“Pew, pew, pew,” I whispered, flicking my wrist.

  To my surprise and to the surprise of ghostly Grandma based on the expression on her face, the case opened.

  I stepped forward to grab the grimoire before everything could unravel around me, but Grandma blocked me.

  “Be careful,” she warned. “If you’ve made it this far, then that means you’re ready to take on the next task. Read over the letter inside of the grimoire. Good luck, you’re going to need it.”

  With that being the final word, Grandma disappeared.

  I grabbed the grimoire and clutched it to my body.

  Finally.

  “Is that all you came for?” asked Martha.

  For a moment I’d forgotten she was still in the vault with me.

  “Um, no,” I said, looking around at the abundance of money around me. “Can I take some of this money?”

  Martha scowled at me and shrugged. “It’s yours, take what you want.”

  I tucked the grimoire under my arm and started stuffing handfuls of coins and paper bills into my pockets. I tried to take as much as I could hold, and I’d have the rest transferred into my account later, because I certainly won’t be coming back down here for any reason.

  “Alright,” I said, pockets bulging. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Eight

  I practically skipped down the sidewalk as I made my way to the store to see the fellas. I couldn’t believe it, I had pockets full of money and the grimoire too.

  This milestone meant I was one step closer to saving Cecilia and getting my life back on track. I rounded the corner and picked up the pace as the store came into view.

  Now I can finally afford a few more supplies, pay the retainer, and do a few more things.

  I pushed open the door and was greeted by a musty scent, but I didn’t care. I’m on cloud nine and nothing would bring me down, not even the golem towering over me.

  Somehow, I managed to inch around him and head toward the register. Unfortunately, Ichiro was not behind the counter. The person behind the counter was an older guy petting a skunk.

  Is that what that smell is? I hope like hell that’s his familiar and not an actual skunk.

  “What can I do you for?” asked the man.

  His button-down Hawaiian print shirt had sweat stains under the armpits and his undershirt looked like it used to be white once upon a time.

  “Hi, I was in here the other day, and a group of guys helped me out; Ichiro, Cuddles, and Gavin. Are they around?”

  The man snorted and picked up the skunk in his arms before plopping down in the chair.

  “Did those idiots swindle you out of some money too? Look, I don’t know what kind of shady deal they made with you and I don’t want to know. I fired them once I found out they were making side deals with my customers.”

  “W-what?” I stammered. “Where can I find them?”

  I need answers and I need them now.

  The old man stroked the skunk and eyed me up and down.

  “You look like a nice kid,” he mumbled, his voice low and raspy. “You don’t want to get mixed up with those guys and their foolishness. You wanted to get carted off by the Magistrate?”

  I shrank down inside myself a little. I knew the dangers of what I was doing but it never really hit me until now. Everything I had done up till now has definitely been illegal and if found out, the Magistrate would prosecute to the highest extent of the law.

  I’m getting deeper and deeper and it feels like it’s too late to get out.

  “I just need some answers,” I muttered. “Just so I can clear up some things.”

  The old man shook his head as he put the skunk to the side.

  “Alright,” he grumbled. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  He scribbled down an address and shoved it toward me. I scooped it up and skimmed it.

  “Thanks,” I said, shuffling toward the door.

  The man grunted an incoherent response as I exited the shop.

  I glanced down at the paper again and tried to figure out which way would be the best way to get to the address.

  It’s not too far away, so despite having more money than ever, I decided to save a buck and just walk.

  My brain ran through different scenarios as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on. The old man brought up the Magistrate and other customers being involved in whatever scheme the guys had brewing.

  How do I know there’s not some sting operation being set up to catch some unsuspecting soul such as myself?

  The last thing I wanted was to be arrested and end up living out my days scrubbing out old cauldrons or something. I shook my head to clear the negative thoughts away and focused on finding the right building.

  I finally made it to the small run-down building and had to double check the slip of paper clutched in my hand for a second time.

  Surely this possibly rat-infested place can’t be where they live?

  Despite my shock and reluctance to acknowledge the truth, the address matched perfectly. The door creaked as I struggled to pull it open. I stepped into the damp corridor and gagged at the overpowering scent of mildew.

  I’m going to have hives before this is all over with.

  I knocked on the door and waited nervously for someone to answer. My skin tingled with anticipation as the seconds ticked by. A series of clicks replaced the silence surrounding me and the door yanked open.

  “Ponytail!” exclaimed Ichiro, yanking me inside the cramped apartment.

  He glanced over the top of my head before slamming the door shut behind me.

  “You weren’t followed, were you?” he asked.

  “No,” I said. “Well, I mean, I don’t know. I wasn’t necessarily checking to see if I was being followed. Speaking of being followed, I went to the store and the guy there said he fired you.”

  Ichiro snorted and brushed by me and headed for a tiny chair in the corner. With him out of the way I’m able to get a complete view of the apartment and the entire place was covered in succulents.

  Mom had a green thumb once upon a time and she loved having plants of all sorts and sizes. I reached out to touch one of the leaves on the plant closest to me.

  “Don’t touch that one!” yelled Cuddles, barreling his way down the hall.

