appropriate for this class." Her lips were pressed together and she looked like she might cry.
My shoulders sagged. I didn't come here to make Flynn's girlfriend cry. It was petty and stupid. She was only human. And so, apparently, was I.
"I'm sorry, Tessa. I'll go." I held up my hands in defeat.
I rolled up my mat and tucked it under my arm before threading my way through the yogis. One of them actually stuck her foot out as I walked by in an attempt to trip me. Luckily, my reflexes were still pretty good. Gingerly, I hopped over her foot and shot her a death glare. She pulled back her foot and shifted her gaze to the floor. Coward.
Once out on the street, I inhaled deeply, the way Tessa had encouraged me to do during the class. Well, that was nothing short of a disaster.
At the end of the street, I noticed two men blocking the entrance to the square. I glanced the other way to see two more men at the opposite end of the street. Okay, not a coincidence.
I did a quick assessment. Both sets of men were equivalent in size so there was no advantage there. I debated retreating back into the building but the thought of facing the wrath of the yoga bitches wasn't appealing either. Besides, I had my daggers underneath my yoga pants, despite Farah's objection. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
The two men near the square were better dressed. That sealed the deal. Guys in light-colored linen suits were less likely to encourage blood loss.
I put my swagger in motion and headed in their direction.
Chapter Seven
"Good day, gentlemen," I said. I slung my yoga mat over my shoulder in case I decided to use it as a baseball bat. It was softer than a Louisville Slugger, but it would do in a pinch.
"Miss Winters, if you'd be so kind as to come with us." The taller one spoke first. He was a dark-haired man in his early thirties. His neatly pressed suit was pale gray and his tie was pink. No way was this guy going to attack me in an alley.
"With whom am I having the pleasure?" I asked, still keeping up the pretense of politeness.
"Apologies, I'm Niko Scarvino and this is my associate, Mickey Medici."
Mickey dipped his slick, pony-tailed head. I made it a habit never to trust a man with a ponytail.
"Allow us to escort you to our undisclosed location," Niko said.
I laughed. "Oh sure. I always go along willingly when a group of men want to cart me off to an undisclosed location."
Mickey stepped forward and I saw the flash of anger in his eyes. I immediately pegged him as the loose canon of the group. "Listen lady. Just do as we say and you won't get hurt."
I smiled. "I doubt very much I'd be the one getting hurt." They could take away my powers, but they'd never take away my bravado.
He pulled his suit jacket aside and showed me his weapon. "Our associates behind you are equally equipped."
I groaned. Although I wasn't wholly opposed to bringing daggers to a gunfight, I wished I'd snagged another gun from the armory before yoga class like I wanted to. Way to look into your crystal ball, Farah.
"Can you at least tell me who you work for?" It had to be someone local. My enemies wouldn't have had enough time to sniff me out yet.
Niko placed a hand over his heart. "Miss Winters, you have my word that no harm will come to you. Our car is right at the end of the alley."
"It's the black Challenger," said one of the goons behind me. He sounded impressed with himself.
"Don't the cops drive Challengers?" I asked. These guys were not law enforcement.
"It's ironic, right?" Mickey said and showed me a gold tooth. An actual gold tooth. I didn't think people had those anymore.
I shrugged. Four guns versus two daggers. The odds were not in my favor. "I'll come, but only
if I ride next to him." I nodded toward Niko.
"Done," Niko said. He offered me his elbow and I looped my arm through his, handing my yoga mat to Mickey.
"Take good care of that. It's new," I told him.
"I like the color," Niko said.
"Thank you. I like your tie." Turned out I could give compliments.
We crammed into the car. Niko drove and I sat in the passenger seat beside him. Mickey and the two goons were crushed together in the back. It was quite an image.
"Can we get lunch after we drop off the package?" one of the goons asked.
I craned my neck to glare at him. "Would you mind not referring to me as the package? I'm right here."
They ignored me.
"I'm going in with Niko," Mickey said. "There's that hoagie place a block over. Get me an American hoagie with oil and vinegar. Everything on it."
"What's in an American hoagie?" the other goon asked. "I always order the tuna."
