by Gina LaManna
And if she’d returned, had it been she who’d stolen the jewels from the safe?
Whatever the answer, I had to get out of there. As I glanced at the trapdoor below, fire began to burn around the edges. The clock ticked down to a minute left. The painted face would reappear any second, I could feel it.
Zipping toward the window on the far side of the library, I pulled up my broomstick, hooked my fingers in the handle, and yanked. I yanked and yanked, but the window wouldn’t budge.
I muttered a spell to unlock it, but unfortunately, that didn’t help. It wasn’t the lock that was the problem—the window was plain, old-fashioned stuck.
The fire began to creep away from the trapdoor’s edges and spread across the floor.
My heart pounded, vision blurred. I wiped my hands against my shirt and surveyed my options. There weren’t many.
So, I did what I had to do and took a speeding start on my broomstick, sending a Shattering Spell before me to break the glass before I sailed through the now-open window.
The fresh, late-night air had never tasted so sweet. I made quick work of a Sealing Spell, repairing the window back to its original state. Then I pressed my nose against it and watched the flames, praying with all my might that they’d disappear.
If they didn’t disappear, I’d not only be in trouble with Millie—who would no doubt kill me first and ask questions later—I’d be in trouble with MAGIC, Inc. Surely they’d hear about an accident this huge—an entire library burning down? I’d never get a job again! I was already on rocky territory with my pseudo-assignment from my boss; this would only be the icing on the cake.
Then again, forget work—my mother would have a conniption! I’d be out a job and a family at the rate I was going. I set to bargaining with the Powers that Be to save the legends and prophecies and books from fire. Otherwise, I was a dead woman walking.
I closed my eyes, unable to watch as the fire reached the first bookshelf, about to engulf the pages in flames. Sweat dripped from my forehead, the salt stinging my eyes until I opened them and saw a miracle.
The fire had begun to shrink. It faded back slowly, painstakingly, easing toward the trapdoor. After another few minutes, the licking red flames disappeared completely.
Jetting away from the library, I decided that probably, it’d be best not to fill my mom in on the events of my first day at the library. She might not be so pleased. Can’t you do anything normally? she’d ask. Without setting the world on fire or fighting monsters?
I often wondered the same thing. Maybe a calmer lifestyle would be nice. I could read a book at night, take a bath, go out on dates like everyone else.
Then again, I thought, the adrenaline coursing through me as I flew underneath the stars and circled the Frost King’s mansion on my way home…maybe I’m not cut out for ordinary.
Chapter 20
I stood on the very top of a thick evergreen tree, the branches filled with lush needles in full bloom, the height tall enough that the peak faded into the clouds. Shivering as a damp cloud passed just underneath my feet, I let the Invisibility Incantation lapse and stretched, my legs and arms sore after holding on tight to the broomstick for so long.
I wasn’t used to sitting on a broomstick for extended periods of time, and that hour in the library had been a tense one. Although it’d been worth it to find the contents of the prophecy, now I had no clue what to do with the information.
With no idea about how to proceed, I’d returned to the castle. I’d watched the grounds for a full thirty minutes, but I’d seen nothing out of the ordinary—no shadows in the windows, no flickering lights or terrifying noises. If I hadn’t suspected something already, I’d have guessed the house was locked up and vacant.
An icy wave rolled down my spine; had the Frost King packed up and left? Was I too late? As I considered this, my toes lost all feeling. They were numb from the cold night air and my fingers ached, the tips still burned from the fire in the library.
Climbing back onto my broomstick, I gave in to the temptation to go home. Food, a shower, and bed would probably do a lot for my morale. Plus, I had to be back to the estate first thing in the morning. That was one surefire way to find out if the Frost King was still around.
Flying through the air, I did one final swoop around the castle and noticed a lone car parked a few blocks away, tucked into a shadowy area of the boulevard. The car was unmarked, but a prickle at the back of my neck told me something was wrong.
