Magic in Light

by Krista Street

  When morning finally arrived, my eyes felt heavy and lethargic, but the scent of coffee made me stir. However, it was Brodie’s abrupt “He emailed again!” that had me bolting upright in bed.

  A quick assessment of my surroundings showed no one else in their bunks. The floor was also empty. I distinctly remembered Jake occupying that space, but his rolled-up sleeping bag and pillow lay neatly folded by the bathroom.

  The top bunk squeaked in protest as I scrambled to get out from under the sheets. “He did? What did he say?” I fumbled with the covers and pushed them off.

  It was only when I nearly collided with Brodie, Logan, and the other two at the front of the bus that I realized each of the guys—except Mike—was staring at my chest. When I glanced down, my jaw dropped in horror.

  My damned nipples were once again erect and poking through the thin fabric of my pajama top.

  Since I was wearing shorts that had a whopping inseam of two inches, I wasn’t exactly covered in that department either.

  I hastily crossed my arms as embarrassment stained my cheeks red.

  Logan’s gaze whipped to his friends, and his eyebrows drew together in a dark scowl. He stepped in front of me, his body shielding me from them. Broad shoulders cut off my view.

  “What were you saying, Brodie?” Logan placed his hands on his hips.

  Brodie, Alexander, and Jake all cleared their throats. I peeked under Logan’s bent arm. His friends all hastily shifted their gazes to anywhere but me.

  “Um … I…” Brodie’s stammered reply only made Logan’s scowl deepen.

  A hooded sweatshirt draped across one of the couches. Without considering whose it was, I grabbed it and threw it on. A whiff of sandalwood floated up to greet me. That scent solidified its owner. Glancing Logan’s way, I cocked my head to see if he minded.

  He caught my subtle communication and nodded.

  “So what does it say?” I zippered the sweatshirt all the way to my throat and crossed my arms. The ginormous garment fell to mid-thigh, effectively swallowing me in a thick cottony curtain. Take that, nipples.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t opened it yet,” Alexander replied.

  I perched on the couch’s arm. Logan’s scowl lessened when he sat down by Alexander, his shoulder brushing my thigh. Jake and Brodie continued to keep their attention diverted from me.

  Wow. Logan’s sway over his friends was rather impressive.

  Shoving off that realization, I propped my hand on the couch back and leaned into my palm, over Logan and Alexander. Brodie and Jake stayed on Alexander’s other side, their gazes glued to the laptop.

  “Here goes nothing.” Alexander clicked the email, and it popped open.

  My breath sucked in when I saw the familiar greeting.

  Dear Ms. Gresham,

  Tick tock. Tick tock, witch. Since you haven’t paid, the day is coming…

  By the way, I left a present for you. It’s just outside. A little hint of what’s to come if you ultimately don’t pay.

  Your biggest fan.

  My breath stopped, my heart rate picking up. “A present?”

  I shot to standing, but Logan was already up and striding toward the front door, Alexander, Jake, and Brodie hot on his heels.

  Mike and Cecile watched from near the kitchen, bewildered expressions on their faces.

  I stumbled after the guys, my heart jackhammering against my ribs. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Panic welled up in my chest, threatening to suffocate me.

  The bus door hissed open. Logan and his friends were out the door before I could blink. A part of me wanted to run, to escape to the back of the bus and pretend that nothing waited for me outside, but the other part had to see.

  Morbid curiosity pushed me forward, despite Cecile’s protests and the low hum of conversation already taking place between Logan and his friends.

  “Dar, maybe you should wait here!” Cecile tried to reach for me, but I brushed her off.

  I moved on stiff legs, sweat already breaking out across my forehead.

  “Is that real or…” Brodie’s sentence cut off.

  The blood whooshing through my ears made hearing difficult, but I caught Jake’s reply.

  “Yes, but the real question is, how did he find us?”

  Somehow, I managed to not pass out. Below me, Logan gripped what looked like a small box.

  His friends crowded around him.

  “What’s in there?” My voice came out in a high squeak.

