by Sadie Moss
Besides, I know nothing about this man. I don’t think he’s creepy or an asshole, and he’s handsome as fuck and the personification of sin, but is that really enough to base anything real on? I don’t think so.
“Sorry, handsome,” I whisper. “You can just call me Reckless.”
I kiss him one last time, hard and fast, to give him something to remember me by.
Or maybe it’s the other way around, and I’m trying to steal a little piece of him to take with me.
Either way, I pull back quickly.
Then I twist my wrist out of his hold and dart up the street, slipping back into the bar. Grabbing my jacket, I make my way through the late night revelers.
Behind me, I can hear him entering as well, hurrying after me, but I know this place better than he does. I move through the crowd to a small hallway in the back, slip out the door, and I’m gone.
Chapter 5
I’ll be honest. Over the next several days, I can’t quite get mystery guy out of my head.
It’s annoying, to say the least. A few times at work, I catch myself looking for him, eyeing the corner booth where I first spotted him, and then I mentally berate myself for it. I’m not going to moon over some guy, especially one I only met once—and especially not when he might’ve wanted more and I’m the one who turned down that possibility. It’s my own damn fault he’s gone without a trace, and I refuse to wallow.
At least the hookup did accomplish its main purpose though, which was to take my mind off Maddy and how much I miss her. As thoughts of dark blue eyes and raven hair consume my thoughts, I manage to hold off from pestering my sister with a million texts during her first week of classes.
Finally, the Friday after the infamous alley hookup, I get a call from her.
“Hey!” I say, forcing cheer into my voice. I’ve just gotten off work, and I’m kicking my shoes off and closing the door behind me as I answer the phone. “How’ve you been, little sis? You fitting in okay? Liking your classes? What’s your room like?”
“Amazing!” Maddy gushes. “All of it’s amazing, Ellie! Oh my God, you would love it. My room is great; I’m sharing with another girl named Sharon, and she’s been introducing me to people. She went to one of those magical summer camps, so she already knows a lot of people. All the students and teachers here are water elementalists like me, and it’s just—it’s amazing. I can’t even begin to describe it. You kind of have to see it to believe it, you know?”
I do know. I watched Mom do magic often, but I never really spent a lot of time socializing with the magical community after she died. Ajax frowns on people using magic at the bar since it generally only happens when there’s a fight, so even though magic users drink there, I don’t see a lot of it in action.
Maddy must be in heaven right now. Getting to meet a ton of other people her own age, practicing magic, making friends she doesn’t have to lie to about her family past or her powers just to fit in… I can tell she’s on cloud nine.
“I’m happy for you,” I tell her honestly. “So stinkin’ happy, Mads. You’re right where you’re supposed to be.”
My heart aches, though. Hearing her voice makes hot tears prick my eyes as it hits me like a sucker punch just how much I miss her. The apartment’s small, just one bedroom, but it feels so big and empty without her in it.
“How are you doing?” Maddy asks softly, like she’s read my mind. Of course. I forget sometimes that all this time we’ve spent together doesn’t just mean I know her. It means she knows me. “You okay? Are you going out, making friends?”
She sounds worried. I hate that. I’m the older sister; I’m supposed to be worrying about her, not the other way around.
“Of course,” I lie, putting a cheery tone into my voice. “I’m living it up big time.”
“Okaaay…” My little sis sounds doubtful.
“Don’t you worry about me, Mads. That’s not your job. Your job is to have fun and to learn. I’m doing just fine, and if anybody’s going to be doing any worrying, it’s going to be me about you and those college boys.”
She groans. “Elliiiiiie. I’m fine!”
I grin. Now we’re back on track. “Uh huh. If you say so…”
“I do say so. Geez.” I can practically hear Maddy rolling her eyes at me—with love, of course. There’s a pause, and then she says hesitantly, “Look, um, I gotta go, we’re doing a thing…”
“Go, go!” I say, waving her off and then realizing a second later she can’t actually see my hand because I’m an idiot. “Have fun, okay?”
“I will. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
The apartment feels like it gets ten times colder and emptier once I hang up the call.
Flopping down on the couch, I blow out a breath, stirring a few stray strands of dark hair that’ve fallen over my face.
You know what? Maddy’s right. I should go out.
I can’t just mope around my apartment forever or work at the bar until I die. I need to have some fun, live a little. I haven’t really let loose since before Mom died. I’ve been the responsible adult this whole time; the alley sex with Tall, Dark, and Handsome was the first crazy, impulsive thing I’ve done in years. Maybe now’s the right moment to change all that, to find my wild, fun-loving side. I mean, I must have one, right?
Heaving myself up from the couch, I head to the bedroom closet and rifle through the back of it until I find an outfit I haven’t worn in ages. I’m shocked it still fits, since I think I’ve grown a little since I last put it on. Tight black pants, a sparkly silver tank top with a lacy black bra underneath that you can see just a peek of, and strappy black high heels: the classic clubbing outfit.
My hair’s another thing I haven’t done in forever. I usually pull it back into a ponytail for the bar, and at home I just brush it and then call it a day because who’s going to judge me? The pizza delivery guy? But this time, I actually straighten it and give it some lift, and then I do my makeup.
