Slippers and Thieves Special Edition

by Christina Bauer

  Knox clears his throat. I realize I’ve been staring out into the partygoers for a beat too long. Grinning, I refocus on my friend. “Something interesting will happen at my office in two weeks. Care to join me?”

  “No.”

  “Too bad. You’re hanging with me anyway.”

  Knox takes in another deep breath. “Don’t look now. Your latest flames are here.”

  “How many?”

  “Four.”

  “You keep better track than I do.”

  “Not by choice. You attract ladies who love strong perfume.” He says the words strong perfume the way someone else might say electric chair.

  Confession time. Turns out, my parents do know me quite well. Getting this apartment for Knox has been a rather nice distraction for me. There have been lots of parties. And a lot of trying to find Elle and, failing that, discover a way to forget her.

  Let’s just say I’ve enjoyed turning eighteen.

  Speaking of which, one of the ladies in question steps up. She’s cute and blonde with freckles. What’s her name again? Cici, that’s it.

  Cici strolls up and gives me a quick peck on the lips. “Hey, Alec.”

  Knox waves. “Bye, Alec.” He moves with wolf speed into the crowd.

  “I’ve missed you,” says Cici. “When will we get together again?”

  “About that. I’m taken now. Sorry.”

  Cici’s mouth falls open. “You’re dating someone?”

  “I am.”

  “Who?”

  “You’ll know when she does,” I say with a wink. As answers go, it’s cryptic and accurate, all at one.

  Next I announce the party’s closing down early. After all, I’ve got two weeks before I see Elle again. I need to make sure I have my rest and all that.

  Plus—if I’m being honest—the real reason for the party has ended. I suppose some small corner of me always hoped that Elle would walk through my door one night. Now that I know where she’ll be in two weeks? That door is closed until further notice.

  4

  Alec

  Two Weeks Later

  Two weeks pass. I’ve never been great at waiting. And when I’m anxious, I find there’s nothing more irritating than paparazzi in my face. Sure, they’ve been following me around my whole life. But since I turned eighteen? Locusts are more subtle. And it’s always the same questions.

  Excited for your Glass Slipper Ball?

  Chosen your bride yet?

  Give us a name, Alec!

  A few times, I came close to casting a silencer spell. But MITRE has already been snooping around our offices. There’s no need to make headlines about what the agency calls aggressive magic.

  At last, the big night arrives. Knox and I lounge on the couch in my office. I even dragged the thing further into the shadows so no one would notice us. The only source of light is a single lamp over my desk.

  We haven’t been hanging out for long when voices sound in the outer hallway. It’s Legend and a woman. Whoever it is, the lady’s not my mother.

  “Oh, Legend!” The woman speaks with a southern twang. That’s new.

  “Should I… keep my hands away?” he asks.

  Some dots connect in my mind. Keep Your Hands to Yourself is a new hit single from the singer Cassidy Audacity. She’s in town for her tour.

  “Unless I ask you to play,” she sings in reply.

  Oh, that’s Cassidy Audacity all right. I stifle the urge to groan.

  “Allow me to show you to my private elevator,” says Legend. Footsteps sound, followed by the ding of an elevator closing.

  They’re gone.

  A long moment passes before Knox speaks. “Want to talk about it?”

  “Nah.” I sigh. “Thanks for asking, though.”

  “I’m here. You know that.” Knox leans back into the couch. “I’m bored as hell, but I’m here.”

  “Cassidy Audacity isn’t shocking?”

  Knox chuckles. “I’ve known Legend for years, remember?”

  “True. The only time you got interested was when Legend dated the actress who plays Mighty Woman.”

  “Best Saturday morning TV show ever,” says Knox. “Legend ruined it for me, but I’ve forgiven him.”

  “You’re a class act, Knox.”

  The ding of the elevator sounds again. Knox and I fall silent. My buddy tilts his head. I’ve seen that move before. Knox is leaning into his shifter hearing.

