Sound logic, but that dreadful voice in her head kept screaming, “Fraud!”
“I’ll bet you have a camera in here, too, right?”
“Yes,” she said. It was high resolution, and she’d worked for nearly a year to scale the design so it fit unobtrusively into the frame of the glasses. Shatterproof polymers protected the internal workings and were able to withstand desert heat, high winds, and grit, not to mention subzero temperatures, ice, and…
“Do they work underwater?”
“Yes,” she said, fighting a grin. “I’m working on a way to incorporate them seamlessly into a dive mask, but they’re good in salt and freshwater up to a depth of one hundred meters.”
“See, that’s pretty incredible even without the magic detection.”
Wow, how did he do that? With a few simple words, he’d unearthed her pride from the rubble left in the wake of her shaken worldview. He was a shapeshifting dragon, for goodness sake, one who lived in a town full of otherworldly beings. He’d seen feats of magic and mystery she couldn’t begin to imagine. If she could impress him with her engineering prowess, maybe she had a little skill after all.
“Add in the magic detection,” he continued, staring down at his arms in amazement, “And it’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. I can see my own magic.” He looked back up at her. “You gave that to me. It’s a gift more precious than all of the enchanted crystals in Tarakona and all of the diamonds and gold on Earth. Thank you.”
His intense gaze focused on her face, lowering to her lips. Her heart raced and she felt incredibly light, as if floating on a cloud. Slowly, and reluctantly, he removed the glasses and stepped closer, his big body so inviting. God, he smelled good, like wintergreen and man. He’d worked up a little sweat handling the equipment, so some of the scent must be his own.
Whatever pheromones he was making, they ignited a fire in her belly and had her hungry for his kiss.
He didn’t disappoint. Closing the gap between then, he leaned down and placed his full, sensual lips on her mouth, gifting her with a taste of the joy and passion that filled him. She ran her fingers through his hair, tugging at the nape of his neck. He responded by deepening the kiss, coaxing her to open and brushing his tongue lightly over her lips. Hungry for more, she explored his mouth and pressed against his hard body. Then he cupped her face with his hands and the glasses brushed against her cheek.
“Careful,” she said, reluctantly pulling away to catch her breath. “Those are a prototype. One of a kind.”
Instead of being annoyed with her, he laughed. “They are, huh? Makes sense. They’re just like their creator.”
His words of praise and the affection in his gaze washed over her, and she ducked her head, suddenly shy. Then she caught sight of the townsfolk in the periphery and gave a little shriek. They’d apparently attracted a sizable audience.
Aiden spotted them, too, and his cheeks reddened to match the color of his lush, swollen lips. He lifted a hand and waved to the crowd. “It’s…ah, it’s good to see everyone. I think most of you know who I am, or have at least heard of me. For those who don’t, I’m Aiden Silver, and I’m…I’m a dragon.”
Murmurs ran through the crowd, but they appeared to be more curious and excited than hostile. Most of them appeared unsurprised. He’d mentioned that the townsfolk knew what he was, even if he didn’t get out much. Not really big news.
It was only then that it dawned on her that the curiosity and excitement weren’t directed at Aiden.
Gillian froze when their gazes turned to her. Gah, she hated being in the spotlight, but if Aiden could muster his courage, she supposed she could as well.
“Hello,” she said, offering a small wave. “My name is Gillian Hohenwald, and I’m a witch.”
She braced for ridicule, eye rolls, and annoyance at best—anger at worst. She’d not exactly endeared herself to the town during her “investigation” into supposed government secrets. To her surprise and delight, the crowd erupted into a symphony of applause and wolf-whistles. Some of the folks in the crowd actually howled. In an instant they were surrounded by smiling faces offering congratulations, handshakes, and slaps on the back for Aiden. Thankfully, Aiden tucked the glasses in their protective case and attached it to his belt loop before accepting proffered hands and bro hugs.
She tried not to begrudge him a few…personal hugs from the ladies in the crowd.
