Essence of Magic (Ruby Morgan Book 1)

by LJ Rivers

  Charlie returned as one of the boys slammed his fist on the table.

  “Bloody freaks. Get them off our streets! And put the game back on,” the boy shouted.

  “They sure taste great, though,” another one said before they bumped fists and burst out laughing.

  Charlie gave me a look while pushing a bottle toward me, the obligatory lime stuffed into the neck of it. “Here. Hold this. It’s really cold.”

  I grimaced at her but grabbed the bottle. Message received. This would be a dangerous place to have fire shoot from my hands.

  “Good call,” I whispered.

  “Hashtag Racism,” Jen announced and snapped a picture of the boys before she stood and waltzed over to Brendan’s table. “You’re a bunch of rotting racists,” she said with as loud a voice as possible without yelling.

  “Chill, babe.” The boy who had called out freaks leaned back in his chair, eyeing Jen up and down. His shoulders were broad, his light brown hair ruffled with intent to just the right amount of dishevelled.

  “Chill?” Jen lifted one side of her lip in blatant disgust.

  He winked at her and reached out. I wasn’t sure what he was planning to do, but was relieved when Brendan’s hand wrapped around his friend’s arm, firmly moving it backwards.

  “Behave,” Brendan said, then turned to Jen. “He’s had one too many tonight. We would be very happy if you would join us, though. If he gets bothersome, we’ll kick his arse back to his room.” He was still talking to Jen, but his gaze had turned to me.

  I stared back at him, unable to avert my eyes, before he broke the connection and smiled at Jen. “So, what do you say?”

  Jen crossed her arms, tapping her left foot against the floor. “I’ll have to check with my girls first. Not sure why they would want to sit with a narrow-minded bunch like you lot. Unless you decide to kick that one—” She angled her head at the drunken friend. “To the curb.”

  “I’m sorry, all right? Game’s back on, so can we just leave it?” the boy mumbled. “Why are babes always so sensitive?”

  “People are people,” Jen said. “Not freaks. I’m not babes to you, and our streets are everyone’s streets. This is 2019, dumbass. Or are you the kind that would rather close the borders and have me sit at home, knitting socks?”

  “People are people, sure. Mags are not people, though.” The boy tripped on his words, blinking fast as if he had something stuck in his eye. “They don’t belong here.”

  “And where do you suppose they should go?” Jen held her arms together so tight, her veins looked like they were about to pop out of her skin. She was probably fighting the urge to slap him as much as I was straining not to set fire to anything.

  I clutched the bottle tightly in my hands, taking deep breaths. Not here.

  The boy opened his mouth, then shut it. His body convulsed before he scrambled out of his seat and stumbled outside as fast as his brawny legs could carry him.

  Brendan shrugged, then waved at me. “You wanna join us? Nick’s out for the rest of the night.”

  Charlie handed me her drink and picked up two chairs, nodding at the boys. As we neared the table, Brendan pulled out Nick’s now empty chair, inviting me to sit.

  “Hello again, Ruby Ruby Morgan,” he said.

  “Hey.” The word stuck in my throat and came out a pitch higher than intended. He remembered my name.

  “Sorry about the mess. Nick is better served sober.”

  “Somehow I doubt that,” I said.

  Brendan smirked and I picked the lime from my drink, squeezing a few drops into the bottle.

  “So, you’re Irish, huh?” I almost pounded my head on the table. What a stupid thing to ask. Like I couldn’t think of anything better to say? Of course he was Irish. Great job. He had to think I was hiding a head of blonde tresses underneath all that red.

  “Sure looks like it.”

  I grabbed at the first common denominator that sprang to mind. “You know Diane?”

  “Only since Monday. Word is she and her crew throws a mean party, though.” He glanced at his phone. “Speaking of which, the pub is about to close. You girls going to Diane’s?”

  Charlie downed the last swig of her Corona before placing the bottle firmly on the table. “Of course we are.”

  We left as a group, having added Brendan and three of his mates to our entourage for the night. Charlie was chatting up a bloke named John, while Jen had two boys, Jack and Reece, one on each arm, leading the way.

