Sacrifice of the Sorcerer by William Massa

Author:William Massa
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Critical Mass Publishing
Published: 2020-06-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Karen pulled up to the wrought-iron gates in her red Fiat giving Alice her first glimpse of the armed guards fronting the mega-mansion. The fitness instructor suddenly felt out of her league.

As the guards checked Karen’s paperless invite on her phone, Alice wished she’d never answered her friend’s call. She had no business being here, wasn’t ready for this crowd. She was just a regular Midwestern girl who liked to work out. She didn’t belong to this world of Silicon Valley wealth and splendor and decadence.

Karen flashed her a smile and squeezed her hand, almost as if she had direct access to her thoughts.

“Snap out of it, girl, we’ll have a great time tonight.”

Karen parked her car next to a row of far more impressive luxury cars, Teslas being the vehicle of choice among the invitees.

One of the guards pointed them toward the main entrance, and they joined the arriving crowd in the mansion’s front lobby.

Alice did her best not to stare and failed miserably. Everything was bigger and shinier and more glamorous than she could have imagined in her wildest dreams. The guests all seemed to know each other, conversation and laughter coming easily between them.

How was she going to fit in among this crowd of movers and shakers, millionaires and billionaires, stars and superstars? Why would any of these people attend an online class taught out of a dingy studio and streamed with the help of software most likely developed by one of them? It all felt like a cruel joke.

Coming here had been one colossal mistake. Sensing her unease, Karen elbowed her and pointed at the nearby self-serve bar.

“Let’s get something to drink. It’ll help you relax.”

Before Alice could protest, Karen had snatched her arm and was dragging her toward the bar area. Moments later, she was sipping a glass of red wine that made the Australian imports she usually consumed taste like vinegar.

Karen smiled at her over the rim of her own glass. “Not bad, huh? I think a bottle goes for a hundred bucks, and that’s the discount price.”

Karen’s words almost made her choke on her wine. She usually shied away from alcohol, booze equals empty calories, a no-no for any serious fitness instructor, and one drink was all she needed to enjoy a social event.

Today was a different story, though.

Alice drank her wine too quickly, and within minutes, she was pouring herself a second glass. The tightness in her shoulders eased with every sip, and before long, she found herself smiling. The wine was working its magic.

Karen knocked back her own drink and took Alice’s hand. “Time to make some new rich friends. Let me start by introducing you to some folks.”

With these words, Karen pulled Alice into the center of the social circle. Before long, Alice was fighting off the attention of both men and women who wanted to learn more about Flexfitness. She barely noticed how one male guest-filled her glass again—when was the last time she had three drinks in one evening? College?

Meanwhile, the crowd had swallowed Karen.

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