My Luck (Twisted Luck Book 1)

by Mel Todd

  "Now go. Enjoy."

  I headed back with a spring in my step. Twenty minutes later we were on the back of Jo's bike and headed out of town. There was a nice place by the lake that we wanted to visit, and we grabbed sandwiches from Publix on the way out. An hour later we sat on the picnic table looking at the water of Lake Allatoona.

  "Chief Amosen really said that? That she thought you'd be a good cop?" Jo had finished her sandwich way faster than I had.

  "Yes," I mumbled around a mouthful of food. I forced down a swallow and continued. "But she also thought I should get tested."

  "Yes! Way to go, Chief!" Jo did a little hip wiggle of joy. "When are you going?"

  I groaned. "I'm not. Why does everyone want me to get tested?" It was a whine, I know it was a whine, but I was so tired of people wanting me to go waste my time and my hopes on getting tested.

  Jo glanced at me then out towards the lake, her face serious. "I just think weird stuff happens around you. A little too much. Maybe you are a mage and if you get tested you get access to classes."

  "Jo-jo-"

  She interrupted me. "No, I'm serious. You took all the classes. You know the consequences of being an unregistered." Her voice was heavy with worry.

  "Yes, for magician rank or higher. I've never emerged. And given what you went through and the few videos I've seen, it would be noticeable if I came in at a significant rank. You know I've always had the weirdness. So it can't be that I'm a mage."

  She chewed on her lip, her body hunched as she looked at the sparkling water, the sun creating spikes of light across it. "So, just do it. Then you'll know."

  "Know what? That it is another thing I'm a failure at? Prove to myself there is one more thing that I'll never be. I can't be a good daughter. I'm not date worthy, hell I still can't figure out if I even like boys, girls, both, or neither. I'm a hazard to the people around me. And you want me to prove once and for all that I'm such a low mage that I can't even do anything useful with it? I don't need any more proof of how much a failure I am." Bitterness leaked out, coating my words and I winced at how it sounded. I sunk further into my jacket, shoulders hunched, ashamed at what I had revealed.

  "Corisande!" Jo almost yelled the word as she jumped off the table and faced me. "Your parents are idiots. You're not a failure. You've taken care of yourself for years. You've created a career for yourself. You paid for school by working hard and doing it slowly. You have the respect of the police chief. My parents love you like you're one of their own. You are driven, creative, caring, and all you do is try to help others. I never want you to think that. You are my best friend. You're sexy as hell, cute, and anyone - male or female - would be lucky to get you. Never forget that. EVER!"

  She yanked me off the picnic table and pulled me into a hug so tight it almost hurt. But it felt so good I never wanted it to end.

  "You are my best friend. Never forget that," Jo murmured as she held me tight.

  I sank into her arms and for a few moments I pushed everything away and just reveled in being loved for being me.

  Chapter 35

  The wise man treads carefully around dragons and mages. Both are touchy and can kill you with little effort. ~ Chinese proverb

  I really wish I could fall in love with Jo, she'd be like the best girlfriend ever.

  After the emotional scene at the lake, Jo and I spent the weekend hanging out, going to different places after I got off work. Molly kicked me out at noon each day, giving us the time to go and enjoy the area. We took an afternoon trip to Helen, Georgia, where she delighted in making everyone think we were lovers. I played along because it amused me, though even with Jo pointing out men and women to me I didn't get that thrill of interest she talked about. I could see they were cute, or sexy, but I was more drawn to boots way out of my price range or to the chocolate that made both Jo and me moan. When she declared it was better than sex, I figured I could just live with chocolate then. It seemed like less effort.

  Overall, it was the best weekend I'd had in years. All my papers were done. The last few weeks were in-depth practicals, application usage, and then tests. And Tuesday my EMT rotation started. I would be working as an EMT. I'd received my certification that Monday at the end of class. About half of us had passed the first test. Bruce chewed on those who had failed it, including Monique.