  If I thought it was hard to wait two weeks, these next few seconds are close to impossible. Is Elle coming at last? I strain to hear the sound of footsteps. Nothing. Then again, I’m no shifter.

  Knox looks to me and gives the barest of nods. It takes everything in me not to cheer.

  Elle is on her way!

  Knox kicks back onto the couch. “Who is she?” he whispers.

  “She?” I ask innocently.

  “That footstep is too light to be a guy.”

  I place my pointer finger across my lips in the universal movement for shh.

  Knox rolls his eyes. “Next time, pick up girls on your own. You’re more than capable.”

  And Knox has a point. I dragged him here as my wingman without being honest about it. I vow to make it up to the guy. Later. Right now, it’s time to see Elle again.

  A figure slips into the office. She’s curvy and young with brown hair. Not Elle. I reach into my pocket, ready to cast a spell and figure out what went wrong.

  That’s when I notice it. Knox is sitting up. He’s also doing that werewolf-sniffing thing again. For the record, I’ve never seen Knox act this way around a girl before.

  The mystery girl digs around in a box on my desk. Interesting. Knox and I have been trying to solve the problem of my first curse, which is the one where wardens can’t marry without killing their spouses. And the particular containers that our visitor is opening?

  It holds papyri from Ancient Egypt.

  As a matter of fact, I have a sideline acquiring papyri. With any luck, I might uncover information about the so-called Fountain of Magic (and how to break my warden curse.) So far, I haven’t had too much luck though. The stuff uses its own language of hieroglyphs. I can barely manage English, let alone some new text from ancient Egypt.

  And, if I’m being honest, I’m pretty happy with the warden’s curse. It stops me from worrying about my Le Charme version. But tinkering with papyri keeps my parents happy. And who knows? Maybe some day I will want to marry. It’s possible.

  The girl opens the box, pulls out papyri, and takes digital photos. Then she reseals the container with ease. Impressive, but not as entertaining as watching Knox lose his mind beside me. The guy’s almost hyperventilating.

  All of which adds up to one thing. Elle isn’t here, but I’ve seen this girl before. She’s definitely Elle’s buddy. So I simply must chat her up. And if that means Mister Smooth Shifter loses his mind a little? That’s just an extra bonus.

  The girl finishes resealing the box and freezes. No question about it. She’s sensed that we’re here. I rise and get ready for the fireworks.

  Little by little, the girl turns to face me. “Hey.”

  “Hello. I’m Alec.” And I smile.

  “I came here to take pictures of your papyri. I’ll just leave now.”

  “I was waiting for the jewel thief,” I explain. “Normally, she comes here with you.”

  The girl lifts her chin. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  I hold his hands up, palms forward. “Your friend isn’t in any trouble. I’ve started running checks on the pieces she takes.” Or rather, my dwarves have. “They’re all stolen jewels with a bounty on them. Le Charme would have returned them if the company were aware.”

  The girl sets her fist on her hip. “Your parents totally knew.”

  “You’re right. My parents knew.” After all, Diamond took the time to have the footage destroyed. “But I didn’t.”

  “And?”

  “I’m ready to work with her.”
/>
  “And why would you want to do that?”

  “Every time she steals something, she leaves a little pile of cinders on my desk. The cleaning staff have been complaining.”

  The girl steps toward the door. “This is me leaving.”

  I move to block her path. A shiver visibly rolls up the girl’s back. She glances over in the general direction of where Knox hides in the shadows.

  “Back off,” she declares. “I said I was going.”

  I haven’t spent years talking down jittery fans not to know how to deal with this situation. It’s important to continue the conversation.

  “How come you want to steal my papyri anyway?” I ask.

  “I make digital photos of them. There’s a difference.”

  “Why not ask my office for access?”

  “I did. Many times.”

  “Let me guess. Your requests got routed through my parents.”

  “That they did.”

  “Well, ask me this time. You’ll get a different answer.”