  Brendan and I trailed a few paces behind the others. We didn’t talk much, but it wasn’t that awkward silence you sometimes get when you’re around strangers and don’t know exactly what to say. It just was.

  An almost full moon shone down on us, and the sky was lit with stars reflected on the still water of the lake. We were walking underneath an archway of lilacs when Brendan bumped my shoulder, angling his head at Charlie and his friend.

  “John doesn’t stand a chance, does he?”

  I exhaled in a puff. “Probably not.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  An old building rose ahead. It was beautifully maintained, no peeling paint, and the arched windows looked like they had been set in place only yesterday.

  A girl stumbled past us as John opened the door to Raven Court for Charlie. The booming notes from ‘Higher Love’ thundered from the large speakers on either side of the room. Jen was escorted by Jack and Reece, while Brendan and I walked in last.

  “Jello shot?” A lanky boy with spiky black hair and skin the colour of a late autumn sunset presented us with a tray full of small cups ranging in colours from yellow to deep purple.

  “Don’t mind if I do,” Jen said, leaning forwards. “We’ll all take one.”

  I hesitated but Jen placed a cup of red jello firmly in my hand and gave me a stern look.

  “Cheers,” Brendan said.

  Everyone cheered back and the cups were all empty seconds later. I looked around the group, all staring back at me as I still had a full cup in my hand.

  “Oh, sod off,” I said, then downed the jello in one go. It really tasted like jello and not like whatever else was bound to be in the mix.

  The boy with the tray swayed on his feet. “Awesome. Welcome to Raven Court. There’s punch in the kitchen. And more shots.” He winked and scurried off.

  “Punch!” Charlie grabbed John’s arm and walked straight into Duncan.

  “Hey, Char,” Duncan snorted. “Fun night, huh? Meet Liv.”

  Liv was half standing, half supporting herself on Duncan and the nearest table. Her knees were bent at odd angles and she had streaks of mascara underneath her eyes, mirroring her clotted lashes. She glanced at me and the others, then turned her head up at Duncan.

  “I need—” she started but never finished. Her mouth opened and closed as if she was trying to trap flies with it.

  “Sorry girls.” Duncan snickered. “We have a date.” The two of them hobbled past our group and into the night.

  Charlie stared at the closed door for a moment before she grabbed onto John’s arm again. “Punch, right?”

  The boy grinned at her and nodded before they strutted off.

  Jen poked the boys at her sides on the shoulders. “We don’t need any punch. I’ve got my own stash.” She opened her navy-blue bag, a perfect match for her one-piece, showing everyone the bottles inside. “Catch you later,” she said and walked off with the boys.

  “That leaves us then, Ruby Rubes,” Brendan said.

  “Please don’t call me Rubes,” I said, holding my hand up apologetically. “Don’t ask.”

  “As long as you stick to B, and not Bren, we’re good.” He smacked his lips. “B B works, too. Or the even better O’Callaghan O’Callaghan.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, ’cause that wasn’t long-winded at all.”

  A couple got up from a sofa further into the room and I took Brendan’s hand, pulling him with me before I had a chance to think about it. I retracted my arm and we
dumped down on the soft velvet pillows. Raven Court was much more spacious than our flat. The living room alone was probably four times the size of the one we had at Craydon.

  “How many people live here?” I asked.

  “Diane, and three others. This is the poshest place on campus. You can bet your shorts her parents have deep pockets.”

  It did look expensive. Especially for student housing. “That reminds me, I need to start looking for a job.”

  Brendan lit up. “Milady.” He stared at me with those sparkly blue eyes again. “Your knight is at your service. I happen to know a place looking for people right now. Nick works there, so you’ve already got an in.”

  “And where might this magical job be, oh knight.” I bit my lip. I had decided to play along but it turned out sounding exactly as cheesy as I was hoping to avoid. Brendan didn’t seem to mind, however, and he took my hand again. It was warm to the touch, his skin rougher than I would have expected. I hadn’t taken the time to notice the feel of his hand when I mindlessly guided him to the first free seat I could find.