  I had to resist smirking as he did that. Some days I was a not very nice person. Mostly I had my sights set on Tuesday and my first day in my chosen profession.

  The night before I tossed and turned, haunted by dreams of me failing, or worse, hating every moment of it. By the time I woke in the morning I felt like I could have just stayed up all night and been more rested. It wasn't a good way to start the first day on the job.

  As I trudged to the bus stop, clinging to my coffee as if it was a life line, with the heavy med bag dragging me down, I mused that at least I was getting good at first days on the job. A figure stood waiting at my stop, which surprised me. Usually I was the only one there, but then it had been a few weeks since I rode the bus on a Tuesday. The police had been close enough to not need the bus.

  The person turned and looked at me as I approached, the bright red of his hair peeking out from under the hat. The April air was still chilly in the morning, but the glimpse of red was all I needed.

  "Morning, Shay." He grunted at me but didn't look away. "What?" I asked after a minute of his intense stare.

  "You will need to make choices soon. But you have time. Hopefully, we have time for you to learn enough to make the right choice for all of us."

  "Huh? Shay, what are you talking about?"

  He sighed and shrugged. "Possibilities, probabilities, options, paths. The future is less clear than the past, and you are confusing. Sensing has never been something I was good at and you are cloaked in swirls and eddies that confuse and mislead, but Elsba is never wrong. Besides, if I'm wrong, the cost is low. If I'm right and you are the point, the cost is high. Twists and turns, choices and decisions, everything flows and nothing is certain. Emergences to be and those that have been are shifting points."

  I stared at him. Out of everything he had said the only thing that actually made any sense to me was Elsba. Lack of sleep, not enough coffee, and stress about the day, drove my tongue.

  "Shay, the snake makes more sense than you do. Maybe you should learn how to speak English before you go and confuse people with meaningless words."

  He growled and muttered something that I really didn't understand. Long liquid sounds that changed into short harsh sounds.

  "And now you're cursing me in tongues? Because if that is something I'm supposed to understand, I don't."

  Shay looked up to the sky—it was looking like it might be a gorgeous morning.

  "Corisande, never change who you are. Your very being you is all that can be asked. Hold on to that. What others expect is not your problem." The rumble of an engine interrupted him, but as the bus pulled up, he cast me a quick smile. "Jo is true. When all else falls at your feet, she will never falter. Her nature is to assist, her heart is yours."

  I didn't have a chance to ask anything else. He climbed up into the bus and I followed hurriedly, but it was full enough that I couldn't sit near him, which I think he planned on purpose. Sitting in the back I sighed, annoyed and confused by his random words.

  A merlin talks to me and all I get is weird comments and attitude. Or statements of the obvious. Yes, Jo is true. But I don't plan on falling so far that I need to lean on her. Ugh. As always, my best path is to ignore him.

  To my surprise, the distraction of Shay's words made my stress over the day disappear. When I disembarked from the bus and headed to the fire station where Sally was stationed, all I had was curiosity about the day ahead. Maybe his reminder that Jo would always be there made the difference, though we did need to find her a girlfriend everyone liked. Otherwise, her serial dating might drive us all crazy.

  Sally had told me to go into the bays—they'd probably be o
pen—and stick my head into the area. Someone would be up and around. I didn't even need to do that. Martin stood there, cleaning the windshield on one of the fire trucks as I walked in.

  "Cori, morning. Come on in. I've got paperwork for you to sign then we'll track down Sally."

  I mock groaned. "At this point I'm pretty sure I've signed my soul away. Question, who is going to get it? You or Laurel?"

  Martin flashed a smile at me. "We're still trying to decide. I keep pointing out she has more opportunity to get souls than I do, so I should get you. Beside I've got you last."

  I laughed, shaking my head. "Not sure I'm worth that much. One beat up soul? You may want to hold out for a better offer."

  "Pfft. I think I could get a great deal of use out of you. Trade it for magic favors."