I dipped closer, realizing that a person was inside, a man I happened to know all too well—the same man who’d made unwelcome guest appearances in my dreams just hours before.
Curving hard to the right, I descended into the trees one block over and quickly tucked the broomstick away, camouflaging it like I had before. This time I noted its exact location in hopes I wouldn’t sit on a tree branch like an idiot when I came to collect it.
As I walked out of the trees, I sidled up to the car with a look of confidence plastered on my face that was only skin deep. I recognized that chin—strong and angular with lips that promised the softest, warmest of kisses. He’d haunted my dreams and stalked my reality and somehow, I couldn’t get enough.
“Hey.” I rapped on the window of the car, startling Beck out of an intense bout of concentration. In a sing-song voice, I said, “It’s me!”
He’d been reading something on his phone, which had allowed me to sneak up unnoticed. His amber eyes flashed up, startling with their ferocity at being disturbed, and then he realized it was me. “Seriously, Ainsley. I almost shot you.” Rolling his window down, he shook his head. “What are you doing here?”
I gave a huge, cheesy smile. “Just in the neighborhood, so I thought I’d say hi.”
“How’d you know I’d be here?” He narrowed his eyes at me. “On one hand, I’m happy to see you. On the other hand, it’s creepy, you always appearing out of thin air.”
“I’m pretty normal, no special talents,” I said. Easier not to explain witchcraft now. “People say I’m light on my feet.”
He gestured for me to step back as he pulled himself out of the car and stretched. “I don’t know what to make of you.”
I shrugged. “You looked like you could use a break, so I thought I’d say hi, that’s all.”
Glancing through the window, he scanned the report he’d been reading on his phone before turning back to me. “That’s not a bad idea.” Clicking the screen of his phone to black, he shut the car door and beeped it locked. “Fancy a quick walk? My legs are killing me.”
I nodded. The idea sounded too appealing, and as we started down the road, I wondered why I’d stopped in the first place. Going home would have been so much easier.
“So, what brings you this way, at this hour?” he asked.
I sighed; I should’ve known he’d ask. Ignoring him for as long as I could, I sank into a pleasant silence as we walked at a slow, easy pace. It was nice, and I took my time in answering. “I got off work late, and I was walking home when I saw you.”
“Home? That’s a long way from here.”
“I mean, to the bus stop,” I corrected quickly, forcing a laugh. “Obviously I wouldn’t walk home from here at this time of night.”
He didn’t laugh in return. “What do you do?”
“Um, in terms of…fun, or…?”
“Work,” he clarified, clearing his throat. “You said you just got off work.”
“Oh, right.” I was terrible at lying. Also, I didn’t feel like explaining my stint at the library, so I said the only other thing that popped into my head. “I’m a housekeeper.”
“A housekeeper?”
“Maid, cleaning lady, you name it.” I smiled. “You seem surprised.”
“Maybe, although I can’t put my finger on why.”
If I’d wanted to, I could’ve given him ten reasons why it was surprising that I’d gotten a job as a housekeeper. For starters, I couldn’t turn on an oven, I hardly knew the right end of a feather d
uster, and I’d never gotten the hang of a human vacuum. My organization skills were nonexistent, and the last time I’d ever cooked a meal without magic was…well, never.
“I’m an unlikely housekeeper,” I admitted. “But I enjoy it.”
“That’s great,” he said, keeping his gaze on mine. “So you clean around this area?”
I gestured vaguely to the neighborhood behind us. “Yes, a house over there. Smaller, nothing magnificent really, but the folks are nice.”
“Isn’t there a bus stop closer in the other direction?”
“If it’s a nice night, I like to walk this way. It’s gorgeous over here with all the big trees, the wide streets, nobody else around. Feels a bit like I have a piece of the world all to myself. Plus, I really enjoy the lights.”
To my surprise, Beck reached over and took my hand in his. He pulled me forward. “I do, too.”
