A Little Street Magic

by Gayla Drummond

  Alleryn snorted. “Really? Touching objects involved in brutal murders? I’d think the possibility would be obvious.”

  “Yes, okay, you’re right. But I have to, sometimes.” Was I whining? Yes, and Adult Cordi shouldn’t be whining like a kid told she had to finish her homework before going outside to play. “I’ll try to avoid doing it unless absolutely necessary from now on.”

  “I suppose that’s the best I can hope for. I do recommend that you rest well after an episode.”

  My reply made Logan chuckle. “I’ll go to bed early, Dad.”

  “Don’t get snarky with me, young woman. I’m your doctor,” Alleryn shot back. “And your friend.”

  I tried to sound contrite. “Sorry...Dad.”

  The elf laughed. “Go home, eat well, and sleep. Doctor Dad’s orders.”

  I ended the call and put my phone away. “I think that’s it for our To Do list today.”

  “Great. We’ll have the evening to ourselves.” Logan was smiling. “With the dogs.”

  “Got it!” Rufus leaped and caught the ball Logan had thrown. Having skipped my morning jog, I’d decided to kill two birds with one stone: getting some exercise and spending time with my pack. We’d taken a walk first.

  The activity was keeping my mind mostly off after-dinner possibilities. My drugged babbling had resulted in a ton of weight lifting off my shoulders, at least in regard to Logan. There was no longer any doubt in my mind that we were serious. It wasn’t a rebound thing, and two important items had now been discussed.

  Officially, we hadn’t been dating long at all, but at least we’d known each other for several months. I still didn’t want to rush anything, but the L word had come out of both of our mouths this morning. Even with “I think” attached, it was kind of significant.

  “Good catch, Diablo.” I patted his head when the black pit brought back the ball I’d thrown. “You’re getting really good at this.”

  Tail wagging, he let me take the ball. “It’s fun.”

  Boy, it was awesome to see how far out of his defensive shell Diablo had come. “Ready for another?”

  “Throw it!” He pranced backward, keeping his eyes on the ball. Laughing, I threw it for him, watching as he turned and raced after it.

  Speck clumsily trotted up, his little jaws straining to keep hold of a mini-tennis ball. He dropped it at my feet, looking up with bright eyes. A bit of orange fuzz was stuck to his top lip. “I carried it.”

  “Just like a big boy.” I bent to pet him and picked up the ball. “Want me to throw it for you?”

  “Yes, please.” His thin tail was a blur.

  I tossed it underhanded, in a different direction. The Tinies had the misfortune to be regularly trampled by the larger dogs during games of Fetch. “Go get it.”

  As Speck bounced off in pursuit of his ball, an argument broke out between Bone and Rufus over whose turn it was to fetch. I took a step toward them, but Logan intervened by pushing between them. “If we can’t play nice, fun time is over. It’s Bone’s turn.”

  Rufus obediently stepped back and sat down to wait. Logan threw the ball, and after Bone took off, he scratched the Rottweiler behind one ear. “Good boy.”

  Due to his tail being docked, he couldn’t thump like the other dogs, but Rufus wiggled at the praise, his stump wagging. Satisfied the situation was resolved, I looked around for Squishy, who was barking.

  Leglin was keeping her occupied by holding a tug o’ war rope, the end dangling low enough for her to reach. As I watched, she grabbed it and shook her head then let go to bark again. Rinse, and repeat. Diablo loped back, and I had to get busy throwing balls again.

  Roughly an hour passed before I called a halt to the festivities. “I need to start some dinner if we want to eat tonight.” A chorus of doggy protests filled the air. “Sorry, but it’s getting dark, too, and I’m cold.”

  “Wuss,” Bone mumbled around the ball.

  I pointed at him. “So nice of you to volunteer to pick up the toys tonight.”

  “Not fair!”

  “I’ll help,” Rufus said. “We put them in the basket?”

  Bone dropped the ball to lick the Rottie’s face. “Yeah. Thanks.”

  “They’ll pick up,” I told Logan, happy the two were over their fussing, and that Rufus was so eager to fit in. “I’m going in to wash up.”