I hardly recognize myself when I look in the mirror. I honestly kind of want to go back in time to the bar and ask Tall, Dark, and Handsome what the hell he was thinking hooking up with me then. I actually look nice right now, instead of pale and overworked with limp hair.
Well, however I looked a few days ago, I look good at the moment, and I’m going to go out and make the most of it. I have enough money to splurge on a couple drinks, so I can spoil myself a little.
I take a cab to a club called Verve in downtown Portland. A few heads turn to watch me as I walk up the steps, which is a nice confidence booster. Even the bouncer eyes me up and down as he pulls the rope aside and lets me enter.
The thing I’d forgotten about clubs is that they’re goddamn loud. And they honestly don’t smell so great, between the spilled alcohol and the sweaty bodies and the fog machines and the sex. But something thrills in my stomach as I enter, just because I’m actually here. I’m doing something, veering away from my usual routine, and it’s a little exciting.
I don’t know anyone in the club tonight, obviously, so I just make my way to the bar. A quick drink’ll give me enough courage to go out onto the dance floor. As I wait for the bartender to notice me, I scan the crowd. I’m not seeing anyone I’m too interested in approaching. Nobody here is as hot as those three guys the other night, or the man I hooked up with in the alley.
Damn it, why am I still thinking about him? Or them?
Men are a dime a dozen, and I’m not the type of girl to get ridiculously hooked on a guy. Especially not after a one-night stand or just a few glances across the bar.
The bartender finally turns my way, and I place my order. She nods and gets to work. I’m not seeing any women around that look nice enough for me to buddy up with. If only there was another girl who looked as lost as I feel, I could go over to her, but all I’m seeing are tight knit groups of friends, and I don’t want to get in on that. I’m not that good with people.
The bartender passes me my drink, and I p
ay and tip her. Then I turn around—
Only to get slammed into by some idiot.
“Watch it!” I yell. My drink’s sloshed all over my clothes. Fuck. I’m going to smell like booze all night now. No way is anyone going to want to dance with me when I look and smell like this.
Darn it. I got all dressed up and everything. Double fuck.
“Sorry,” the guy mumbles.
I grab some napkins and a glass of water from the bartender and rush outside. There’s always a massive line for the bathrooms in clubs, and under a streetlight, I can properly see what I need to wipe up.
Ugh, it really did get all over my top, and my pants. It’s a good thing the pants are black or it would probably look like I peed myself. Shit.
I wet the napkins with the water and start cleaning off my clothes as I silently debate with myself. I’m not sure if it’s worth it to go back in after this. Just five minutes in the place and the night’s already a disaster. But I got all dressed up and walked all the way over here…
“Watch it, asshole!”
“I’m the asshole? You piece of shit!”
Two men stumble into me and I yelp in surprise, dropping the water glass. “Damn it!”
It shatters, and glass goes everywhere. I stumble back to try to avoid it, nearly falling in my heels.
The men don’t even notice me. They’re both yelling at the top of their lungs, something about one of them stealing the other one’s girl—typical jock-boy bullshit. But as I try to regain my footing, I end up in between them somehow. I grab one guy’s shirt for balance, but the other one’s already moving, aiming a fist for his buddy’s face—
The punch to my temple sends me reeling.
I see stars, and my ears ring like an alarm. I got in my fair share of fights in middle school and high school, but I’ve never been hit so hard in my life. I’ve never had adrenaline spike through my veins so sharply, and something inside of me I didn’t even know was there snaps.
My hands shoot up as if to shield me, and I feel a strange ripple in my chest, like a wave, rushing through my body and down my arms, out of my hands. I can literally feel the air shifting, and then a sound like—like a jet plane, but not, like a really loud thunderclap, but not—explodes out of me.
I’m thrown backward from the force of it.
The two men are hurled away from me, the streetlight bends with a screech of metal, car alarms start going off, my back and head hit the wall of the club, and—
It all goes black.
Chapter 6
Everything is blurry as I wake up. My head hurts, and my eyelids are heavy as lead weights.
I blink a few times. Slowly, like I’m emerging from underwater, my vision clears. I ache all over, like I’ve just run a marathon while being pelted with rocks. Everything hurts. My mouth is dry, and I’m groggy as hell. Shit. I haven’t drunk that much since—
Wait. No… I didn’t drink anything.
The world sharpens around me, coming into focus, and I realize I’m lying in a hospital bed, in a white-walled room. I’m the only one, which means this is a private room, and I definitely can’t afford that on my insurance. How did I end up here?
I try to move—only to hear a loud clanking sound and to find I can’t raise my arms.
I look down.
There’s an odd silver brace of some kind on my wrist, and my hands are cuffed to the bed.
What. The. Hell?
What happened last night? What did I do?
I vaguely remember being at the club. I definitely remember the earlier part of the day, and even getting ready, but then it starts to get a little blurry.