  “No one else should look at those papyri. They’re ours.” That would be Knox, snarling from the shadows. Over the years, I’ve learned the nature of his different growls. This particular variety says he’s fighting with himself.

  Knox is interested in the girl. Oh, this is too good.

  “If we’re having a group discussion, why don’t you come out of the shadows?” I ask.

  Setting my hand back into my pocket, I toy with some gems there. It’s something I do when thinking things through. And in this case? There’s one conclusion to be made.

  “Oh, I like her,” I state. “We should work with her directly.”

  “No,” grumps Knox.

  The girl glares in Knox’s direction again. “Quiet, you. I’m talking here.”

  I can’t help but chuckle. “Oh, we’re definitely working together.”

  “Working with you on what?” she asks.

  “The papyri, of course,” I reply. “There’s a code in them. We’re trying to break it.”

  “A code?” At this point, the girl’s phone rings. She raises her pointer finger. “One sec. I have to get this.”

  “You’re taking a call?” asks Alec. “Right now?”

  “You always this fast?” The girl says it with a smile and a wink, though.

  It’s a quiet room and a loud phone. Long story short, I can hear the voice through the earpiece. “Hey, Bry.”

  Every nerve in my body goes on alert. It’s been three years since I heard that particular tone, but I’ll never forget it. Elle. And her friend is named Bry. Good to know.

  “Hey,” says Bry.

  “Your aunties are on hold right now. I told them you’re in the shower at my place. Normally, that would make them hang up, but they wanted to stay on the line until you got out. I said I’d take them off hold once you were done. You ready?”

  “Sure. Patch them through.”

  Now, I understand having intrusive guardians. In this case, it seems Bry’s aunties are pains in the neck. I wasn’t kidding before. I do like this Bry. This makes me even more intrigued.

  “You got it,” says Elle. “Oh, how’s it going with the heist?”

  “It’s going.”

  “That good, eh?”

  Bry glances my way. “I’ll explain later. Patch them through now, or they may actually be tempted to use magic.”

  “You got it,” says Elle.

  At this point, there’s a lot of high-pitched chatter on the other end of the call. I don’t catch all of it, but I do make out the words homework and episode, as well as Bry’s claim fact that Miss Chang is not teaching her martial arts.

  I know a lie when I hear one. Bry is totally learning martial arts. That makes her even more interesting.

  Bry paces the floor. With each step, she gets closer to Knox. At this point, I wish I had popcorn and a soda. A rather enjoyable show will begin any second now.

  Sure enough, Bry gets too close. Knox growls.

  “What’s that noise?” asks the voice on the phone.

  “Oh that? We’re watching Animal Planet.”

  “It was terrifying.” The voice has a warble to it. Must be Bry’s auntie.

  That exchange is followed by even more yammering from the auntie in question. Bry gives her a minute before cutting the call short.

  “Love you all,” says Bry. “Buh-bye.” She ends the call and turns to me once more. “Sorry about that.”

  “Can’t they trace you?” I ask.

  “Duh. This is a burner. My friend has the real phone.”

  “Your friend named Elle.”

  How much do I love saying the name Elle out loud? Very much, indeed.

  “Like you didn’t know.” Bry slips her hand into her purse and pulls out a can of mace. “I’m going to leave now. This is the last time I’ll say it.”

  “Please.” This time, I give her my very best smile. “I waited patiently while you rifled through my things. I didn’t even call security. The least you can do is answer a few questions before you mace my face off.”

  “Fine. Ask your questions.”

  “How old are you?”

  Here’s what that question is all about. If Knox is interested in Bry, then the girl must be part of the Magicorum. And for those of us who are shifters, casters, or fae? Turning eighteen is a major birthday. As I’ve learned too well, turning eighteen means marriage. Sure, I’m fighting this but I’m an exception. By asking Bry her age, I’m just providing Knox with important information.

  And yes, I’m being a bit of a busybody matchmaker. What re friends for?