  “Okay, I’ll bring in the basket when they’re done, and make sure everyone comes inside.”

  “Thanks.” I stopped in passing to kiss him, resulting in that weird little tingling, and went inside, wondering what exactly caused it.

  FOURTEEN

  That infrequent, unexplained tingling occupied my thoughts as I washed my hands and scouted the fridge and pantry for dinner possibilities. Pickings were slim, reminding me that I needed to hit the grocery store soon, but I figured something out.

  Tingles didn’t strike every single time Logan and I touched, and they hadn’t happened just with him. I’d felt them a few times in contact with Thorandryll, and didn’t that beat all?

  I’d never felt them with Nick, or when in contact with any other shifter or elf. This wasn’t the first time I’d puzzled over them, and I had previously decided they weren’t sexual in nature, because they didn’t last very long.

  However, the real question was whether or not they were important, and it wasn’t a question I could answer alone. “I should ask Logan if he feels them. Maybe we can figure out what’s causing them together.”

  Together. A goofy feeling smile spread across my face as I cut up boneless chicken breasts and put them on to boil in broth. Based on our morning talk, we were on the same page, and would be doing a lot of things together from now on.

  I chopped up a handful of carrots, dumping them and a cup of frozen peas into the pot. Next up: mixing the ingredients for the dumplings. The front door opened then, a stream of dogs preceding Logan. I counted heads, and everyone was present.

  He left the basket by the coatrack, and hung up his jacket before coming to the kitchen. “What are we having?”

  “Chicken and dumplings.”

  “Do you need any help?”

  “Nope, I’ve got it under control, but if you wouldn’t mind feeding them?” I jerked my chin at the furry puddle at the end of the breakfast bar.

  “No problem.” He went to the pantry. Everyone knew where the dog food and bowls were kept, if they’d hung out with me for longer than a day.

  “I have a question.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Have you ever,” I paused to check my milk measuring. “Felt a shock or tingling when we touch?”

  “There was that one time, but I think that was a socks and carpet thing.”

  I threw a potholder at him. Logan caught it without looking up from doling out dogfood into bowls.

  “Come on, it’s a serious question.”

  “All right.” He tossed the potholder on the breakfast bar’s counter. “I certainly feel things when we touch, but a shock hasn’t been one of them.”

  The urge to go off-track was strong, in order to explore exactly what kind of things he felt. But only for a second. We could discuss that later, maybe after dinner. “How about tingling?”

  A slow smile appeared on his face as Logan put the dogfood away. “Occasionally, yes.” He began placing the bowls on the floor, stretching them out from the end of the kitchen into the hallway. “But I’m not sure if we’re talking the same kind.”

  We were definitely going to discuss that later, and in depth, too. “Can I show you what I mean?”

  “Sure, give me a sec.” He finished his task, and went to the sink to wash his hands. “Okay.”

  Dumplings mixed, I recalled every instance that I could of feeling those particular tingles before holding out my right hand. He took hold with his, as though we were about to shake hands. Establishing a telepathic link with him had never been difficult, almost as though one were always present between us.

  Watching his face, I tran
sferred those remembered instances to him. He blinked, his forehead furrowing. “Okay, not the same type of tingles.”

  Ooh. “All righty then. Now, don’t be offended, please, but I should tell you that I never felt those with Nick. On the other hand,” I sent him the few instances the tingles had occurred while I was in contact with Thorandryll.

  “Huh,” was his first reaction, and his second was, “Why would that offend me?”

  “I don’t know.” Silly me, forgetting he didn’t have a fragile ego. “It’s weird, right?”

  He nodded, his thumb caressing the back of my hand. I think he meant it to be reassuring, but instead, the gesture caused tingles of an entirely different variety from the ones we were discussing. “A little strange, yeah. No idea what they may mean?”

  “Nope. I need to check on the chicken.”

  Logan released my hand, moving to lean against the counter so we could still see each other while talking. “Maybe we should run some tests.”

  “What kind of tests?”

  “Fun ones.” He waggled his eyebrows, following up with a big grin.

  “I will throw another potholder at you.” A smile ruined my threat. “You’ve been flirty today, mister.”