Someone knocked into me and spilled their drink. Then I went… I went outside to clean it up… the glass got broken… a punch… something…
Did I hurt anybody? I know I’m prickly, but Jesus, I don’t think I’m violent. And fuck, my head hurts. I think that guy hit me hard enough to give me a bit of a concussion.
Not that I can check my face or anything, seeing as I’m cuffed to the damn bed.
I’m just about to yell for someone to get their ass in here and tell me what the hell is going on when the door opens. A tall woman in a perfectly pressed skirt and blazer walks in.
It’s Aurora.
What the fuck?
“What did you do to me?” I demand, shaking the cuffs. I should’ve known the Circuit would be behind this somehow. Did they erase my memories? Knock me out? Is Maddy okay? What the hell is going on?
Aurora has the grace to look a bit sorry, if nothing else. She pulls up a chair next to the bed. “The handcuffs are the idea of the police, I’m afraid. I’ve been dealing with them for the last few hours. Modifying a few memories. Do you have any idea what a mess you caused with that stunt?”
“What stunt?” I scrunch up my face, shaking my head. I honestly don’t remember.
Aurora raises an eyebrow. “Hiding your magical ability is a punishable offense. You should have registered—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I struggle to sit up. Aurora helps me arrange the pillows, which is nice and all, but right now it just pisses me off even more. “I don’t have any magic.”
Aurora’s eyes narrow and she stares at me for a long moment, as if she’s trying to read my mind. I glare at her.
After a few moments of this standoff, her face relaxes, and she sits back in her chair. “Well. The brace you have on prevents you from doing any magic. It dampens it, so to speak. So you can’t use magical means to lie.” She taps her fingers on the arm of the chair. “Do you really not remember what happened last night?”
“I remember I went out to a club. I got a drink, but someone knocked into me and spilled it, so I went outside to clean it up. After that, it’s all fuzzy, just bits and pieces… until I woke up in here.”
Aurora nods. “You were knocked back into the side of the building. And you took a pretty hard hit to the face. Between that and your outburst of magic, I’m sure a bit of short-term memory loss is expected.”
“Wait—my outburst of magic?” She’s got to be kidding me.
I look down at myself, as if something about me will have outwardly changed to show that I do, in fact, have magic. I still look like me, just in a hospital gown with some bruises.
Aurora nods. “You let out a sonic boom. It put two men in the hospital and resulted in thousands of dollars worth of property damage… it was one of the strongest bursts of magic we’ve seen in years. We naturally assumed you had to have been hiding your powers from us and training yourself in secret in order to let out such a strong blast. But if you’re serious about not knowing…”
“Are you kidding me?” I can’t believe this. Anger coils in my gut like a snake. “My mom was hugely powerful. My dad is too. You think I liked being a disappointment because I didn’t have any magic like they did? You think I would’ve let my sister go off to a magical training academy alone if I had magic? Why the hell would I hide it? When my mom died, we lost all connection with the magical community. Nobody wanted us because we weren’t like them. Didn’t matter that we’d grown up with it, spent all our lives around it—all they cared about was whether we could light a candle by snapping our fingers or whatever. You think that was fun? That we lived our lives on the outside of everything just for shits and giggles?”
Aurora waits placidly as I explode at her. When I run out of words, she hesitates for a moment to see if I’ll continue. Then she speaks calmly. “I see. Well, you may not have been aware of it before, but our test results indicate that you have Unpredictable magic.”
My brows draw together as her words take the self-righteous wind out of my sails. “I’m sorry, what?”
I’ve never even heard of that, but like I said, I’m a little behind on the ins and outs of the magical community.
“Unpredictable magic is rare,” Aurora explains. “It can’t be categorized and can show up in the form of various powers. Your sister has water elemental magic, if I remember correctly? That
means she’s limited in what her magic can do. It has to deal with water. We can help train her and predict what her magic’s limitations and capabilities are because of that. But with you… we simply don’t know. It makes for an interesting and difficult training process.”
She pauses, maybe to give me a chance to speak. But my jaw is hanging open, and I have no idea what to say.
“That would explain why your magic took so long to spark,” she continues after a beat. “Unpredictable magic takes a long time to build and take shape within a person due to its lack of structure, so it usually comes out in the early- to mid-twenties rather than in the teen years.”
“What does… what does that mean for me?” I indicate the cuff with a jerk of my chin. “Are you going to take me to magical prison?”
“Goodness, no.” Aurora looks appalled at the thought. I half expect her to clutch at some pearls. “We’ll send you to an academy that specializes in training people with Unpredictable magic.”
“Do I get a choice in the matter?” I ask, suspicious.
Aurora opens her mouth, pauses, then closes it. “I’m… well.” She presses her lips together, her expression firming. “No. Not really.”
Shit.
Chapter 7
“Why can’t I choose not to go?” I demand, my fight or flight instinct immediately kicking in.
What kind of bullshit is this? I should be allowed to decide what kind of life I want to lead.
Aurora holds my gaze steadily, not even bothering to look guilty. It makes me respect her a little more, because the last thing I want is fake sympathy—but it also makes me want to punch her in the face.
It’s probably a good thing I’m handcuffed.