by AR Colbert
But this wasn’t fiction. This was real life. Real power. I could only hope that using it wouldn’t be enough cause for Tate to pull the proverbial trigger.
CHAPTER 5
“Thanks for getting me out of there.” We paused in front of my aunt’s doorstep. Her giant mastiffs whined on the other side, impatient for the attention they knew I’d give them when I came in.
“You got it,” Sean replied. “Are you going to meet up at Gayla and Dom’s place later? We’re ordering pizza.”
“Yeah, that’s what they said. It sounds fun.”
“Cool. I’ll meet you here around six and we can walk over.”
I said goodbye and pulled open Millie’s front door, bracing myself for impact from the oversized canines inside. “Hey, Lemon Drop. Tiny, you enormous lovable goofball.” I scratched their heads and pushed my way further into the foyer. “I’m home!” I called out toward the kitchen. I didn’t know if Jeeves was home, but if so I knew he’d be in there chatting it up with Millie’s chef.
“Hey Ev,” he popped his head around the corner a moment later. “Pierre just made lunch. Want me to fix you a plate?”
“No, thanks.” I held up the text book my aunt gave me. “I’m gonna go upstairs and get in some reading. Millie wants me to study up so I can help her at the shop.”
“Alright,” he said in his thick Alabaman drawl. “Holler if you get hungry!”
I bounced up two flights of stairs to Millie’s study on the third floor. Gorgeous bay windows overlooked the street below, and Millie’s desk sat in the center of the room on a plush, fuzzy cream colored rug. The shelves were full of eccentric tchotchkes, scattered among more ancient looking books like the one under my arm. I pulled out the desk chair and laid my textbook down, but I wanted to explore a bit before I sat to read it.
Once I’d wrapped my brain around the idea of looking for magic, I couldn’t shake it. I had about four hours before Millie would return from the apothecary. Surely I’d be able to find something useful before then.
I ran my finger along the spines of the books lining the walls. There must have been hundreds, maybe thousands. And they didn’t appear to be organized in any sort of recognizable fashion. If only she had some kind of digital card catalog. Or better yet—an encyclopedia of magic, where I could search by topic. First things first, I needed to know if it was possible for mortals to practice magic. Because as of now, I was still a mortal.
But there was nothing magical about any of the books in Millie’s office. This was where she kept her actual textbooks from school. The older books were a mix of biographies and medieval history books. One shelf dedicated to Greek mythology looked promising, but upon closer inspection the titles all seemed to be mainstream books published in the last twenty years or so. Modern display copies Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey were about the most interesting things on the shelves. She also seemed to have a slight addiction to dime store romances, but hunky Scotsman weren’t going to help my current situation.
Of course she wouldn’t keep books about magic hidden out in the open here. Jeeves, and Pierre, and her little housemaid had no idea what Millie really was. Even Abby didn’t know, and she worked around all the strange objects at the apothecary every day. They probably all assumed my aunt was just into some quirky kind of witchcraft or something.
I considered calling it quits and heading back downstairs to eat lunch, but my stomach was still a little unsettled from the morning’s events. So I plopped myself down into Millie’s office chair and stared at the book. I swiveled the chair back and forth, looking at the title until my vision doubled.
I didn’t want to read about herbs. I wanted my mom back! With my head thrown back, I spun the chair in a full circle, watching the light fixture twirl overhead. My foot pushed against the fluffy carpet, spinning me harder and faster until the room blurred around me.
A man cleared his voice from the doorway. “Ahem.”
I stopped the chair, wobbling slightly as I waited for my dizziness to dissipate and my vision to clear. But Jeeves’ massive form was hard to mistake for anyone else.
“Looks like you’ve really got your nose in the books in here.” He laughed and brought a platter to the desk. It was a tiny charcuterie board, decked out with cured meats and fruits and cheeses with names I couldn’t pronounce. “I thought I’d bring you a study snack.”