  I quickly snatched my hand back out of the way and stared at him nervously.

  “Cuddles is sensitive about his plants,” said Ichiro. “He pitches a fit anytime we get close to them, which is hard as hell given the fact he has them spread out everywhere.”

  Cuddles scowled at Ichiro and gently pushed the plant I was about to touch further back on the shelf.

  “I’m sensitive about you touching my babies. Lettie can touch them, just not this one,” he explained.

  “Why?” I asked eyeing the plant nervously.

  “The sap from this one will blind you,” said Cuddles. “I’d feel bad if you accidently got hurt.”

  “What!” yelled Ichiro. “Why the hell would you keep a plant like that around? The better question is why didn’t you tell me you have something so dangerous like that?”

  Cuddles clenched his jaw and I saw his muscles flex a bit.

  “Because you’d complain forever and we have bigger problems to deal with,” he said.

  Ichiro’s mouth flapped open to respond, but Gavin came out the back drying his hands on a dish towel.

  “Lettie,” he said, glancing around the room. “We were going to come see you.”

  I shifted the grimoire under my arm and scowled.

  “Well, I saved you the trouble,” I snapped. “One of you need to tell me what the hell is going on.”

  Gavin gestured to a small stool near the wall and I stomped over to have a seat.

  “I have nearly been deep fried today to get this grimoire today and I rush to the store to tell you guys about it and a guy petting a skunk says he fired you. He also mentioned something about the Magistrate being involved. I thought the supply shop was part of your cover?”

  Gavin’s gaze flickered over to Ichiro who was a deep shade of red.

  “Didn’t I tell you to stop telling people that?” growled Gavin. “It gives people the wrong idea. Here I am thinking you properly explained things to Lettie.”

  I leaned forward on my stool and studied the faces of the men sitting in front of me.

  “What was he supposed to explain to me?” I asked.

  Ichiro smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. This smile looked more like a nervous response to the shit-storm swirling around us.

  “We’re an up and coming team,” he said, blurting out the words so fast they nearly became incoherent. “The old man may have caught me borrowing a few supplies from the store.”

  “That’s stealing!” I shrieked.

  I’m not necessarily shocked, I mean they did dig up several bodies and steal the wand I’m carrying, so stealing from the store isn’t that bad once you put things into perspective. The bad part was getting caught. It’s a different ballgame when the Magistrate gets involved in the matter.

  “We’re still sorting it out,” said Gavin through clenched teeth. “Ichiro said he had things worked out and wasn’t exactly honest about the details.”

  Ichiro jumped to his feet, his hands balled into tight fists. “I said I would fix it,” he bellowed. “I’m trying to get this damn business off the ground and the two you don’t appreciate my efforts.”

  Cuddles held up both hands as if warding off an impending blow. “Everybody just calm down we can figure this out peacefully.”

  “Put a sock in it, Cuddles,” hissed Ichiro.

  “Don’t talk to him like that,” I snapped. “Obviously you’re the one who messed up and got everybody in trouble.”

  Ichiro’s scowl landed on me. “Don’t you start in on me too, Ponytail. I have enough people beating up on me right now.”

  Gavin took off his glasses and exhaled loudly. “We aren’t beating up on you,” he said, his voice softer than before. “We wanted this thing to work out just as much as you. I just thought things were being done the right way for the most part. Discretion is a major part of what we’re trying to do and now we have too many eyes on us.”

  Ichiro exhaled loudly and circled around the tiny living room angrily.

  “What are we going to do about my familiar?” I asked. “We’re still going to Abaddon, right?”

  “No,” snapped Ichiro.

  Gavin shot him a dirty look and reached out to grab my hand. “What Ichiro means to say is, not right now. Like I said, we have eyes on us right now and we don’t want you getting mixed up in anything. I’m sorry about your familiar, but the best thing to do is probably let her go.”

  “Fuck you,” I hissed.

  I got to my feet and stormed toward the door. The guys looked stunned at my outburst and deep down I’m stunned too.

  “Cecilia’s not much, but she’s all I have. This is a shitty situation and I regret wasting time with you guys. Send me the bill for the phony license and stolen wand. After that’s settled, I want the three of you to stay away from me. You’re frauds and you lied to me.”

  I stormed out of the tiny apartment and practically ran away from the building.

  Nobody is going to help me save Cecilia. I’m on my own with this thing and I’m going to do what I planned to do in the first damn place. Save my friend.

  Chapter Nine

  I’m not sure what the protocol was for a rescue mission or if there was an acceptable dress code, but I did my best.

  I spent the last hour trying out a few summoning and cleaning spells from the grimoire. I’m not sure if the wand likes me enough to work properly on a consistent basis, but it was too late now.

  My hands trembled as I stuffed the grimoire and a handful of snacks into the backpack. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.

  Granola bars will come in handy in a pinch.

  I also stuff an empty canteen bottle in my bag and a thin blanket. I don’t know much about roughing it, but I’ve seen enough television in order to cover the basics.

  A fly buzzed around my head and I aimlessly waved it away before grabbing the lighter and flashlight off of the table. The last thing to go in the bag was a first aid kit. I’m not sure what kind of condition Cecilia was in, and I wanted to be prepared.

