hundred were things I couldn’t tell Davy.
“Night,” Davy said.
“See you,” I said.
Davy hunched his shoulders, and crossed the street to his car. Zay and I made
it to the parking lot, and managed to get under cover before we were soaked.
“Home?” Zay asked, after starting the car.
“How much time do we have before the meeting?”
“It’s only seven o’clock.”
I groaned. “Feels like midnight. Home. I want to eat my scone.” I held up the
wrinkled, slightly damp bag I still had in my hand. Maybe I’d get a chance at a
shower too, or maybe Zayvion would crawl into bed with me for a little bit.
The void stone necklace was still in the cup holder where I’d left it. I had
worried it was making me dizzy, sucking magic out of me too quickly. But right
now I was feeling a little edgy, the magic in me uncomfortably hot. The whole thing
with Anthony and Davy bothered me, but even worse was the problem with Violet
and the disks.
As soon as I thought about her, my dad scratched at the backs of my eyes. Like
I needed a constant reminder of things out of my control.
I could ask Zay to Ground me again. Could recast the Linger spell that had
apparently worn off. Or I could put on the necklace.
Right now, I wanted easy.
I put on the necklace, and sighed as it settled against my skin. Magic cooled,
slowed. Dad stopped scratching. I felt like I’d just taken a painkiller.
Nice.
I watched Zay drive, city lights and shadows sliding down his dark skin,
highlighting his strong features. The windshield wipers kept a steady beat. Zay
didn’t look happy.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“Ask me after the meeting tonight.”
Right. There was another thing to worry about. “How does the Authority usually
handle storms like this?”
“Not well.”
“Ha-ha. I’m serious.”
He looked over at me. His eyes sparked with gold, with magic. It was a feral
look, the eyes of a killer.
“So am I. Magic doesn’t follow the rules when it’s being thrown around in a
storm. If a front is big enough, and organized enough that they know it’s going
to hit Portland, and if the wells are somehow being drained by it . . .”
He shook his head and flicked on the turn signal, changing lanes.
“A lot of things could happen. We’ll just have to deal with things as they
come.” He eased the car into the parking lot behind my apartment and parked.
“That’s it?” I asked. “But this isn’t the first wild-magic storm that’s hit the
city. Every building has a storm rod to channel magic strikes. Dad knew what he
was doing when he invented those.”
“They help. But if the storm is big enough, the storm rods won’t be enough.”
Zay turned off the engine and twisted in his seat toward me. “We’ll handle it.
It’s just different this time.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re going to be there.” He smiled a little, as if his own honesty
surprised him. “These are the sorts of things I didn’t think through when I was
lobbying to get you accepted into the Authority. But now, knowing you’ll be a
part of our fight, of our struggle, against magic . . . that you could get
hurt—” He glanced away. “I don’t know. I know you’re a fighter, Allie. I just
wish you didn’t have to be.”
Actually, that was sweet of him. “I wish you didn’t have to be too.”
He chuckled, and I liked how his eyes curved into crescents. “I’d fight even if
they told me I couldn’t.”
“We’re a lot alike that way. You know I never back down from a challenge.”
He reached over, brushed my hair back, and tucked it behind my ear. “Not the
safest way to go through life.”
“Maybe not. But it’s my way.”
He searched my face, his hand paused to cup the edge of my jaw. I knew he
wanted to say something. I could feel his concern like a hard palm against the
base of my spine.
I was suddenly aware of our connection, of our shared need for the other to be
safe, and our knowledge that it was unlikely either of us
“Night,” Davy said.
“See you,” I said.
Davy hunched his shoulders, and crossed the street to his car. Zay and I made
it to the parking lot, and managed to get under cover before we were soaked.
“Home?” Zay asked, after starting the car.
“How much time do we have before the meeting?”
“It’s only seven o’clock.”
I groaned. “Feels like midnight. Home. I want to eat my scone.” I held up the
wrinkled, slightly damp bag I still had in my hand. Maybe I’d get a chance at a
shower too, or maybe Zayvion would crawl into bed with me for a little bit.
The void stone necklace was still in the cup holder where I’d left it. I had
worried it was making me dizzy, sucking magic out of me too quickly. But right
now I was feeling a little edgy, the magic in me uncomfortably hot. The whole thing
with Anthony and Davy bothered me, but even worse was the problem with Violet
and the disks.
As soon as I thought about her, my dad scratched at the backs of my eyes. Like
I needed a constant reminder of things out of my control.
I could ask Zay to Ground me again. Could recast the Linger spell that had
apparently worn off. Or I could put on the necklace.
Right now, I wanted easy.
I put on the necklace, and sighed as it settled against my skin. Magic cooled,
slowed. Dad stopped scratching. I felt like I’d just taken a painkiller.
Nice.
I watched Zay drive, city lights and shadows sliding down his dark skin,
highlighting his strong features. The windshield wipers kept a steady beat. Zay
didn’t look happy.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“Ask me after the meeting tonight.”
Right. There was another thing to worry about. “How does the Authority usually
handle storms like this?”
“Not well.”
“Ha-ha. I’m serious.”
He looked over at me. His eyes sparked with gold, with magic. It was a feral
look, the eyes of a killer.
“So am I. Magic doesn’t follow the rules when it’s being thrown around in a
storm. If a front is big enough, and organized enough that they know it’s going
to hit Portland, and if the wells are somehow being drained by it . . .”
He shook his head and flicked on the turn signal, changing lanes.
“A lot of things could happen. We’ll just have to deal with things as they
come.” He eased the car into the parking lot behind my apartment and parked.
“That’s it?” I asked. “But this isn’t the first wild-magic storm that’s hit the
city. Every building has a storm rod to channel magic strikes. Dad knew what he
was doing when he invented those.”
“They help. But if the storm is big enough, the storm rods won’t be enough.”
Zay turned off the engine and twisted in his seat toward me. “We’ll handle it.
It’s just different this time.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re going to be there.” He smiled a little, as if his own honesty
surprised him. “These are the sorts of things I didn’t think through when I was
lobbying to get you accepted into the Authority. But now, knowing you’ll be a
part of our fight, of our struggle, against magic . . . that you could get
hurt—” He glanced away. “I don’t know. I know you’re a fighter, Allie. I just
wish you didn’t have to be.”
Actually, that was sweet of him. “I wish you didn’t have to be too.”
He chuckled, and I liked how his eyes curved into crescents. “I’d fight even if
they told me I couldn’t.”
“We’re a lot alike that way. You know I never back down from a challenge.”
He reached over, brushed my hair back, and tucked it behind my ear. “Not the
safest way to go through life.”
“Maybe not. But it’s my way.”
He searched my face, his hand paused to cup the edge of my jaw. I knew he
wanted to say something. I could feel his concern like a hard palm against the
base of my spine.
I was suddenly aware of our connection, of our shared need for the other to be
safe, and our knowledge that it was unlikely either of us
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