Mickey shrugged. "I dunno. Cheese and ham, I guess."
Niko glanced at him in his rearview mirror. "You guess?"
"American cheese. Maybe turkey. What's the big deal?"
"I generally get the Italian classic," Niko said. Of course he did. "I can tell you every item in that hoagie. How can you eat something if you don't know what's in it?"
"It tastes good. That's all I gotta know."
"Your ignorance is overwhelming," Niko said. "You could be eating hairballs and toe jam or some shit like that, but it tastes good so it's okay. Don't you ever ask what's in it?"
I cast a sidelong glance at my captor. This was not the tough guy talk I expected.
Mickey looked at the goon beside him. "He buys organic now so everything I eat is a problem." He pinned his gaze on Niko in the rearview mirror. "I don't care, Niko. It tastes good. You start questioning everything, there ain't no mystery left in the universe to enjoy."
Niko shook his head and grinned at me. For a goon, he wasn't so bad. Then someone shoved a pillowcase over my head, plunging me into darkness. Oddly, I felt a sense of betrayal. And more than a little pissed off.
One of the goons pulled the pillowcase off my head and I gasped for air. Once I had a chance to focus, I saw a pasty man of slight build seated at a farmhouse-style dining table. The room was large with a table and chairs on one side and leather sofas around a coffee table on the other. A flat screen television covered most of the opposite wall. It appeared to be the heart of the space, like a Great Room minus the high ceiling. Several hallways shot off in different directions.
"You must be O'Leary," I said, each arm still gripped by a member of the goon squad. "I'd shake your hand, but..." I inclined my head toward my captors.
His brow wrinkled at the sight of me. "Who are you?"
"Alyse Winters."
He studied the length of me, from my high ponytail to my lululemon yoga pants to my casual sneakers. "Is this a joke?"
"I don't find kidnapping very funny. Do you?"
He pushed back his chair and walked over to me. He was no taller than my shoulders. "I don't get it. Shouldn't you be wearing skintight black leather and knee-high boots?"
"Who am I supposed to be? Batgirl? Nobody should wear leather in this heat."
He looked over to Niko and Mickey. "Is this how you found her?
"She was coming out of a yoga studio, boss," Mickey said.
"If it's any consolation," I said, "I have a black eye under all this makeup and a small dagger in my sports bra."
He broke into a wide grin. "Hey Pinky, she dresses like you."
Pinky stepped forward and I looked at her for the first time. A petite blonde with bubble gum pink capri leggings and an off-the-shoulder T-shirt that read Basic Bitch. Her blue eyes flickered over me and she blew a large bubble before sucking it back between her teeth.
"She's old," Pinky said dismissively.
I was old? I couldn't help it. I lunged for her.
Fingers tightened around my biceps, digging into my skin.
"Whatever," Pinky said, with an Elvis Presley-style snarl.
"Here's a bright idea. Maybe your friends can release me so we can have a civilized conversation," I suggested. "That's why I'm here. To talk."
O'Leary looked nervous. In fact, he seemed unaware of my cuffs. His expression suggested that he was waiting for me to summon an Uzi and blow them all to bits. I was here because I thought O'Leary was plugged in, but now I was beginning to doubt he was capable of helping me. For the tenth time today, I wondered what was Flynn thinking?
O'Leary debated my appearance for another moment before nodding to the foot soldiers. They released me and took a step to the side. Still within striking distance, I noticed.
"Would you be a doll and hand over your small dagger?" O'Leary asked. "I'm not sure why my men would bring you in here without patting you down first." He shot them a pointed look.
"We tried," one of the goons began, but O'Leary cut him off with a chopping motion.
He turned his gaze back to me. "Any other weapons you care to disclose before we conduct our business?"
I glanced down at my yoga pants and back to O'Leary. "If there were a bulge, I think you'd know." That was a lie, of course. My jade daggers were nestled against my inner calves. My security blanket.
"Pinky," O'Leary said, gesturing her forward. "Confirm our guest's story, please."
My eyes widened. He wanted his teenaged companion to feel me up? My chest tightened. It wouldn't take her long to locate my daggers.