  “I didn’t tell you everything you said last night. Or for that matter, everything you did.”

  Oh, great. It sucked not knowing what he was talking about, and I could only imagine what drugged, blabbermouth Cordi may have done after our morning discussion. “Please tell me that I didn’t...”

  “Do your best to sweet talk me out of my pants?” Logan gave a single nod, crossing his arms and trying to look stern. “Oh, but you did. You were really determined. I barely escaped with my virtue intact.”

  Oh, God. Was he teasing me again? I studied his expression. Nope, he was serious. “I hope I only talked.”

  “You mostly talked.” When I cringed, he relented, beginning to smile. “I’m exaggerating a little. You didn’t cross any lines.”

  His lines, or mine? No meant no, and it sounded like I’d tried to wheedle a yes out of him. I owed him an apology. “I am so sorry for being such a jerk last night.”

  Logan’s smile faded. “You weren’t a jerk. Even under the influence, you were still you. Not some stranger. Okay, yeah, the rap part was kind of out there on the fringes, and surprised me.”

  It was time to begin adding the dumplings. I retrieved the bowl and started dropping spoonsfull of dough into the bubbling pot. “I’ll tell you a secret.”

  Uncrossing his arms, Logan half-turned and dramatically braced on the countertop. “I’m ready.”

  “Ginger and I used to have cussing contests. I think when we were about eleven.”

  “Based on last night, I’m going to guess you usually won those contests.” He relaxed, leaning his hip against the counter.

  “Yep, and you can thank my mom for that.”

  Logan’s chin dipped, his eyes widening. “Sunny? No way.”

  “Yes way. You’ve never seen her truly pissed off, and when she totally loses the ‘peace and love’ vibe. It’s a sight to behold, and I promise, your ears burn for days afterward.”

  He was still laughing when I finished adding the dumplings.

  The after-dinner plan was a movie, but ten minutes in, a friendly wrestling match over one of the throw pillows led to a makeup kiss. One kiss led to another, until we were making out like a couple of teenagers.

  Logan’s shirt went first, mine following two or three kisses later. Legs tangled with his, and deep in the middle of a sweet, slow kiss, with his fingers tracing skin-shivering designs on my back, I realized the ringing phone wasn’t part of the movie. It was the regular ring, not any of the ringtones I’d assigned my friends or family.

  I interrupted our lip lock just long enough to say, “I’m not answering it.”

  “Okay.” His eyes were caught between pine green and gold, and he was breathing as hard as I was. Diving into another kiss, we both groaned when his phone began to ring too. He quietly growled as our kiss broke, but said, “Maybe we’d better answer them.”

  Damn it. “I guess so.”

  Somehow, we managed to untangle without falling off the couch. I had to head to the dining area to retrieve my phone. Logan’s was on the coffee table, and I listened as he answered it. “Hello? What? No, I’m at her place.”

  My phone stopped ringing. I checked the display, and didn’t recognize the number. Going back to the couch, I picked our shirts up off the floor.

  “We’re on our way,” Logan said, his eyebrows drawing down. Ending the call, he took his shirt. “They struck again.”

  “Where?”

  “Thorandryll’s.” He began pulling his shirt on as my jaw dropped.

  “They hit an elf’s house?”

  “Yeah, and killed one.”

  “Holy crap.” I couldn’t comprehend the news. “How did they get in?”

  “I guess we’ll find out.” He ran a hand through his hair, drawing in a deep breath. I yanked on my shirt—or actually, Damian’s because I hadn’t changed since arriving home—while he slowly exhaled. His eyes were dark again when he finished, the golden flecks hidden because the only light was from the TV. “Not exactly how I was hoping the night would end.”

  Me neither, and I had the feeling we wouldn’t be feeling amorous later. But there was tomorrow, and then next day, and the one after that... “Rain check?”

  Logan smiled, bending to grab his boots. “Definitely.”

  “We’ll teleport.” It’d save time, and since Thorandryll liked summertime, we wouldn’t even need our jackets.

  “Sounds like a plan. Do you want to drop the dogs off at my place? I have an extra bedroom now. In fact, why don’t you grab whatever you need, and just stay over there tonight?”