  Logan swung around, his jaw locked and his nostrils flaring. Once again, I caught a hint of the man he was. A shiver ran through me. If I’d bumped into him on the street while he wore that expression, I would have run the other way.

  “Nothing. Stay inside.”

  His clipped tone made me want to retreat, but once again, my legs didn’t listen. I took the steps down slowly, as if I were floating down an escalator.

  Logan shoved the box into Jake’s hand and turned, blocking me from exiting the bus. “I mean it, Dar. Stay inside.”

  “No.” The quiet word left my lips like a battle line drawn. “I want to see what he sent me.”

  Logan stepped closer, his face softening, but that angry storm still brewed just beneath the surface, even though he was trying to hide it. He gently placed a hand on my waist, trying to propel me back inside and up the stairs.

  If I hadn’t been so scared, I would have shivered when his large palm grazed my skin, but all I could do was stare at the closed box in Jake’s hand.

  “Dar. Please,” Logan said hoarsely.

  But I stepped past him and stopped in front of Jake who glanced over my shoulder, presumably at Logan, as if asking for permission or guidance on what to do. Before Logan could tell him, I snatched the box from Jake’s hand and flung it open.

  My eyes grew wide. I shrieked and dropped the box as my hands came to my mouth. I stumbled backward, right into Logan’s hard chest as his arms enclosed around me.

  “Is that real? Is it really real?” Even to my ears, I sounded on the verge of hysteria.

  Logan swung me around and scooped me into his arms. Before I knew what was happening, the air whooshed past me, and I was sailing up the stairs and into the bus, past Mike and Cecile on the way to the back.

  But none of that registered. All I could see was the blood.

  Blood.

  Feathers.

  The scent of rotting flesh.

  Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. He’s going to kill me. He’s really going to kill me!

  My breath came so fast. Too fast.

  “Breathe, Dar. Just breathe.” Logan sat beside me on the bottom bunk. The feel of the mattress dipping beneath us registered faintly in my mind. The only other thing I felt was Logan’s large hand on my back, rubbing up and down as he tried to soothe me. “It’s going to be fine.”

  His deep, calm words helped clear my head. Just the feel of him beside me, his hard thigh pressing into mine, elicited a wave of relief. I scooted closer to him, craving the feel of him—needing it.

  “He killed that bird and beheaded it? Didn’t he?”

  Logan’s jaw worked. “Apparently, yeah, he did.”

  “But how did he find me? How did he find me, Logan? How could he have possibly known where I was?” That suffocating feeling worked up my throat again.

  His jaw worked more. “I don’t know.”

  I reached for his hand and grasped it before I thought better of it. His fingers entwined with mine. They were hard and calloused.

  I closed my eyes and leaned closer to him, breathing in his scent.

  My heartbeat slowed.

  “That poor bird,” I finally murmured when I felt grounded enough to speak.

  Inside the box had lain a large beheaded pigeon. Blood had congealed around its neck, and one leg had appeared broken. I had no idea if my stalker had broken the leg before or after he’d killed the bird.

  I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

  I took another deep breath, concentrating on the
feel of Logan’s hand. “He’s really going to kill me, isn’t he? If I don’t pay him, he’ll come after me, and he knows how to find me.”

  Logan’s jaw locked, and the hard, sinewy muscles in his thighs clenched. “No. He won’t get anywhere near you. We’ll catch him.”

  “But what if you don’t?”

  “We will.”

  “Logan?” Alexander called from the front of the bus. “We have a few ideas but wanted to run them by you. Can you come up here?”

  Logan swung toward me, his expression stormy. “Stay here. Inside the bus. Okay? We’ll take care of this.”

  I let go of his hand, missing the feel of him immediately. I nodded shakily. “Yeah. Okay, I’ll stay back here.”

  He nodded curtly, then stood and stalked to the front before flying down the stairs to join his friends outside.

  Cecile and Mike finally kicked into action from where they’d been frozen by the kitchen. They hurried to my side, Cecile making crooning noises while Mike readjusted his Yankees cap again and again.