  “It’s at a cinema down in Croydon,” he said. “Pay’s below decent but it’s a paying job for doing next to nothing. Plus, they give you free film posters.” He inched closer. “I’ll make sure Nick gets you an interview. It’s just a formality, though. That place will hire anybody, so the job is practically yours already if you want it.”

  “Oh, anybody, you say? Even me?”

  “I didn’t mean it like—”

  “Relax, B. I’m just having a laugh. I really do want a job, and appreciate your help.”

  Did I want a job, though? My mum had been very clear I needed one. Wanting one, however, was not the same. But this sounded like an easy solution.

  “Settled then. I’ll talk to Nick when he’s sober,” Brendan said and pulled his fingers through his thick hair, wiggling to fall deeper into the sofa, making me sink further down as well. I was about to open my mouth to say something stupid again when Charlie sauntered over with a girl on her arm.

  “What happened to John?” I asked.

  “He was chugging down a jug of beer last I saw.” Charlie chuckled, snuggling closer to the girl. “Oh, this is … Emma?” She looked at the girl like a big question mark was painted on her forehead.

  “It’s Helen!” Helen tossed her hair back and stomped off to the makeshift dance floor where she started dancing with another girl.

  “Oops,” Charlie said, her eyes shifting to the door and back again. “Seems I lost another one tonight. I think I’ll sniff around a bit more, though.”

  She walked off again, but I didn’t take my eyes off my friend. It was more than obvious where Charlie was headed, even if she was slipping in and out of clusters of people, taking large detours to her final destination—the door. I frowned as Charlie eased her way outside.

  I stood, Brendan’s hand dropping out of mine.

  “I need to check on her. I think.”

  “Why? Seems like she can handle herself.”

  “She has this habit I’m not sure she can shake.”

  He raised his eyebrows like he understood exactly what I meant. “Sounds like you better go find her then.” He bounced out of the sofa. “See you around Ruby Ruby Morgan.”

  And then he was off. I hadn’t had time to blink before he was getting his groove on next to Emma. Or was it Helen? That had taken a quick turn, but I didn’t have time to be insulted. I all but ran for the door, nearly tripping over Duncan’s date on the steps outside.

  Liv gave me an annoyed look before she crawled past the steps and curled up by the wall. We would have to check on her later. No one should be alone in a state like that. Right now, however, I had to find Charlie.

  My gut was churning, telling me that I had more than a little reason for concern. It was my inherited intuition, Mum used to say, the fact that I could sense things others couldn’t. It was often hard to separate the feelings I got from my normal paranoia, but Mum had repeatedly tried to teach me to trust my instincts, and this was one time when I would.

  I passed a few people as I hurried through the archway of lilacs near Raven Court and onto the large area of green surrounding the lake.

  A shadow moved behind a tree and the sight of it made my skin prickle. It reminded me of something from a dream—my childhood maybe? What was that? It was too quick for me to get a real look at it, and yet it was like something awful had seeped into my skin. The undeniable feeling of dread grew with every breath as I moved closer before running down to where the shadow had been. It was the same tree where I had seen the girl in red sneakers at my arrival.

  A short laugh issued from behind the trunk. Charlie’s laugh.

  “There you are.” I drew in a deep breath, steadying myself.

  “It’s amazeballs, Ru. You’ve got to try this.” Charlie levitated a hair’s breadth off the ground, spread her arms and floated forward on her stomach. “It makes you fly.”

  “Charlie!”

  “Oh, right. You don’t need this, do you?” She twirled mid-air, shifting her body to face me. “Fly with me.”

  “I can’t fly.” I crossed my arms.

  “Sure about that? You’re missing out big time.” She laughed again, louder and more intensely this time.

  I dropped to my bottom with the trunk at my back, glaring at Charlie. Had we not had this conversation only hours ago? Granted, we didn’t know each other that well yet, but I had hoped to make Charlie understand. My roommate belted out some song I didn’t recognise before she twirled a few times more above the lake and back again. The song stopped suddenly, and Charlie’s hands flew to her chest. She plummeted to the ground like a rock being dropped off a cliff.