As the flock of well-wishers dispersed, Gillian spotted a bearded man. The man leaned against an adobe wall outside a set of buildings that flanked the town square. He wore a weathered Panama hat, button down, and shorts that paired perfectly with his casual flip flop sandals. He also sported an ear-to-ear grin that Aiden returned after spotting him.
Taking Gillian’s hand, a casual gesture that gave her more than a little thrill, Aiden walked over to the man. He let go of her long enough to share an embrace with the man. “Good to see you, Rocky. Thanks for coming. This is Gillian Hohenwald.”
Turning to her, Aiden said, “Gillian, meet John Rocco, Attorney at Law, Magician extraordinaire, and notorious ladies man. Oh, and he’s also my Earth dad.”
The man’s deep brown eyes twinkled as he bowed over her hand and brushed his lips over her knuckles. “Enchanted, my dear,” he said. “It’s almost lunch time. How about we head over to Kokopelli and grab some tacos? We can go over the standard non-disclosure agreement and get your signature after.”
Aiden seemed hesitant, but Gillian’s stomach settled the issue by growling loudly for the second time that day. Rocky pretended not to notice while Aiden fought a chuckle. Rocky looked Aiden up and down and nodded as if satisfied. It seemed a bit strange to her, but she had no idea about their relationship dynamics. She could tell that there was a deep affection between the two, which made sense for a father and son.
As such, she really wanted Rocky to like her.
Aiden seemed puzzled for a moment but then glanced down at his arms. The strange, magical patterns beneath his skin, which he called tracery, were visible and casting a metallic sheen in the midday sun. His gaze went wide and he stepped into the shadows as if to hide.
Oh, my God, he’s self-conscious about his gorgeous markings.
Rocky put a hand on Aiden’s shoulder, tugging lightly to pull him out into the daylight. “No more hiding.”
Aiden’s shoulders tensed, but he stepped back into the light. Gillian took his hand and said, “Rocky’s right. You shouldn’t hide. You’re magnificent.”
He smiled and shrugged as if embarrassed by the praise, but she meant it. Of course he was beautiful. How could he not know that? Tall, well-built, with golden hair and brilliant blue-grey eyes, he was a straight woman’s dream. Good grief, give the man a giant hammer and he could pass for Thor, but there was so much more beneath the surface. He claimed she’d given him a gift—his first glimpse of magic—but he’d given her the gift of acceptance. He’d accepted her, and the town had accepted her. Once she made amends with her family, maybe she could finally accept herself and who she was.
Perhaps she could be both witch and scientist after all.
Chapter Six
The restaurant wasn’t anything fancy, but it boasted a sizable lunch crowd. After enjoying fresh tortilla chips with homemade guacamole, an amazing carne adovada burrito, and sopapillas drenched in honey, Rocky fumbled through his weathered briefcase and pulled out a parchment and quill. Both were odd, but the quill really captured her attention. Either it had been dyed or it had been plucked from some exotic purple bird species she’d never encountered.
In light of recent events, she’d give it 50/50 odds.
She was so preoccupied with the purple feather that she didn’t notice the parchment floating in midair until the waitress came by to refill their drinks. The sight nearly made her fall out of her chair.
“You okay, hon?” the waitress asked.
Gillian was about to say yes when she noticed two snakes poking out of the waitress’s bouffant hair. The
snakes turned in unison and focused their curious, unblinking gazes on Gillian. That actually made her fall out of her seat.
Aiden and Rocky nearly tripped over themselves trying to help her up. They were even gracious enough to stifle their chuckles. She really needed to get a grip, but good grief! She’d had less than twenty-four hours to deal with concept of magic as reality.
“Sorry,” Gillian said after returning to her seat. “I’m still new to all of…this.” She waved her hands vaguely to indicate the weirdness. Apparently many magical creatures dropped their concealments in the restaurant. She’d caught a glimpse of a giant and a man with blue skin, who she assumed was one of the aliens Aiden mentioned, along with a few hairy folks she assumed were werewolves or other types of shapeshifters. To his credit and Rocky’s obvious pride, Aiden made no effort to hide his magical tracery.