“Aww, thanks, Jeeves.”
“Don’t thank me. It was all Pierre. I’d have brought you some Vienna Sausages and Kraft Singles, but he’s got better taste than that. Whatcha reading? Or not reading?”
I slid the book in front of him.
“101 Effective Remedies from the Middle Ages. Sounds fascinating.” He winked. “Anyhow. I’ll let you get back to it. Come on down if you need a break. We’re doing a self-clean cycle on the oven this afternoon.” He waggled his brows and stole a small block of cheese from my plate.
“I think I’ll stick to my reading here, thanks.”
“Suit yourself!” He grinned and ducked back out of the office, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a very expensive snack board. Before long, the board was half empty and I still hadn’t opened the book.
I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands and groaned. There was no use wasting time. If I wasn’t going to read it, then I may as well make myself useful and head over to Gayla and Dom’s apartment. Maybe I could help them set up for games and dinner.
With the textbook under one arm and the board balanced in my other hand, I snuck back down the stairs, put the half-eaten platter on a table in the foyer, and slipped out of the front door before the dogs could hear me tiptoeing around. If Jeeves and Pierre heard me leave without Sean there to guard me, I’d be in big trouble. But the girls’ apartment was only a short walk away. And I was a grown woman. I didn’t need a babysitter.
Life in Manhattan carried on as normal around me. People crowded the streets, talking on phones or blocking everyone out with earbuds. A mother ran past with a jogging stroller, headed for Central Park. That was a good idea. It would be safer to cut through the park toward my friends’ apartment. That way if Millie happened to leave work early, she wouldn’t see me.
I trotted along after her, inhaling the fresher air of the trees once I turned the corner into the park. Maybe one of the girls would know a thing or two about mortals performing magic. Could I trust them to keep it a secret, though? And did I dare risk them? If I didn’t involve them, I could still plead ignorance if I got caught. After all, no one had given me any specific rules regarding magic—I’d only learned of it today. But if I got Gayla and Dom involved, we could all be punished.
The thought sent a shiver down my spine. I felt like I was in trouble already, and I hadn’t even decided to do anything yet. I glanced around, worried suddenly that some passer-by may actually be telepathic like Dom. I felt… exposed.
Then I saw the eyes, gold and glowing like some nocturnal animal in the shadows, waiting for its prey, and I realized I was exposed. But these weren’t animal eyes. They were human. No, not human either—Agarthian.
Osborne stepped out of the shadows of a large tree and crossed his arms. I didn’t get my buzzy-tingle of a warning that I was being hunted, which made it all the more unsettling. I liked the warning.
After a quick scan of the horizon, I realized he was alone. Tate wasn’t with him, but I didn’t know if that left me feeling better or more concerned for my safety. At least Tate was a known enemy. I knew what to expect and I could handle him. Osborne was a wild card.
He watched me pass him by, staring blatantly. I gripped the book tighter under my arm and picked up my pace. I wasn’t interested in hanging out alone in a park with a known hunter. He didn’t follow me, thankfully. Instead he just stood in the center of the sidewalk, his eyes on my back until I finally disappeared around a curve. Out of his sight, I broke out into a dead sprint.
If he wanted to stop me, he would have. I had no doubt about that. But it didn’t seem to be the case. He
’d just wanted to intimidate me—let me know he was watching. Jerk.
I was gasping for air by the time I reached Gayla and Dom’s place. My sweaty palms gripped the textbook under one arm, and my bag with the tablet on the other. I gave them two knocks before opening the door and quickly closing it again behind me. I didn’t want to risk Osborne following me here. He wasn’t welcome.
“Everly, hey. You look like a hot mess.” Gayla jerked her head up from her cozy spot on the couch, a fashion magazine sprawled out across her tan legs.
“I am a hot mess.” A quick scan of the living room showed no signs of Dom. It was a good thing, because I had no idea what kind of craziness she might pick up in my mind right now. My thoughts were spinning out of control.
