Vegan vamp 03- The Elvis enigma by Cate Lawley

Author:Cate Lawley [Lawley, Cate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-12-01T00:00:00+00:00

13

THE CLOSET OF MAGIC

I hurried after Star, Alex, and Bradley through a set of double doors, trying to escape the creepy sensation of a dead guy watching me.

I arrived in time to see Star hand Bradley a silver charm hung from a thin leather strip. “Wear it until Alex and Mallory sort out this voodoo magic issue. And no charge.”

Whoa. I must have missed something. No charge?

Bradley pulled the necklace over his head without comment.

Star leaned down to the lowest shelf and reached back into a corner. She pulled out a black velvet pouch then dumped the contents in her hand: a signet ring. She turned and presented it to Alex.

He had an odd look on his face when he accepted it. “Can I put it on, or do you need to make the adjustments first?”

“Go ahead.”

He slipped the ring onto the pinkie finger of his left hand, and I could feel the tension as he waited for something to happen. But then Star grabbed his hand and held on tight. This was nothing like what she’d done with Bradley. She was gritting her teeth like she was in pain, and Alex’s right hand was balled up tight.

I inched away without realizing it, but when I hit the doorframe, I stopped. Only then, when I couldn’t move away, did I feel the force pushing me away—psychic, physical, magical? I wasn’t sure.

“Done.” Star’s voice was clipped, and she was a little out of breath. She shooed us out of the supply closet, but then pointed at me. “Not you. You need to do a little shopping.”

“Do I get to ask about the aura power wash?” I wasn’t sure where that imagery came from, but after I said it, I decided it sounded right.

“You felt that?” Star asked, then frowned over my shoulder.

“I definitely felt that.” I turned to see Alex dip his chin in a curt nod.

Star bit her lip—the first sign of indecision I’d ever seen her make. “Because of the bindings that cover Alex’s body, I had to adjust the protection charm. Otherwise, the charm would be drained trying to protect him from his own magic. But that won’t be an issue for you. Now come and choose.”

I was feeling conflicted: glad not to have some bizarre force giving my aura a bath, but disappointed that Alex and Bradley got the royal treatment while I was all self-serve.

Star sighed. “Look, protection isn’t cheap, and when someone else is picking up the bill, I know I wouldn’t decline.”

“Speaking of bills,” Alex said, flashing the signet ring, “you better not be charging me for this.”

And that was the first time I’d seen Alex complain about Star’s rates, and enough to distract me from my charm-choosing.

There was a brief and very curious exchange between the two, and Star finally said to me, “I might have lifted that particular item in my younger days.”

Alex’s lips twitched. “From me.”

More of Alex’s very lengthy past, cropping up in the present—why was I not surprised?

Star looked unapologetic.

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