Without really thinking about it, she soon found herself approaching Raven’s door. He’d been staying with them for a few nights now, and they had chatted, but she hadn’t really spent much quality time with him yet.
She paused.
Was it Raven she wanted to talk to? What about Gentle Water, or Liz? But she dismissed them quickly. They weren’t what she needed, and she began to wonder if she wanted something more than just a chat.
What about Maria? Amanda frowned at the idea, not sure if that was a good idea. Maria could certainly provide some comfort, and would be good to talk to, but what if things went too far? Did she want to go down that path? Maria had been a good friend to her, and she didn’t want to lose that, despite the temptation.
She considered Porting to The Jade Palace and visiting Yoh. But why, when Raven’s door was right here? Doubt bubbled up inside her at the thought of going to any of them for comfort, and maybe something more, and then getting rejected.
No, that was silly. She’d seen their admiring glances, their lingering gazes. They were interested in her just as much as she was in them, surely.
As her mind flicked from Raven to Yoh, and then to Maria, she walked up the corridor, only to find herself right outside Raven’s bedroom.
She knocked on the door gently, hesitantly, still wondering if taking this step was the right thing to do.
The door opened. Raven stood there smiling back into the room as if from a joke he had just heard. She couldn’t help but notice that he lacked a shirt and glanced admiringly at how toned he was. Yep, the fire she felt deep within her and the need to hold him grew. She knew this was the right choice.
A giggle sounded from inside the room.
Raven grinned at… someone, before turning to look at Amanda for the first time, a look of guilt and surprise on his face.
The giggle had been female, and Amanda realised that Raven wasn’t alone tonight. He held a sheet around his waist, covering himself up. “Aaah, no bother, I’m sorry. I thought, I mean, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she stammered. Amanda’s smile had long since fled as she started to move away from the door.
Raven looked at her, his own smile also fading.
“No, no, you’re okay. It’s not a problem, but I’m sorry I can’t invite you in. I have…”
“Company.” Amanda finished. “I understand.”
She offered a consolatory smile and walked away, her ego deflated. She could feel Raven’s gaze on her back as he watched her go before she heard the door to his room softly click closed.
***
Raven shut the door behind him and looked back at the figure in his bed. She held her hand over her mouth, clearly smiling, her eyebrows raised.
“That was close,” he said.
The woman nodded and widened her eyes for a moment before dropping her hand from her mouth.
“Certainly was.” She smiled knowingly.
“You weren’t worried she might see you?”
“Nope,” she said, calmly and cryptically.
“No, I guess not.” He smiled at her. He put his hands on his hips and dropped the towel.
“Well, Monsieur Raven, where were we?” she asked enticingly, flinging the bedsheet that had been covering her away, revealing her beautiful body to him.
Aroused, he climbed onto the bed and descended into her embrace once more, her arms and legs wrapping around him as she pulled him into her, moaning in delight.
***
Amanda sat herself down on her bed with an annoyed scowl on her face. She hadn’t expected to be jilted by Raven. She felt sure that he was single, never having mentioned any kind of relationship in the past year, and now here he was with some girl, in her house no less.
“Feck,” she said to no one at all. That had been an embarrassing and awkward few moments. She didn’t relish the thought of breakfast the next day, seeing Raven and the awkwardness that would no doubt surround them.
She fell backwards onto her bed, her arms out to either side of her and sighed. She didn’t feel like going to bed. Quite the opposite. She wanted to be out of the house, away from the situation. She wanted to go somewhere she knew, somewhere she might meet someone and have a fun night.
She considered visiting Yoh or calling Maria, but her encounter at Raven’s door had killed the need to jump into their arms. She wanted to be out, away from these Magi, and spending some time with someone who didn’t know Magic.
A thought occurred to her then. She had been meaning to visit Howie at his club since getting back, but the moment hadn’t seemed right so far.
It seemed right, now, though.
She sat up and thought about it. She could shower, find an outfit, and get over there pretty quickly. Hell, Lucian knew where she lived now, there was no need to hide it anymore, she should just get out there and enjoy herself.
The idea really appealed to her, so she jumped up and hopped into the bathroom to freshen up.
***
Half an hour later, she Ported to the other side of town. She stepped to the edge of the alleyway she’d appeared in and looked at the Dark Side of the Moon Nightclub on the other side of the street. It hadn’t changed at all.
The converted church looked the same as it had just a couple of years ago. The building looming over her like a black monster in the darkness. Multi-coloured lights danced on the inside, visible through the darkened windows as they pulsed and moved to the deep bass that she could feel even here, across the street. Wondering if Howie still worked there, she stepped out and made her way across the road, dodging around taxi cabs to approach the main entrance with its purple neon sign over the doorway. Other revellers and clubbers hung about outside the club chatting, drinking, smoking, and copulating in the shadows.
Amanda wore her bright red hair loose, cascading down over a fitted, green-sequinned, mini-dress with long sleeves. It was an outfit she’d bought a while back, but she hadn’t until now found the right moment to wear it. She strode over the road in her black high heels that clicked-clacked on the asphalt as she walked.