  It occurred to me that he’d gotten used to having Terra there, and wasn’t enjoying the abrupt change. “Sure, I’ll be a couple of minutes.”

  Trotting upstairs, I wondered how the hell vampires had gotten into Thorandryll’s sidhe without being detected right off the bat. The place was riddled with both elves and magic. No answer came to mind as I packed.

  Back downstairs, I discovered he’d gathered the dogs’ lounging pillows together. Speck and Squishy peered out from under a throw on the uppermost one. Logan picked up the soft tower, carefully balancing the whole pile. “We’re ready.”

  “I see that. Okay, everyone close and touching.” Bone and Diablo pressed Rufus between them. I hooked a finger in Logan’s belt, and touched Leglin’s neck. My hound dropped his muzzle to Bone’s back. “And away we go.”

  FIFTEEN

  About ten minutes later, I was regretting my decision to appear unannounced on the wrong side of Thorandryll’s front doors. We raised our arms, facing a trio of elves with bows pointed at us. “Here to help, don’t shoot.”

  They lowered their weapons in unison, and one stepped forward. “My apologies, Lady Discord. We’re on high alert, after this evening’s event.”

  I recognized him. “No harm done, Edrel. Where do we go?”

  “You’ll need an escort. A moment.” He whipped out a cell phone from somewhere, possibly thin air. Within seconds, he’d made a call and was speaking to whoever it was. “Sir, Lady Discord has arrived. Of course.”

  Whisking the phone back out of sight, Edrel smiled. “Lord Kethyrdryll is on his way.”

  “Thank you.” There was a bench seat, upholstered in pale green linen, against one wall. I didn’t remember it from previous visits. “Is it okay if we sit down?”

  “Certainly.” As we walked over and sat, one of the other elves said something in Elvish with a faint sneer on his face. He was watching Logan closely. Edrel replied in the same language, his tone sharp. A heated exchange commenced, the third elf silently distancing himself from them by a few steps.

  “Is there a problem?” I finally asked.

  Edrel began to shake his head, but the other elf, a slender guy with midnight hair, narrowed his nearl
y silver eyes at me. “You dishonor the prince, consorting with animals.”

  Pre-Do Better Me wanted to sling him into the opposite wall, sneer first. Post-Do Better Me suggested that may be a bad idea, under the circumstances, what with two other armed elves as an audience. So I smiled, finding Logan’s hand without looking, and laced our fingers together. “We’ve never met, have we?”

  “No.” Midnight’s sneer deepened.

  “Didn’t think so, or you’d know that you’re speaking to a clan queen.”

  “You sound as though you are proud of that title.”

  “Because I am.” I lifted my chin, keeping my eyes on his. “And I don’t appreciate my people being insulted.”

  “Apologize,” Edrel ordered, practically hissing the word out.

  “I will not.”

  The third elf, who had brown hair liberally streaked with dark green, chose to speak up. “Our Prince holds Lady Discord in high regard. He will not be pleased to learn you have insulted her.”

  “Or Logan.” I leaned slightly forward, lowering my voice. “You know, not so long ago, Thorandryll told me he respects Logan.”

  Surprise fluttered from Logan, and his fingers twitched.

  “Lord Kethyrdryll calls this shifter friend,” the third elf quietly added. “I have heard him do so.”

  Midnight’s sneer had faded, but he held onto his natural arrogance. Bowing with an overdone flourish, he said, “It appears I’ve misspoken. My apologies.”

  If I’d slammed him into the wall, we wouldn’t have gotten an apology. Okay, he obviously wasn’t sincere, but still. He’d apologized. “Accepted.”

  Kethyrdryll came striding down the hall, and halted a few feet away to survey us. He frowned. “Is there something amiss?”

  “Nope, we were just having a friendly chat.” I stood, Logan shadowing me, and walked over to the new arrival. “It’s good to see you again, in spite of the circumstances.”

  “We must arrange a social visit.” Kethyrdryll smiled, taking my hand when I extended it. After touching his lips to my knuckles, he released me and turned to Logan. “Well met, my friend.”