  “Charlie?” I knelt next to her.

  There was no response. Charlie kept clutching her chest and her body jittered. Her eyes rolled back, leaving only a tiny slit of white between her eyelids.

  “Charlie. Don’t joke about this!”

  I was grasping. This was evidently no joke. My new friend was having a heart attack. Like Dad. Only then, I hadn’t been there to help him. I sniffled and shook my head. I was here now.

  “I won’t let you die!”

  I turned my head back, but nothing seemed to move apart from a few leaves in the wind, so I continued to drag Charlie into the shade of the tree. One day. One single day, and I was already as far out of the safe zone as I could get. Maybe Mum had been right. Coming here had been a risk, and I had not cared to consider how big a risk it was.

  “You owe me big time,” I said before twisting Charlie’s hands apart and putting my own down over her heart. The warm sensation of my magic sparked up in my veins like it had so many times before, coursing through my blood to expel from my skin, at the same time expelling the earlier sensation of dread along with it. A glow like a small sun formed in my palms, rays of golden hues twisting over Charlie’s torso. If anyone was watching, they would already know what I was, but I couldn’t think about that now. I had to save my friend.

  “Come on, hun,” I whispered.

  Charlie’s heartbeat was slow. Too slow. Why wasn’t it working?

  “Come on,” I cried. It had to work but Charlie was almost gone already. “Don’t you dare die on me like this. You hear me, Charlie? Fight!”

  The heartbeats were almost gone, beating further and further apart. Drops of perspiration trickled down my temples when the pounding beneath my palms began to speed up again. Closer now. Harder. Spots of red blended with the sun-like colours before Charlie’s eyes flew open.

  She coughed and rolled to her side, shivering as if it were midwinter.

  “You’re all right,” I said, wiping my face and drawing the cool air into my lungs. “You’re all right!” I removed my jacket, placed it over my friend, and watched as the magic retracted back into my body.

  Someone moved through the archway, and a familiar voice called out.

  “Ruby? Charlie?” Jen turned towards us and sprinted to the tree. “What the h
ell happened?”

  “She got some tainted blood, I think. Nearly lost her.”

  “Merde! Stupid girl.”

  We wrapped our arms around Charlie, supporting her as best we could.

  “We need to get her to the hospital,” Jen said.

  “No,” I said, a little too snappy.

  Jen tilted her head, her brows low.

  “I mean, MagX is illegal,” I continued. “And she’s better now than she was. She would kill us if we messed up her education.”

  “True. We’ll take her back to Craydon then. But first sign that she’s not recovering, I’ll take her to the hospital.”

  “Deal.”

  With some effort, we got Charlie home and into bed. We covered her in duvets, and her skin slowly began to regain some colour. I had healed her heart, but even I couldn’t clean the alcohol from her blood. She would have to sleep it off.

  I was staring at the mascara under Charlie’s eyes when I remembered something. “Will you watch her, Jen? I have to go back and check on someone.”

  “I won’t leave her side,” Jen said, not taking her eyes off our friend.

  Charlie couldn’t possibly have a better watchdog, so I left and rushed back to Raven Court. I stopped outside, scanning the area. No Liv.

  “You seen Olivia? I’ve looked everywhere for her,” someone said behind me.

  I jumped as Duncan placed his arm over my shoulder.

  “She was here about an hour ago,” I said.

  “Selfish broad. She had my last fix.” He went to sit on the steps.

  “She didn’t look like she could go anywhere.”

  “Where there’s a will and all that,” Duncan said, and lit a cigarette.

  Maybe he was right, but Liv had been in no condition to move much. I shouldn’t have left her on her own. Then again, Charlie would be dead if I hadn’t.

  Someone had to have got her home. I decided to believe she had found help, and yet I couldn’t shake the blaring bells ringing at the back of my head.

  Chapter Ten

  “Ruby?” Charlie’s voice was distant but the alarm in her tone made me force my eyes open.