“Hey—” I started to ask Gayla about magic, but seeing her happy, innocent dark eyes smiling back at me, I just couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to get my new friends in trouble. Switching gears, I continued. “Millie gave me some reading materials to study up on for my work at her shop. Do you mind if I hang out here and look through it? I can’t focus back at her place.”
“Of course!” Gayla sprang up from the couch. She wasn’t the most observant person, which was ironic considering how she was supposedly a seer. But I was grateful in that moment. I didn’t want to explain what just happened or why I was all out of breath. “You know we’ve already got a bedroom for you all set up.”
It was true. They’d insisted on getting a three bedroom apartment, even knowing that I was going to NYU. Gayla seemed so sure that I’d change my mind and join them at Columbia. Like I said—not super observant. But her intentions were kind. She’d decked the room out with comfortable furnishings and a neat little white desk propped against the wall near the window.
I placed my book on the desk’s glossy surface, and stared out onto the street below. My little white owl friend sat perched on a wrought iron railing of a second story balcony across the street. From here, it almost looked like he was watching me through the window with those wise old eyes of his. I gave him a nod, and immediately felt silly for it. But at this point, we were practically besties. He was always there.
And somehow, he helped to calm my nerves. At long last, I sank into the office chair and flipped open the book. It was time to learn a thing or two about natural herbal remedies.
CHAPTER 6
Millie’s book was surprisingly full of fascinating facts. It might just come in useful one day after all. Like if I ever came across some Verbena I could fix gingivitis and anxiety… or I could make a man impotent for six days. And if I ever got a hold of Henbane, I could deprive a witch of her powers or mix it with menstrual blood to create a love potion.
Okay, so maybe the information was more entertaining than actually useful, but it had me captivated. Time flew by as I flipped through the pages, committing each page to memory. In any case, I’d be ready to help Millie at the shop, no matter what a customer may need.
About three quarters of the way through the book, I’d finished learning about the different herbs and their qualities, and stumbled into a section on elixirs. Millie’s elegant penmanship looped its way across a tattered yellow piece of parchment, singed on one edge. The page was tucked into the fold of the book, and it looked like it may have been a hundred years old. It said:
Incantation for elixirs: De laqueo venantium, et os ad vitae ius et consumat te
My breath quickened. This was it. Magic. I’d found a spell. It had to be! But could it work for mortals? There was only one way to find out.
An introduction to the chapter described folklore and gave a strong disclaimer that most if not all of the following elixirs are unproven to work. Ha! Yeah, right. Millie wouldn’t give me a book full of useless information. I bet they’d all work just fine with the addition of that incantation. I began flipping through the pages of elixirs that followed, looking for one that I could practice.
Knock, knock, knock. Someone pounded at my door. Suddenly feeling guilty, I slammed the book shut at exactly the same time Sean burst into the room.
“Everly Gordon, you are in big trouble!”
I raised my brows. I probably was in trouble, but I wasn’t about to let Sean talk to me that way. “Excuse me?”
“You left! And you didn’t tell anyone you were leaving. Millie was in a full panic when she got home from work. Jeeves never saw you leave, so she called me right away.”
“And what did you tell her?”
“I told her we were here. Then I ran straight over and prayed I wasn’t lying.”
“Lucky for you I’m here, then.”
“I don’t think it’s funny.” His jaw clenched. “I know you don’t like having me around, but if I fail at this simple job, there is no way my father is going to allow me to graduate to bigger missions. Please, Everly. Don’t run off. For my sake, if not your own.”
My smirk melted away. “I’m sorry. Really. I didn’t think about it affecting you, I just wanted to get out. Tate’s little hunter friend had me all shook up earlier.”
“Tate’s got a friend?”
I turned to see Gayla grinning from the doorway. “Trust me,” I said. “It’s no one you want to know.” I shuddered.
Gayla shrugged. “You’re probably right. Those hunters are usually too arrogant for my taste.”