The blonde raised a hand in my direction, palm up, and murmured a word I couldn't quite hear. She lifted her hand until it was in line with the top of my head and then dragged it down to the floor. A hands-free, full-body scan.
"She lied about the dagger in her sports bra," Pinky said, snapping her gum.
Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief.
"They're secured to her calves," Pinky continued. "They're pretty. I like that shade of green."
I stared at her. "Ever consider a job with airport security?"
O'Leary clucked his tongue. "And here I thought we were being straight with each other."
"She's a mage," I said softly. And a good one to boot. Thanks to my fieldwork, I had enough experience with mages to recognize a blossoming talent. Flynn had mentioned the mage rage with the local criminals these days. Apparently, it had spread to O'Leary.
He cast an admiring glance at Pinky. "She's shown real promise," he said. "Impressive for such a young, pretty thing." His fingers swept down her cheek and I saw her cringe. It was brief, but I noticed.
"And what does a businessman like you need with a mage?" I asked.
"I'm the head of casino operations in the Mid-Atlantic Colony."
It had a better ring to it than head of money laundering.
"You don't need a mage for that," I countered. "What's the real reason?"
O'Leary shrugged. "I didn't want to be left out. Rocco's got one, Luciano's got one. Even Hugo got in on the act and he's my friggin' accountant."
"Somebody's got to work magic on those numbers," I said.
"Hand over the daggers, please," O'Leary said.
I shook my head. "Not going to happen. If I keep losing borrowed weapons, my friend will stop supplying them."
Pinky cocked her head, still studying me. Her perky nose bunched up like a bunny's. "Her aura is wrong. I see lightning in a bottle."
More like a djinni in a bottle, but okay.
"What do you mean, Pinky?" O'Leary's curiosity was piqued.
"Dunno," she said, returning to her casual teen vibe. "I don't get it. She reeks of power, but she looks human. Why hasn't she gone invisible or summoned a machete?"
"Maybe because I don't want to," I said, lifting my chin a fraction. As strong as this mage might be, she was too inexperienced to recognize a cuffed djinni. Bless her cotton socks.
"Or because she can't." O'Leary rubbed his hands together. "I've heard of this, but I haven't had the pleasure of seeing it in p
erson." He caught sight of my copper cuffs. "It's those things, right? They keep you trapped as a human?"
Well, the mystery was fun while it lasted.
"I prefer to think of it as djinni-challenged." I had to do a better job of biting my tongue if I expected to get out of here in one piece. Even though Niko had promised me safe passage, he was no longer the thug in charge and O'Leary clearly had nothing to tell me about my burn notice.
O'Leary looked me over again, assessing me. "I like your moxie, Miss Winters. You know what moxie is?"
"Me and every Jewish person over forty."
He smiled and I noticed the yellowish tint of his teeth. "Why were you looking for me?"
"I need information."
"And you thought I could help?" He pretended to look flattered. "What kind of information?"
"It doesn't matter." He wasn't able to help and the less people who knew my business, the better.
O'Leary stepped closer and lowered his voice. "It matters to me. Tell me, Miss Winters."
I was going to throttle Flynn the next time I saw him. For so many reasons.
"The Shadow Elite issued a burn notice and sent me packing. I want to know who cuffed me and why. A friend of mine thought you might have sources with that kind of information."
O'Leary gave me an appraising look. "You were an Elite agent?"
I nodded. "I trained at the Academy. PAN wanted me to stay, but I chose to go." And I was still in the Marida court's royal doghouse for joining the Shadow Elite. The Marida were proud rulers. They felt that it was beneath a Marid to work in shadow intelligence. Those jobs were better left to sneaky Shaitans.
"And now your employer has fired you and cut off your powers." He tapped his chin with his index finger, thinking. "I'll see what I can find out for you. It might take time, though. Some sources are difficult to track down. Meanwhile, I expect you might be in need of employment."
"Possibly." Definitely. "What are you thinking?" Desperate times called for desperate measures.
"I've been looking for something. Maybe you can help me find it."
"I'm listening." If I was lucky, maybe it would be a runaway dog.
Spellbinding Starters Page 24