Nor did he appear self-conscious about his appetite. The man had put away two baskets of chips, three bowls of carne adovada stew, a huge plate of enchiladas smothered with red and green chilies, and was currently chowing down on the fresh basket of sopapillas their waitress dropped off before working on drink refills.
Flo patted her on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry about it, sweetie. We were all newbies once.” Pointing to Aiden, she said, “This one’s sister came in not long ago looking for pleasure palaces after one too many margaritas.”
Aiden growled. “My sister was looking for what?”
“Never mind,” Rocky said. “We’ve got business to settle. Thank you for the fine meal, Flo. Keep the chips and sopapillas coming, please. Aiden shifted last night and needs all the calories he can get to recover.”
Flo laughed and promised to return with more food while Gillian pondered how shapeshifter metabolism worked. She was about to ask when Rocky flicked his wrist toward the quill and parchment. The quill dove for the table and its sharpened tip landed in a bottle of black ink that had appeared next to Rocky. It then flew back into the air and began scribbling furiously on the parchment.
“Here’s the deal, Gillian,” Rocky said, dragging her attention away from the flying feather. “You’re welcome in Magic, like all magical and paranormal sentient beings, so long as you agree to abide by the rules of secrecy. It’s spelled out in the contract, which you should read in full, but that’s the gist of it.”
“Okay,” she began, “but—”
“And before you ask, it’s a standard form of contract. There’s no room for bargaining or negotiation of terms. Too many lives are on the line. We won’t risk it.”
“Fine,” she said. “I get that and the need for secrecy, but the women in my family are witches, too. They know I’m here and they know what I was trying to…do.”
“Debunk magic?” he said, not unkindly. “And what did they think about that?”
Gillian let out a humorless chuckle. “My sister Amy told me, ‘We’re witches, sweetie, and you just need to come to terms with that.’”
“And have you?”
“To be honest, no, not yet.” She got the feeling that lying to this man would be pointless, that somehow he’d see right through her. In spite of his casual appearance, he possessed an aura of authority that made her feel as though she was testifying under oath. “But I do accept the reality of magic and understand the need to protect those who practice it.”
Rocky smiled. “Good answer.” Turning to the quill and parchment, he asked, “Are you almost done?”
The quill paused in its writing to fly over and tickle him under the nose. Then it executed a mid-air flip and darted back to the parchment, where it resumed its furious scribbling. Gillian giggled, earning her a squeeze on the knee from Aiden. His touch comforted and excited her in equal measure, though not nearly as much as his kiss had. She hoped they could wrap up their business soon so she and Aiden could resume their “discussion” in private.
The quill stopped scribbling and flew in front of Gillian’s face. She jerked back out of reflex, but it didn’t show any signs of an imminent attack on her nose. It seemed to be…waiting.
Rocky plucked the parchment from the air and, after pulling a pair of reading glasses from his shirt pocket and placing them on his nose, began reviewing the document. After a few moments, he nodded and handed the parchment to Gillian. It was surprisingly simple and didn’t read like the normal legalese gibberish she’d seen on other contracts.
“One of the perks of being a practitioner of magical law,” Rocky explained after she voiced her surprise. “The document automatically translates itself into language that is clear and comprehensible to the reader. Comes in handy, especially for aliens. I couldn’t even begin to pronounce most words in Glacian, let alone understand them. But thanks to the enchantment, I don’t have to, and all parties can be on the same page, so to speak, in their own language and without getting bogged down in legalese, as you call it.”
I, Gillian Hohenwald, agree to keep confidential the identities and abilities of all magical, supernatural, and paranormal entities, including but not limited to witches and other magical practitioners, aliens, interdimensional beings, dwarves, gnomes, shapeshifters, vampires, gargoyles, and zombies, residing in the town of Magic, New Mexico. I also agree not to interfere with the enchantments and magical/paranormal practices of these entities with the exception of countering illegal activities or those that could cause harm to myself or other living creatures, unintentionally or by design, in which case reasonable self-defense countermeasures, magical and otherwise, may be used. I agree that I will only use my magic in accordance with the fair use and good practices guidelines defined below while visiting or residing in Magic, New Mexico.
