Society of Wishes by Elise Kova & Lynn Larsh

Author:Elise Kova & Lynn Larsh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Published: 2018-01-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Penthouse

“NOT MAGIC, JUST technology. The same trusty technology humanity has been using in place of magic since the dawn of man.” Jo did one final sweep of the desktop, making sure she’d erased all trace of her presence on the computer. Even if she could disappear into thin air with a tap of her watch, old habits involving covering her tracks were hard to break.

Wayne was unconvinced. “Firstly, technology has not replaced magic from the dawn of man. Secondly, while technology was involved, I know magic when I see it.”

“Not everything in the world is magic. The supernatural is what technology can’t explain yet,” she countered on instinct. Jo inwardly cringed the moment she espoused the same thing she’d heard for years as a kid.

“Really? You have that opinion now? Just when you seem to be settling in to being part of a magic society?”

Jo shook her head. “Ignore me. I’m sounding like my father and I hate that.”

Wayne watched her carefully for a long second, and gave a nod. “Can’t have that, can we, doll?”

“Definitely not.” Jo unlocked the door, swinging it open just enough before she tapped her watch. The hotel was oblivious to their presence as they stepped out of the private office. Wayne strode over to a grouping of couches, plopped himself down on one and motioned for her to follow. As she sat, he pushed the button on his watch and Jo did the same with hers.

One bellhop seemingly noticed their pop back into reality. He was so startled from his daydreams, staring off at nothing in their general direction, that he nearly fell over standing in place. He blinked at them twice, shook his head, and looked away.

“Shall we check in?” Wayne stood.

“Why did we sit?” Jo wondered aloud as she followed him back toward the front desk.

“I find it’s less jarring if you’re not in people’s line of sight when you activate your time.” He shrugged. “No matter how you appear, they just sort of play it off as if they haven’t been paying enough attention to their surroundings. But that process moves faster if it’s more of a ‘corner of the eye’ kind of thing. Being lower helps with that.”

Jo looked back at the bellhop who was still regarding them warily. “I get that, I guess.”

“Checking in for two, Espinosa.” Wayne leaned against the counter smugly. His eyes drifted over the set-up where a woman was presumably pulling up their reservations. If Jo didn’t know better, she’d have said he was the hotelier stopping in to make sure everything was running according to his expectations.

Jo watched him thoughtfully, putting aside his tiresome antics of clinging to the 1920s and incessant use of “doll” to see the man with new eyes. His suit, while dated, looked like it was freshly pressed. It was tailored with impeccable skill and had an air of “intentional retro” that almost seemed to fit with the two-hundred-fifty-year-old hotel. He looked well put-together.

In contrast. . . Jo looked down at her bargain-bin jeans and tired hoodie.

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