Bad Girls Bite by S.L. Choi

Author:S.L. Choi
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781648982767
Publisher: City Owl Press

20

DEFY THE UNIVERSE

The elevator doors hissed open, and the clack of stilettos meant Mae had returned from her date. I glanced at the clock perched directly ahead of me on the bookshelves.

“It’s not even midnight. Was the vampire bad company?”

A miraculously unharmed beach-themed phone landed in my lap.

“I think you dropped something.” Mae shimmied past my chair and lowered herself onto the sofa. Kicking off her heels, she dragged a fuzzy blanket onto her lap.

“How?” I turned the phone over and over in my hand. Not a scratch.

“Security delivered it to Vaughn as I was about to come upstairs.” She fell back into the cushions and closed her eyes. “They installed a net a few stories below the balcony. Blackthorne anticipated your temper and suggested they get ahead of any potential lawsuits resulting from items, like cell phones or teacups, hitting casino clientele in the head.”

I pushed deeper into my seat. If I hadn’t already known Blackthorne was still sailing this ship, I’d know now. It was likely if I removed the camera, he’d have another one installed. Probably more discreet and harder to find. Related or not, I didn’t love that a superpowerful druid had such easy access to my life, but for now I could live with it. YML Investigations already picked up more jobs than we had in Interlands. And our new, rent-free home was a sweet bonus.

“How’d they retrieve it?” I asked.

Lips twisting into a wry smirk, Mae opened her eyes. “The fairies.”

“Oh man, don’t tell Y’sindra. We’ll never hear the…” I choked on my words. How did I continue to forget my sister could no longer fly?

“Hey.” Mae sat up, a small squiggly line of concern marring her smooth brow. “Mom’s salve will work.” The gentle, soft smile and lack of fidgeting told me Mae believed her words. Lying didn’t come easy for my sister. She chewed her nails ragged every time she tried.

Unable to show the same faith, I only nodded.

Mae sucked in a sudden breath and bent over her legs until her head almost rested on her knees. I was on my feet, hovering over her in a heartbeat.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” My sister’s shoulders shuddered beneath my palms, and a cavern opened in my chest. I dropped to a squat and tried to see my sister’s face. “Talk to me, Mae.”

“I’m okay.” She unfolded herself one vertebra at a time until she sat upright, though her arms remained tight across her middle. “I just…I don’t think this is a bad enchilada.”

My sister didn’t get sick. Nothing had changed but the stone’s acceptance of Mae. This was my nightmare.

“Wait here,” I said and jogged into the kitchen. I dumped the basket containing Dad’s portal disks, and they clattered onto the counter. One rolled off the edge and bounced on my toe.

Slight tremors shook my arms. I fumbled with the disk I tried to grab. “Come on,” I said, flexing my hands.

The first device I turned had a frowny face on the back and would lead to Outerlands, as did the next.

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