His hand was warm, guiding me gently down the sidewalk until we stopped in front of the estate at the end of the street. We stood well outside the gates, watching as the fountains danced and changed colors and the tiny fairy lights decorating the castle winked and glowed.
“It’s a beautiful home,” he said. “But too big for me.”
“Me too,” I agreed. “My apartment is a matchbox, but I like it. It’s cozy.”
“Would you have dinner with me sometime?” Beck turned to face me. “Before you answer, I know you don’t know me. I know our history has been rocky, and really, I shouldn’t be asking you out on a date.”
“Why not?”
“The other night, we met at the scene of a cr—”
“Crime?” I finished. “I thought there was no crime.”
His eyes flashed gold. “Then I suppose we have no problem.”
“Then yes, I’ll have dinner with you sometime.” I said the words in a rush before I could backtrack. I was never this forward in accepting dates. “I suppose it can’t hurt.”
“You will?” He turned toward me, his stance wide, shoulders broad.
I looked up and nodded, and his lips slid into a grin. “On one condition,” I added.
“Name it.”
“Don’t make it anything fancy. Burgers and shakes maybe, or pizza. I want a no-pressure dinner date.”
“Absolutely.”
“I’m focused on my career right now,” I said, taking a moment to study the confusion in his eyes before I realized he had no clue I was a Guardian. “I’m trying to start my own housekeeping business, and it’s a lot of work.”
“I understand,” he said quickly. “I have a busy job too. Speaking of, what do you say we get a pizza now? I’m not doing any good here, anyway. I’m not even on the clock.”
My stomach growled at the thought of cheesy bread and marinara sauce. “I know a place near my apartment. They’re open late, and they have macaroni and cheese pizza.”
He wrinkled his nose. “What about pepperoni?”
“That too.”
He sighed in relief. “Let’s go then. We can take my car, and I’ll drop you off after.”
I briefly worried about leaving my broomstick overnight, but since there was no easy way to lug a tree branch into Beck’s car without him asking some seriously difficult questions, I smiled. “I’d like that. Thanks.”
A few minutes later, we’d left the estate behind and were headed in the direction of my apartment. I discovered that I liked watching him drive. I liked it a lot.
He had an easy confidence in the way he sat, his hands relaxed on the steering wheel, strong and quick to react. When he accelerated, it was neither too fast nor too slow, and he took corners with a smoothness I hadn’t yet mastered, even on my broomstick. By the time I realized I was staring, he’d caught on, too.
“Would you like to drive?” he asked. “You’re looking like you’ve never seen a car before.”
“I don’t own one,” I said. “No need.”
We’d started off our date as awkwardly as possible, and I felt ridiculously happy about it. First dates were supposed to be awkward; it meant you were doing something right. Also, I’d never gone out with a non-magical person before. I’d grown up surrounded by wizards, so I had no idea how this dating ritual was supposed to go. Up until this point in my life, it’d always been easier to not mix magic with mortals.
“So, you’re single?” he asked. “No attachments?”
“Single. And you?” Ace briefly flitted into my mind, but he’d never made a move on me until just this week. Technically, he was still just my favorite bartender.
“Single too,” he said. “I haven’t dated for a long time. Too complicated with work.”
“I understand.” I nodded, but I didn’t elaborate. “But surely you’ve gone out on dates?”
“Some,” he said, and I heavily doubted he was telling the truth. “Never more than a second or third date, though. Unfortunately, I forget to make reservations and send flowers and, you know, boyfriend things like that.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t like flowers, and I prefer pizza.” I grinned, then felt my cheeks burn. “Not that this is a date or anything—”
“It’s a date,” he said calmly. Then he reached across the seat and grabbed my hand in his, in case there was any question about it. “If you’ll call it one, I will too.”
“Date it is,” I said. “But I just want to be clear, I’m not expecting anything. You don’t have to call, and we don’t have to do this again. I won’t be upset.”