  “That’s rather personal,” says Bry. “How old are you?”

  “Eighteen. And you are?”

  Bry shrugs. “I’m eighteen.”

  “You’re eighteen?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “Right now?” Knox asks this one from the shadows. Classy.

  “My birthday is in three days.”

  Bingo. In other words, if Knox wants this girl, he better get moving. Am I a great matchmaker or what?

  And move Knox does. My friend hauls his butt off the couch and steps into the light. There’s no mistaking the energy and interest that sparks between him and Bry. I should know. I experienced the same thing with Elle three years ago.

  “What… What’s your name?” Bry asks.

  “Knox.”

  “Knox. Like the gelatin?”

  “Like the fort.”

  “Oh.”

  I roll my eyes. Master of charm, that’s my Knox.

  “What’s your name?” Knox asks.

  I’m tempted to shoot the guy a thumbs up. Asking for names is a very normal way to get to know another person. Much better than growling. I consider this progress.

  “Bryar Rose.”

  “You’re not safe here, Bryar Rose.”

  At this point, Knox actually snarls. I roll my eyes once more. Was I really about to congratulate my friend on his social skills? Forget it. That growl is the equivalent of interpersonal dynamite. I’ve seen this move before, and most folks run for the exits. After all, Knox is a warden and badass. In this case, he’s also being a douchebag. I wince, waiting for Bry to hightail it out of my office.

  That isn’t what happens.

  Bry steps closer to Knox. “I can handle myself.”

  “No, you need to leave.” Knox points to door. “Don’t ever come back. You got me?”

  Bry turns to me. “You wanted to talk?”

  I blink hard, not believing what I’m seeing. Bry still isn’t running. How wonderful. “Yes, I did.”

  “Well, I’m listening.”

  “When you were on the phone just now, you said something about tutors. Are you one of the Magicorum that can’t go to a regular school?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I attend a school called West Lake Prep. Heard of it?”

  “Maybe.”

  You don’t grow up in retail and not know when someone’s intere
sted in a particular whatever. And the idea of West Lake Prep definitely appeals to Bry. I want to get closer to Elle, which means keeping Bry around. And if watching Knox actually fall for a girl happens along the way? That only adds to the fun.

  “I’m a student there,” I explain. “Going into my senior year, as a matter of fact.”

  “And?” Bry prompts.

  “My parents are on the school’s board. You want in? You’re definitely accepted, so long as you join the summer internship program at Le Charme.”

  Knox rounds on me. “You don’t have a summer internship program.”

  “Quiet, Knox. I just made it up.” I refocus to Bry. “But I assure you, my parents will do this for me. They’re dying for me to take an interest in the business. They’ll be thrilled if I organize some interns.”

  And when I say interns, I mean both Elle and Bry, obviously. Of course, it may take some doing to hide Elle from Diamond. But the dwarves already think Elle is a heroine for returning stolen jewels. I’m sure they can work their magic on our video tracking systems.

  “But what if someone says I’m not qualified for West Lake?” asks Bry.

  “We have ways around that. We’re a private institution and not subject to all the government rules and regulations. Plus, if you were awarded a scholarship…” I allow the logic to hang out there.

  Knox’s face darkens. “You don’t have a scholarship program, either.”

  “I said, quiet.” I stay focused on Bry. “So, what do you think?”

  “If I take your internship, are there more papyri I can read?”

  “Sure, I’ll even give you everything we have on the code.”

  “How will you do that? You ship all the papyri away.”

  “They’re shipped, but to another floor. All the original papyri are stored right here in this building.”

  Bry frowns. “I thought you sent them somewhere else.”

  “You thought wrong. In fact, I hereby declare that your internship job will be to research all the papyri in our archives and work on breaking the code.”

  “What’s the code about?” asks Bry.

  “That’s a good question, isn’t it? Once you break the code, you can tell us.” It’s a lie, but warden business is our own.