A few semi-drunk guys catcalled her as she approached the club. She ignored them. She wasn’t interested in their drunken attentions.
She needed to know if there might be any threats to her in the club, so she shifted her perception into the Magical spectrum. The world around her burst into golden light as the Essentia all around her suddenly became visible. She scanned the building and the bouncers with her Aetheric Sight, but everything seemed clean, no residual Magic here at all. So far, so good.
The club had been open a while, and the queue had dwindled somewhat, but she didn’t feel like standing in line. Ignoring the queue, she walked up to the doorway and reached out with her Magic into the minds of the two bouncers who stood to either side of the door.
With a little Magical suggestion, they stepped aside and let her in. She also pushed a little deeper into the mind of one of them and within moments confirmed that Howie did still work here. In fact, he was now the head bouncer for the entire club. She smiled as she walked past the people in the queue, a couple of whom mouthed off about the skinny redhead who was too good to queue with the rest of them.
Amanda ignored the comments and stepped inside.
Colour and sound exploded around her as she entered the club. The whole room seemed to move and undulate as the vast throng of people danced to the music that reverberated through her chest.
She scanned the room and saw a few other members of the security team scattered about. Her enhanced vision soon picked out Howie, standing towards the back of the room next to the VIP lounge with two other security guys. She started to walk around the room, making her way towards him, watching him the whole time. He seemed happy, laughing and talking animatedly to his colleagues about something.
She stopped and leant against a pillar where she had a good view of him. She just wanted to watch him for a while, without him knowing she was here.
Seeing him happy and enjoying his work, me
lted her heart and gave her a lovely warm feeling inside. Howie had been kind to her when no one else had. He had taken her in and got her off the streets, which in turn, led to everything else and brought her here, today.
A true friend and a gentleman, he didn’t like it when Amanda took to the streets with Georgina, prostituting herself. She understood why he didn’t like it, but at the time, it had been the right choice for her, something she had to do. Her options had always been limited back then. As an illegal immigrant, she would have been deported had she come to the attention of the authorities.
She smiled to herself. She was still trying to justify her actions to Howie, even in her head.
Well, it didn’t do her any good waiting here, she thought, so she walked around the dancefloor. She stopped a few meters from him and took a moment to admire him. He was still as handsome as ever with his hair shaved short against his dark skin and nicely tailored suit. He looked good, she thought as she watched him watch the crowd dance in time with the music.
It took a minute or so for him to see her, and he did a double-take when he finally did. A look of surprise and disbelief crossed his face. He waved hesitantly at her. She smiled back and motioned her head for him to come over.
Howie excused himself from the conversation he’d been part of and walked over, dodging drunk dancers as he approached.
“Amanda, wow! It’s great to see you! How are you?” he asked with enthusiasm, but Amanda didn’t miss the wary look in his eyes and nervous twitch at the corner of his mouth as he spoke.
“Hiya, I’m grand thanks. It’s great to see you! One of the guys said you’d been promoted, is that right?”
“Yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed about his success. “I run security for this whole place now. I’m not just on the doors these days. Seems, they like what I do here.”
“That’s excellent, Howie! I’m pleased for you.”
“How about you? How have you been? It’s been ages.”
“I know.”
“You’re looking great, by the way.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you still with Georgina?”
He didn’t know what had happened, but he saw right away the way her face fell and her eyes took on a sad, faraway look.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude…”
Amanda smiled and put her hand up to stop him mid-flow.
“It’s fine, don’t worry,” she said and took a deep breath. “Georgina passed away.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“No, of course you didn’t. It’s no bother. It was a few years back, now. I’m over it, mostly. Took some time out, went back to Ireland, made some new friends who helped me get through it, so I did.”
“So, are you just visiting New York?”
Amanda smiled more fully again, looking back up at Howie’s soulful eyes.
“No, I’ve moved back, so I’m here permanently.” It felt good to say that. To hear it out loud that she wouldn’t be leaving the city any time soon. Not of her own choice, anyway.
“That’s great, Amanda. Are you working, then? What are you doing?”
Amanda was sure Howie was fishing to find out if she was back working streets, but she chose to put him out of his misery.
“No job at the moment. I came into some money a little while back so I’m just enjoying life. I have no desire, or need, to go back to the streets, either.”
Howie flushed slightly, realising that she knew what he’d been wanting to know and feeling embarrassed that she’d seen through his question.
“I know you didn’t like me working the streets, Howie. So, here’s me saying sorry. Alright? I’m sorry. Are we grand?”
She could see him relax as she spoke.
“We are. I’m just happy to see that you’re alright and doing well.”
“Thank you. Would you like to get a drink?” she asked.
“I can’t, I’m afraid. Work stuff. We have a busy night tonight, so I’m going to be run off my feet. Can I have a rain check?”