  “It’s all right, Dar. It’s okay. This is why we hired Logan. He’ll take care of it.” She said the words over and over, as if trying to reassure me and herself.

  Mike still looked bewildered. “But how did he know we were here? How could he know that?” He twisted his hat more.

  Cecile shot him a sharp look. “Right now, that’s not important. What’s important is staying calm and preparing for Daria’s next show.”

  My show. Right. I’d completely forgotten about that.

  Thumping sounded from the front of the bus when Logan and Alexander climbed the steps. Jake and Brodie were nowhere to be seen.

  I shot to standing. “Well? What’s the plan?”

  Logan joined me, that formidable expression once again in place, making me shiver. “Brodie and Jake have left to check into a few things. They’ll meet us later, before your show starts.”

  “What are they going to check into?”

  “They’re going to try to track down how that package arrived here. You know, looking into any surveillance around here and asking those who also stayed the night if they saw anything. They’ll catch up with us later.”

  I wrapped my arms around myself and sat back down, some of my tension leaving. I wasn’t alone. I needed to remember that. Logan and his friends knew what they were doing. They would keep us safe.

  Alexander crouched down at my side. “The good news is that he emailed again, so we still have an open line of communication.”

  “Have you been able to track down where he lives?”

  “Not yet. He hasn’t picked up the bait, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t.”

  “So what’s the plan now?” Cecile asked. She clasped her shaky hands. “Daria’s clients arrive in four hours. We’ll need to set up at our next venue.”

  Logan sat at my side again, the mattress sinking toward him. “We’ll carry on as planned, but until Jake and Brodie return, I don’t want her seeing anyone. I’d feel better if all four of us were guarding her.”

  I drew my knees up inside Logan’s sweatshirt and looped my arms around them.

  “I’ll … uh … get the bus started so we can head out.” Mike frowned heavily but looked relieved to have a job to do. When he reached the front and turned the ignition, a loud rumble vibrated the bunk.

  “All right then.” Cecile smoothed her hair with a shaky hand, tucking a few wayward strands behind her ears. “We should be at the magic shop within twenty minutes since we’re so close. Do you need time to prepare, Daria?”

  I fidgeted then stood. My mood still felt on the verge of panic as another show loomed. But stalker or not, people were counting on me. I couldn’t let them down. “No. I’m fine. I’ll just freshen up and get dressed.”

  Logan stood, his large hands steadying me when I began shaking again. The feel of his large palms encircling my biceps made heat that had nothing to do with the warm clothing race up my limbs.

  I had the ridiculous urge to lean into him again. Straightening, I gave him what I hoped was a brave smile. “I’m good. Really. I am.”

  “Do you feel up to this?”

  I swallowed uneasily. “Yeah. I’ll be absolutely fine.” The lie slipped out easily.

  Logan turned to Cecile, his hands dropping from around me. “How many clients does she have on the schedule today?”

  She already had her clipboard out. Despite my trying to coax her into the twenty-first century, she still preferred pen and paper. “Only fifteen today, so a normal day.”

  “And Lucy?” I asked, standing up straighter, grateful for the distraction. Another image of that dead bird flitted through my mind, and I grimaced, trying to dispel the image. “Is she on the schedule today?”

  Cecile hovered her pen over the paper. “She’s number one.”

  I nodded tightly. Then that meant I had no choice but to work.

  I couldn’t let her down again.

  Chapter 12

  All seven of us stood in the back storage room of the magic shop. The cramped space held layers of dust, and dust motes flew in the air. A single light illuminated the room, casting shadows into the corners. Shelves lined with boxes took up most of the space.

  While it was crowded, it also felt secure: only two exit doors and no windows. Logan seemed happy about that.

  Jake and Brodie had returned a few hours after we’d arrived in our latest small town, their expressions grim. Apparently, my stalker had covered his tracks. No one had seen him, and the rest stop didn’t have security cameras.

  Logan had scowled, cursing quietly when they divulged that information, but the magic shop’s owner, a man named Peter, was none the wiser about my terrifying morning. He grinned as he showed us around.

