Magic Today by Anna McCluskey

Author:Anna McCluskey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: humorous fantasy, urban fantasy female lead, urban fantasy thriller, secret society fiction, asexual fiction
Publisher: Anna McCluskey
Published: 2020-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

12.

Mattie walked slowly down the small segment of sidewalk between the two houses, lost in thought, automatically stepping over the uneven buckling of concrete every few feet.

Ida had clammed up and insisted that Trevor be present for her story about the Auditors. “I don’t have a lot of time left on this earth,” she’d declared. “And I’m not going to waste any of it by telling the same tale twice.”

Which was fair enough. And then the elderly speller had declared herself in need of some time to “ponder,” so she’d taught Mattie how to spell a door unlocked and sent her back to Trevor’s house.

Trevor. She should call him, see how his mission was going, tell him all about her encounter with Ida.

That headache that had been forming between her eyes was fully developed now. She rubbed her forehead and sighed. Might as well get on with it.

Just as she pulled out her phone to call Trevor, it rang. She glanced at the screen and saw that Trevor was already calling her. So he probably hadn’t been kidnapped by the mythological Auditors yet – finally a piece of good news.

Mattie hit answer and held the phone to her ear. “What’s up?”

But before he could respond, something smashed into Mattie’s side and she found herself tumbling onto the soft grass of Trevor’s small sloping front lawn, pinned down by a heavy weight. She rolled over onto her back and stared into the light brown eyes of the sharp-faced man who had tackled her.

He was grinning.

“Ugh!” she yelled. “Get the fuck off of me!”

The man’s brow furrowed, his smile slowly fading. “What?” His tenor voice was filled with puzzlement.

“You heard me. Get off! Who are you? What do you think you’re doing?”

He scrambled to his feet, towering over her.

Mattie sat up, rubbing her left arm. She must have fallen right on it – there would be a bruise for sure. She looked up and raised her eyebrows.

“Well? Are you going to explain yourself? Or is this some kind of absurd rom-com-esque ploy to get me to fall madly in love with you? Gonna tell you right now, buddy – everything in those movies is actually creepy as hell. This,” she gestured widely between the two of them, “is not a meet-cute. This is you asking to be maced.”

“Tillie, I–”

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Mattie muttered. She lifted her voice, speaking slowly and enunciating each syllable. “Ob-serve your surr-ound-ings.”

Mattie grabbed the ends of her hair in both hands, lifting it off her shoulders. “Long hair.” She dropped her locks and gestured toward her clothing. “Basic grey tank top. Ragged old hoodie. And these jeans were ten dollars.”

The man continued to stare at her.

She sighed and pushed herself to her feet, brushing bits of grass off of her behind. “I’m not Tillie, you asshole. I’m Mattie.”

He gaped some more.

“Tillie’s twin sister?” She raised an eyebrow. “We’re identical.”

“Identical?” he said.

Clearly not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. She eyed him, wondering if he was a client or someone Tillie was dating.

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