“Of course, Howie, anything for you. Another time, maybe.” Amanda felt disappointed, but it wasn’t surprising. She had just waltzed in here and kind of expected him to drop everything for her. But he had responsibilities now that he couldn’t just walk away from. They hugged and said goodbye before she made her way through the crowds of people to the exit, the music becoming muffled as she stepped outside into the cool night air.
Nearby, she found a low wall and sat down on it. It didn’t seem to be her night at all. It had been great to see Howie, and they had swapped numbers so they could arrange to meet up again. Something she felt keen to do soon. But that didn’t help her tonight.
Seeing Howie brought back the feeling she’d had earlier in the night, before she’d knocked on Raven’s door. She wanted to be with someone. Someone who knew what she was going through. Someone she could just be with.
She thought about calling Maria, but it seemed like a lot of hassle when The Jade Palace was just a few blocks away.
So, she jumped up from the stone wall, brushed the debris off her rear, and left the club behind.
***
A short while later, after a much-needed walk that helped clear her mind, she stood outside the back door to The Jade Palace and reached out to Yoh’s mind. The link she had previously created with Yoh let her presence be felt by him, even though he was inside his Aegis-protected building. She felt the link open up right away and could feel Yoh’s presence.
~I’m outside, can you let me in?~ she asked.
~Sure, Amanda-san. Are you okay?~ Yoh's voice sounded in her mind.
~Grand, just grand.~
It didn’t take long. Within a few short moments, she sat in his living room, upstairs at the back of the building. She relaxed into her chair across from Yoh, holding a drink in her lap.
“Thanks for coming over. You certainly dressed up for me,” he observed.
Amanda laughed, looking down at the shimmering green dress she had on.
“Yeah,” she said, drawing out the word in a sarcastic tone.
“I take it you’ve been out tonight?”
“Visited an old friend at a club not too far from here.”
“Aaah, I see. You don’t seem too happy about it.”
“No, I am. It was great to see him. He was busy, though, so…”
“You came here.”
Amanda nodded, looking down at her drink. She wasn’t entirely sure if she should be here. Sure, it felt like a great idea back at the club. But she really wasn’t sure what she wanted from Yoh, now that he sat not six feet from her.
She’d gone to see Raven, if she was brutally honest with herself, for some affection and maybe some sex. When she found out he had been getting that elsewhere tonight, she’d gone to the club to see Howie—on the rebound. Seeing him had been great, but their lives were so far apart now. She wouldn’t have been able to talk to him. Also, he’d never been interested in her in that way, as far as she knew, and she didn’t want to ruin things before she got to know him again.
Then she came here, still on the hunt for something that, maybe, she just didn’t need. She barely knew Yoh, really, and here she was, alone with him in his apartment, wearing a sexy little dress that barely covered her ass.
She felt cheap, like she’d been out for one thing and one thing only. But now, having given herself some distance from it, some perspective, she felt like she could see herself from the outside and wondered if her desperation for some affection would be as obvious to others.
“Forgive me for saying so, Amanda-san, but you seem a little… off balance, if you don’t mind me saying so.”
Her eyes flicked up and she looked at him from under her scarlet eyebrows.
“That’s probably accurate. With everything that happened today, with Lucian turning up like that, it’s thrown me into a bit of a tailspin, I think.”
“Hai. He can do that to you.”
“I don’t understand how he found us, though. We were so careful.”
“He has his resources. I suppose it was inevitable. I’m surprised he has not found me yet, actually. Although my circumstances are somewhat different,” he mused.
“Different?” Amanda asked, curious as to what he meant.
“Well, no one knew I had come here. I didn’t announce it to the US covens. I just slipped in quietly and kept to myself for a long time. I, of course, soon found out about Lucian and even talked with Victoria.”
“You were more careful, is what you’re saying?”
“Maybe. I also keep to myself and don’t interfere with Lucian or his plans.”
“Fair play to yeh.”
Yoh smiled. “You seem to have a period of grace with Lucian yourself, though. Something that’s totally out of character, I must admit.”
Amanda took a deep breath. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach return, the nerves of having to deal with another Nomad, someone who could likely kill her very easily. And then there was his sponsor, Nymira, the Haitian Arch Magus who regularly came to his aid. Someone else Amanda didn’t feel like meeting any time soon.
Tonight’s antics were almost certainly linked to the threat Lucian posed. The need for some affection and wanting to do something she felt confident doing. She’d spent two years on the streets of New York as a working girl. She was good at that. She felt confident when it came to sex.
She didn’t feel anywhere near as confident when it came to her Magical abilities. But Lucian knew where she lived now, he would be after her and he wanted her dead.
Maybe he knew others had been in the house with her today. Maybe he knew that she had backup and that’s why he didn’t attack. He was assessing her strength, deciding whether he needed to ask his master, Nymira for assistance.
“Oh, shite, what have I gone n’ got myself into this time?” she asked, lifting her head to the ceiling, talking to no one, really, other than herself. She buried her head in her hands as a sob racked her body.
Magi Legend Page 26