I understand that I am entitled to the same privacy and safety protections while visiting or residing in the town of Magic, New Mexico. Should I violate the terms and conditions of this contract, my privileges and protections will be forfeit and I understand that my actions will be met with consequences deemed appropriate by the governing body of Magic, New Mexico. These actions may include: permanent exile from the town; fines and/or restitution for any damages that result from breach of privacy to be made by Gillian Hohenwald to the injured party or parties; legal action in a court of law, standard or magic; imprisonment or death.
She swallowed hard after reading the last part, glancing up at Rocky. He grew serious, all traces of humor leaving his expression. “Like I said, too many lives are on the line for anything less.”
Nodding, Gillian turned to Aiden. He took her hand and said, “If it makes you feel better, we all sign something like this. I did, too. And it also means that you’re under our protection. Anyone who betrays you to outsiders is subject to the same punishments.”
“And my family?” she asked. That was what worried her the most. Amy and her aunts didn’t deserve to pay the price for her foolish pursuits. Not that they would tell anyone. Their coven had a code of silence as well. Everyone knew they were witches, or believed themselves to be, but the open practice of their magic in the presence of outsiders was forbidden.
Rocky smiled. “Already taken care of.”
A wave of dread and dizziness threatened to overtake her. Her reaction must have been obvious, since Aiden gripped her by the waist to keep her from falling over while Rocky quickly added, “I didn’t mean taken care of in the mafia way! What do you take me for?”
“You put a death clause in your standard contract,” she said after regaining her composure. “What should I take you for?”
Flo appeared with cool cloth, which she placed on Gillian’s neck, and shot glasses filled with something that smelled like tequila but shone with a faint red glow, which she placed on the table. The cloth soothed more than Gillian expected. Probably enchanted. When she was young and caught a cold or the flu, her sister would sometimes sneak into her room at night after Dad was asleep and bring her milk, cookies, and a cool compress. At the time she thought it was the act of caring that brought such soothing relief, and much of it was. But now she realized it might
have been magic. Their father would’ve flipped his lid had he caught Amy practicing superstitious nonsense, and she knew it.
Amy. Oh, God, she owed her sister a thousand apologies for the rest of her life to make up for all the things she’d said and done. And she most definitely needed to protect her sister and aunts form the consequences of her actions. Starting now.
“Thank you, Flo,” Gillian said, and she leveled a hard stare at Rocky. She’d surreptitiously reached into her purse to grab her smart phone. This time she welcomed the strange, electric sensation. “Care to explain what you mean by taking care of my family?”
Rocky snorted and, at Flo’s insistence, downed the shot of strange liquid. Flo turned to her, hands on hips, and said, “Your turn. Drink up.”
It was Gillian’s turn to snort. “Liquid courage?”
“No, hon,” Flo said. “Liquid calm.” The snakes in her hair stared at Gillian. Like their mistress, the snakes’ gazes held an air of authority mixed with a hint of malice. “This isn’t the O.K. Corral. I’ll not have you two going at it in my bar.”
Reluctantly, Gillian reached for the glass and downed the liquid. It soothed more than the cool cloth, but she didn’t take her hand off the phone. Her head might be cooler, but she hadn’t lost her resolve.
Rocky turned to Aiden and asked, “Is she always like this?”
Aiden, who seemed entertained by the exchange, shrugged. “Near as I can tell. She reminds me of you.”
Rocky gave Aiden a long, level look, shook his head, and then turned his attention back to Gillian. “What I meant was that Topper has been in touch with your sister’s coven. Your aunts contacted her when they found out you were poking around Magic.”
“They did?” Gillian said, astounded. Apparently her aunts were more than a couple of ladies with a kooky hobby. They were organized. Given what Aiden had told her about Magic’s head witch, her aunts were pretty well connected.
How had she mistaken her family so badly?
Magic, New Mexico: Silver Unleashed (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 5