“How about we get through the first date before worrying about the second?” He winked.
The back of my neck felt like it was on fire, as if the flames from the library had followed me over here and burned my skin. “So what were you doing outside the estate?” I asked as his hand reassuringly squeezed mine. “Waiting for a crime?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know what it is, but something doesn’t feel right.”
“What do you mean?”
Squinting, he took a left into the parking lot of the pizza shop, a dinky little thing known for its greasy pizza, friendly service, and extended hours. We parked, neither of us moving to get out of the car. “My gut feeling. Something is off about that place, and I can’t put my finger on what. That maid called the police for a reason. Then the next day she vanishes? I don’t think so. But nobody has reported her missing, and the butler is telling me she’s on vacation. There’s no reason for me not to believe him except…”
He trailed off, a pained expression on his face. I leaned over and lightly pressed my hand to his chest. “It’s not right in here.”
That flash of electricity in his eyes jolted with understanding. “Yes, exactly. I don’t have any jurisdiction, and I can’t even find the housekeeper’s name in the records. Maybe she was illegal? I don’t know. I don’t know what to do, but I can’t sleep, and that’s a sign something is wrong.”
I cleared my throat, making a snap decision I’d likely regret in the morning. “I need to tell you something.”
His eyebrows pulled together. “Anything.”
“I got a job today,” I said. “A new job.”
“Congratulations!” He began to pull me into a hug, but I stopped him halfway with my hand on his chest.
I pushed him back until a look of confusion crossed his face. “You’re not going to like it.”
“A new housekeeping position? That’s great! You just said you’re trying to build your business, and this has got to be a big step in the right direction.”
“It’s at the estate,” I said. “The estate you were watching.”
“Excuse me?”
I nodded. “I said you wouldn’t like it.”
He blinked. “No, Ainsley, I just…” He sighed. “I have no right to tell you what to do or not do, but I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Look, their old housekeeper quit, and a job opened up. I’ve been watching the job boards and decided to apply.” I promised myself to lay off the lies as soon as it was possible. Really though, I had
no other way to explain things so he’d understand without giving away the entire magical community. He wasn’t ready to understand us, not yet. “It pays really well, and the terms of the contract are fair. My interview day was today, and that’s why I was in the area.”
He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. “I don’t like this situation.”
“I can handle myself,” I said emphatically. “Please, you have to trust me.”
“I trust you, and I’m sure you’re capable, but—”
“I only told you because I want to help.”
“Help?” His eyebrows raised, and he sat straighter, taken aback. “Help with what?”
“You want to find out what’s happening inside the mansion, and I have a way in. You couldn’t have planned this better.”
“But it’s not a crime scene.”
“And you’re not investigating anything,” I said. “But I can ask around a bit, see if I can find out where the housekeeper went, or why she disappeared. Maybe we can find her.”
Beck pursed his lips. “I need to think about this. I don’t like it.”
“Can you think and eat pizza at the same time?” I asked, pressing a hand to my stomach. “I think my insides are gnawing on my ribs.”
He laughed, and then pulled me into the pizza place.
We ate quickly, the conversation dulling to a minimum as I savored the cheese and sauce and greasy pepperoni. Meanwhile, Beck ate his slice like a robot, clearly focused on bigger, deeper issues than eating. Unfortunate, I thought as he finished off a second slice. The pizzas were really worth enjoying.
“So, I guess this date didn’t go quite as planned,” he said as we wiped our hands on the napkins. “The pizza was good though, and the company better. I’d just envisioned something a little more romantic.”
I smiled as we climbed into the car and headed the short distance to my apartment. “The way to my heart is through my stomach,” I said. “You’re doing just fine.”
“I was distracted.”
“I could tell.”
He parked, and then leaned over without warning, his lips an inch from mine. There he paused, his eyes uncertain as he waited for me to close the final distance.
