Arcane by Elle Park

Author:Elle Park [Park, Elle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-10T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

NOT EVEN HALF an hour passes before the doorbell rings. As usual, Henry is the one to open the door, immediately stepping aside to make room for our visitors.

Our test subjects, I assume.

The pair of strangers both have tan skin, with the girl's just a few shades lighter than the boy's warm, caramel tone. They even have the same black hair and dark eyes, but the similarities seem to end there. Whereas he's tall and lanky, she's short and toned. And while he has a light coat draped over his sweater and chinos, she's dressed almost entirely in smooth, black leather, with only the gray of her tank and the spikes on her boots adding a minimal pop of color.

"Where's the fire?" The girl asks, blowing bubbles with her pink chewing gum and popping them with a snap of her teeth.

Nolan scrunches his face. "What fire?"

"It's an expression," the boy says, rolling his eyes. Unlike Nolan, his accent doesn't sound like it was inspired by American parodies of British dramas. Maybe that explains the flat cap.

"An expression? You mean, like—"

"I mean, what's the big emergency?" Her jaw is clenched, and as if sensing the fact that she won't like his answer, the heat in her glare intensifies with each word that comes out of her mouth. "You freaking hung up without elaborating, then you turned your phone off before I could call back. So, you better tell me where the damn fire is, or else you'll be the first thing I burn down in this freaking junk yard you call a house."

"A threat and an insult all in one breath," Nolan says, pouting. "I mean, a junk yard, really? It's more of a treasure cove, I'd say."

"Why are we here? Three seconds."

"Why the rush? Didn't anyone ever tell you to stop and smell the bushes?"

"The roses," the boy corrects with a sigh. "Stop and smell the roses.'"

"Right," Nolan drawls slowly, "I was just testing you."

"Perhaps you should tell them why their presence was required on such short notice," Henry suggests quietly, standing a little off to the side—just enough to not be caught in the impending slaughter.

"Thank you," the two strangers say.

"You see, Mali? Aggression, hostility, violence and verbal-and-or-physical assault may put an end to your problems, but simple manners will solve them. Now, please do keep that in mind for the..." he pauses, stopping himself from saying something he apparently shouldn't, "next thirty seconds—don't want you to scare off my new apprentice." Loudly clearing his throat before the girl can make a said verbal-and-or-physical assault, he flashes his signature toothy grin. "Kaia," he hooks his arm around my shoulders, "meet Malaya Raxon and Ducky Patel—my groupies from The Academy."

They both ignore the groupies statement.

"So, this is the new toy I've been hearing about," Malaya says, her gaze one of mild interest.

"Don't mind her," the boy snatches my hand, an inch away from pecking it when Nolan slaps his outstretched lips, "she doesn't know how to speak to a lady," he says, winking.

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