  I burst out laughing as I followed him into the office. "I can see there is much about magic I didn't know if they are offering favors for souls."

  "Hey, dark alleys and shifty ronin—surely I can swing something." He winked as he sat down at the desk and handed me the paperwork. "I'd trade almost anything for someone else to do paperwork for me."

  I looked at the pile and sighed. "Yes. I've decided that hell would be making people fill out paperwork for all eternity."

  He winced. "That does sound very cruel, but this, at least, you can convince yourself is necessary."

  "Uh huh," I said unconvinced. I picked up the pen and started reading and signing. But it really wasn't anything that I hadn't already signed before. Mostly disclaimers, privacy, acknowledgment of rules and regulations. I paused when I got to the last few pages, the signed stack flipped over on my left.

  "Sir? What is this?" I held out the pages to him.

  Martin arched an eyebrow at me, I knew it was at the "sir”, but he looked at the papers.

  "Oh, standard paperwork for a short-term contractor. We are working through an agency. We got all your paperwork and test exams, so that is the W-2 and everything. 'They'll take out taxes, etcetera. And this lets you work overtime if needed without having to change your hours." He flashed me a smug grin. "Welcome to the wonderful world of working for the county as a first responder."

  I stared at the employment contract and the hourly wage. "Meaning if I sign this, I get paid as an EMT level one, and this company can place me other places if I don't get a job? I can float as a fill-in?"

  "Yep. We figured for a lot of you, companies don't always want to hire people with shiny new licenses, but if you have some experience and get good reviews, it makes getting a job a bit easier. Doesn't pay as much as a full-time employee, but even working a few days a week should make it possible for you to pay rent. Even in Atlanta." I caught his smile as he turned away.

  I refused to start my first day of work crying like a silly child. The dollar amount sitting there would ensure I had time to job hunt. At the rate they were paying me, I'd be able to really buy new furniture and find a job I wanted. I had to fight to blink away tears. The town I had been trying so hard to get away from turned out to have been supporting me more than I ever realized. For the first time I wondered if maybe I could come back here.

  "Cori?"

  I lifted my head to see Martin looking at me.

  "We want you to spread your wings and fly. You've never let anything stop you. Go, explore the world out there."

  I sniffed hard and finished signing the papers. I didn't say anything as I handed the bureaucratic stuff to him. My face said it all.

  "Go on. Through that door. She should be in the day room. She's got a kit for you, and you have your bag?" It was a redundant question as it lay next to my feet. But I stood, grabbing it.

  "Yep."

  "Good. Have a great experience, Cori." His words followed me, making me smile, though not really with humor. My experiences were rarely great. Often crazy and stressful, sometimes entertaining, but rarely great.

  His office had three doors and was a big open room. One door led into the bay where I'd met him. Glancing through the other I saw a big country style kitchen. I went to the right and found a living room-like area but with tables to work at as well as a TV and couches, and what looked like multiple video game consoles.

  Sally stood at one of the tables, a bag similar to mine spread out right where he said she would be. She looked up as I walked in. "Hey, Cori. Congrats on the exam. That was a great score."

  "You saw it?" By some miracle my voice didn't squeak—I counted that as a win. I looked around the room, not seeing anyone else in it, but the ambulance, paramedic truck, and both fire trucks were present in the bay.

  "Yep. Was sent to us as we're your sponsors for this round. I wasn't surprised at all." She had a smug smile on her face.

  "Were certain people surprised?" I had a feeling there was more to her expression than just being sponsors.

  "Oh, Jeff might have lost some money to me." Her smug look grew brighter if possible.

  I looked around, unsure what to do. "Where is everyone?"

  "The boys are working out. Kat and J are sleeping. Come on. Set your bag up here and we'll go through it. The way they ship it is almost useless for when you really need stuff and if you go with the default layout, you'll spend way too much time digging through it. Did you remember to fill out your voucher?"

  I looked at her not understanding what she was talking about.

  "For your bag?"