Isn’t that the truth…
“Are you ready to take a break? Dom will be back any minute with the pizza.”
I noticed the daylight fading through the window. I’d been cooped up in here reading for way longer than I’d realized. And yet, I was just getting to the good stuff. My gaze lingered on the book for another moment. I didn’t want to stop now.
“Come on. School hasn’t even started yet and you’ve already got your nose buried in books. Live a little.” She tugged on my arm and I reluctantly fell into place behind her, following her into the living room. A couple of decks of cards were set out on the small dining table and music was playing from a speaker in the corner. Dom entered just moments later, carrying two of the biggest pizza boxes I’d ever seen.
The next couple of hours almost helped me forget the drama from the morning. Sean was way too competitive for his teammate, Gayla, during our game of Spades. Though I couldn’t blame him for getting grumpy—I had a literal mind reader for my partner. We wiped the table with them. Otherwise, it was a normal, enjoyable evening. But I never could quite clear the thoughts nagging at the back of my brain.
Dom studied me once or twice, trying to figure out what was bothering me, but I don’t think she was ever successful. I made it a point to keep those thoughts pushed down while I focused on cards and how the others all ate their pizza in a weird New York way, folded up like a taco. I tried to act normal. I was doing a good job of it too, until they started talking about school.
“Most of my classes are first thing in the morning. That way I have the whole day free to do anything I please.” Dom grinned proudly. She was definitely the most responsible one in the room.
“Argh. I had to schedule early classes, too. Rossel wants me at his studio every day after lunch for my training sessions.” Gayla groaned. “I don’t know why they’re making me go to school at all. We all know where I’m going to end up. Oh, sorry Ev.”
She frowned in my direction. I really needed to work on not getting so upset at the mention of Rossel. I’d dragged Gayla and Dom back to the gallery as soon as we got back into the city the day after Gayla’s big party on the yacht, but it had changed. The portrait of me that once hung on the wall inside was now replaced with an oil painted scene of a lavender field in France. The windows were all fixed, and the metal sign out front was replaced with a whitewashed wooden one that said Roselina and Jude.
“I swear it said Rossel!” I had exclaimed. “Tell them Sean! You saw it, too.”
“I believe you,” Dom had said.
But it didn’t matter. Rossel denied everything when Gayla pressed him on it. I asked her not to push too hard, given his warning at our
last encounter. “Stay away from Gayla.” He sure wouldn’t be happy to know that she had set up an entire bedroom for me in her apartment. Then again, I honestly couldn’t care less about what Rossel thought of me. I knew he wouldn’t hurt Gayla, and with Sean at my side and Tate in my shadow at all times, I didn’t think he’d be able to do anything to me, either.
I guess that was one good thing about being stalked by a hunter.
“It’s fine,” I said to Gayla. “We’ll get to the bottom of it whether Rossel decides to help us or not.” Even if that meant I’d have to play with magic to find my mom.
Dom quirked a brow at me, and I quickly changed the subject back to their classes. “What about you, Sean? Are you going to be busy in the mornings, too?”
“Well, I was kind of hoping you’d get your schedule figured out soon so I could set mine. I’m supposed to stay with you on campus, remember?”
Right. I felt a pang of guilt again. Poor Sean. This couldn’t be any easier on him than it was on me. He’d basically be attending both NYU and Columbia, between his schedule and mine.
“Since I haven’t picked my classes yet, maybe you can help me decide.” I smiled, trying to make him feel a little better about it. “Would you rather me take morning classes or afternoon?”
“I guess it doesn’t matter much.” He shrugged. “As long as the evenings are clear.”
“Why do you need your evenings clear?” Gayla asked. “Are you getting a human job somewhere?”
“No, I just told Abby I’d be around if she needed anything.”
Gayla’s shoulders slumped, and Dom pressed her lips together. Things always got awkward around here when Abby entered the chat.
“Oh,” was all Gayla could say.