  “It’s truly a pleasure to have you here!” Peter wore thick glasses that rested on his bulbous red nose. He hadn’t stopped grinning since we’d arrived, following me around like an eager puppy as I surveyed our workspace. “My wife couldn’t believe it when I told her I booked a real magician.”

  I stifled a sneeze and gave him a smile. “I’m not sure I’d call myself a magician.” I swallowed a cough from the dust, and even though I was trying my best to act normal around Peter, my nerves still felt fried from the morning.

  “But what else would you call it?” Peter laughed. “You’re the real deal, not like most I see.” He hunkered closer and said in a conspiring tone, “We have a few in the area who fancy themselves professionals, but I can assure you they’re not.” He laughed, his large belly moving up and down with each inhalation.

  I bit back a genuine smile despite a steady thrum of nervousness going through me. We only had thirty minutes before Lucy was due to arrive, and nothing was set up.

  As if sensing my distress, Brodie clapped Peter on the shoulder. “She’s a supernatural healer extraordinaire, a very coveted title, one that takes years of study to earn.” He steered the owner away, going on about some made-up magic school I’d attended.

  Peter soaked up every word, his grin broadening with each step they took. Brodie shut the door to the front of the shop firmly behind him, dimming the morning sunshine that streamed in through the shop’s front windows.

  Logan stepped to my side, his dark eyes fixed on my mouth. I’d pulled my lip between my teeth to nibble. My tongue darted out to lick my lips as I became acutely aware of how close he stood.

  He abruptly straightened and shifted his gaze. “Why don’t you let us set up? Take some time to get ready. We’ll have this place good to go in no time. Just stay in here so I know where you are.”

  Before I could protest that I could help, too, Logan addressed Alexander and Jake. “Boys? Let’s get a move on.”

  All of them seemed tenser, as if realizing that my stalker really did pose a threat. He wasn’t just some weirdo hiding behind threatening emails.

  The three of them disappeared out the back door, their shoulders brushing the doorway. The closing door caused a rush of cool morning
air to flow into the cramped storage room.

  We’d parked the bus in the lot behind the shop and planned to spend the night there. Peter had been more than happy to clear the parking spots for us.

  As I rested, mentally preparing for the day to come, Logan and his friends carried three, sometimes four, boxes in at a time. The bed, chairs, small tables, candles, sheets, snacks, drinks, and other items we offered to keep clients comfortable appeared. They had everything set up in ten minutes, a feat that would have taken Cecile, Mike, and me an hour.

  Jake dusted his hands off. “All done then?” His nose wrinkled when he stepped closer to a shelf. It held jars of fake pickled troll heads.

  Cecile stepped back into the room from the outside, clipboard in hand. “We’re ready to go. Daria’s first client arrives in fifteen minutes. It will be another busy day for her.” Her hand shook as she held her pencil. Try as she might to hide her emotions, anxiety over the latest threat seemed to be affecting her as well.

  Logan crossed his arms. His biceps were so big, they reminded me of grapefruits. “The four of us will cover all entries and exits to this building. Alexander also brought a metal detector. We’ll be using that on everyone after we pat them down.”

  Cecile brought a hand to her throat. “A metal detector?” She gave a nervous laugh.

  I tried to calm the anxiety in my voice, but it came through anyway. “Well, that’s a first.”

  Logan growled softly and stepped closer. “We’ll keep you safe. Don’t worry about security. Let me deal with that.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  Lucy and her husband arrived right on time. Similar to the other day, she draped from her husband’s arm like a sickly accessory. She coughed weakly when she entered the dusty room, the back door closing behind her. Alexander stood watch in the back parking lot.

  The scented candles flickered in the draft when the door closed.

  “Let me help you.” I rushed forward to support her negligible weight until she was safely lying on the portable bed.

  Logan stood nearby, his gaze following my every move. He stayed quiet, but his presence was palpable. Lucy’s husband kept glancing nervously over his shoulder at Logan.