  "It was part of my required school supplies." I suddenly wasn't sure. Had I missed something? I'd never been sure why they wanted us to get it especially if we had to use it—it was a lot of money to spend to have to constantly refill. I didn't think you were supposed to spend your own money to do that, but what did I know?

  Sally looked at me surprised. "Didn't they explain it? It was supposed to be on the curriculum."

  "No?" I racked my brain, frantically trying to think if I'd missed something. But other than required equipment, Bruce hadn't mentioned it.

  Sally groaned, pulled out her phone, and typed something on it. "There. I made myself a note to follow up on that aspect of class. Those things are too bloody expensive to expect people to pay for them out of their own pockets."

  My confusion must have shown on my face. "No worries. Come on, set it up here." She patted the table she had her own bag set on, all torn apart.

  I hefted it up there and she looked at me. "Let's get you dressed, then I'll explain. Come on and I'll give you the two-cent tour." We stuck our heads into the fitness room, waved at the men, and walked into the dorms. They had three sets of bunk beds that reminded me of old movies and Pullman cars. Each bed had a curtain you could pull across it, making a little cocoon for yourself.

  "Here's your locker. " My name C Munroe had been written on it, right next to S Chang. She opened the one with my name and pulled out a jumpsuit in bright red with yellow fluorescent tape down the sides. Two more lay in the locker, waiting to be needed. "Not the most flattering things ever, but you'll be amazed at how warm they keep you and that they ignore most damage and soiling. If something actually stains this stuff, it probably would have left burn marks on your skin." She glanced at my boots, the ones I had bought in Helen, not the ones I had actually lusted over but the practical boots that should serve me for a year or two.

  "Yep those will do. Usually I wear leggings and a tank top under this and keep a few in the locker just in case. Colder weather, it's a turtleneck. We don't have as stringent rules as some of the bigger cities. Here, wear the jumpsuit and you're good."

  I took the suit and disappeared into the bathroom. There was a full shower and a toilet, along with a pile of huge fluffy towels. I changed quickly and made a mental note to buy some leggings asap. They weren't what I normally wore, but I could see how much more comfortable they would be than the slacks I wore right now.

  When I stepped out of the bathroom Sally stood there, waiting for me. "Good. They fit. They'll deduct them from your paycheck, but you can keep those. Now let's go look at your bag." She spoke as we walked back int
o the day room.

  "This is my backup bag, it's an excellent chance to show you what they were supposed to talk about."

  "Ambulance Rockway Three, collapse at Third and Main. Please respond." The disjointed voice blared over the speakers and Sally flashed me a smile.

  "Too late. Let's go."

  Chapter 36

  Offerings are mysterious and simple at the same time. All magic must be fueled by genetic material of the mage. While living cells can be offered, the most common are nails, hair, and external skin cells. There are numerous mages who use blood to offer as it is easily replenished. If you have a familiar, you have the ability to use genetic material not attached to you. It is interesting that blood, if it is still ''"alive”, does not need to be attached to the mage. ~ Magic Explained

  I really am certifiable, but since Sally is just as wired as me, I guess I'm in good company.

  Sally had taken off at a run and I followed her, leaving the bag there when she shook her head as I started to reach for it. I jumped into the passenger side of the ambulance even as the big garage door slid up.

  "Pay attention. This will be your job on the next run," she said.

  I nodded, but she wasn't paying attention as she buckled in. She started the engine and picked up the radio all in less than fifteen seconds.

  "Rockway Three, over. In route, details requested."

  A laptop sat there, and she flipped it open as she started out of the garage. The app popped open and details appeared. "Take notes as they talk. You'll see, this should be like the stuff you've seen in class?" Her voice ended in a question and my heart seized.

  I glanced at the laptop and saw with relief it was exactly like one of the apps they'd had us practice with last week. I knew this software.

  "Got it."

  She flipped on the sirens and tore out of the driveway and down the street. As the radio squawked, I recorded the information.