  I shouldered the heavy bag and walked into my bedroom. My outfit consisted of a plain T-shirt, leggings, and light up sneakers that Asia claimed to be the highlight of fashion.

  If something happens to the flashlight, I’ll just stomp my feet.

  My hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail out of the way.

  I think that’s that. No turning back now.

  My hands trembled as I stumbled toward the mirror in the corner of the room. I swept away a small section of the salt circle earlier to prepare for this moment. Hopefully it’s enough for me to slip through and not enough for something too dangerous to slip out.

  I clinched my eyes shut as I snatched off the cloth covering the mirror. After a few seconds, I dared to open my eyes just enough to see what was going on. On the other side of the mirror was the dark forest I saw before. Nothing was moving and I couldn’t hear anything either.

  Just put one foot in front of the other.

  I inhaled sharply and stepped forward through the mirror. For a brief moment there was an audible sucking sound and I felt an intense pressure build up around me.

  Once I was sure I was completely through the mirror, I turned to look back into the heart of my bedroom.

  “Damn it,” I grumbled.

  I knew how I was going to get through but I really didn’t consider how I would cover the mirror once I made it through.

  “I’ll deal with it later,” I muttered to myself.

  I turned to face the darkness of the forest once again. Satisfied that nothing was stirring around me, I pulled off my backpack and fished around for the flashlight and the grimoire.

  I’m pretty sure I saw a summoning spell in the book earlier and I prayed it would work on Cecilia now that we’re in the same realm.

  I plopped down on the ground and propped up the flashlight so I could thumb through the pages. A small envelope fell out and I picked it up to examine it closer.

  Grandma mentioned reading something, but my brain is too scattered to remember what it was.

  I turned the envelope over in hands before tucking it away in my backpack. I’d really take the time to look through everything if I made it through this ordeal.

  After a few moments of flipping through the pages again I finally found the right spell.

  I read over the words a few times before mustering up enough courage to build my magick up to really put some force behind them.

  I pulled out my wand and got to my feet to really steady myself. My eyes skimmed the pages one last time before I muttered the words and flicked my wrist.

  Unfortunately, nothing happened.

  The wand didn’t spark or hiss. No bright light shot out of the end of it. Nothing.

  I wrinkled my nose and studied the spell one more time before trying it again, and again nothing happened.

  “Well, that’s anti-climactic,” I grumbled.

  I opted for the old-fashioned way of summoning Cecilia since the spell didn’t work.

  “Cecilia!” I shouted.

  I shouldered my backpack once again after stuffing everything back inside and continued shouting for my familiar.

  Something behind me made a noise and I whipped around to face it, but I didn’t see anything. Whatever it was, one thing for sure, it wasn’t Cecilia. Our bond was still intact, but it was faint, meaning she wasn’t close by.

  I picked up the pace and moved away from whatever was rustling the leaves behind me. Soon, I’m in a full-blown sprint. Something let out a deafening roar and that was all it took for me to completely lose my shit.

  I started firing off repelling spells in the direction of the roar as I put some pep in my step. I’m nobody’s dinner, at least not yet.

  I zig-zagged through the forest hoping to shake off whatever was chasing me. My breath came out in short bursts as I paused long enough to steady my nerves. Just as I turned to keep heading away from the roar, something made a loud rustling sound right behind me.

  My flight instincts kicked in overdrive, but I was able to glimpse a giant bear.

  The scream froze in my throat as I steeled my nerves enough to raise my wand.

  “Stop!” yelled a familiar voice from the trees.

  Ichiro quickly emerged with his wand drawn and pointed at me.

  “W-what’s going on?” I stammered, raising my wand up a bit more.

  I turned back to face the bear, but he had transformed back into Cuddles. He was bent over at the waist and clutching his stomach.

  “Oh my goodness,” I said rushing toward him. “Did I hit you?”

  “No,” he said through clenched teeth. “Shifting can hurt sometimes that’s all. Are you okay?”

  “Yes,” I murmured, tucking the wand into my pocket. “I’m fine.”

  “Well, I’m not,” said Gavin, stumbling out of the woods.

  He’s no longer wearing a shirt since it’s covered in blood and pressed to a gash on his forehead.

  “Did I do that?” I asked moving toward him.

  “Yes,” said Ichiro.

  “No she didn’t,” said Gavin. “I was trying to dodge one of the blasts and a tree limb got me.”

  “Well, you’re the root cause by default,” grumbled Ichiro.

  I tried to focus, but seeing Gavin shirtless was distracting. His abs contracted and relaxed with each breath he took.

  My goodness, the things I’d lick off of a stomach like that.

  “Hello?” said Ichiro waving his hand in front of my face. “Earth to Ponytail!”

  “Huh? What?” I replied, peeling my gaze away from Gavin.

  “Can you stop eye-banging Gavin long enough to answer my questions?” asked Ichiro.

  I stared at him in horror and tried to force the scarlet hue spreading across my cheeks to disappear.

  “I wasn’t eye-banging him,” I retorted defensively.

  I was, but how dare you blurt it out like that. Asshole.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10